Apparently they give owners of the original version the new Enhanced Edition for free (DRM free as usual on GOG). That alone deserves a 5 star rating.
Loved this game, it is among my favourites. Certainly will do another playthrough once I cut back some of my bucket list of unplayed games I need to get to. First playthrough was a blast. Bought it again just to have a full copy on GOG (already had the Steam version).
Especially having all the "DLC" included is very nice. Makes it a better deal than elsewhere, plus DRM free, which ensures the game works (whereas other platforms seem to have problems with the DRM breaking this game). Worth buying, if you can look past the dated graphics you get an absolute classic that's truly a blast to play.
For a game in the under 2€ category, it is quite good actually. Kinda like a cheap version of the original COD just set in WWI with Zombies etc added. The mechanics aren't great (like with many old games), what bothers me most is the pixelated crosshair, which makes the game look cheap (but that's not really something you can reasonably complain about at 1€). On the positive side, it works in fullscreen mode on 2K monitors without problems (not always the case with old games), and the athmosphere is done really well. I personally would have preferred to have human opponents only, but overall, the game is fun to play. I have seen other games at this price that were not even worth 1€ (I bought this from a refund for another cheap, truly awful game) - I struggled to get into the game on some of them (because the main menu wouldn't load/work correctly). This one ran well from the start (on Win10), no tweaks or fixes required to get going. Don't expect a masterpiece, and you'll be quite happy with what you get for your money.
IGNORE THE NEGATIVE REVIEWS ABOUT MULTICORE ISSUES - I played it on a Ryzen 1700 and 5700X3D (both 8core) without any manual patches, and it worked perfectly fine. The only technical issue I ran into is that if you set the graphics settings (note that there's a seperate executable for those) above 1920x1080 @60Hz, the game will run at 640x480 with everything set to low quality (even though available settings go much higher). Also, note that GOG Galaxy won't sync your savegames, so if you need to reinstall Windows, you better create a manual backup. Now to the game itself: The only criticism is that the controls aren't as refined as on modern games, but that really is the only thing that isn't perfect about this game. If you liked the older GTA games (like San Andreas) and Assassins Creed, chances are you will love this game. I really wish that there was a remaster, but if you make use of modern graphics driver's "beautification" options (like enforced AA & AF etc), you can really get this game to look pretty amazing for it's age (for Nvidia, go to 3D settings in the control panel, and add the game manually, then you can set specific settings for it - AND makes accessing these a lot simpler & more user friendly). I had to restart the game even though I was far into it because I reinstalled Windows, but I am still enjoying it thoroughly at a partially 2nd playthrough. The game really invites you to spend as much time as you like, as you will always find something to do. Whether you choose the stealthy way, or go in guns blazing, the choice is yours and most missions can be completed either way.
I never got into Metro/Stalker, which many people here compare it to. I tried both, but got frustrated with both pretty fast. This one I actually enjoyed, as I always wanted to explore the zone. I didn't experience any bugs, and loved the game. The story is quite interesting, although I do find the characters irritating (except the old man, as I later found out by conincidence the story of the rat king he keeps referring too is apparently some sort of Russian/Ukrainian fable (which makes sense given how criticism of the ruling class was prohibited for long periods in history in that part of the world). Once you have access to improved weapons, the fighting also is quite fun. It really feels like you'd expect a game like this to feel. I think I played it on a Ryzen 1700 / 1070 GTX setup (was a while ago), and look forward to my next playthrough which I will soon start. I really like the idea of being able to set up devices in the wilderness that will affect the environment, and having them remain there next time you enter the same area. The athmosphere is amazing.
Can this be played as a standalone? Or does it require the full game?
The graphics are a bit dated, but if you can forgive that given the age of the game it is the most exciting, fun shooter I have ever played. Others have compared it to Max Payne 2, and I would strongly agree that it is very similar. Lots of slowmo-supported combat, with extra points for stylish kills (given the age of the game, it is amazing how you can interact with various objects found throughout the game world). A good example would be trollies - jump forward with the slowmo-enabling jump button, and land on the trolly and you'll get extra points for every baddy killed while the trolly remains in motion. Fun stuff. would give it even more than five stars if I could.
