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

Realistic (?) gunplay
Slavtrash oppression simulator
Comedy dispenser
very very difficult game where your survival is measured by quicksaves and the apparent will of an emotionally unstable god
The jank giveth and the jank taketh away
Best of all time

Play this over the ironically named "Enhanced Edition". This is the original, uncompromised experience and it is absolutely worth your time. Just install the Zone Reclamation Project and enjoy this marvelous piece of eurojank!

So back in the middle of nowhere, UK, 2014, I was a dumb teen exposed to the internet in most of the good and bad ways. Life of Boris got a lot of watchtime out of me. I started squatting properly, did mediocre renditions of the cossack dance, to the entertainment of my friends, and overall became quite interested in the Cyrillic, Post-Soviet world. Then, at the behest of one of my best friends, I bought this game. Yes, it was because it was the 'Ah nu cheeki breeki' game. I bought it, sat down, played through the first gunfight with the dogcrap pistol, got lost, got eaten by dogs, closed the game and quietly refunded it. But, the game remained in my library, in the way that they do on Steam. And I looked at it. And... it was like I knew I had missed out. So, I bought it again. ...And I fell in love.

Over 800 hours of playing the trilogy later (over 1000 if you count standalone mods too, shit, probably somewhere around 1500), I'm sitting down at 11:30 pm, writing this review primarily because I've just become aware of the 'Enhanced' versions of these games. It's honestly gross what the skinwalker company that has inherited GSC's name has done to the Stalker games. They tried to insert NFT bullshit into Stalker 2. They thoroughly half-baked Stalker 2, and flat out lied to us about the features it would have. And now this naked attempt at censoring and removing the original cultural and historical setting of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. ...No. I've also given the censored version a review, which I'll just redo a line from here;

They have removed the shadow of Chernobyl, from shadow of chernobyl.

Anyone reading this who hasn't already seen this sentiment before, this is the true version of the game.

Strugatsky brothers would have loved this game. Great game, great ambiance.

This game is something very unique and immersive. Really recommend to play it. if you need a vanilla experience with some mod, recommend ZRP. Welcome to the Zone Stalker.

its like if fall out nv was less rpb and more fps

I've had to reload so many saves playing this game, you turn the corner and some cheeki breeki bandit is waiting for you with a shotgun. Such is life in the exclusion zone.

The Legend. The Icon. The Beginning of Zone's Tale. The Gold Standard for Atmospheric Shooters. The A crash has been detected by BugTrap. This is XRay Engine crash reporting client. To help the development process, please Submit Bug or save report and email it manually (button More. . .). Many thanks in advance and sorry for the inconvenience.
Essential game for a connosseur of Eurasian Continent's Jank, a shooter that is still more tactical and balanced than the ones released these days, truly a creation of a visionary sitting in a converted Kyiv factory earning 8-10k UAH per month. One of a kind, something that can't be recaptured even by GSC themselves, judging by the absolute state of Stolk 2.
You want atmosphere? A game world that truly feels like a character in its own right? Visual style that'll put you on prozac (if youre a burgerlander) or truly make you feel at home (if youre a post soviet country victim, oh, i mean resident)? Want to be unable to change current reality? Well, this game was wished into the world by the Wish Granter in the flesh, Serhii Hrygorohorogorgogorovich, the Man of Many Redbull Cans, the bonafide BMW owner whose coworkers barely have enough cash to take care of their Lada purchased by their parents in 1989 (at best).
A game dripping with such SOVL your computer will crash the game out of honor for the game's legendary stability and performance 17 years after its release. It works on its own rules, it disregards your Windows, your SlopTX 4090s, your SSD and your Hrigorovirillion gigabytes of RAM. You must understand the game on a spiritual level by daring to fix the bugs for a whopping 5 minutes or so, or just not use win11 or something idk lol its on you.
If you're a Gamer..............You buy the game............You own the game................You play it............You beat it..............and then you install Stalkersoup.............(if you go for GAMMA I will find you, i will, and every monday at 15:35 i will look at you from within your walls)

P.S. Fuск you, GSC, for delisting the original 2007-2010 versions of the Stalker Trilogy and giving Steam users consoleportslop. I may not be able to do anything about it, but I will never let you live it down that easily. I'll forever detest it, Mr. Gorongorovovich. YOU HEAR ME

the ambiance in this game makes you feel like a paranoid schizophrenic undergoing a lobotomy from the local crackhead but other than that its pretty good

The classic original Stalker experience, atmospheric and immersive with an intriguing story, however the games fairly outdated, and i would recommend playing with a overhaul mod for a more smoother experience, I played with the Gunslinger adaptation.

I just beat this game for the first time and learn there's a remaster coming out in a week lol

Aku menemukan game ini ketika aku mencari tahu di internet apakah ada game mengenai tragedi nuklir Chernobyl, dan menemukn game ini. Ketika aku memainkannya ternyata gamenya seru dan seram dengan atmosfir di gamenya yang mengerikan dan punya ciri khasnya sendiri. Recommended

this game has alot of reading and i havent seen anyone atalk about that yet. sometimes you gotta read alot other then that one of the best games ive ever played its unique and not like any other game

Atmospheric Shooter Done Right

When the hype around Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl was going around, I was curious about what this series was about. I looked up some reviews on YouTube and everyone said it was one of these shooters that don’t get made a lot anymore. Of course, I had to buy it; a decision that would change how I view FPS forever. Hopefully, if you take some time to read my review of the game, you will feel good about your purchase SPOILERS AHEAD

Travelling to the Zone

Before starting up the game, download the Zone Reclamation Project. I know you're probably thinking that is not a good way to start off a review, but hear me out. The game's vanilla engine is "held together with hopes and dreams" buggy as hell. However, there are many mods that add quality of life changes and even make the engine more stable. Some people of the community will fight you over vanilla vs. mods. The nice thing about some mods is that they are like vanilla+, meaning they will make your experience more optimised and more fun. Now that you choose a mod (AMK, ZRP, OGSR, or some other mod packs) and installed it, you can now play.

Welcome to the Zone, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

You opened the game (probably the easiest thing you did so far) and will be greeted to this main menu music. I have sat down and listened to this music and it embodies the experience you will have pretty nicely. Unpredictability, adventure, action, and the Zone itself. Now you need to pick a difficulty; pick Master. It sounds intimidating, but the difficulty in this game works differently than other games. NPC's damage is the same as yours, meaning you only need a headshot to take someone out, rather than a firefight taking much longer than it needs to be. After playing the opening cutscene and finishing the tutorial, you might think to loot everything in sight. Not a good idea, since you will be unable to move after you exceed 10 pounds over the backpack limit. Normally, I would tell you about the story, how it was peak for 2007, but you could look up the story if you want to do that. Up next, gameplay.

This Isn't COD

I remember my first encounter with the bandits in this game. Ran in there, guns blazing, balls to the wall, and died immediately. You must take the encounters slow at first, since you only have a pea shooter pistol. Progression is determined by areas of the Zone explored and quests that you complete. You can improve your rank, which helps your relationships with the NPCs in the game. I have not played any of the gun mods in the game, but having more guns to play with will give you more insight to the gunplay. Shooting guns in this game are not a simple point-and-click formula. You need to couch or go prone to improve your accuracy, and burst or single fire your weapons. You do get the option to add attachments to your guns in the vanilla version, unless the gun comes with an attachment already equipped. Compared to later entries, the weapon attachment system is very simple with the player only being allowed to put on scopes on the guns. As you use the weapon, the gun will jam and decrease its durability. This added detail helped me feel immersed in this game, even though it has gotten me killed more than once.

Radiation, Radiation Everywhere

The map is huge, giving players the feeling of being in Chernobyl in this alternate reality of the disaster. Players will have to keep themselves fed and free of radiation. The map is a huge sandbox with gathering items for NPCs, killing other S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s or bandits, or even other factions in the game. The game has lots of detail that make the world feel lived in.

Wake up, S.T.A.L.K.E.R

Ultimately, this game will scratch that itch of playing a FPS that is not COD, Battlefield or {insert mainstream FPS game here}. For a game that came out in 2007, it has lots to offer and I hope you pick it up on sale. Happy Hunting, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s!

Russia's favorite past time after rape and squatting.

This game is still a masterpiece! The dark and gritty atmosphere combined with the surprisingly smart AI make an extremely immersive game. There is nothing quite like sitting around the campfire while listening to fellow stalkers chat, joke and play absolute masterpieces on the guitar while the mutants around you bark and howl! The factions of the zone are very well written which leads you to get very interested in the world of the zone. The plot is easy to follow and interesting which adds to the long of list of positives of this game. The only issues you can have with the game are the bugs but they can be funny.

Very challenging. Ammo is short supply. even on medium difficulty. Had to use a mod to get to the end. I have the other games, but not sure not worth the frustration.

When you read through the reviews of this game, you hear people talking about the immersive atmosphere and terrifying, realistic moments. I don't get it. Sure, the game's art style and sound design is solid. There will be moments where you see someone you've fought alongside sitting by a campfire humming, and you'll want to sit next to them and chat about your times in the war. This is what people mean, and in that regard, they have a point. But everything else is terrible.

I didn't get very far because I got annoyed by the frequent crashes (I was using a minor mod that apparently fixes some of the bugs, but evidently not all of them because my computer would green screen and have to totally reboot every time), the random invisible instant kill zones in the world (who thought this was a good idea?), and the lack of interesting plot or motivation. Deaths are so frequent that you stop caring about threats because you die to random bs often enough that it's essentially a requirement to spam quicksave whenever you have a moment of peace. Nothing scares you when you have a save every few minutes, but the game becomes miserable and borderline unplayable if you don't. There are no characters I could tell you the names of, nobody I care about, not a single side quest that interested me, and I get that isn't really the point of the game. But still, beyond feeling nice, this game doesn't seem to do much of anything else well. The gunplay is ok once you get a decent weapon, but the "open world" that people harp on about is really little more than wide, empty corridors between points of interest most of the time.

It's an old game, but that doesn't mean I'm going to cut it any slack. Half-Life 2, and even 1, are considerably older than this game and yet vastly more fun to play. STALKER may have been impactful when it released - I wouldn't know because I wasn't playing games back then - but today it doesn't offer that much. Some people here will undoubtedly comment that I should've just used x mod and that would've made my experience better, but that doesn't interest me. I use mods to freshen up games I already love, not as a prerequisite for enjoyment. I don't have time to fuss with all the possible permutations of mods to find a setup that I actually enjoy.

Game was pretty good in all aspects idk just play it does not cost much. Keep in mind it is a little dated but has a certain charm to it. Also there is a lot of things to do and several endings you can get. Story isnt crazy but gameplay is solid. Again though, it is a little old so keep that in mind.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl — a game that takes root in your mind.
Released back in 2007, it still manages to evoke emotions that modern titles rarely deliver.
The atmosphere is nothing short of phenomenal. The first time I stepped out of the bunker and heard a guitar playing by the campfire, I felt it — I was in a different world. Frightening, bleak, but strangely captivating. Everything here works toward immersion — the weather, the architecture, the abandoned machinery, strange anomalies, and the sounds that send shivers down your spine.
Gameplay isn’t about non-stop action. Survival comes first. Ammo is scarce, enemies don’t forgive mistakes, mutants are fast and terrifying, and a grenade can save you — or kill you. I genuinely feared for my character. As I moved forward, I caught myself thinking: “Just let me make it to the next camp…”
I loved how the game tells its story. No hour-long cutscenes — just fragments of information you piece together yourself. Who are you? What happened here? Why are you even in the Zone? The answers are there, but you have to earn them. And your choices actually matter — the ending depends on what you do. That’s what makes it so gripping.
Sound — the nervous system of the game.
Seriously, the sound design is one of the main characters. Distant howls, rustling in the bushes, sudden emissions, the crackle of a radio when you approach an anomaly… The sound isn’t just background — it’s part of the gameplay. And the music in the stalker camps? That’s the soul of the game.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is an experience. Sometimes rough, sometimes unpolished (yes, bugs do happen), but absolutely unique. This game has a heart — and it beats with every step you take in the Zone.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl — гра, яка оселилася в голові.
Випущена ще у 2007 році, вона й досі викликає ті емоції, які рідко дарують сучасні проєкти.
Атмосфера тут просто феноменальна. Перший раз, коли я вийшов із бункера і почув, як біля вогнища заграла гітара, відчув: я в іншому світі. Лячному, похмурому, але по-своєму привабливому. Тут усе працює на занурення — погода, архітектура, покинута техніка, дивні аномалії та звуки, від яких мурашки по шкірі.
Геймплей — це не про безперервний екшен. Тут на першому місці — виживання. Патронів мало, вороги не пробачають помилок, мутанти швидкі й страшні, а граната може як урятувати, так і вбити тебе самого. Я справді переживав за свого персонажа. Рухаючись уперед, ловиш себе на думці: «Хоч би дожити до наступного табору…»
Мені сподобалося, як гра подає сюжет. Жодних годинних катсцен — лише шматочки інформації, які ти збираєш сам. Хто ти? Що тут сталося? Навіщо ти тут? Відповіді є, але їх потрібно заслужити. І від твоїх рішень залежить, яким буде фінал. Це справді чіпляє.
Звук — як нервова система гри.
Серйозно, звукове оформлення — один із головних героїв. Далекі завивання, шурхіт у кущах, раптові викиди, радіо, яке починає тріщати, коли підходиш до аномалії... Звук тут — не просто фон, він частина ігрового процесу. А музика в таборах сталкерів — це душа гри.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl — це досвід. Місцями грубий, місцями недопрацьований (так, баги трапляються), але абсолютно унікальний. У цієї гри є серце — і воно б’ється з кожним твоїм кроком по Зоні.

I could be standing inches away from an enemy, crouched down, aiming down sights, and SOMEHOW every bullet I fire will miss.

The AI system omg lol. Look at the date of the game. Incredible. I wished more games of today had the system of the AI acting as real players, not 100% npc having bugs yet during my gameplay in combat, the enemies were: looking for cover, trying to flank me, it was all done well for the time. The guns feel really good to use in these games. It feels really fluid.

Игра прекрасна до того момента пока не надо идти до Выжигателя мозгов, а от него в ЧАЭС , проходя толпы :Монолита , военных , свободовцев , моря радиации на каждом внезапном углу и потраченных не зря нервов

The ending section (after the underground car park in Pripyat) isn't just bad, but terrible (on Master difficulty). Bugs don't help (neither does giving enemies RPGs) and the multiple endings aren't that interesting. First section of the game is phenomenal, and firefights in open areas are where the game shines, though the first underground area is very good. The AI/A-life is superb until collision gets buggy. Resource management is also done very well. Really stuck on how bad the game felt to complete, don't recommend at full price. Best under $10, otherwise save your money.

Stalker SoC holds up well - the enemy AI is astonishingly robust. Perhaps I'm just bitter from the endless flood of quirky post-apocalypse games that reside in the shadow of Fallout 3 and New Vegas, but Stalker is refreshing for the fact that it is a genuine horror game and mostly maintains a consistent tone.

Without a doubt, this is the best game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. From the haunting atmosphere to the unforgettable story, it captures everything that makes the Zone so unique. And of course Strelok, will always be a legend.

This game have a cult following for a reason. Quite long in the teeth this days though, just skip it and get Stalker 2.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The game is still beautiful and atmospheric regardless of the year *~*

The title got me a little excited. But sadly there was no stalking. :'(
Instead... I was the one stalked. By crazed Russian speaking shadow clone men with wall hacks and a foul smell of vodka and stale bread under there breath. All in all, I got to sell other peoples lives and possesions away for money before ultimatley selling my own life and possensions away for money. 10/10

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl you awaken in the zone with a task to find Strelok, who is supposedly in Chernobyl. The game has some survival elements but is largely an action game, some of the systems like eating/drinking/watching your radiation levels can largely be ignored. I didn't mind this too much, I think the game does a pretty good job at focusing on the aspects of the game that are most interesting, which is largely combat. The gunplay is fun and each gun feels different, each encounter feels dangerous as you can die incredibly quickly. I do think the story prompts too many questions at the beginning of the game, and takes far too long to answer them. Once the story gets somewhat interesting the game ends. Overall, the game is fun but better pacing of the story elements would've made a more satisfying experience overall.

Phenomenal game. Great immersion. Very atmospheric! Survival horror at its best!

Pograłem chwile, nie ograłem całości. Ale już mogę powiedzieć że. Kurva. No jest git.

One of the best games I have ever played and in my opinion the best Eastern European game ever made. Good job guys.

The STALKER franchise is my alltime favorite. On par with the Metro games.

It's a very old game. BUT - there are mods that fix almost everything.
Actually there are a LOT of mods.

For the price its worth it. Very much so.

Game has not aged gracefully at all. The gameplay is clunky as hell. The graphics are terrible. It barely explains anything at all. I had to remap all of the controls because IDK wth happened with the assignments. I give up, I'm too old for this s***

fantastic game, played stalker 2 first and then picked this up and it's just as fun.

i didnt understand a single thing about the story of this game, i was just running and killing people and after 23 hours i finished the game.

Shadow of Chernobyl is the game that introduce me and my friends to the beauty of post apocalypse genre. Beauty but deadly. Beside the already good graphic in its era, it also supported with atmospheric detail that really snatch gamers into the tragic and sometimes difficult experience that The Zone offer. With a mix of shooter and survival mechanic with horror infused into the gameplay, making Shadow of Chernobyl as the appetizer for people that want to immerse themselves into the universe of STALKER. Eventhough there are bugs that annoying, it is part of the experience.

Beside STALKER is known for its modding community, a lot of additional story are made by dedicated fanbase. Also there are also graphic and community fixed patch for better experience. For hardcore fans, there are mods that adding a degree of realism.

My playing time is higher actually because i play the CD version, buying the steam version to have a digital version just in case.

Love it! The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy is probably my top three most replayed games, for some reason it keeps me interested and engaged.

its a very nice first person shooter for its time. but even in 2025 its a title that should be played if someone has not done so already. its has nice elements in it. a must try.

GET OUT OF HERE STALKER
GET OUT OF HERE STALKER
GET OUT OF HERE STALKER
GET OUT OF HERE STALKER
GET OUT OF HERE STALKER
GET OUT OF HERE STALKER

Amazing game, even though it's old and janky, it's a great game. Paired with ZRP and some HD models, this game is ABSOLUTELY SPECTACULAR, never in a game have the enemies actually planned against me, flanked me and waited until i got distracted to strike, like when im reloading or focused on other enemies, i get surprise attacked by some guy behind me. And also.


A NU CHEEKI BREEKI IV DAMKE!!!!!

For a game that's close to 20 years old, I had a great time playing. Excited to move to Clear Sky.

Ending unplayable, save scum simulator

This classic has even less women in it than the film The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly, and frequent uses of the word r*tard as a noun. Making it through the secret lab at the end was so challenging that I was dangerously close to turning back and paying ₽300 to the wish granter to fulfill my deep, dark, monolithian fantasies of mods for stealth improvement and P*ssy Riot songs playing at the 100 Rads. Again I was tempted to give up and help the C-Consciousness project in their deception to contain the Гачиму́чи crack in the Noosphere. I don't know whether it was the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. programming in my mind that pushed me to achieve the right version of the ending or not... But I made it. And I guess I should be thankful for that.

I'm a huge fan of games like this and I loved the atmosphere at the beginning, but this game is ultimately not that great. It's buggy, animations are horrible, voice acting is terrible, and balancing is god awful. The ideas presented here are pretty cool, but that doesn't stop the main missions from being a slog. I never felt like I was doing anything for a purpose other than to kill time in game, and that doesn't help that the plot is kinda stupid and doesn't make much sense when you think about it for more than a minute. Like why AM I hunting down this dude I have zero memory of? Why should I really even care about anything? It doesn't help that the combat is so frustratingly punishing for no reason, it pushed me away from this game time and time again. When I did try finishing the game I found out I got tricked into a fake ending because the thing the game didn't tell me to get was in a level I couldn't get to anymore. This game obviously wasn't made on a high budget, but that won't stop me from having issues with it.

TL;DR, this game aged like fucking milk.

This game was alright, but I still enjoyed it. A lot of bonus points for the atmosphere and vibe of the game. ZRP made the experience a lot better. If this game is on sale you should defenetly buy it and play it sometime!

Scariest new vegas, spent more time modding than playing.

Did a full playthrough unmodded for about 65 hours, only had one game-breaking bug which was easily fixed by a mod. (The starting trader's door got stuck closed.) "Only one game-breaking bug" doesn't sound like a endorsement, but given what's accomplished here in 2007 and how much people meme on this game for bugs, it is genuinely impressive. As long as you are okay with some jank, this is a deeply interesting experience.

I especially recommend this game for those who enjoy Fallout 4 on Survival Mode, although it is worth keeping in mind this game isn't "Fallout but Russian" in tone or setting. Basically, if you like difficult games with realistic restrictions, this is the game for you.

General tips:
* AI is significantly more advanced than what you might be used to in more modern titles. Enemies will take cover and may attempt to flank you.
* Neutral entities that bark at you when you approach them with a weapon are saying "put your weapon away" in Russian/Ukrainian. This is the only untranslated line that might cause confusion to a player; all other lines are either translated or unimportant from a gameplay perspective.
* Mission markers (the green target symbol) sometimes don't go away on your PDA. This is a visual only bug, but it can be fixed by installing the ZRP mod if it really bugs you.
* You will not be able to carry a massive arsenal around all at once. Be selective about what you're carrying, and keep in mind ammo has weight too.

Still an immersive and unique experience after all these years. Expect some jank!