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

The Good: + Unmatched atmosphere + Still the best game of the three + Made for PC players, not console peasants + Interesting storyline (based on 'Roadside Picnic' and 'Stalker (1979)') + A-Life system makes every encounter play out differently + Free-roaming (go where you want to go without any limitation) + Explore real locations like Pripyat, Red Forest and the Chernobyl NPP + Creepy underground labs (X18, X16, X10) + Haunting musical score by MooZe + No hand holding + Nights are terrifying + Semi-realistic shooting mechanics + Different types of ammunition + Inventory and weapon management + Weapons degradation + Faction reputation system + Use artifacts for special perks + Find secret stashes + Many side quests + Multiple endings + Manual saves + Infinitely moddable + Active mod community The Bad: - Needs the ZRP mod for the best experience - Can be confusing for new players - First few hubs can be extremely difficult - Beginning weapons are trash - Weapons and suits repair require a mod - Vanilla graphics are a bit outdated now - Terrible stealth mechanics - Some enemies have x-ray vision - Loading between hubs - Forgetting to save regularly! The Ugly: - Extremely buggy on release - Random freezes and CTD's - X-Ray Engine causes micro-stutter

In terms of sheer realism, mechanics, and atmosphere, these are the best "post-apocalyptic" first person games out there. They are also genuinely difficult, but in a realistic rather than gimmicky way. Getting shot will kill you, but it also kills them. No bullet sponges here and no "take 50 shots and keep fighting". This is one of the few games, where I felt real anxiety, during gameplay. The only other game I can think of which had this sort of potent effect is the original F.E.A.R. I echo other reviewers, however, in the need for Mods. These games are jewels in the rough. I have a soft spot for the "Complete" mods, which now exist for all three games, but some of the other mods recommended are good as well. No fan of Fallout 3 should miss these games. No fan of Metro should miss these games. No fan of the horror/survival/post apocalyptic genres should miss these games. And the price is right. GOG has really outdone itself here. Kudos.

Ok, this is one of the few games that I got completely lost in. In a good way though. I played it without mods upon original release, with a couple patches. I got it on GOG trough the redeeming program. This game makes no compromises, you will die. You will learn and die again, and again, and again. After a point, there is genuine satisfaction in surviving the quests and the firefights. When you develop enough experience and get good enough equipment, there is a feeling of accomplishment, you have to deserve it. The environment are huge, beautiful even today, and especially immersive. The enemies are very well trained and won't be easily dispatched, most of them anyway. Nothing in this game is perfect, but it all falls into place perfectly...

The game has a simple premise. Youre stuck in the Zone, only way is deeper in. For the most perceptive, the setting itself immediately starts to break the 4th wall, by showing you the Zone as a marker of progression for the most of people attempting to play this game. A lot of people give up in the Cordon, never making it past the military checkpoint at railroad bridge, an area not too hostile, but still a challenge, if played on the only difficulty this game should be played in, STALKER. Why dont they? Some arent resourceful enough to just kill the soldiers with what theyve got. Some dont figure out the timing of electrical anomaly scouring the tunnel not 200 feet west of the checkpoint. Some fail to find the money for bribes. Youll see them represented as the NPCs sitting around fires, scared to ever wander out the village, others dead. Others give up in the Garbage, a fitting metaphor for them. Youll see a lot of bandits grouping up close to roads and structures, but few wandering further out than that. If you make it past Cordon and Garbage... Thats where STALKERS are made. Thats where the Zone takes you and never lets you go. To lethal effect. I first played the game 10 years ago, and never knew there was a 6th, real ending. Only once I got used to the Zone (playing it about 5 years ago), I figured out to think for myself, and found one of the most intriguing endings to a videogame, if you can call it an ending. Today, I decided to buy the trilogy again. Because the Zone calls, and will never stop calling. Trust me.

I've been using this game as a PC benchmark since release. I consider it the most convincing, beautiful open world devs have ever made. I can't recommend the 2019 Starter Pack with the Autumn Aurora shaders enough. It remasters the game in a way I would have paid for. It makes remasters like Crysis look embarrassing. The scene for this game is so talented and loving. Please try this game if you're into Metro or filmic, truly cinematic shooters. It's the most immersive I can think of. The sequels are awesome too. I think that most of the devs are actually working on Metro right now, but I consider that franchise a downgrade. That world never really calls me back to it. The first neighborhood you step into in this game always feels real to me and I can't wait to get back to it. Hopefully we get another one someday.