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

This is a solid STALKER game with its problems. The best part about this STALKER when we compare it to the other games, is the story. The story on this game is very good. The Worst part about this game is the clunkiness of the gameplay. Still a excellent game.

This is one of the most absorbing game experiences I have had in a long time. The gritty plains and concrete ruins feel cold and ominous, while the game's underground passages suck you into this state of ruthless awareness, always trying to spot where that gunfire came from, and if there wasn't a glimpse of flashlight just behind that corner...? And, when you've just become comfortable distinguishing silhouettes in the dark, keeping your own flashlight off, and remembering to hold your fire, you're probably going to have your adrenline pumped back up when you realize, that YOU'RE LOOKING STRAIGHT THROUGH A TRANSPARENT MONSTER!! AAAARGH!!! *sprays Viper-5 magazine in terror*

In thinking of the best way to describe S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to a friend of mine, all I could come up with was this : it made me feel the same way I did playing PC games as a kid. You'd load up, start playing with no real idea of what you were doing or where you were going, and all you wanted to do was explore. Thanks to the internet, games these days hold no secrets really. Half of the time you know a game inside out before you have even played it, and you've become so used to the way that games work, the thrill of exploration is lacking, because you know all the tropes, all the surprises; you know where exploring will go and what the most you'll find will be. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is different. You leave the small shelter at the beginning of the game, walk out of town and immediately you want to know what that building is over there. What that noise was. What's on the other side of that tunnel. And you have no idea what the outcome will ever be. The game doesn't hold your hand, like all the best old school games. You have items, you find items, and what they are for is not always immediately apparent. You can explore the desolate countryside, and it's dangerous. You can die from a couple of hits. This, in some games, would be frustrating, but in STALKER it just makes you more determined to find out what secrets were hidden there, just beyond those wild dogs or behind that building. Best of all, is the unique atmosphere. It really feels like you are wandering within the remnants of a land ravaged by nuclear radiation. I can't think of a single game I have ever played which has captured the feel of the world is is attempting to create, better than this. it's tough as nails. You will die a lot. You will be frustrated. But the thrill of exploring the world makes those things perfectly okay, which is STALKER's greatest strength. This is a classic PC game, and sums up PC gaming perfectly.

The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series will always have a place in my heart and especially Shadow of Chernobyl. I found about this game back in 2014 because I was never interested in survival shooters. However my neighbor had the collector's edition and I was like "Hey! Isn't that the survival shooter in Chernobyl?" He replied "Oh, believe me, it's more than just that". And so this is how I got my copy. Story: As I said the game is a survival-horror FPS set in Ukraine, Chernobyl after the nuclear disaster. The story (no spoilers) is simple. After the disaster a bunch of artifact collectors called "The Stalkers" came in to take the artifacts and become rich. You play the role of a Stalker named "The Marked One" who had an amnesia and is trying to remember his past. The story itself is amazing and it sounds like one of those stories from your friends when you're camping and they are telling stories at night. Gameplay: The first thing that I noticed is how difficult the game is from the start, it is definitely not friendly to newcomers. I started the first mission and died twice before I realized two very important things: quicksaving and tactics. This is no Call of Duty where you can run around shooting people in without punishment. Here, you are just as fragile as the enemies (if not more), so you need to think through what you are doing. Shooting however isn't everything. You will need to look out for deadly anomalies and mutants because they can rip you to shreds in seconds. There is a weight system which is very unnecessary but it wants to be as realistic as possible so I'll let it slide by. Unfortunately there are no upgrades for weapons and armor, but that comes in later games. Don't forget to stock up on bandages and first aid kits. Soundtrack: Ah yes, what would be a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game without the phenomenal soundtrack. Even though it is only 1 and a half hours long, it will make you feel like you are part of the game. It will make the atmosphere intense and scary. Verdict: If you like horror shooters with good story and don't mind difficulty, then S.T.A.L.K.E.R. SOC is for you.

Before I say anything else, know that Stalker stories are some of my very favourites across all mediums so I'm going to be heavily biased. Besides the already mentioned strong points, gameplay itself I found terrifically fun and the 'survival mechanics' were done very sensibly to instill urgency and constant unease in the player without being overbering. The side quests are not a terribly important part of the game, nor are the dialogs and the NPC's in my estimation but all of that is easily forgiven when it's completely dwarfed by the incredible way the game looks and plays. It seems incredibly alive despite the apparent lack of polish in certain aspects. When you hunker down with a vodka and a sausage in your backpack and your firearm in your hands trained into the dark, the outer world just fades away. Survive or perish, the Zone takes its toll.