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94 of 100 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
It's a masterpiece!, March 26, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
Not only are the graphics top-notch, (better than Oblivions graphics) but the gameplay, AI, and atmosphere are all top-notch. It's also the creepiest and scariest fps I've ever played since Condemned, Half-Life 2 and Doom 3.
It's not Oblivion with guns. Nor is it a Doom 3 or Halo type game. It is open-ended and free-roaming,.. but instead of one HUGE map you have about 10 or so Battlefield 2 map size areas linked together, with loading screens inbetween. It has day & night cycles,.. rain,.. strong winds (complete with leaves and dust blowing around. The grass even reacts to the wind realisticly. It's got full dynamic lighting(if your videocard can support that) where everything,.. including the grass casts shadows from any and all lightg sources.)
The atmosphere reminds me of the run-down and abandoned areas of Half-Life 2,.. complete with weird monsters and enemy humans with very very good AI.
There are two separate factions you can choose between to join,.. or you can ignore them and stick to the main quest,.. and there are also many side quests. "Stashes" are hidden supplies tucked away in containers in hidden areas all over the game, hidden by other NPCs for you to raid and then deposit your own extra supplies you may need later.
Guns can get worn out with excessive use and jam. Scopes can be attached to rifles. There are different types of ammo for each gun that will penetrate different materials. There is food, and after a while your character will get hungry. There is vodka to help reduce the effects of radiation poisoning just in case you don't have any anti-radiation meds on you. There are even energy drinks that will instantly refill your fatigue meter from sprinting a lot.
When you are shot, you bleed. So not only are there medkits, but there are also bandages to put on your wounds. Each gun has it's own stats such as damage, accuracy, handling, and range. The gun accuracy is semi-realistic. Sort of like Battlefield 2,.. but better. There is reagular FPS view with the gun to the right of the screen,.. and there is "ironsights" view activated when you right-click for better aiming.
Dead bodies remain for an extremely long time. You can even drag them around. Some creatures will even eat and drag the bodies around. When you've gone through a map and killed everything,.. more enemies will return when or if you come back so that an area is never empty and boring.
There are hundreds of anomolies (hazard spots) scattered all over the game that can shock you, cause you to implode, irradiate you, or burn you alive. There are also artifacts with different powers and side effects you can eqip for some extra help. (some will reduce your damage from bullets or creatures, shock, increase your sprinting time, or reduce radiation in your body.
The story is mainly told through text entries in you PDA and character conversations. So it's up to you to keep up with the story. Often side missions will respawn,.. but it's up to you if you want to do them anyway. It's really easy to earn lots of money,.. and most of the guns, ammo, and supplies you need can be scavanged off of the dead bodies of your enemies (or friends),.. so there's not a lot to use money for.
This isn't a linear game where you always know what to do and you always have the upper-hand. It's up to you to connect the dots and figure out how to survive. It's a game for people who like to explore,..and want combat that is more serious. You can't go around like in GTA blowing everything up. You have to actually develop the skill to handle the guns and to take cover, as well as knowing when to avoid combat or retreat.
It isn't compatible with Vista yet. (but a patch may soon fix that.)
You really need a PC that meets the recommended specs so you can turn all the graphics up and enjoy it to it's fullest. (duh. True for any PC game.)
I currently have an AMD dual core 4200, Geforce 7950 with 512 mb ram, 2 gb of DDR ram, and XP sp2 and I can play the game with graphics on maximum and have perfect performance.
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87 of 93 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Incredible, an amazing accomplishment., April 1, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
This is one heck of a piece of software. Don't think I've seen anything like this before. Nope, not perfect, but pretty incredible. First off, it takes a while to get used to the whole concept. Folks who wrote a review after playing it for only an hour didn't see enough as usual.
Second, looks like you can play this thing for months, and almost never repeat yourself. It is totally open ended, a huge landscape to play in, almost boundless (in the spirit of FarCry, but much much more)
The whole thing takes getting used to. The weapons, the weight system, the health approach, the copious amount of bad guys who just never stop coming. LOTS of subtleties. This is not an overt shooter like HL2, Doom etc. This is a whole world in which to live, breath and survive.
Yep, its a little buggy. But the devs seem on it as the first patch showed up within weeks of release and definitely made a difference. For such an ambitious piece of software, I can see why it took so long to finish and test, and why there would be bugs first time out. There is so much interwoven complexity, I'm blown away. The dynamic interaction between all the elements in the game world are almost real.
The "AI" are pretty awesome, with each one having a strategy it seems. Some are dumb, and just do repetitive things, but others sneak up behind you and blow you away. Really cool!! They also can whack you when you're eating, reloading, or other tasks that most shooters protect you from while mid task.
The people who built this colossus deserve tons of credit, both technical and artistic. This game is no small feat.
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46 of 47 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Stalker: Chernobyl...A good FPS with some RPG upgrades., April 27, 2007
Fun:5.0 out of 5 stars
A well done FPS!.
This game is set in the future, with a plot that begins around the time of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster. It is a game of intense action, atmosphere and involves some strategy and choices.
As with any game there are positives and negatives...let me explain
The Pros:
1.)A great selection of weapons and ammo (with the better ones becoming available as you proceed in the game). Some are better than others and some are quite heavy (you have a limit to how much you can carry).
2.)Different armor is also available at different points in the game.
3.)Realistic "fog of war" occurrences; weapons jam (with increasing frequency as they become worn); your player tires and gets hungry affecting his ability to perform.
4.)Great atmosphere; spooky ambient lighting in dark halls and tunnels, in the outdoors you have rain, lightening and night time; and then there are always the unexpected attacks (anywhere) by an assortment of men, animals and mutants.
5.)Enemy AI that is realistic: their guns need reloading and occasionally jam; they hide behind objects when shot at; they sneak up from the unseen side; animals attack in packs and from behind while one or two distract you from the front. All in all an enemy that appears to "think" about what it's doing instead of just standing there and blasting away at you.
6.)Although the game requires you to the complete main missions to proceed in the game, you can roam around the country side unrestricted. As a bonus, however, there are several side missions that you can do (these are optional and not required to finish the game but may give you substantial rewards in money or items)
7.)Easy save and load feature.
8.)3 different endings, depending on the choices you make near the end of the game.
9.)Some re-playability; you may want to try different endings, side missions and other weapons and armor.
10.)Many hours of intense, hectic game play.
Cons:
1.)You'll need fairly good hardware and lots of RAM to run this game as it was meant to be played.
2.)No vehicles to ride for battle or transportation purposes. (and annoyingly, towards the end, you must walk back almost to the starting point to get an important piece of info) or you can't get into the last 2 endings.
3.)Maybe, just maybe a little too hard even on novice (especially towards the latter part of the game).
4.)You'll need at least 9GB of disc space to load this game.
5.)I found there were occasional crashes or freeze ups after long periods of play.
Suggestions; (SPOILER)
1.)Early on, go to "Dark Valley"; this will give you a chance to
a.)obtain a sniper scope (useful a little later) and
b.)while here, do a side mission that requires you to "rescue a fighter's friend" (here you'll find, in the same building as the "friend" (but in another room), a piece of great armor and many useful and powerful "artifacts".
2.)Take every bandage you find; medkits will heal wounds but do not stop bleeding (and if you don't stop bleeding, well...you bleed to death).
Conclusion:
This was a game that I really enjoyed (even though the novice level could be a real challenge at times); it featured my favorite type of game, that being, a FPS with some RPG upgrades. If you liked such games as Deus Ex, System Shock or Dark Messiah, I'm sure you'll pleased with this game. 5 Stars.
R. Nicholson
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