S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl vs. Call of Pripyat vs. Clear Sky

[Drmonstereater]

So I've been thinking about picking up one of the stalker games on steam. I wanted to get opinions on which one is the best to start with. Before that, though, I want to make something clear: I hate bugs. Like a lot. For an example, I got ME on a steam sale a while back for like 5 bucks or something. I played for a good 6ish hours but then a bug messed up my saves and set me three hours back. I uninstalled the game and didn't touch for about a year. I tried it again but then had some audio bugs. I begrudgingly worked through them only to encounter a launch bug. After uninstalling and re-installing the game, the bug persisted so I uninstalled. That sums up all the experience I will have with ME series for probably ever. Call it childish if you will, but that's how much I hate bugs. So before saying things like, "this one has great atmosphere but is hella buggy" consider that.

Now, after that ranty preamble, which do you guys recommend the most for one trying to get into the series?

 

[BloatedGuppy]

Pripyat.

Some people will say Chernobyl, but Pripyat has aged the least, is the most polished, and is a stand alone title.

Avoid Clear Sky.

Also make sure you mod the game. Mods add a lot to the experience.

 

[Drmonstereater]

Any particular mods you would suggest?

 

[Fat Hippo]

I will definitely second BloatedGuppy when he says avoid Clear Sky. It is by far the most buggy and contains systems that are just plain broken.

As for Chernobyl vs Pripyat...well, Pripyat is definitely more polished, but while I had a lot of fun with it, I do think Chernobyl had a more interesting story and was a more unique experience. It just had some fantastic set pieces and overall great area design. But maybe that's just because I played it first, so who knows.

 

[Recusant]

If you really detest bugs, this series may not be for you. Few are game-breaking, and most of those have been patched out; if you can overlook minor details, you should be okay- if not, look elsewhere. Clear Sky at times tried even my patience, I'd suggest sticking with Chernobyl or Pripyat.

Pripyat is... friendlier; more conducive to new players. I don't know if I'd really call it easier, but it requires a little less adaptation of playstyle. It's also less atmospheric; the emptiness and desolation are undercut a bit by the higher population. On a first runthrough, especially if you're playing them in rapid succession, you're not likely to notice big graphical differences; the main polishing you'll see is in gameplay mechanics, and even that's not huge. The story of Pripyat shouldn't be too hard to follow even if you haven't played Chernobyl, though sequence breaking (even accidentally) is much easier (with one exception, and if you've played Chernobyl, you already know what I'm taking about).

They're both good games, and well worth a look. Bottom line, if you're only going to play one, Pripyat will get you a better game, Chernobyl will get you a better experience. I hope that helps more than I think it will.