User blog:Aberrant Render/Review for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

Given that I've generally nothing else to do with the blog that we've been given by our Benefactors at wiki central, I've decided to write up a game review for a game that I've been re-playing for upwards of 60 hours by now.

Anywho, to start, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is probably the first of its genre, combining the amenities of a First-Person Shooter with an open world environment, influencing such later games as Fallout 3 in gameplay style. STALKER does this outstandingly well, and although combat is difficult even on the easiest setting, it is undeniably compelling. What S.T.A.L.K.E.R. manages to achieve best, however, is almost indefinitely atmosphere; the music, ambient sounds, and environment combine to make a highly immersive experience, scaring you when you're meant to be scared, and aweing you when you're meant to be awed. Even though S.T.A.L.K.E.R. might not exactly be the best game in the department of graphics or special effects, and even though it makes frequent use of "stock" sounds effects, the combined use of these still makes it excellent in presentation. All in all, for a game that was developed in 2007 without a massive budget like Halo 3 or Call of Duty 4, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. makes the best of it and exceeds all expectations.

Plot and Setting
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is set in the Zone of Alienation, a large area surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, which in its Timeline is much more greatly affected by the disaster. In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. the Chernobyl Disaster resulted in grotesque mutations to local wildlife and drastic changes in the environment, forming dangerous mutants, deadly anomalies, and most lucratively of all, artifacts. Artifacts, like the anomalies from which they are formed, defy the very laws of physics, presenting a scientific miracle. Despite the lockdown of the Zone by the Ukrainian Military, opportunists, adventurers, and criminals known collectively as Stalkers have been entering and leaving for years, in search of artifacts to sell for riches. Stalkers are separated into several factions in the Zone, although most notable are Duty, a paramilitary group dedicated to purging the Zone, Freedom, a group of individuals fighting to open the Zone to the public, and Monolith, an enigmatic, religious group worshipping a supposed object in the middle of the Zone known as the Wish Granter, or Monolith.

Shadow of Chernobyl follows the endeavours of an amnesiac Stalker known only as Marked One for the mysterious brand on his arm, with the only ties to discovering his past left in a single goal saved in his PDA; Kill Strelok.

The entire plot of Shadow of Chernobyl is beautifully written and executed, and while the voice-acting isn't quite the best out there, the entire storyline is still undoubtedly strong, surprising and astonishing until the very end.

Gameplay
Unlike most games in the FPS genre, where the player is some type of man-tank capable of absorbing several thousand rounds and healing in seconds, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. takes an original approach, putting the player on even footing (and even less-even, in some instances) with his enemies. The player character has equal or lesser stats and health to many of the various enemies in the game, as well as the same weaknesses, making S.T.A.L.K.E.R. one of the more realistic shooters. The game, however, is outstandingly difficult due to this; the quick-save key is more a necessity than an amenity, as for every firefight, no matter how small, you have a good chance of being shot and killed. Armour benefits do not extend to the head, so headshots are always an instant kill on you or any enemies you might encounter. Anomalies can sometimes be rather difficult to spot, and can kill you just as quickly as a sharpshooter, making the quick-save key important even when walking through a map. One of the features that I have to laud, however, is the sprinting; while walking goes at a decent pace, you can sprint for a surprisingly long time, often making travel a quicker affair than you'd expect. The choice of weaponry that is incorporated into the game is very satisfying, and although weapons and armour cannot be repaired, there are many fan-made mods out there that can encode it into the game.

Extra Content
While GSC Game World hasn't released any downloadable content to my knowledge, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. modding community is alive and well, churning out new skins, total conversions, new weapon mods, and others constantly. Mods undoubtedly make S.T.A.L.K.E.R. a game worth re-playing multiple times, and some are capable of being combined for an even better experience. Keep in mind, however, that certain mods may cause S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to crash, something that happens relatively often sometimes. Both the modding community and GSC itself both release patches and fixes, however, rectifying all its technical problems.