S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

In this review I want to highlight three important things that you need to know/do to make your S.T.A.L.K.E.R playthrough perfect first time. In fact my lack of knowledge of my third point left my dissapointed with the game. Firstly the game barely autosaves and you will to use F6 TO QUICKSAVE you'll learn this pretty quickly. Secondly THE GAME IS BROKEN WITHOUT THE ZRP MOD make sure to go to their website, download and follow the simple instructions to install, and I also strongly advice not using any other mods (especially complete) to keep the game feeling vanilla. Thirdly the games plot isnt presented very well, while it is good, if you dont pay intention to the seemingly insignificant text on the HUD you will be dissapointed so pay close attiention to dialouge and make sure to read the personal note in the Diary Section if you're confused with the story. AND MOST IMPORTANTLY OF ALL "MAKE SURE TO MEET WITH GUIDE" AFTER X16 this might not make sense now but once you play the game it will and you must do all missions linked to this to properly finish the game. Lastly I want to say that i do absolutely love this game. The concept and environment of the post-apocolyptic zone is so enticing and the game perfectly capitlizes on that atmosphere especially when underground and the looter-shooter gameplay is so addicting that even with the high ttk you cant stop playing.

Inmidst the rising mediocrity of single-player FPS came STALKER, a game that took me by storm with its unique atmosphere and environment. It is an RPG-like FPS but with no XP: equipment, skill and ammunition replace that. The progression comes from the player, how good he can react to threats, knowledge of the game and what equipment he managed to get on the way, not that some skill he unlocked after 1000 zombie kills. The maps are big, the NPC and monster AI make every venture out into the wild an adventure, ripe with stories to tell later at the fire. A sprawling, dedicated mod community lets you tweak the experience to your liking.

I am completely new to this series but I will say I am now a huge fan! I've been gaming for 20+ years and this is one of the most unique experiences I have had, thus far. If you like FPS, a very tense atmosphere and enjoy exploring an environment where death could literally be around the next corner, you will love this game. This is NOT run& gun. Anything above the easiest level you are required to think "what keeps me alive". Use cover, listen for footsteps, aim for the head and hope there isn't another creature about to flank you. Without spoilers, at one point in the game I literally crouched in a corner, between 2 buildings and just kept moving my gun sights back and forth to scan the area because I was scared to go any further. If you have a fairly good graphics card, I highly recommend getting some of the aesthetic mods that add more trees, grass, higher quality textures, etc. (I.E. Absolute nature, structure... there's TONS of mods out there to choose from). Crank up the in-game graphics, turn off the lights, get you some surround sound and/or quality headphones and get ready for an amazing ride!

First off, don't let the video convince that this is just another modern-FPS. This is anything but that,it's a tactical FPS. It has an amazing living atmosphere not equaled by any other game. The perfect ambient soundtrack builds the more and holds tension all the time as the very nature of the zone is unpredictable. You could be ambushed at anytime or attacked by mutants when you least expect it. It has certain RPG elements to it and they add another layer of depth. Plenty of unique characters and you can side with any of them. Tonnes of mod-support adding another full-games length into it is reason-enough to purchase it. Give this gem a try!

I get bored fast by games and loose my interest fast. With STALKER SOC however it's the first time since the elder scrolls morrowind that I can play for hours on end. The world is full of life with very good atmosphere. To get some better graphics I installed the complete mod, just looking at the modding community for this game you can see I'm not the only one that fell in love with the game. This game is old but there is still a big active community. This game is a combination of FPS and survival horror. I'm now about 35 hours in the game and just now I'm learning a bit more about the history of my character, the missions and side missions are interesting and keep drawing you in. I don't have the feeling that I'm doing chores. I choose what I want and do what I want. I don't have a lot of experience in FPS but I like the way the game plays. It seems realistic enough. Guns draw up when firing for a long time so firing in short bursts is better, ... It's definitively not an easy game, I'm not a hardcore gamer and play on novice and it's still a good challenge. You have to be on your guard all the time for everything. Bandits that surprise you, all kinds of animals, fire, radiation, electric charges, ... The game also has a day and night cycle and weather changes. The Russian talking and the music in bars, played by people in camps sitting by a fire all add to the immersion. Also the fact that everyone is in the game for their own goal is nice, you are just one of the people trying to survive, you can join others or choose not to. You hear conversations everywhere or shooting and fighting nearby or far. You can choose to help or just stand and look from a far how another Stalker gets eaten by something. In short, I have fallen in love with the game and just want to push on in the story to see what else STALKER SOC throws at me, for me a definite 5/5 game.