S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat

so i just finished this game, its a good game ill rate 8.8 / 10 why not 9? because the beginning of the game is kinda bored because of the map of course and the quest at the first time i play i kinda dont know where to start but i just go with it and i love it! if i rate the 3 games before stalker 2 ill gonna rate it 1. SoC 2. CS 3. CoP in third but doesnt mean it was shit, this 3 games it absolutely the best franchise i ever played

The best one , love the atmosphere old country looking this game has, very environmental, the mutants are very scary, bloodsuckers are a bit harder in this game IMO, worth chatting with every body and exploring every thing. A bit harsh at the beginning I felt it was the hardest one to start like getting loot and bullets enough to start being able to tackle most locations, situations I felt in clear skies and SOC you could get loaded a lot easier at the beginning, however that gives it a special thing you have to be very aware and sometimes. The most developped andd rewarding crafting and upgrading system.

i play stalker gamma,anomaly and x-ray all the time, the game is fire highly recomend

its a good game but for some reason my mouse wont work now even though ive played this game for about a year with out any problems

What a game it was! I do not want to spoil the game by giving extra details, so all I can say is that every consequences of your actions or not-taken actions is thrown at your face somehow. So better be careful! The ending makes you speechless and emotional. I recommend playing the trilogy in order, but this one alone is a masterpiece.

W game, I want to play STALKER 2 But I cannot run it.

does anyone have a spare $1000 NZD? I need a new PC.

Worse than shadow. Cant run for more than 2 seconds without resting for an hour, engaging in any combat is downright NOT FUN. It's a game, it should be. Obviously I'm aware of Anomaly and Gamma but good lord... I was ok walking across all of SOC but I cant even walk to my next objective. This has further turned me off from this series, as the base story was straight cheeks, and I'm truly ashamed so many people put this game on such a high pedestal.

one of my favorite game series despite its age its still a great game

One of the greatest games about stalkers. You don't want to miss the experience and immersion/

My current pc can't play old games its pissing me offff!!!!!!!!!!!!

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat

Gameplay: The gameplay is a bit rough which makes it more difficult, the graphics are not bad but they lowered the quality of the game (I played it in ULTRA graphics). The story is very good, since now the military are allies once and for all, including new game mechanics such as weapon conditions, artifacts and secondary missions. Including the issue of somewhat hidden missions with favorable rewards. However, the method of searching for repair kits is somewhat annoying.

Map: It only has 3 areas which are very large but it would have been better if they had added something else like the previous titles, knowing that Call of Pripyat is based more on new areas such as swamps, railways and suburbs.

Soundtracks: In certain areas it would have been much better if music such as Freedom or Duty in propaganda or even more propaganda on the walls, including music such as the 100 RADS bar. But other than that, the combat music and some ambient effects are fine.

Easily the best out of the original 3 games. I enjoyed the protagonist and his main objective, along with how straightforward the various locations were presented and used. My favorite part of the game were the side quests, the characters introduced within them, and the unique rewards granted upon their various completions.

This is the game that I enjoyed the most among the original stalker trilogy. Combat feels fluid and the in game economy is well balanced. The story itself is quite interesting, especially the side quests. The underlying story in the side quests allows the player to interact with the world on a deeper level compared to some fetch stuff or kill mutants quests. It all boils down to say that the best features from the two previous games were perfected here. I had a lot of fun palying this game.

The best game in the trilogy.

Way more polished than the other two, although I wish it had the atmosphere of SoC.
The story is a bit underwhelming but the gameplay and side missions make up for it big time.

Awsome, bought the whole trilogy and this is the first unmodded stalker game i've played.
Tho progression is just selling artifacts and finding stashes, the first half of the game i was dying to everything.
10/10

10/10 enjoyment
Really fun to explore
Love the voicelines on npc

I still remain unimpressed by it but it was better than its predecessors I'll give it that much.

this game actually good lmao, unlike previous game this game feels more proper and finished(not feeling i'm paying to play alpha-beta game), but still this game still feels unfinished anyway, the credit and the intro are the highlight. Gameplay? 8/10
atmosphere? its Stalker game buddy the atmosphere are the best, dialogues? its Stalker game buddy its dialogue always cheesy and awful, anyway Good Hunting Stalker.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat
GSC GAME WORLD, 2010

"Guns are accurate."
If you get all the tool kits and deck your favorite weapon out.
Otherwise, you're in for a bad time, especially after coming from Clear Sky + SRP's Alternate Ballistics patch.
Good luck finding those tool kits! It's a big world out there and there's only two of each!

A notable plus of this part of the series is that here most of the locations are different, which do not overlap with Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky. For this respect. In my opinion, the realization of the best part of the series

Incredible game. I preferred the experience of SoC, but the combat and weapon customization were great in this game. Play it on Master, No Crosshair for the ultimate experience.

Only mods used was a grass distance and changing my FOV.

After playing the faithful trilogy of the stalker series, I can safely say that Call of Pripyat, the third title, is the best of all three. It innovates from the previous two titles, making side missions much more useful and impactful to the story, reworking the way you obtain artifacts, and giving you a reason to come back to several locations. The map is well designed (much better than the other two games imo) and it had a very clear layout. And while the graphics and mechanics of the game themselves didn't change much, the story was definitely a giant improvement.

The biggest issue the previous two titles had, in my opinion, was that I drowned in a sea of dialogue text, not understanding where and why I'm going, and why I should care - I just did it. In fact, I hated that aspect in Clear Sky so much that I stopped paying attention to the story and completed the game as fast as possible. It was a slog for me; CoP is the complete opposite. Dialogue was concise, the actions of the characters (and yours) made sense, the mission tracker immediately pointed you in the right direction and BOOM: you knew what you were doing, plain as day. But most importantly I was interested in the story. And they went a step beyond to give a little narration at the end that state how your choices affected you, your comrades, and the Zone as a whole.

I replayed the Stalker series in prep for stalker 2, and while Clear Sky made it a year-long drag for me to finish (I really didn't wanna play it lol), I think its worth pushing through to experience Call of Pripyat.

What a game. Bleak, brutal and full of surprises. Great atmosphere. Some scary bits. Great gun play. Fun to explore, and there's a lot to explore.. But over all of that is the bleak, hopeless atmosphere. You will have a great time in The Zone, but it won't be easy.

This entry is different from the first two, and personally, I prefer them. CoP lacks the atmosphere of SoC and CS. It's still enjoyable, but it’s the weakest entry in the trilogy

After completing CoP, it was difficult for me to decide if I liked it more than SoC or not. There are a lot more new mechanics here, but the map is smaller than in the first game. The story is also great, it's a nice closure to the trilogy. Obviously, the previous two parts are required to play before this one.

When I firstly finished the game, I couldn't wait to see HoC, but at that time it was only announced, now it's finally released and I look forward to the time I'll be able to buy and play it.

Tons of improvements on the original, great story, and still amazing atmosphere, must play

By far, the most polished of the three original STALKER games. Best graphics, least bugs, best UI. The story is easier to follow and you can actually understand where you have to go and what you have to do. The authentic STALKER atmosphere is untouched.

Provably best STALKER from the first Trilogy. More polished game play. Economy for weapons has been balanced. The story continues being interesting and engaging. And about graphics; everything maxed out with DX10 improvements makes this game to look pretty solid.

Many people discuss weather or not this is the best STALKER game. I honestly believe this has to be on every list of must play games as well as one of the best games overall, even with it being slightly rough around the edges and certain animations showing the games age. this in my opinion would be a fantastic games to introduce new players to our favorite ZONE.

Some stalkers want you to cover them? sure! ... Oh there are zombies. Oh im dead

Best of S.T.A.L.K.E.R Series – Call of Pripyat

I love this part of the series the most. While the first game holds a special place in my memory, Call of Pripyat is unquestionably the best entry in the original trilogy (not considering S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2). It feels like the culmination of everything great about its predecessors—refined, more complex, and balanced in a way that elevates the experience.

It takes the atmosphere, survival mechanics, and other aspects, that made the series iconic and polishes them. This is the definitive S.T.A.L.K.E.R experience, combining the best elements of the originals into a masterpiece.

Everything from the past 2 games bought to the peak of what Stalker means. Loved every single detail from the choices actually meaning something to the random events and weathers and lastly the way armour and gear is handled with it being allowed upgrades and repairs.

The main story was good but lacked behind the first games story. (still a solid story) and the best and IMO the way it's meant to be played is Side Quests have meanings and outcomes always as you'll see what you do in this world is final to run its fate.

This is the best Stalker game in terms of overall experience, polish.

Gameplay -10/10
Story - Short, but wraps up a lot of loose ends and the side missions,
esp unmarked ones are really good. 7/10
Graphics - DIsappointing, a downgrade from Clear Sky, but just use Atmosfear or smth. 6/10

Just a damn good STALKER game. Definitely tied with SoC for me.

Late to the party, but its an absolute gem. Still to this day.

Best game of the original trilogy, you can really see the refinement of ideas in this game, Shadow of Chernobyl took forever to get around, Clearsky was very compact but added armour and weapons upgrades, this game struck a nice balance between the two, gun play is solid.

Artefacts are good but not as OP as some of the ones in Clear-sky also in complete contrast to Clear-sky radiation is a non issue in this game, but honestly I'm not that bothered about it.

The other games could be frustrating because they still needed refinement, but this was a joy to play all the way through.

I played through Stalker 2 recently and it was super cool to see so many designs and areas in their original form and how true to the original they kept a lot of visuals in the new game (with better graphics of course)

Minor spoilers ahead:

I am super easy to please in terms of story, but I like this game a lot, its a simple but effective story that makes sense in the world. There is also a goofy Strelok cameo which I honestly thought was funny and charming in an old video game type of way, like they thought "Oh shit, well it can't be a stalker game without Strelok at least one appearance".

There is even a bit where you can give him notes from his old friends if you bothered to collect them and he thanks you, which is kind of wholesome(?), more than anything, this game is more stalker and I love it. I'm glad I went through and played these games.

Gameplay wise is perfect. Very enjoyable and i loved the storyline too.
The last act, in Pripyat was a little buggy and disconnected but still very good.
On to Stalker 2 now :D

loved how in this stalker you were able to build up a team for you as you go on the last story mission and find the truth of whats going on with what you've been instructed to find out in the zone

A thrilling conclusion to the trilogy, Call of Pripyat takes the series into its most refined state and delivers through meaningful quests and gameplay.

I just finished S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat in 14.5 hours, and it is by far the best of the original three S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games. It manages to improve on almost every aspect of its predecessors while staying true to the series’ unique atmosphere and gameplay style.

The graphics are significantly better than the first two games, and while part of that is because Call of Pripyat is newer, the art direction also feels much more refined and immersive. The Zone looks breathtakingly bleak, with hauntingly realistic environments that make every moment feel tense and atmospheric. Whether it’s the eerie silence of the abandoned buildings or the foreboding skies over Pripyat itself, every location oozes mood and personality.

One of the most pleasant surprises was the lack of bugs. After the frustrating experiences with Clear Sky (especially without mods), playing Call of Pripyat felt like a breath of fresh air. The game was stable, smooth, and glitch-free, which allowed me to fully immerse myself in the world without worrying about broken mechanics or random crashes.

The story is another highlight. It dives deeper into the mysteries of the Zone and expands on the lore established in Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky. It’s well-paced, with engaging main quests and meaningful side content that adds depth to the world. Unlike the previous games, the story feels more polished and cohesive, making it a joy to unravel the secrets of the Zone.

Gameplay-wise, Call of Pripyat retains the survival mechanics and open-world exploration that define the series but refines them for a smoother experience. The addition of mechanics like sleeping and managing hunger enhances the immersion, while the improved AI makes encounters with both mutants and human enemies more engaging. The game’s open-ended nature encourages exploration, and the three main areas—Zaton, Jupiter, and Pripyat—are packed with side quests, hidden treasures, and environmental storytelling.

The weapon and gear progression also feels much better balanced than in the earlier games. The repair and upgrade systems add a layer of strategy to how you approach combat and exploration, making every decision feel impactful.

Overall, Call of Pripyat stands out as the definitive S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience, offering a polished, bug-free adventure with excellent storytelling, refined gameplay, and an unmatched atmosphere. It’s made me even more excited to dive into S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl. If you’re a fan of immersive survival games or the post-apocalyptic genre, this is an absolute must-play.

In terms of narration, story and gameplay it feels like a step up. A lot of issues from Clear Sky have been fixed. Story is being told in a more straight and robust manner.
But after Clear Sky this one is a serious visual downgrade, it instantly feels like a console game, with all downsides: much less objects, geometry is pretty bad in terms of simplicity, a lot of details gone. Probably visually it is even worse than SOC, original game.
You will visit some new locations, meet few characters from previous games, several interesting side quests.

To sum up, I'd say that:
Story - Shadow of Chornobyl.
Visuals/FX/Tech - Clear Sky.
More polished overall - Call of Pripyat.

Still a solid product, which adds more to the universe :)

Is more than just a video game; it’s an immersive experience that captures the essence of a post-apocalyptic world like few others. Set in "The Zone," a fictionalized version of the area around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant after a second disaster, the game masterfully blends survival, exploration, shooting, and deep storytelling.
The atmosphere is the true star here. The Zone is packed with desolate landscapes, radioactive storms, and ruins that silently tell their stories. Every corner of this world is filled with tension, featuring unpredictable enemies—both human and mutant—and mysterious anomalies that make every expedition a challenge.
The gameplay rewards careful exploration and resource management. With its focus on realistic survival elements, from managing ammo and food to avoiding the deadly effects of radiation, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. keeps players constantly on edge.
Combat is intense and tactical, where every bullet matters. This is complemented by an intriguing story that mixes science fiction with psychological horror, taking you on a journey full of secrets and moral dilemmas that keep you hooked until the end.
While the game has some technical quirks and a steep learning curve, these elements feel like part of its charm, adding authenticity to the harshness of The Zone.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat is a gem of the FPS/RPG genre, a must-play for those seeking an intense, challenging, and atmospheric experience. Once you enter The Zone, it’s hard to leave.

At last ploughed through the third game in the series. Let me tell you, this was quite a ride and not always a good one. However, this time they got it right... ish.

Why I like it

You're a USS officer going into the zone to investigate the cause of a handful of helicopters crashing. It will not make a huge difference to you, as you will still play as you would have in previous STALKER games. Heck, you can side with the factions through choices in your missions, just not quite as in depth as in Clear Sky. It's a shame they removed the whole affinity and ongoing war mechanics, but I guess they deemed removing it was easier fixing that mess; just keep it simple to avoid f*cking it up. And good for them, because the result is a game that can actually be played without constantly calling the devs names. There were no crazy, quest-breaking bugs this time; you know the kind, "you can't finish the game because you picked up a chicken sandwich before talking to Steve and after obtaining the dragon blade; now you have to start over". And for the record, I completed pretty much all of the side quests and played it without mods.

It's not functionality alone that CoP stands above its predecessors for; there are some really nice additions to the core STALKER experience. For instance, I love the new anomaly landmarks. In previous games you could only find tiny anomalies here and there by exploring the map. In CoP we have landmarks on the PDA, which are big, permanent anomalies. I think this makes a lot of thematic sense; why just have tiny anomalies and not larger areas? It made so much sense when I saw this; brilliant. Something they've introduced - and would like to see grow in future/present games - is anomalies that have an effect on reality, such as the maze leading to The Oasis. In addition, the despicable price variation is gone and the loathsome bullet roulette has been smoothed out; very pleased with these adjustments.

The map is new, which is refreshing. It's divided in 3 sections and Pripyat is the only common area that was present in SoC & CS. Immersive and well-designed as with previous entries, it will not disappoint. One thing I found annoying is that you need a guide to move between sectors - and you have to pay for it. Story-wise, once more, we have a rather simple plot with a bit of an underwhelming ending; not that the endings were ever mind-blowing... SoC still remains the strongest of the first 3 games in this aspect, although the journey is most certainly the critical part of the STALKER series. In any case, I'd love these games to present the player with stronger characters and storylines in STALKER2 and other future content.

A few flaws

Weak story aside, I thought the radiation was almost irrelevant in CoP. It will be an issue during the first few incursions into the wild, but nowhere near the levels of the first 2 games. While I found it annoying whilst playing the older games, it was good annoying; made the game more challenging and thematically it just has to be there. Maybe this is one of the reasons I found CoP to be far too easy on veteran difficulty. Combat was tuned down too; no massive firefights that stood out for me. And of course, there's still no bloody tutorial. It's probably unlikely that anyone would start with this entry in the series, but is it that bloody hard to create a tutorial to run through the basics? I didn't give a sh*t. As soon as I started I knew I had to rebind a few keys, prioritise armour & weapon upgrades, get rid of the worthless detector and get a Veles ASAP, and start hunting artifacts like there's no tomorrow. That's me though. A new player won't even know they can equip an artifact or how important upgrading stuff is. I wish I could have played SoC knowing what I know now. Do you know what would have been even better though? If SoC had had a frigging tutorial explaining the basics so that I didn't have to wish for anything now.

Final thoughts

All in all, I managed to enjoy this game far more than the first 2. General polish, good new features, interesting areas to explore, and strong theme. The perfect STALKER game would have had; SoC's story, atmosphere, and action; CS's faction wars and mechanics, armour & weapon upgrades, and artifact searching; and CoP's graphics, level of polish, lack of bugs, and anomaly landmarks and effects on reality. I'm hoping all of these things are a long-winded way of saying "STALKER2", but I suspect it is not the case.

Advice for new players

1. Don't start with this entry, play SoC first
2. Mod the shit out of SoC
3. Search for a proper beginner's tutorial online
4. Skip Clear Sky; it's utter rubbish
5. Play this one

first played this game when i was like 7 or 8, everytime i got attacked by a bloodsucker i would pause the game and leave it out of fear, now 7/6 years later i take them down with barely any problem lol. 10/10

Just started playing this game for the first time and already i'm a little blown away. This game is everything a stalker game should be.

It also makes me realise Stalker 2 really does reuse like half of it's assets and almost all of it's characters from the older titles.

I can not get this game to launch on my Steam.
The tiny green and black logo comes up and then it goes straight back to my Steam app.
I used to be able to play it but now I can't.
I don't understand what is wrong.
I uninstalled and reinstalled the game twice already.

"S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat" is a game that masterfully combines tension, atmosphere, and freedom of choice. From the very first minutes, you are immersed in the grim yet captivating world of the Zone, where every sound, every rustle of the wind, or distant growl of mutants keeps you on edge. The story of Major Degtyarev, sent to the Zone on a crucial mission, captivates with its simplicity and depth. The game subtly pushes you to explore mysterious locations, where beneath every anomaly might lie either a valuable artifact or a deadly trap.

The locations — Zaton, Yanov, and Pripyat itself — are breathtaking in their detail and realism. Abandoned houses, rusty vehicles, and deserted bases all breathe history, creating the illusion of a living, forgotten world. Encounters with other stalkers add even more depth, as each character has their own fate, goals, and fears.

The gameplay strikes a perfect balance between simplicity and challenge. You must conserve resources, constantly monitor your gear’s weight, find safe routes, and prepare for the unexpected. Completing tasks is engaging, and the narrative twists are influenced by your choices. While the game doesn’t feature an overwhelming number of enemies or events, this is compensated by the sheer intensity and sense of real survival.

Yes, Call of Pripyat has its flaws: minor bugs and occasionally predictable enemy behavior. But these pale in comparison to the overall harmony of gameplay and atmosphere, which make you forget such trivialities. The game perfectly concludes the trilogy, leaving a sense of closure while simultaneously making you want to return to the Zone.

"S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat" is more than just a game — it’s a unique experience that everyone curious about the mysteries of the Zone should live through at least once.

If you have the time before playing STALKER 2, I cannot recommend enough that you play the OG trilogy, including this game which is in my opinion the best of the 3. GSC have outdone themselves, improving upon everything from the first 2 games and delivering and absolute classic. I could go on and on about everything that this game does well - interesting story and characters, phenomenal weapon selection and gunplay, one of the coolest settings for exploration and discovery of unique and freaky anomalies and enemies, and a bevy of main and side content to keep you entertained. I beat the game in a little over 20 hours but I did not complete all of the side missions so you could easily get more out of it if you are a completionist.

Fair warning about some negatives though - the game has some jank. When launching, for me it would always launch in a weird little window, which I had to fix by going out of and back in to fullscreen mode every time I wanted to play. There also are multiple graphical issues, and unfortunately there are some parts of the game which can glitch and cause soft locks in progression (I had to load a previous autosave after getting stuck in a dialogue with an important character later in the game, without spoiler the mission named "One Shot" caused this issue). These issues are mostly minor annoyances thankfully, and overall do not change the fact that this is an absolute gem. I highly recommend giving it a go if this genre interests you at all, I loved it from start to finish and you probably will too!

Amazingly fun for a slow paced open world shooter

Best Stalker out of the originals. The mods for this one are insane 9/10

for me this game is perfect and i would recommend to people that have played stalker clear sky or shadow of Chernobyl