I have attempted to play through STALKER: Clear Sky three times. I was finally successful on this one. I have always grown tired of it in the past and put it down, forgetting about it until later. I thought it was high time to give it a go now that STALKER 2 is out. I actually finished it this time. The game starts out strong. The story is interesting, at least in the beginning. You quickly find yourself back in the Zone that you remember, at least once you clear the swamps. The gunplay and enemy variety is almost identical to the first, only this time there are factions you can join and/or piss off. And once you anger them, there's no going back. Gun play was good, lots of fun fights. I enjoyed that aspect of it, but it's really just more STALKER. I felt it was -mostly- well balanced? Outside of the last half of the game, it was pretty fun and enjoyable. I think that's the problem. The first half of the game is really really good. I couldn't stop playing it! I just wanted to wander the zone, do quests for the various factions, wipe out some bandit scum, and I genuinely had a good time. At a certain point, though, everything starts to drag. The story just kinda peters off and becomes very meh about halfway through. Not terrible, but not great. The factions are CONSTANTLY whining at you to help them for every little thing. If a blind dog so much as sneezes, they plead for you to help, they're going to die without you! That gets kinda old after a while. The atmosphere isn't as memorable. You don't go into any cool labs. The mutants are sort of a side dish to the humans that you fight, moreso than the first game. Oh, but it does continue the proud tradition of an absolutely excruciating final chapter. It's not quite as painful as the first game's, but that really isn't saying much. Still, if you love STALKER, there's something to enjoy here. Make sure you install the Clear Sky Reclamation Project (SRP). The mod fixes tons of issues.
I first played S.T.A.L.K.E.R. shortly after it came out, around 15 years ago. It was an experience that stayed with me. With STALKER 2's release, I decided to give it another go, as I haven't played it in forever. It was a very interesting experience. The world design is fantastic. It's a great setting that pulls you in and the atmosphere is brilliant throughout the entire game. Hearing the people joke and sing in their own native language, playing the guitar as they sit around a campfire in an otherwise dreary setting, it's just fantastic. Wandering the world is fun, you never know just what you're going to run into. One moment you might be wandering in peace, then get swarmed by a pack of vicious, blind dogs. Or caught in a firefight between bandits and other Stalkers. The story is good. I don't think it's anything amazing, but it's good enough to keep me invested and wanting to learn what happens next. The voice acting is great, and I love listening to the native tongue, even though I don't speak it. The accents are great. It's good stuff. This is all well and good, and the reason why the game stands out! However, it is a first person shooter and, well, there's some issues here. The game starts out brutal. You take almost no hits before dying, and your guns are absolute trash that couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if you were point blank. It gets better in the middle. You've got decent weapons and you feel like you're gaining control. Then comes the final act. Good lord, this is where the game makes it very clear it hates you and wants you to suffer. It is agonizing. You will die over and over and over again, reloading constantly just to progress. While I enjoyed my journey, I was SO glad when it was over. For all its flaws, the original STALKER is still a fascinating experience. I recommend giving it a try, and try to get past the very rough start. Feel free to quit when you reach Pripyat though. It's all pain from there.
This is coming from someone who never played Heroes of Might and Magic in the past. I started with the first one a few weeks ago. I dont have nostalgia for this game. I knew of its existence, but never played it. I'm changing that now. I'm sure glad I am, too. Heroes of Might and Magic II is largely superior to the first game in almost every way. It's basiccally the same game, but refined and with new additions. There are two new factions, both of which I enjoy. The Wizards and the Necromancers. I -love- the Necromancers, easily my favorite faction thus far. While the city management is quite similar to the first game's, there are a few new additions, like upgrading buildings (Which gives access to upgraded troops.) The battlefield is bigger, which is a welcome improvement. The game is so incredibly addictive, and I lost hours to it just wanting to do one more turn. The art style is great. It's a bit different from the first game's, but it grew on me and I really like it now. The soundtrack is phenomenal, especially the music it plays in the various cities you control. It is largely superior to the first game. But there were a couple of issues I had with it. It stuttered frequently, freezing for a few seconds and making me think it was about to CTD. Sometimes it did. The first game did not do this to me. The movement of heroes on the campaign map also stuttered, which drove me crazy until I got used to it. The campaign is much longer and more varied than the first. While that is MOSTLY good, some levels are frustrating and tedious, requiring intimate knowledge of the level or forcing you to play a certain way, usually by rushing. Crazy difficulty spikes. First game was more relaxed, I preferred that. You also get cool choices to make during the campaign which permanently affects the game. Unfortunately, there's only ever one right choice that's actually useful. Pity that. All in all, fantastic game. Can't recommend it enough. On to 3!
This review is coming from someone who has never played a single Heroes of Might and Magic game prior to this entry. I bought it along with the original Might and Magic games (1 - 8), which I had also never played before. I found them so enjoyable, I decided I'd do the same thing with the Heroes series. I figured I'd have to skip the first one, as the original Might and Magic was a bit painful to get through. I was wrong. I have had an absolute blast playing the original Heros of Might and Magic. It's been incredibly addictive, and I couldn't get enough of it. I played through the entire campaign as Ironfist, then played through half of the Warlock campaign purely to play the one level I didn't get a chance to play in Ironfist (You can only play 8 of the 9 missions, one will always be locked depending on the faction you play as.) I imagine most people reading this will know what this game is about. You start with a small force, gradually building up armies and cities until you become a force to be reckoned with. The game's title is incredibly accurate. Powerful heroes can buff armies to ludicrous degrees, making even lower level minions into killing machines. On the other hand, a great wizard can use spells to devastate the enemy, with blind and paralysis being my personal favorites. Some spells are almost broken in how strong they are. I find that the levels never play the same way. There are always three other factions working against you, and you never know just what they're going to do. Sometimes they ignore you and go for each other. Sometimes you just have to deal with one at a time. Other times, it feels like they are obsessed with you and you alone. I couldn't put the game down. Every time I needed to quit, I'd tell myself "Just one more turn." Then I'd do it again. And again. ANd again. It's a simple game. I enjoyed it immensely. I can't wait to see what the sequels have in store. I'll get to see how the games evolved, too!
