S.T.A.L.K.E.R Is it good?

[Blazing Steel]

First of all, sorry for the vague tital but I need some advice on STALKER. My friend has been bugging me for ages to buy it and I couldn't due to computer restrictions. Now I have a flash laptop which I've yet to find a game where I've needed to change the settings. The steam sale is selling the franchise so I was thinking of buying them.

So what games are similar to STALKER, what's it like and which is the better one to start with: Shadow of Chernobyl, Call of Pripyat or Clear Sky?

 

[Blazing Steel]

After further research I'v found that Chernobyl seems to be the better of the three games and the first so I guess I should just start with that one?

 

[The Madman]

Extremely good. I just picked up Pripyat myself as it's the only one of the series I don't own, but Shadow of Chernobyl is easily one of my favourite games... well... actually I'd go so far as to say that with the Complete mod to patch it up, it's one of my favourite games ever made.

It's just so damned atmospheric, there really isn't a single other contender made within the last ten years that even competes with the sheer amount of ambience this game exudes. Everything from the bored stalkers sitting around a campfire playing the guitar to the absolutely thunderous roar of lightning and the terrifying darkness of a stormy evening. The howls in the distance, the pearls of gunfire, the inky crawling blackness of a single warning light in an abandoned tunnel.

Just so brilliant. It really, really is. Gameplay is alright, the story is alright, the interaction is alright, the AI is surprisingly good. But the atmosphere is just so phenomenal, you've really got to experience it to know what I mean.

The first time you're stuck out in the dark during a thunder storm, barely able to even see a few feet in front of you with your meagre flashlight and flinching at the sounds of distant howling as you frantically turn one way to the other to try and find the source... then you'll understand.

Really do recommend the Complete mod for playing it as well. Acts as sort of an ultra patch, fixing and improving without actually changing. I love it!

Many people I know and trust say that Call of Pripyat is also extremely good, though the second game was a bit disappointing. But having not played it myself save at a friend house I can't say for certain.

Chernobyl though, brilliant. Worth owning.

 

[MacJack]

shadow of chernobyl is basicly linear, you keep pushing to NPP and do sidequests along the way, its also hard and unalbalanced till you get a decent rifle and the stalker suit, i expected it to be more open world, sadly its pretty linear and the story is poop

Clear sky is more open but more buggy and with terrible combat, avoid it.

Call of pripyat is by far the best its a step up on everything apart fomr new stuff and graphics, you see stalker series are more reycled than call of duty!!!

 

[johnstamos]

yes because it reminds nerds that a controller or keyboard is nothing like real life combat
and that just because you you wandered the wasteland in fallout instakilling everyithing that looked at you funny by pausing the game and telling it what part of the enemy you wanted to fly off in slow motion gaaaassp, that your still fucked if shit hits the fan

 

[MimeticLie]

Shadow of Chernobyl is the first game and is a good jumping off point for the series. I like Call of Pripyat a little bit more, but I think you'll get a lot more out of it if you've played SoC first.

Clear Sky I could take or leave. The faction system is interesting, but I could never get it to actually work. Plus it's a prequel, so the story isn't really necessary to understand the other two games.

 

[Hiphophippo]

I wish I could say really. I've got all three on steam (hell I've even got a disc version of the first) and never really played any of them. I buy more games than I should. That said, picking up the third game yesterday for 3.70 made me go download the complete mod for it. I'll try it tonight and we'll see how it sticks.

 

[GiantRaven]

Call of pripyat is by far the best its a step up on everything apart fomr new stuff and graphics, you see stalker series are more reycled than call of duty!!!

So all the games in a given series need to be completely different? How does that make any sense, then they're basically just different games.

 

[Lem0nade Inlay]

It's very good, albeit buggy, though your laptop seems able to run it.

Shadow of Chernobyl is the first in the game and a good place to start, definitely.

Clear Sky is very buggy and, IMO, does not live up to the first one.

Call of Pripyat takes the best of the two and makes a quality game, I still like SoC more but that might just be nostalgia.

 

[andrew201292]

I liked it, like fallout but russian

 

[John the Gamer]

It's cool, but hard as hell. Also gets incredibly dark, even during the day. Prepare yourself to be jumped by packs of blind dogs that will kill you. Also zombies with guns. And soul eating psychic zombies. And brain eating cthulhu zombies. And jumpy gasmask zombies. And the Ukrainian military.

Yeah... You'll die a lot.

Shodow of Chernobyl (the 1st out of the series) is the best in my eyes. Should be pretty cheap by now too.

 

[Mr Thin]

I've only ever played Shadow of Chernobyl, but it kicks all kinds of ass.

Apparently it's not finished, they were going to include vehicles but didn't have time. Or something. I'm not sure.

But it's awesomer than most FPS's anyway. And scary.

 

[Sniper_430]

I adored SoC easily one of my favourite games of all time i sadly have not played any other but i would seriously recommend SoC and when your done its a really good place to start modding

 

[cpnichol]

The Stalker games are on sale at Steam for another 4 and a bit hours, buy them. They can be a bit difficult to get into as it's pretty hard and the early guns suck, but I absolutely loved those games. I've played through them several times and I don't usually do that. There's also a modding community for the games.

In terms of what to get, start with SoC and then CoP. Clear Sky should be patched up by now but it was the weakest of the 3, but if you are quick it's worth the £1.99 that Steam are selling it for.

 

[akfg666]

Call Of Pripyat is the best imo...it works out all the bugs of the previous games and also keeps the good parts. Also my favorite thing is the lack of long loading screens, it has about 4 throughout the whole game and the world is brilliantly done

So...GO BUY IT!! It's nice and cheap now

 

[MacJack]

Call of pripyat is by far the best its a step up on everything apart fomr new stuff and graphics, you see stalker series are more reycled than call of duty!!!

So all the games in a given series need to be completely different? How does that make any sense, then they're basically just different games.

Not sure what you mean, i am only pointing out how biased people are about cod being recycled when there are far better examples. I personally dont mind, a game is for the fans, changing the game risks fail, eg prince of persia in 2008.

 

[MacJack]

I liked it, like fallout but russian

Only with 10 times less features and stuff t do.

I've only ever played Shadow of Chernobyl, but it kicks all kinds of ass.

Apparently it's not finished, they were going to include vehicles but didn't have time. Or something. I'm not sure.

But it's awesomer than most FPS's anyway. And scary.

Originally it was supossed to have vehicles and many other things, such as the dead city map that they removed in 2003 and plenty of monsters and weapons that were cut off and added in the next games but they are there in the fies of the first game so modders enabled them anyway. I was dissapointed with the release of the game after 5 years of development, i expected more, but then again there is worse, like DNF.