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

 PC
User Score
8.4

Generally favorable reviews- based on 1886 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 1,528 out of 1886
  2. Mixed: 208 out of 1886
  3. Negative: 150 out of 1886
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  1. NaffGame
    Dec 25, 2008
    0
    I played this for about 10 hours now and have 2 big questions. 1) Can i have my 10 hours back and 2) if someone gifts you a game on steam, can you send it back? im used to developers releasing games that are unfinished then rushing patches out to deal with all the bugs they couldn't be bothered fixing but this game shocked me. The AI is pretty much useless, the weapons are so under I played this for about 10 hours now and have 2 big questions. 1) Can i have my 10 hours back and 2) if someone gifts you a game on steam, can you send it back? im used to developers releasing games that are unfinished then rushing patches out to deal with all the bugs they couldn't be bothered fixing but this game shocked me. The AI is pretty much useless, the weapons are so under powered you would do more damage if you threw you gun at the enemy and the graphics and dated, add all these points to the fact that the game is stupidly unstable and you have yourself a swing and a miss. so much potential. yes this was only a couple of quid to buy (or get gifted in my case) but please give us a complete game when we give you our cash, i cant even play online at the moment as the steam and retail versions are different with no visible effort to resolve this. if i worked on this game, i would make sure my name was removed from the credits with the next patch. its an embarrasment. DO NOT BUY THIS GAME!… Expand
  2. JoseRochaPT
    Sep 20, 2011
    6
    Yes, amazing game ! Perfect history ! Fails in the aim and shooting system wich could be a lot better and faster, this game brings out a bit of RPG too, but if the shooting aim was a bit more like the regular FPS games it would be a straight "9". I recomend it tough !
  3. mitava7554
    Feb 18, 2020
    0
    I've heard great things about this game, so I decided to buy it. Boy was I surprised when it was as bad as it was. The weapons are so underpowered I had to use almost all of my ammo to kill a single dog, there is hardly a tutorial explaining how to play the game, and the AI is a pile of garbage. This game could be good, but the concept is wasted by it's bugs, making it feel like an alpha version
  4. wiijobo
    Aug 20, 2011
    1
    **** story, **** combat, **** graphics, just horrifically boring. The game doesn't explain much to you, there is barely any story line, your time is spent wandering around from pointless quest to pointless quest untill you end up in an area where you are continually losing health from radiation and no idea of where to find a god damn radiation suit.
  5. JohnnyD
    May 30, 2009
    2
    Pretty terrible game all around, I really wonder how anyone can give this a 9 or 10. The only unique concept is it's attempt to blend FPS and RPG but even then, Deus Ex and Bioshock do it better. The game starts out with the worst tutorial I've seen in 15 years of gaming. It gives a 3 minute demonstration on how to use your PDA, while not mentioning how to open the PDA UI at Pretty terrible game all around, I really wonder how anyone can give this a 9 or 10. The only unique concept is it's attempt to blend FPS and RPG but even then, Deus Ex and Bioshock do it better. The game starts out with the worst tutorial I've seen in 15 years of gaming. It gives a 3 minute demonstration on how to use your PDA, while not mentioning how to open the PDA UI at all. It leaves you to find out how to access your inventory, switch weapons, zoom in, etc etc. A pretty miserable start. Graphics are terrible from an artistic perspective (gray and brown as far as the eye can see) and from a performance perspective. Gameplay feels like a grindfest without any xp to grind out. AI is a complete joke, both of allies(which is typical of all FPS's so no faulting it there) but also of enemies. Half-Life, which was released 10 years before this game, had better enemy AI. Overall this game plays like Deus Ex's retarded stepchild, and I feel sorry for people who give this game 9s and 10s. A non-linear world does not mean an immersive world. Trudging across fields of brown nothingness breaks immersion pretty damn fast. This game does NOT have good graphics, even at top settings. Lots of graphical detail doesn't compensate for crappy art. It has the most unintuitive start of any mainstream game ever. There are a laughable amount of bugs, even if they are fixed in later patches it is still unacceptable.… Expand
  6. ClosetRambo
    Sep 3, 2007
    0
    This game could be a sweet game indeed but for a few essential tweeks that need to be made with difficulty level. Right now it is un-playable. Don't waiste your money as I did. I sent feedback to the deveolper's forum and got a nasty response "Then don't play it. I'm tired of people complaining". I have deleted the game from my hard drive after two days of playing. I This game could be a sweet game indeed but for a few essential tweeks that need to be made with difficulty level. Right now it is un-playable. Don't waiste your money as I did. I sent feedback to the deveolper's forum and got a nasty response "Then don't play it. I'm tired of people complaining". I have deleted the game from my hard drive after two days of playing. I have never deemed a game totaly un-playable before and it's sad because this could have been a sweet one.… Expand
  7. RobinZ.
    Feb 20, 2008
    3
    A very disappointing game. When you start the game, you absolutely know nothing about the zone and how to deal with these tons of dangers out there. Also the game isn't beatable without cheats in normal difficulty. First I had that bug that the scientist got killed in the cutscene and I had no possibility to proceed. After reloading the save game unbelievable 33 times and always A very disappointing game. When you start the game, you absolutely know nothing about the zone and how to deal with these tons of dangers out there. Also the game isn't beatable without cheats in normal difficulty. First I had that bug that the scientist got killed in the cutscene and I had no possibility to proceed. After reloading the save game unbelievable 33 times and always fighting my way to the cutscene where the schientist dies, the bug hadn't appeared. Also, later in the game you need to blow A WHOLE MAGAZINE into the enemys head to kill them. And the NPCs have one-shot kill abilities. Guess who dies first: the player. And I bet my life the final chapter is impossible without godmode! Even though I play FPS for years and being an slightly above average player, I needed a trainer which gave me 10000hp and I still had to retry several times.… Expand
  8. TruthSoldier
    May 8, 2008
    0
    I bought this game off Steam and it won't run on a brand new system and the developers don't seem to be offering any technical support whatsoever. I think that pretty much says it all!
  9. Kyleb
    Mar 21, 2007
    3
    After playing it a good 8+ hours now I have to say I'm hugely disappointed. The great initial concept of the game is wasted with mundane and frustrating game play. The missions are uninspired fetch quests and the level design is almost non-existent. On the easiest settings I'm frequently killed and subjected to lengthy reloads. I've yet to encounter any compelling story After playing it a good 8+ hours now I have to say I'm hugely disappointed. The great initial concept of the game is wasted with mundane and frustrating game play. The missions are uninspired fetch quests and the level design is almost non-existent. On the easiest settings I'm frequently killed and subjected to lengthy reloads. I've yet to encounter any compelling story line--surprisingly the Chernobyl meltdown is hardly even mentioned. The "anomalies" are all just variations of the same thing. Little flickering distortions in the air that you have to avoid or take damage. Some are kind of fiery, some kind of windy--you just walk around them automatically after 10 minutes. The quest system is just plain broken. I'm constantly informed I just failed a quest that I didn't even know I had undertaken, or that I fulfilled some obscure aspect of a quest I've never heard of. There's no sense of whether I'm advancing the main storyline or just doing odd jobs. (Starting the game as a character with amnesia doesn't' help). The game this reminds me of more than any is "Postal 2: Share the Pain" Yeah, everybody groan in unison. Big sprawling zones with huge reload times, factions of NPCs that are either enemy or friend depending how you treat them, and endless, non-tactical firefights against other paramilitary types. And the thing that's really ticking me off is that 99.9% of the enemies so far have been regular humans. I've faced two scary mutants and a bunch of Resident Evil zombie dogs. Every other baddie is a carbon copy of my character. I don't know what the hell these guys have been working on all these years, but it wasn't hordes of cool creatures like I was hoping. Finally, on a positive note, STALKER was inspired by the science fiction short story "Roadside Picnic" which I began reading along with playing the game. Ironically I find myself eager to quit the $50 game to go and read the free story. It's really cool! In the story, the Zone is a total A$$ kicker and the anomalies are lethal bits of freaky, alien nastiness. It's great stuff.… Expand
  10. ShawnC.
    Mar 23, 2007
    3
    This is a very disappointing game, especially after the long wait. The graphics are mediocre, the gameplay is tedious (just mission after mission, no ultimate goal) and load times are slow. Maybe it's unfair to compare everything to the incredible fun of a Half-Life 2, but that game is several years old and still thousands of times better than something like this.
  11. ElliottB.
    Mar 25, 2007
    3
    This game was disappointing and hasn't lived up to the promises made during it's eight years of production. Many features that would of been enjoyable were cut, such as vehicles, large loadless environments, and truly dynamic AI.
  12. KDep
    Apr 23, 2007
    2
    Rarely does a game annoy me so badly that I quit playing it before I finish. I'm a fan of FPS games, but this one has been done better about 500 times by now, so there's nothing great to behold in this game at all. The map is huge and the only way to get around is by walking. The storyline requires a huge amount of reading text, instead of cutscenes or spoken dialogue. The FPS Rarely does a game annoy me so badly that I quit playing it before I finish. I'm a fan of FPS games, but this one has been done better about 500 times by now, so there's nothing great to behold in this game at all. The map is huge and the only way to get around is by walking. The storyline requires a huge amount of reading text, instead of cutscenes or spoken dialogue. The FPS works well, but I was infuriated by it in the early stages of the game. Most of the early weapons do little damage and are completely inaccuate, so you're better off to try and take baddies out with your knife. Concept is good, but the story is poor, the combat system is lacking, and the entire game just lacks that polish that would make it great. It will be heralded for years and will likely become a cult favorite, but otherwise will disappear into obscurity like the bland game that it is.… Expand
  13. BobP.
    Mar 22, 2007
    2
    The AI in the game is really good, by far the best feature. The graphics may be good, but the horrible performance requires a state-of-the-art card to see it. My card is decent, even runs Oblivion with stunning detail and AA, and yet in this game its bad. The lack of fine tuning graphics options gives me a choice of static lighting with max details or decent lighting with details on The AI in the game is really good, by far the best feature. The graphics may be good, but the horrible performance requires a state-of-the-art card to see it. My card is decent, even runs Oblivion with stunning detail and AA, and yet in this game its bad. The lack of fine tuning graphics options gives me a choice of static lighting with max details or decent lighting with details on minimum -- both of which look like crap. Moreso changing the lighting requires a full restart, which is bad since the load times horrendously long. The movies play at the frame rate you render a scene at -- so if you have anything less than 30fps they play at that and look bad. The intro movie plays before you can even tweak options.. The controls are bad (why do i have to hold two keys to get slightly better COF). The missions are OK, but poor directions and distances: 2 kilometers north is just over that ridge the blue arrow points (or was it red for north), realistically 1000 feet at most. Execution of said missions is bad. One mission was to 'stop the rebels attacking'. I get to one rebel left, I fail the mission. I kill the last rebel and I succeed the mission. By the time im done looting the bodies, another wave comes. By the time I kill them, two more waves come. This is well after I succeed eliminating the attack. Whats the point of tactical combat if you arent given time to scavenge much needed ammo and weapons. Guess im supposed to stick to the non-story 'kill boars' missions. Maybe its just a matter of bugs that will be worked out in a future patch, but right now its not even worth playing, and definitely not worth the money.… Expand
  14. RandyM.
    Mar 24, 2007
    3
    I really had my hopes up for this game. When I bought it, I was really excited to start playing. However, I started playing the game, and found that I was severely mistaken. Terrible sound, graphics, story, missions, everything. Everything is broken. Not to mention this has to be one of the most bug-filled games I've ever played. Complete waste of money....
  15. Mike
    Mar 25, 2007
    3
    I really tried getting into this game, but I couldn't. 1. The graphics Set at the max level, look outdated, not sharp, Just a disappointment. The screen shots from the game looked a lot better! 2. Missions are really unclear, there really is no goal or path that you take. You just walk around doing pointless mini quests for money. Overall a very big disappointment for a game I waited I really tried getting into this game, but I couldn't. 1. The graphics Set at the max level, look outdated, not sharp, Just a disappointment. The screen shots from the game looked a lot better! 2. Missions are really unclear, there really is no goal or path that you take. You just walk around doing pointless mini quests for money. Overall a very big disappointment for a game I waited so long for to come out.… Expand
  16. TMan
    Apr 3, 2007
    1
    This game features infinite spawning, a seriously annoying feature which ruins all immersion the game would have had and actually frustrates me enough to make me quit. For example, I am in one zone called "Garbage" and I want to travel to the next adjacent zone. Unfortunately, the exit was guarded by a gang of bandits who proceeded to shoot at me on sight. OK, so I get into an exciting This game features infinite spawning, a seriously annoying feature which ruins all immersion the game would have had and actually frustrates me enough to make me quit. For example, I am in one zone called "Garbage" and I want to travel to the next adjacent zone. Unfortunately, the exit was guarded by a gang of bandits who proceeded to shoot at me on sight. OK, so I get into an exciting battle killing them off and after 15 minutes they are dead. I loot their bodies but am now overweighed so I walk away a short distance to a spot I can stash the items to sell later. Now I am excited to continue to the next zone. However as I walk that short distance back to the exit, a new bandit gang has magically appeared, and I have to start all over! After the third time doing this I ripped the game CD out and flung it as hard as I could against a concrete wall and watched in glee as it shattered into small shards.… Expand
  17. DerickC.
    Apr 2, 2007
    4
    When I first glimpsed at this game, I felt this would be the next half life 2/Gta:sa hybrid because of its claim of being an RPG/FPS. Early images from the website depicted the game as immense, with vehicles, rpg stats/features, advanced ai, more factions and a strong storyline. When the game came out, there was a huge disappointment in the game as nearly all of the features stated above When I first glimpsed at this game, I felt this would be the next half life 2/Gta:sa hybrid because of its claim of being an RPG/FPS. Early images from the website depicted the game as immense, with vehicles, rpg stats/features, advanced ai, more factions and a strong storyline. When the game came out, there was a huge disappointment in the game as nearly all of the features stated above were gone, and replaced with a gta:sa clone with better graphics, an extremely bad selection of enemies and no free-roaming map. This game must be one of the most disappointing I have ever encountered.… Expand
  18. AlexM.
    May 6, 2007
    4
    It reminds me of Boling Point Road To Hell. Rember that game, no i don't think you would. Dont get me wrong, S.T.A.L.K.E.R is good, but not that good. Its the same, go kill some one, walk somewhere. it goes on and on. Yeh, i'll give it a 10 for original story, but a 0 for graphics. It was meant to come out as the 1st Direct X9 game. It came out far to late, in the eria of Direct It reminds me of Boling Point Road To Hell. Rember that game, no i don't think you would. Dont get me wrong, S.T.A.L.K.E.R is good, but not that good. Its the same, go kill some one, walk somewhere. it goes on and on. Yeh, i'll give it a 10 for original story, but a 0 for graphics. It was meant to come out as the 1st Direct X9 game. It came out far to late, in the eria of Direct X10. A shame realy, in Direct X 10 i could see this rivialing Crysis.… Expand
  19. stanman
    Aug 23, 2010
    0
    OK, I have to correct my previous review because I forgot to set the rating on it. This game is definitely NOT a 10. So here is my previous review with the correct rating: I had very high hopes for this game based on the other reviews but I found it almost unplayable. Unmentioned anywhere else is that, unlike every other FPS game I have ever played, the image you see on your screen bobsOK, I have to correct my previous review because I forgot to set the rating on it. This game is definitely NOT a 10. So here is my previous review with the correct rating: I had very high hopes for this game based on the other reviews but I found it almost unplayable. Unmentioned anywhere else is that, unlike every other FPS game I have ever played, the image you see on your screen bobs from side to side and up and down as you move. This literally gave me a headache after only a few minutes of playing it. Every other game just moves you smoothly, so I don't know why they had to add the unnecessary movement in this one. In addition, the graphics, which other reviews have raved about, were nothing special. to me. It seems to be a very crude imitation of what a FPS should be. I just bought this and, even as part of special bundle deal, this was money wasted for me.… Expand
  20. ChrisK.
    Sep 9, 2007
    3
    Let's see. Things that went right: ...uh. Things that went wrong: Durability system with no method of equipment repair -- really, REALLY annoying to have to, even near the end of the game, constantly switch out armor because it greatly loses effectiveness when you've taken a couple shots. Character progression entirely item based -- Self explanatory. If you aren't hoarding Let's see. Things that went right: ...uh. Things that went wrong: Durability system with no method of equipment repair -- really, REALLY annoying to have to, even near the end of the game, constantly switch out armor because it greatly loses effectiveness when you've taken a couple shots. Character progression entirely item based -- Self explanatory. If you aren't hoarding the artifacts and armors, you're not going anywhere (and living). Fallout clone -- You heard me. This game is entirely a Fallout clone in FPS (I've not played Brotherhood of Steel, so I'm not going to say anything about that). The final things that made me realize this were the exoskeleton (increases carry capacity... please), and the gauss gun. No quicksave, poor autosave -- I don't even know what triggered autosaves, I guess one full day. The lack of quicksave was really annoying, because you had to completely interrupt the action before doing something potentially stupid. Encumbrance -- This is just idiotic. Carrying any amount of weight over your 'maximum' causes you to almost instantly waste all of your stamina when moving. Weapon selection -- The pistols are absolutely worthless. The rifles (and ammo) weigh a figurative ton. I was rarely more than 3 kg under maximum carry weight, because I had to carry so bloody much ammo to do the storyline missions and I didn't want to use the horrible AK set of weapons. Zero sense of accomplishment from the ending -- There is no real reward in beating this game UNLESS you follow a very obscure chain to get the one 'good' ending. And even that is a let down. Let's not forget getting randomly one-shotted by NPCs who sneak up on you because they forget to make any sounds and do an incredibly absurd amount of damage for their difficulty level (yeah, uh, I played on the second lowest difficulty and I still got killed in under a second by some of the enemies. gg.) You want a pseudo RPG like this? Go play Bioshock.… Expand
  21. xx
    Apr 20, 2007
    6
    Too repetitive. Monster respawning on zones borders is a pain, especially when enemy is respawning close from the player. Enemy shooters "see" through bushes and are far too good at sniping from long range.
  22. AnonymousMC
    Aug 5, 2009
    10
    Yes it does have outdated graphics by todays standards and yes it has its bugs. But this is one of the most immersive and breathtaking game worlds I have ever played in: The detail payed to background and information about the zone, to the dark, dank labs which are sure to give the most hardened gamer a jittery trigger finger. I'm currently playing through it for a third time! And itYes it does have outdated graphics by todays standards and yes it has its bugs. But this is one of the most immersive and breathtaking game worlds I have ever played in: The detail payed to background and information about the zone, to the dark, dank labs which are sure to give the most hardened gamer a jittery trigger finger. I'm currently playing through it for a third time! And it seems to me its gotten even more scary... I would recommend this game to gamers whod dont just rely on graphics but who enjoy a good story and atmospheric games.… Expand
  23. ZachK.
    Oct 4, 2007
    10
    This game is great! The game is huge and lots of various armours and weapons.
  24. MichaelQ.
    Apr 10, 2007
    3
    Stalker: Oblivion Won? Well, it actually did. Elder Scrolls: Oblivion was on the market a year before Stalker, it sported the same open-ended world and adventure, much better graphics and facial animation and, for goodness sake, much fewer bugs. They did not have to issue a hotfix ten days into the game release. For me, Stalker is Elder Scrolls with bugs and a Kalashnikov. Too buggy, too late.
  25. Jesse
    Sep 10, 2007
    6
    Very fun game, but won't work for a large amount of users. GSC released a game that was 3/4 finished. If it works for you, it's a fantastic game. If it doesn't, it's a nightmare and a waste of money.
  26. Laz
    Mar 8, 2008
    6
    This is undoubtedly one of the most unique games I've ever played. The plot is spectacular and the mutants and factions are simply creative genius. The broad exploration and weapons were fulfilling too. But even through all these great things, there were some that will drive any standard gamer out the door. My general complain in any FPS is ballistic accuracy of firearms. It would This is undoubtedly one of the most unique games I've ever played. The plot is spectacular and the mutants and factions are simply creative genius. The broad exploration and weapons were fulfilling too. But even through all these great things, there were some that will drive any standard gamer out the door. My general complain in any FPS is ballistic accuracy of firearms. It would have been superb if this game had ballistics like Ghost Recon Advanced Warrior or even Call of Duty 4. One shot kills as well as realistic accuracy of weapons. The survival aspect could be greatly improved. I didn't feel as if I were fighting for my life, just blowing magazines at enemies who had no sense of self-preservation. The stealth factor too was also pathetic, which is my method of choice in any take down. There were bugs, as most games do, but I don't rate it down for that. All in all, this game would undoubtedly be one of my favorite games if it were merely more realistic.… Expand
  27. WesM
    Jan 14, 2010
    10
    S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is definitely not a game for everybody. It can be brutally difficult, even on the normal setting. It doesn't hold your hand or cut you a break at the beginning--there's not much of a tutorial, early weapons are inaccurate and weak, and you'll die a lot. But that's part of the charm of it all. It's a rough world out there, and it's not meant to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is definitely not a game for everybody. It can be brutally difficult, even on the normal setting. It doesn't hold your hand or cut you a break at the beginning--there's not much of a tutorial, early weapons are inaccurate and weak, and you'll die a lot. But that's part of the charm of it all. It's a rough world out there, and it's not meant to be easy to survive. Whereas games like Fallout 3 make the post-apocalyptic world seem almost harmless, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brings out what you'd expect it to be like. You're no super-human, you're a regular person, a bullet to the head will kill you just like it'll kill anyone else, and those people will try to kill you in return just to survive.… Expand
  28. Inabil1ty
    Mar 17, 2007
    6
    Most of what Marked One said is true, except for the likening of the visuals to F.E.A.R. and Oblivion. The graphics are not nearly as good as they are in those two titles. And Marked One also failed to point out that the game is, for the most part, boring. Unlike Oblivion, characters don't actually talk in STALKER. Instead, you'll get a big paragraph or two to read. Fun!Most of what Marked One said is true, except for the likening of the visuals to F.E.A.R. and Oblivion. The graphics are not nearly as good as they are in those two titles. And Marked One also failed to point out that the game is, for the most part, boring. Unlike Oblivion, characters don't actually talk in STALKER. Instead, you'll get a big paragraph or two to read. Fun! Not. And the weapons are underpowered and most lack scopes, even though you need to do a lot of long-distance shooting. The graphics and shooting experience reminded me of Red Orchestra, not Fear and Oblivion. This game has been overhyped! It's very disappointing.… Expand
  29. AllistairP.
    Mar 24, 2007
    6
    If this is the sort of game that gets this amount of hype and acclaim, then PC games must be near their end. While consoles are pulling out games like God of War II and Gears of War, PC games are left with slop like this. Just the opposite of the on the edge/every minute something new is happening gameplay of those "war" titles, STALKER is a meandering, boring mess. There is no point to If this is the sort of game that gets this amount of hype and acclaim, then PC games must be near their end. While consoles are pulling out games like God of War II and Gears of War, PC games are left with slop like this. Just the opposite of the on the edge/every minute something new is happening gameplay of those "war" titles, STALKER is a meandering, boring mess. There is no point to play this game, unless you are just bored. There are no bugs and nothing that bad, but those two things stopped making a game "good" in 99'. STALKER is basically Fallout reimagined as a FPS, except without the charm and imagination. The first 2 hours are good as your mind imagines where this game is going to go but it ends up going nowhere. 8 hours later you will be looking at the same 2003 graphics, same 3 enemy models, same endless fields of nothing, and same guns. Nothing changes and nothing was that great to begin with. With Crysis coming to the 360, I have a bad feeling I might not ever update my 3d card again. Half-Life ep2 is about all this rig has going for it and thats an expansion to a 2 year old game which won't do anything new either but at least start and end perfect.… Expand
  30. PatH.
    May 31, 2007
    5
    How this game can be so over-rated is beyond me. I swear the reviewers all were playing a different game or something. I have a top of the line computer, I can run Oblivion just fine with all the settings up. With Stalker on the other hand, It studders all the time, the sound putters out half the time while firing my weapons, the game freezes and crashes to desktop sometimes multiple How this game can be so over-rated is beyond me. I swear the reviewers all were playing a different game or something. I have a top of the line computer, I can run Oblivion just fine with all the settings up. With Stalker on the other hand, It studders all the time, the sound putters out half the time while firing my weapons, the game freezes and crashes to desktop sometimes multiple times in ten minutes. Also Oblivion looks 10 times better than this. About the most frustrating thing in a game happens in this game about 10% of attempts doing it. Saving my game tends to crash the game to desktop. I should not be scared to save my game. Frustrations aside, this game is not even fun. Same enemies over and over again, the "smart" ai is predictable and has wallhack like abilities once you are spotted. The environments are only so so. I do like the weather changing, that is pretty cool I guess. Missions are pointless, rewards for completing a mission make you not want to do the missions. I really did try to like this game. I have tried about 30 times to go try it again but i just leave disappointed every time. About the only fun I had in this game was playing in the arena, unfortunately there are only about 8-9 battles within that whole thing. Sometimes wait results in something good, In this instance, that cannot be said. I would not recommend this game to anyone.… Expand
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Awards & Rankings

33
#33 Best PC Game of 2007
7
#7 Most Discussed PC Game of 2007
8
#8 Most Shared PC Game of 2007

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
82

Generally favorable reviews - based on 44 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 37 out of 44
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 44
  3. Negative: 0 out of 44
  1. PC Zone UK
    85
    As a brave experiment in all-action shootery, STALKER has certainly succeeded, though with its dearth of personality and many peculiar foibles, you can't help but wish that the publishers had granted GSC some extra time to polish their creation. Oh, hang on a minute... [Apr 2007, p.56]
  2. Eurogamer
    80
    It's a warped behemoth from the Ukraine, and one of the scariest games on the PC. Stalker will remind you of all kinds of prior games, and yet it will also defy your expectations. Like the mythological Chernobyl zone it is based upon, this game is a treacherous, darkly beautiful terrain. Not everyone is going to enjoy venturing into the zone, but some of those who do will find what they've been looking for.
    Read full review
  3. Computer and Video Games
    80
    Littered with a variety of anomalies which can cause the unwary to explode and other delightful stuff, mutant doggies, deserted buildings, weather effects, real-time day/night cycles etc. etc. - it creates a deliciously unique atmosphere.
    Read full review
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