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

There are games that push you along on a trolly, pointing out neat features and patting your head when you do well. This is NOT that game. This game hates you and everything you love. It will go out of its way to troll you. It will drown you in misery and cheap vodka and by the end of your epic journey, you'll be cursing in Slavic languages like the rest of the Stalkers. This game will scare you. It will frustrate you. It will kill you over and over until your quick-save button wears out. And it will keep you coming back for more. There are games that stick with you. Half Life, Fallout, Morrowind. Add this to that list, because your time in the zone will forge memories. It's a chaotic sandbox being slowly poured though a woodchipper. I can't recommend it more.

I must say, returning to the Zone after ten years, the game stands solid. I must recommend the original vanilla version, as it was ment to be played like that. The gurgoling sounds at night, dogs barking as they are about to attack or scare you, the wind bringing distant shots with terrible screams, pure and raw loneliness 24/7 as you navigate inside the Zone. The game repeats itself here and there but you are kind of choosing what kind of stalker are you. I won't even mention the things they could have put in the game and they never saw the light of day. The universe feels like it has its own hard truth there. I still got the chills inside the underground lab, or any other dangerous place like i did 10 years ago. You may not like the outdated graphics but your imagination is more valuable than any unreal 5 realistic game.

One of the best video gaming experiences I have ever had. There is nothing quite like S.T.A.L.K.E.R., especially Shadow of Chernobyl. The atmosphere of dread, bleakness, and loneliness is so palpable in this video game that it should be perceived instead of described, especially with the addition of some mods. The giddy sense of exploration you get venturing into every little nook and cranny of the post-apocalyptic wastelands of Chernobyl and the surrounding forestation and apartment complexes, as well as the frightening encounters with the residents therein will make you forget all about the weird dialogue and other "flaws" that this game has. When I played S.T.A.L.K.E.R., it felt like I was really inside of it... a part of it. It's not exactly an RPG by gaming mechanics, but it really felt like a roleplaying game in a pure sense. In other words, I actually felt like a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. while playing. It's highly immersive. Do yourself a favor and play it. Don't go in expecting a high intensity, in your face, AAA FPS. Instead, sit back and enjoy getting the opportunity to venture alone and vulnerable, deep into the mysteries of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant to uncover who and what you really are. There really is not much like this in the video game world, perhaps with the exception of Metro, and even that is not open world like this one is. Now get out of here, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

STALKER can't really be explained. You have to live it. The basic premise is that you are a scavenger wandering through a wasteland surrounding Chernobyl following a second cataclysmic event there. However, this time the event has done something to the very fabric of reality, causing bizarre artefacts and anomalies to emerge and twisting wildlife and humans into unrecognisable forms. But all of that is somewhat irrelevant - what is irrelevant is that no game has ever had a better atmosphere or gunplay. Forget about action corridor shooters - think grim fights for survival in bleak, windswept countryside and abandoned Soviet era buildings. Think broken guns that are hard to aim. Think getting shot even once being potentially fatal. When you find yourself walking through miles of barren wasteland in the absolute dark of night listening to the grunts and scratches of unknown creatures and watching through dark for the lights of bandits... you will know what it means to be a STALKER! Just buy this game, right now. Download the STALKER Complete mod. Play. You will never regret it.

Atmosphere can make or break a game, holding your belief steady for the world that the developer wants you to explore. In 2007 two games came along with atmosphere in spades; Stalker and Bioshock. Bioshock for me was a flawed gem. The city of Rapture was enthralling in the beginning, but the undersea environment was quickly wasted in favour of a corridor shooter, losing much of the initial dread. Stalker holds true to the environment throughout the game, offering a truly atmospheric and bleak experience. There are some terrifying moments and the world almost feels real, especially set to the backdrop of the Chernobyl disaster. While the original game was fantastic, I highly recommend installing one of the many mods now available. I personally suggest the L.U.R.K. mod for keeping to the original intent of the game yet adding stealth mechanics with lethal and varied gunplay. "Get out of here Stalker".