"A brutal, horrifying survival horror experience."

Story: The story in this game is tongue in cheek, dry, and very well served. A car full of dead bodies barrels down a highway on a stormy night and crashes violently. The next morning a Stalker is seen running to the crash, scouting for goods. He finds a live body from the pile, and brings him to a man who says he's The Marked One, and then you take control of the marked one. Your PDA says to kill a man named Strelok, and thats where you're thrown into the world. This may sound unappealing, but the mystery behind it all is the driving force. There are no main characters, hardly any cut scenes and the story progresses very rapidly but this works just right. You never find out more then you need and if played incorrectly the ending doesn't solve a thing besides give you a smile from the deadpan humor.

The problematics with this is a non-talking Protagonist, no Antagonist, no supporting cast and no real depth. This sounds like a Twilight Zone nightmare but it works more then it fails, I assure you. I would have liked more backstory on the very few main characters and I would have enjoyed a longer game in total, but you can't get everything. What you get isn't flashy, but it is masterful. The ending(s) fit the game perfectly. 8/10

Sound: More times then not sound sits on the back burner, and it never does more then its asked of. In Stalker sound is one of the most important roles in the atmosphere of the game. There is virtually no music, simply a haunting violin/bass line that fluctuates. This on top of eerie animal sounds, ambient noises and weather effects creates one of the spookiest atmospheres in gaming history. The sound of a pack of dogs barking in hunger, the fatal click of your gun jamming or the whisper of bandits hiding in the dark--Its all here and its all important. The sound is another world in this game and it drives the atmosphere home.

On a technical side, the sound has some glaring bugs. That cool bass line also can drive 5.1 owners insane, since it fills up most sub-woofer usage and blocks out any high notes. Headphones solve this problem but not being able to hear the birds chirping or the growls of a demon thing over the constant bass is a pain in the neck. This can be turned off, but that also cans most of the atmosphere. I just wish the sound was toned down a bit so we can enjoy our speakers. 7/10

Graphics: Anybody who says this game is ugly is out of their skull. Sure Crysis looks brilliant, other games have better looking trees or animations or something, but I dare you to find one with such an atmosphere. The engine uses itself to the fullest, and renders a breath taking look at the lonely world of The Zone. Gnarled trees coming out of the ground, broken down towers with the moonlight seeping through rusted and missing material. The Stalkers themselves have varying uniforms and have sleek animations. The lighting engine is phenominal, rendering shadows on everything in real time. The weather changes, day and night cycle and lightning are all beautiful and fit perfectly. This game looks very, very good.

I must warn you, the requirements are steep. Though this game features a Static mode which cuts shadows, advanced lighting and high res textures it still isn't recommended since it eats away at the atmosphere more then it should. You'll need a powerful comp to play.9/10

Game play: A sort-of sandbox survival horror explains this nicely. No, its not an RPG. It has few RPG elements and those elements are more like power ups then skills. This game is cold hearted and fierce and its as fun as it sounds. Immediately you're thrown in with a pea shooter and told to take out bandits with some allies. The firefight that ensues is epic. The AI will take cover, flank, maneuver and outhink you. They want to live as badly as you. And they think like you. They don't shoot while running, they reload behind cover, they pick up superior dropped weapons--They have it all. The AI is an equal opponent, and they're fun to fight. You'll notice that the weapons have realistic accuracy. Not every shot will be dead center of your cross hair. Iron sights will improve this, but you still won't have laser guided bullets. Some casual gamers might be put off by this, but this is a realistic game. And let me say it again, survival horror. You will have to scavenge for ammo, food and medical supplies.

Another thing about the AI is they have a cycle. In the morning they will walk around, scavenge for items, raid camps and explore for new territory. In mid after noon-night time they camp out, holster their weapons and sit around a fire. Sometimes they play guitar, sometimes they talk (In Russian.). This is very interesting, and makes for unpredictability. Thats the main selling point of this game I want to share with you. Anything will happen. A camp you're in could be attacked by any moment, or they could leave at any moment. A monster could appear and kill you all, or a storm could hit. Don't get comfy cause nothing is scripted. Five other Stalkers could show up and camp, or a crazy sniper could kill you all.

I'll wrap up with progression and quests, and some of the RPG elements. You survive the Zone by doing side quests. Fetching items, killing people--The usual fare. There are main story quests and hundreds of side quests, and both are optional. Depends on your playing style and interest. You can also get money from Artifacts, which are two sided blades. Most of the time they'll boost radiation, killing you slowly, but they also have positive elements. Some boost bullet proof capabilities while giving you radiation, others take away radiation while making you bleed easier. Balance them well and you'll do very good in The Zone. Alternately you can sell them all and buy weapons and armor, of which there is a multitude to chose from. There are more then thirty guns and a good fifteen or so suits in the game, and they all act and look and feel different. And theres one for every gamer. An exoskeleton and NATO assault rifle for those killing machines, and a silenced sniper rifle and leather outfit for those sneaky people. Its up to how you play the game.

Very fun game, very spooky, very rich. Make sure you patch it, and also check out the mod community. The original game is very good, mods just make it better. I hope you enjoyed my review. 9/10

Replay: Very rich. A avalanche of mods and patches, plus alternate routes and different playing styles will effect the game each time you play. I've clocked over three hundred hours and I'm not bored yet! 10/10

Rent or buy/Final: Buy this game. Its price has gone down, and its not hard to find. Spoil yourself and have fun.

Reviewer's Score: 9/10, Originally Posted: 02/26/08

Game Release: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (US, 03/20/07)