Gamer's Guide To Life Review - S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call Of Pripyat

GGTL: "It's 2:14 in the morning. I am not alone. A hunter, Grouse, needs help in tracking down a bloodsucker who killed his friend. It's raining outside. The occasional flash of lightning rushes through the windows of the abandoned substation we're in. I can hear my heart pumping blood around my ears. I raise my shotgun. For just the slightest second, two bright dots shine at the other end of the room. Then they're gone..."

[mjolliffe]

Wish it would bloody come to consoles!

[Overmars]

I'm sorry to say but it won't work on consoles, at least not for the current gen. They'd have to get rid of the sandbox type gameplay, tone down the environmental details, make it more action-packed with linear scripted events, etc. And VOILA! You're left with a MW2 clone.

[ATi_Elite]

STALKER wouldn't work on the consoles. The 24 hour day night cycle and weather would get toned down on the console and take away from the atmosphere. This is one game that really makes the player afraid to go out at night.

The graphics engine may be old (So is the Unreal engine every other game uses nowadays) but they graphics are excellent. STALKER is not a pretty game. It is set in an area that is rotting from radioactive decay. Lots of dead things rust and ruble. The graphics do an excellent job with textures and colors. Some of the best Brick wood and metal I've seen since my last trip to Lowes. Fire of a few rounds inside a pitch black room and watch the gorgeous lighting effects and reflections in real time.

Graphically intense and the story gets more involving as you complete side quest. The editor didn't really play the game much obviously because a lot of side quest are relevant to the main plot and lead you to clues and open up more information to what is really going on.

Great game and series

[Overmars]

Pretty solid review. I'd give it the same as well. The game is returning to it's original roots, which is a good sign. It is worth every point it gets.

Many reviewers look at the slightly-dated visuals and go, "Oh, no shiny graphics? Automatically less than 8/10." I bet most of them didn't even bother getting halfway through the game.

[Aphe]

The game, as the first one did, just oozes atmosphere. And they've made the side missions far more interesting this time. The artifacts are actually worth looking for now, you can get quite addicted to just hunting them out.

On the whole it's on par with the first and far superior to Clear Sky. Better optimized as well now.

[Letros]

Easily the best I've played in 2010 thus far, yes even ahead of ME2, hardly comparable though. No game can capture the feeling of atmosphere and immersion as STALKER, not to mention present a feeling of horror as you descend into X8 labs =).

[Slinkey]

Dont talk about horror around me lol. I was scared stiff when I fell down the big crack by the gas station in creek and had to fight my way out past all sorts of snorks!