S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky

by Deep Silver

Product Features

• Atmosphere of the Exclusion Zone
• Research of new depths of the Zone - Red Forest, Limansk, Pripyat Undergrounds, etc
• A-Life-driven War of the Factions
• Possibility to play and lead any faction to victory
• Advanced A-Life system

Product Details

• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B001C4VU5C
• Item Weight: 4.8 ounces
• Media: DVD-ROM
• Release Date: September 15, 2008
• Average Customer Review: 3.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,075 in Video Games (See Top 100 in Video Games)
  • #41 in Video Games > PC Games > Action > Shooter

Product Description

Product InformationGo back one year from the events of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. In Clear Sky a group of stalkers has reached the heart of the Zone - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. An immense blowout of anomalous energy changes the Zone. There are no more reliable and relatively safe roads. Entire levels vanish in the outbursts of anomalies. Stalkers and even expeditions die or end up sealed on the lost territories. New areas which remained unknown since the time of the Zone emergence appear on the Zone map. Changes of the Zone map known to stalkers shake the fragile balance of forces in the Zone. Among the groupings there flare up hostilities for the new territories artifact fields and spheres of influence. Everyone is now out for himself. You are a mercenary who appeared at the edge of the opposition between stalker factions Strelok and the Zone itself. You play the key role in the events that led to creation of the Zone up to the point from which the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game begins. Which faction will take the upper hand? Varied behavior of NPC stalkers in the A-Life world Advanced spectacular storyline scenes Improved AI of computer-controlled characters Skirting around dynamic obstacles by NPCs Use of grenades by NPCs Fast Travel Improved concept of detectors artifacts and anomalies New system of upgrades for weapons and armor Weapons and armor repair Reworked HUD and PDA New version of the game engine - X-Ray 1.5 DirectX 10 renderer Improved DirectX 9 renderer - parallax bump soft particles depth of field motion blur eye adaptation effect Cutting-edge and detailed game graphics (normal map) Inverse kinematics New animation engineProduct FeaturesAtmosphere of the Exclusion ZoneResearch of new depths of the Zone - Red Forest Limansk Pripyat Undergrounds etcA-Life-driven War of the FactionsPossibility to play and lead any faction to victoryAdvanced A-Life system

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

43 of 47 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars WAIT FOR THE RADIATION TO DISSIPATE, September 15, 2008

By 

NeuroSplicer (Freeside, in geosynchronous orbit) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   

= Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky (DVD-ROM)

Having been a big fan of the original STALKER, I was very eager to get my hands on this prequel. After a few days with it I have to ask: could this game actually have been made in Chernobyl? Because it is infested by pretty serious radioactive bugs! But first things first.

Like its predecessor, STALKER:CS has amazing graphics and, yes, they are demanding. Barely making minimum requirements means barely enjoying the game visually. Having said that, I have to admire the work that went into the graphical design, from playful rays of light and shadows of moving branches to dilapidated buildings and endless skies, the game will grab you from the opening scene.

The gameplay does not veer off the original but there are more customization options, both regarding the weapons and your character. What one will notice early on is that STALKER:CS is a harder game. Not only are artifacts much scarcer (making it harder to save up for that precious suit - which will allow you to reach more precious artifacts...) but there are also instances when your character could be stripped of everything! Immersion is one thing, aggravation quite another.

Speaking of which, be prepared to experience not a few crashes and freezes. The game was either rushed and still in beta(!) or this is another form of Russian anti-piracy method: release the game unstable and then keep it dependent on downloadable patches. In any case, wait for the major patches to be released because saved games will usually not work with later patches.

On a final note, Amazon.com customers should count our blessings: everywhere else in the world (including Amazon.co.uk) STALKER:CS harbors StarFORCE - but not here!

Thank God for anti-rad and class-action suits!

25 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Fun, but patch it first!, September 16, 2008

By 

A. Osborne "Ozzie" (Midwest, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky (DVD-ROM)

Let me preface by saying that I am a huge fan of the first STALKER and played the redux mod numerous times so a few glitches and crashes don't annoy me all that much. I got the game immediately upon release and installed and played it for several hours before the game repeatedly crashed at the same point. I went and installed the most recent patch I could find and things became more stable. Unfortunately, my saved games were not compatible so I had to start over from the beginning.... Oh well, the game is fun as hell and I really love the new maps and little changes to the original ones. If you were a fan of the first STALKER this is a must own just be sure to patch it before you play.

23 of 27 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Back to the Zone, September 16, 2008

By 

Flep Kitsu "flepkitsu" (San Angelo, Texas) - See all my reviews

= Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky (DVD-ROM)

I played Shadow of Chernobyl five times in a row. Finish it. Start again. Ridiculous, but true. It had plenty of bugs and issues and required a lot of patience, but it was completely worth it.

Having loved the first game, I was incredibly excited about the release of Clear Sky and have watched it as it developed over the last year. There have been a lot of negative reviews from various sources, and yes, this game is also very buggy. It has the Stalker Curse of hardware issues and wierd problems.

But I've been playing it for several days now with no significant (read as "game stopping") issues, and it is every bit as cool as I hoped it would be. I'm loving it as much if not more than Shadow of Chernobyl.

So, if you're patient and not afraid of the fixer-upper games that GSC is apparently intent on releasing, and you liked the first Stalker... I say give it a go.

Its brilliant and brutal, just like the original.