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

Immersive atmosphere and an interesting storyline only held back by dated gameplay systems.

Score: 7/10

Early game is so fun chucking grenades and running in and out of cover, charging people with a sawn-off shotgun. Then it's fun late game when you're bulletproof and start clicking on heads. Would recommend.

One of the best and most unique games ever. More than FPS or a RPG, it has the best worldbuilding of a game of this kind

I love Ukraine. I was birthed from the Elephant's foot mass so you can trust me

I still remember, i was 13 or 14 years old, when i bought the official copy of this game on DVD in 2007-2008. Very very much recommended. Its not perfect, but very immersive. Especially i liked their own X-Ray engine. It far away from perfect, but makes this game experience very unique and original. Too bad they didnt move forward with it and Stalker 2 will be on UE 5. Overall, very much recommended. Especially im bundle with Clear Sky and Call of Prypyat

A unique experience. The world feels alive, and it really wants you dead.
The quest and main story can be a bit underwhelming, but it gives you an excuse to explore and shoot stuff, which is endlessly fun.
It's a bit unstable, but very easy to fix for modern systems. The modding community is one of the best.
One of my favorites. Don't skip this one.

Even after all this time, this game remains a true OG gem. It's a must-play for fans of survival and atmospheric games. It's atmospheric Chernobyl Exclusion Zone pulls you in, mixing exploration curiosity and fear seamlessly.

Recommended, I am on my third play through, I would say it is almost open world, and does better than other games at open world. The back drop of the Chernobyl accident and science fiction overlay from films, books, and reality, work really well. The tasks set through the game are interesting and challenging.
The amount you can carry is frustrating but is linked to reality, and creates an challenging aspect of the game.

great game so far just crashing is such a huge issue

Nearly 16 hours later and i get the bad ending... I can't wait to play the sequel :)
Multiplayer is also good

One of my favorite games, if not my favorite game, of all time. Can't recommend it enough. It's a bit buggy but that's part of the charm.

Little things come close to the atmosphere in this game. I felt in the zone, in each of the little places, in the few moments of peace, with the people on my side, cheering me up. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

While clunky, the combat was rather surprisingly satisfying. The story (which I have read is the best of the 3 currently available S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games) is in my opinion quite forgettable.

I recommend grabbing this game when it is discounted, as per some of the other reviews there are game breaking bugs which I did not come across in my playthrough.

The best apocalyptic open world game series I've ever played. give a try and youll be hooked. all three games just get better and better. great story and game-play dynamics.

The Stalker series has crossed my mind many times. I really like old, classic games, but when I looked at the gameplay and screenshots of Stalker, I thought to myself: Nah, this game is probably too old and won't be much fun for me. Oh boy, how wrong was I. The climate here is amazing. You really feel like you're walking in a post-apocalyptic world, you're a real stalker. Saving ammo, earning money for food, medicine, better weapons and armor, fighting mutants, learning about their fighting styles, exchanging fire with other stalkers and collecting things from them to sell. Exploring the world, completing side quests and searching for desired artifacts, all this makes Stalker a game I have needed for a long time and didn't know about it. There are many weapons you can choose from that suit your play style, but not every weapon is perfect and you have to test for yourself which one will be best at a specific stage of the game. As for shooting itself, I had to learn it at the beginning, but I got used to it quickly. The game is quite difficult, but over time it becomes so much fun and I started to get so good at it that I wanted to increase the difficulty of the game to make the game world even more challenging for me. This is exactly what Stalker has to be. You have to deal with everything yourself to become better and better. As for the plot, it is very interesting. Fights between different factions, helping their leaders, searching, going underground, dealing with anomalies, different locations, towns, all this makes you want to play more and more. Additionally, the game has multiple endings. It was a nice surprise for me. The only thing that bothered me was the long distance between locations and main objectives, especially when we carry too many things with us and we constantly have to manually drink liters of energy drinks.

Score: 8/10

Atmosphere in video games is something of an enigma - difficult to plan, it arises partly through the culmination of a game's years long design process, and partly through intentional construction. Stalker SOC represents perhaps the best realization of an atmosphere in a game I've ever seen. No element of the game's design detracts from the genius blend of melancholy and horror, the former an incredibly difficult and arguably cultural thematic to nail. The overall mood is a perfect mixture of isolatory heaviness (NPCs that are never truly trustworthy and rarely offer help or kind greeting, distant ambient sounds of unfortunate souls being executed at gunpoint) and sci-fi curiosity (free artifacts in hidden corners, most named characters having a job that takes precedence over your own nonsense) that encourages the player to push back and grasp for that dangling lure the excellent story (delivered only moderately well) holds just out of reach till the very end. Played on Master difficulty (which I believe is the intended difficulty from my research), challenging combat and exceptional enemy AI that puts anything since... earlier titles (hilarious) like Half Life 1 to shame make every fight, even with the weakest bandits, tactical on some level. Headshots always being a consistent kill is a godsend, as some of the more tedious later levels waver just a touch over the line of unfair, though the narrative welcomes the player to just run through a few sections that might otherwise be a slog. There's a lot more in detail that makes SOC such a marvelous experience, notably the introduction to certain creatures in Agroprom Underground being one of the most effective action-horror sequences I've ever had the pleasure of playing, but there are a few rough points. The stash system is a mostly pointless complication of simple hidden loot - empty boxes that need to be "filled" by killing enemies discourages exploration in a weird contradiction to the artifact and container distribution. Some quest sequencing is janky and inflexible (Duty vs. Freedom in particular). The lack of a single fast travel point, or at least a gateway between Cordon and the Bar, makes the pleasant little side missions less attractive as the game goes on purely for convenience reasons, rather than desire. I'm sure all of these have been fixed by the huge modding scene, but regardless, they're sticking points here that do drag a little. Overall, SOC is a fantastic game, front to back, with a very impressive ambiance, great worldbuilding, great combat, and enough meat on the bones to merit the semi-open design of the map. A game that performs where it matters on the details, with only a few minor missteps countable across the whole thing. Awesome!

just finished it on master difficulty, jokes aside this game is peak

Classic stalker, incredible atmosphere, and an interesting universe, the game is old but still maintains a good level of quality.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Ch[o]rnobyl is the game that really kickstarted my realization that every FPS with gasmasks and radiation is worth purchasing, and also helped convince me that then-unreleased Fallout 3 being made into a first-person game was undoubtedly the right move. I love isometric games and Wasteland 2 and 3 show that there was plenty more you could do with the post-apocalypse in that style, but to me nothing more fully immerses you and lets the nuclear nightmare wash over you than staring the horrors directly in the face as they attempt to consume you.

In other words, everyone should play this game. But why specifically? Well, there are a lot of overlapping reasons. It is a game that virtually adapts its length to your level of involvement in the fascinating story, as the worldbuilding plays out in small moments and large ones alike on the course of your journey, with your main objective always clearly spelled out and marked on your handy PDA. An enormous number of optional side missions also abound, fleshing out the narrative and providing resources to make your main mission easier. I am positive I spent 40-50 hours with this game the first two times I played it, but this third runthrough was mostly about appreciating the world again with an eye on diving into S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 immediately upon release, so I was pretty well done by 20 hours in just making quick work of things while remembering how great the game really is.

One thing that mystifies me about this game is how it feels more advanced than the sequel, Clear Sky. You can certainly see that as a negative for its sequel, but it really just speaks to how they tried to make that game more about faction warfare and making artifacts a little more gamified, as opposed to providing a primarily narratively-driven experience with some of the most brutal gunplay you will find in any game. With the game's full attention on you and your goals, it feels like a streamlining despite it actually being the first game in the series (their initial goals to have this game include the focus on factions ultimately seen only in Clear Sky undoubtedly explains why this game was more polished).

Even though it is probably fairly common knowledge, the real secret to this game's addictive quality is how well it weaves survival, horror, and action into a single package. Even hundreds of hours into these games I still get jumpscared by unexpected encounters, particularly given how you can be taken out with one hit if someone or something goes for a headshot.

Basically I have nothing but praise for this game in particular, and part of why I am replaying the series is to try to decide once and for all whether I prefer Call of Pripyat or this title, just in time to hopefully decide that 2 ends up being my favorite of all.

the best gaming experience can be obtained on the difficulty of "Master", running around the Chornobyl NPP (part 2) without armor and only with Big Ben.

"S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl" is a groundbreaking game that blends survival horror, first-person shooter, and RPG elements into a truly unique and immersive experience. The game's non-linear gameplay, coupled with its vast open world and challenging survival mechanics, offers countless hours of replayability.

oh, this? don't worry, it's just my stash of hundreds of weapons of many types and calibers and actually just hundreds of kilograms of ammunition, plus a bunch of armored vests and 50+ artifacts, not to mention 200 medkits, all stolen from the dead bodies of my foes and safely stored in a shoebox-sized chest inside a shed missing a wall or two. y'know, in case i need it in the future or something...

The only thing that is close to being bad in this game is the stamina since it goes so fast but other then that,the game is a must play for any post apocalypse lover

Awesome game from Ukrainian developers.
I was really surprised how visuals hold up. This game was released in 2007, during a period of games with blurred and overbloomed graphics. And I am happy to say that Stalker is very sharp and detailed. Devs used real photos of places presented in game to make textures, which makes them still somewhat modern.
Although, it is not perfect and game has some minor flaws, some of them very usual for that period and don't spoil anything.
Zone looks very authentic and stunning.
GSC had so many ideas and mechanics prepared and partially developed, but had no enough financing, time and people to finish all of them, so some of such features are available through mods. This game has a very big community and I don't even know whether Skyrim has more robust mods than Stalker. Probably not :O
Highly recommend if you don't mind older games :)

Fun, but hard, combat. Story was engaging and the setting is an interesting one. I get why this game is so loved. Play this with the ZRP mod.

best stalker game of the 3 released, but the gameplay loop is a bit repetitive and the true ending to the game is a bit of a drag to get to.

Recommended playing before Call of Pripyat. Use ZRP (Zone Reclaimation Project) from Mod DB to fix most leftover design issues and bugs. Also lets you free play after the credits. After all that, this is probably the best of the original three games. First 3/4 of the game plays like a survivalist game with scarce resources and bad guns. Last 1/4 has you fighting 1v100 enemies at the Chernobyl Plant. Save scum required to avoid frustration.

Recommended for those who like the apocalyptic setting, Tac Shooters & Survival Horror. And don't mind some setting up/tech to get it running at its best.

Just one of the best games I've ever played. It completely immerses you into its world. The environments look awesome, the AI is excellent at times, the A-Life system is something I wish more games incorporated, and the atmosphere... it's brilliant.

There are some flaws however. It can crash at times (has rarely happened to me, but the X-Ray engine isn't exactly the most stable), it stutters quite frequently and weapons become inaccurate as hell after some slight degradation.

Nonetheless, Shadow of Chernobyl is one of my alltime favorite games. I come back to it regularly just to feel that same dreary atmosphere I loved 17 years ago. Truly a classic and one that holds up pretty well I would say.

This was my first PC game that i played as a full FPS game and not a demo and i fell in love whit it instantly.
Since than i got all the saga and the METRO series to ( witch is not that god , might i add ) , and i'm waiting for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to lunch.

This game is awesome. Play it with Autumn Aurora mod! Works well with a PS4 or Steam Controller.

It's fun... But old, game crashes frequently, can't use windows key, and filled with glitches. If you can deal with that, then you can have fun. It's a shame since this game is amazing.

Shadow of Chernobyl is a solid game, I got it on sale for $8 bucks, well worth it. SPIN off's Clear Sky-- an ok game they improved the PDA and change a few things. I don't like what they did with artifacts, its the same artifact in the same place every time and you need a detector to find them, story line is not as good and i thought the ending was lame. give it a try if you can get it on sale cheap. The third came Call of Pripyat - thumbs down, found it to be boring and tedious.

the og stalker experience
so full of bugs and bs deaths

One of the most atmospheric games ever. Good story, lovely soundtrack, creepy sound effects. Still playable after so many years

I was very unsure how to rate this game. On one hand it has great atmosphere, it really has a very creepy vibe and a survival horror feel but on the other hand it has clunky gameplay and shows it's age. It took me forever to finish this game and it honestly felt like a slog. And I kept having this bug where the screen would go black when I quit the game. Other than that it was playable and didn't have any game breaking bug. Bit of a mixed review. So make an informed decision if you do decide to buy.

The Stalker trilogy is absolutely amazing, I love all of the games, and it was great to play Shadow of Chernobyl on Steam. However, you should only buy if you are capable of dealing with bullshit Ukrainian game design, and there will be a myriad of crashes and glitches throughout your playthrough; that is a guarantee.

playable, sure its pretty old but the gun modification you can add and the zone itself is quite nice. only wish i could sleep and get more carry weight increase options.

Well, to be honest, the first Stalker game is not that ideal. You can't fix your equipment here(neither the weapon nor the suit), the traders in this game are so hard to locate so you can't sell the things you can't carry conveniently, the artifacts in Shadow are not that useful even if the system allows you to pick it up directly. If you're a hardcore fan of the Stalker franchise, this is the game you shall never miss. If you're someone who just want to try it for fun or play it out of curiosity, please mark my words: 1.only purchase the Stalker bundle when Steam provides discount; 2.do not follow the story order and play Clear Sky before or it'll be very uncomfortable for you to adapt yourself to the backward system in the Shadow.

"For westerners Stalker is a game a bout surviving a harsh unforgiving place where there's noone to help or rescue you, human contact is limited and you are left isolated from the outside world.
For slavs Stalker is a simulation of everyday life, surviving a harsh unforgiving place where there's noone to help or rescue you, human contact is limited and you are left isolated from the outside world."

Very fun game, incredible atmosphere. Helps to know some Russian even if playing the English localization, since many voice lines and a lot of text in textures are in Russian.

A very atmospheric and addictive game, you can get roped into playing the game for hours at a time if you're not careful. Master difficulty is a must when playing the game personally as it makes both you (and the enemies) into glass tanks, resource gathering becomes a requirement, and the game really evolves into a true survival sci fi horror game. A great game, if you ignore all the glitches, that has a strong modding community as well if you'd like to download some of the playable mods like STALKER ANOMALY.

7/10