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[I collect VHS tapes]

I recently decided to dive into the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and I'm starting with Shadow of Chernobyl. What immediately stands out is how far ahead of its time it feels, especially in its lighting and its A Life system. The lighting is incredible for something this old. Most of the game's atmosphere actually happens in the dark, when you are forced to rely on your flashlight or sudden bursts of lightning to see anything. Interiors become pitch black, outdoor storms turn everything into stark silhouettes, and the world naturally shifts between safety and tension depending on how much light you have. It creates a sense of dread and immersion that most newer games still struggle to match.



A Life is the other piece that makes the game feel alive in a way that surprised me. Mutants and NPCs roam independently, run into each other, fight, flee, and shift around the map without waiting for the player to trigger anything. You often hear distant gunfire, see mutant packs moving on their own, or stumble into a situation that clearly formed without you being the center of it. Even with limitations, the system adds an unpredictability that feels organic and I struggle to think of many modern titles that are able to pull this off as well.

Combined, the lighting and the A Life system make the world feel like a real, breathing place. It is reactive and filled with moments that feel unscripted.

Pretty excited to see how the titles progress, as I've heard SoC is considered very rough around the edges, compared to the other two older titles.

 

[LordOcidax]

100% agree.

 

[pudel]

Yeah, one of the most atmospheric games I have ever played.

 

[Senua]

Absolutely loved it. Still yet to play 2 but waiting for it to be finished

 

[I collect VHS tapes]

Absolutely loved it. Still yet to play 2 but waiting for it to be finished

I have 2 other stalker games before I get to 2, so I'm hoping by the time I knock out the first three games, stalker 2 will be in decent shape

 

[teokrazia]

Yep.

 

[CowboyLou]

The original Stalker trilogy still hasn't been topped. It's always nice to hear from someone finally checking them out for the first time and realizing that the question isn't "how does Stalker hold up compared to modern shooters?" but rather "how do modern shooters hold up compared to Stalker?" The answer? Poorly.

Clear Sky re-uses a lot of Shadow of Chernobyl maps and assets, but the new areas are fantastic. It's the buggiest one, but also delivers the most intense faction combat and gunfights against human enemies. It's worth playing for the opening Swamps map alone. Call of Pripyat is all-new with open levels and a bigger focus on bespoke questing and individual storylines. I always felt like it a lost a little of the atmosphere and detail of the first two, but it's still a fantastic game as well as it's the most polished. Could easily argue for any of the three as the "best" one.

 

[JayK47]

I feel like this is the case when you compare games today of those made 15 to 20 years ago. We have lost a lot of talent and game designers now care more about appealing to mainstream gamers. So a lot is cut to release a game while they add things we never asked for.

 

[CowboyLou]

Shadow of Chernobyl is also an example of a game that would never have released without publisher intervention. It was originally supposed to ship in 2003. After years of dev hell and ballooning scope, THQ sent one of their guys to take charge of production and whip the devs into shape. The final game was heavily compromised compared to the original vision, but that's a lot better than no game at all (and of course, it still ended up being one of the greatest shooters ever made). The ugly truth is that sometimes bad guy producer types are necessary and sometimes, dev teams need to be leashed.