S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007 Video Game) User Reviews

Welcome to the Zone

[jacobtinsdale · 9/10 · 24 January 2016]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a fantastic game that completely immerses you in the atmosphere. The game play is beautiful, and I love the idea of limited weight. The open world allows you to explore a lot. The mutants are frightening and believable. The storyline contains twists and turns. The Underground labs are some of my favourite level designs, and can be quite scary at times.

The game does have a few problems. It is very buggy and contains numerous glitches. The in-game voice acting can sometimes not be all that good.

Putting that aside, It truly is an amazing game that everyone should experience! Final Review: 9.1 / 10

These Wastes Are Unforgiving.

[Margera4445 · 9/10 · 8 June 2012]

It's been a long time since I picked up an FPS/RPG that functioned in almost every way you'd want an FPS/RPG to function. That's pretty much the reason 'S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl' made my entire 3 and a half nights of playing it a non-stop and nearly inspirational experience. GSC Game World, a company out of the Ukraine who made some pretty interesting RTS games back in the day, gives us a totally new and unique experience, meshing the exploration and realism aspects of the Operation Flashpoint games with the RPG feel of the Deus Ex series. But that's only part of the appeal that makes S.T.A.L.K.E.R, arguably, one of the best FPS/RPG games to be released.

Let's get a rundown on the storyline of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. You play as an amnesiac adventurer, adventurer being a term to deviate from their more colloquial nomenclature of S.T.A.L.K.E.R's. S.T.A.L.K.E.R is pretty much one great big abbreviation for Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers and Robbers. These STALKER's reside in the wildernesses and broke-down old ruins of the Zone of Alienation surrounding the fallout zone of the Chernobyl incident. Back to the main idea, your STALKER's memory is gone and he's gotta get it back by finding out who Strelok is. The only thing he DOES know about this Strelok character is that he's supposed to kill them, according to the PDA found on his person. So, you lead the "Marked One", as he's known amongst the populace of the Zone, across the forgotten ruins of the Chernobyl alienation zone to get to the title character herself and kill Strelok. Sounds easy enough, right? Screw what you thought about easy.

--Gameplay-- S.T.A.L.K.E.R plays a lot like you would expect an FPS/RPG to play while still maintaining a form all its own. The environment is separated into different areas. Some are named according to their functions, others are named for their real-life counterparts. The Marked One's journey leads you across the Zone of Alienation, through faithfully recreated places such as the Red Forest and even up into the abandoned city of Prypiat. There's even more to discover underground, with some places Marked One comes upon hiding secret entrances to the dangerous remnants of the Zone's turbulent past.

Now, when I used the word 'dangerous' to describe the underground, I felt the need to overstate just how dangerous the Zone is. With the X-Ray engine's capabilities in physics and AI, the Marked One's worst enemies are YOUR worst enemies. Elevation matters even more than you might think. Each bullet you fire at an enemy carries physical weight to it. When firing a weapon, you'll have to be aware of the dropshot, as ballistics in STALKER are mostly as real as it gets. Gunfighting is the most prominent factor the game. Constantly you'll find yourself in contact with more than one vicious bandit or mutant, when I say vicious, I mean vicious. The mutants can act just like the humans can, only they're tougher to kill and twice as likely to completely destroy you. But, when it boils down to it, the ones you should worry about most are the ones shooting guns at you. For instance, if you get into a heavy gunfight and back yourself into a corner, expect to load a save game immediately. Enemies will flank your position, creep out from beneath cover to shoot at you, and even find alternate routes to surprise attack you. Attackers are merciless in their efforts to bring you down, and, unsurprisingly, you should never expect to beat this game without dying at the hands of a crazed mutant. Well-placed shots from enemies lead to blood loss, which can spell trouble for you if your fresh out of bandages.

Pretty much every item in the game has weight to it when carried. It's possible to carry as many as 3 weapons with space still for a fourth, at the expense of carrying less med-packs or food stuffs. Even though this might not seem like a hard choice to make, you should remember that every single item holds particular significance to your survival. Dropping a few health packs for a sub-machine gun? Bad idea.

I felt like it was worth mentioning that I played this game on Novice difficulty and ended up loading a saved game roughly 30-40 times. Yeah. It's that harsh.

--Overall-- Badass, big ass location ripe for the pickin's? Check. Pretty realistic game world capable of being immersed into? Check. Chernobyl? Check. It would seem that S.T.A.L.K.E.R has it all. A new age RPG/FPS that's still new age even if it's five years old. It gives you a character, gives you a goal, then tells you to have at it. And while the combat is too hard to sink oneself into, there hasn't been one sour-faced 'game over' yet. Only somewhat disappointed ones.

All in all, S.T.A.L.K.E.R is one of the coolest, most immersive and innovative games I've played. It takes everything that Fallout wished it could be and shoves it into a radiation-laden room, locking the door behind it. With the nearly horrifying atmosphere underground and the captivating wasteland up above, the Zone is certainly one of my new top ten favorite video game locations. It's safe to say that if you're looking for a game that has survival, intensity and overall fun packed into it, then S.T.A.L.K.E.R will probably not disappoint you.

A great game that was marred by the years it was stuck in development hell.

[bump-15 · 8/10 · 22 June 2007]

Anyone who follows PC games has probably heard about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. at one time. It was announced way back in November of 2001 and subsequently went through so many delays that it started to look like it would just end up as another overly ambitious vaporware game. But it eventually made its way to store selves.

It wasn't very long after the release that it became very evident that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. had been released just a little too early. It had numerous bugs on ATI and NVIDIA chipsets, it didn't support vista, and the multiplier felt like it was permanently stuck in alpha development. These problems compounded on top of the fact that the tiny patches that CSC released to "fix" some of the in game glitches did nothing to address the games bugs. Whether or not the game actually ran on system using the ATI chipsets which had the most problems, came down to how skilled the individual users were at tweaking the game.

These issues wouldn't be so overwhelming if S.T.A.L.K.E.R. had been running on as state of the art engine. But it wasn't, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. ran on a dated engine known as "X-RAY". Although not terrible looking the X-RAY engine was easily surpassed by other modern engine like the unreal 3. The main reason why this game ended up looking dated was because of the numerous delays it went through. If it had been released back in 2003 than it would have absolutely blown everything else away… but that was four years ago. Instead players are left with a dated engine that contains numerous bugs and glitches that really should have been fixed during its lengthy development.

Despite these problems when it comes to the actually gameplay S.T.A.L.K.E.R. really shines. It combines many elements from RPGs and FPSs from a vast and open world to a some very solid and in-depth combat. Although the AI can be buggy and a little stupid in a handful of situations, most of the time it's very good and on par with games like F.E.A.R. It also contains some very realistic ballistic physics that helps draw the player further into the games world. All of these elements combine to give a very immersive and complete feel to the game.

In the end if you can get past the games initial flaws you'll find a refreshing and engaging experience. Although nothing in this game is revolutionary (all of the features have been in previous games like fallout, system shock, deus ex, graw, and elder scrolls), they have never been combined together quite like they are in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Amazing experience!

[swedzin · 10/10 · 31 August 2011]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl is definitely one of the best FPS/RPG games I have ever played. Now, no need to speak about the plot, you already know it. OK, I suggest that you download or buy this extraordinary game (and the others "Clear Sky" and "Call of Pripyat"), and enjoy it! This game has everything! Excellent: Story, characters, voices, graphics, atmosphere, sound, music... everything! Characters are very faithful, and you feel comfortable with them, as long as they are not your enemies. Voices are Ukrainian mostly, but I found that cool, but when they are talking to you, it's in English, fair enough. Excellent voice acting. Graphics are amazing. Atmosphere... now I don't remember playing the video game with such a realistic atmosphere before. This kind of atmosphere is filled with monotone, yet scary music scores, you can hear it in the main title... it is sad, scary, monotone... you can feel that something bad has happened and you must walk toward the only salvation - THE ZONE! (If you have watched "Stalker" from Tarkovsky, you'll get the point). It's just amazing how this kind of creepy visuals comes together with music and atmosphere... these... these landscapes, a faithful looks of deserted villages, houses, even Pripyat, which I found very fascinating! I am fascinated with Chernobyl, Pripyat and all of that thing that occurred on 26th April 1986. The sound is also very creepy, from unusual anomalies to the creepy mutated animals and other monsters that lurks in the dark. So, this is all you need to know. I recommend that you go, take your weapon, and go explore, kill, trespass, steal, be scavenger, be alone in the dark. This game gives you all of that! Play this... highly recommended!

The best game ever made, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. sets a new standard for future games.

[Spartan_234 · 10/10 · 30 April 2007]

Announced way back in 2002, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. faced numerous delays on its road to finally being released. When you pop the DVD into your computer and start the game up, it isn't hard at all to see why it took so long. It's almost as if Ukrainian developer GSC Game World literally put their blood and sweat into making the game as detailed and realistic as in the real world, while making sure that the game is still fun.

You play as a "stalker", a mercenary that trades for valuable artifacts in the area affected by the radiation of the Chernobyl nuclear accident of 1986 (referred to as "the Zone"). Your goal is to work your way to the Chernobyl power plant and find the secrets that are stored there, and to kill Strelok, your #1 rival in the Zone. "Stalker" stands for "scavengers, tourists, adventurers, loners, killers, explorers, and robbers", the seven rivaling factions of stalkers, and you're one of the "loners". Rival stalkers, as well as mutants and the Ukrainian military, stand in your way of being able to achieve your goal.

Many first-person shooters today, while very fun to play, don't truly give you the sense that you're actually in the game's alternate reality. This is mainly due to things like being able to snipe with chainguns and machineguns, a lack of food and sleep, lackluster character interaction, and following the same linear path every time you play. This is not an issue in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. This is an open-ended game, meaning that it takes place in a large gameworld with lots of things to do and lots of ways to get past situations, rather than a series of linear levels where you do the same things every single time. There are lots of optional missions that you can take from other fellow stalkers, which gives the game a lot of replay value. As mentioned before, there's also many ways to get past situations. Should you engage into combat with your enemies, kill them stealthily, sneak past them, or just take another route? It's all up to you. But since some enemies take a lot of damage, the latter two may be your only options. Since you only take a few shots before dying, and your weapons are inaccurate to start out with, you actually get the feeling that you're in a real firefight. The AI is also superb -- they know just as well as you how to use cover efficiently, which makes battles even more challenging.

Attention to detail is very characteristic of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. You now have to eat food to stay alive and sleep in safe resting spots, which is realistic -- after all, I have to eat and sleep to stay alive in real life. The game alternates between day and night settings, and characters use flashlights when it gets dark. The AI reacts differently to situations depending on different factors like their hunger and whether it's day or night. You can get too exhausted to move if you run for too long, and having too much in your inventory makes you get exhausted quicker. Finally, everything in the game happens in real-time, which makes for a different experience each time you play through the game.

While the game's "X-Ray" graphics engine doesn't really have any new graphical features, it more than makes up for this by having the best detail and lighting that you'll ever see in any game. However, if you want to be able to play with the settings toned all the way up, you'll probably need to have the best PC out there. On my top-of-the-line HP Pavilion, the game ran very slowly unless I toned the graphics down to minimum settings. If you have a fast-enough PC, though, you might have a difficult time distinguishing between the game and reality...

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will become the new obsession of gamers everywhere, and it sets a new standard for future games to follow. My suggestion is to beat every game you haven't finished yet, because S.T.A.L.K.E.R. will make all your other games lose their luster. Really, it's THAT revolutionary! A definite 10 / 10 to this one -- and if IMDb could let me vote for 11 / 10, I'd definitely do so.

Interesting, challenging and visionary

[evan_harvey · 8/10 · 21 November 2010]

Based extensively on the 1979 film "Stalker" (which in turn was based on the story "Roadside Picnic"), GSC's Stalker takes place in the Zone of Alienation surrounding the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. You wake up with no memory, and have to travel deep into the Zone to fulfill a mission - "kill Strelok".

The story is that after a second incident at Chernobyl in 2006, a widespread area of strange anomalys appeared. Weird artifacts, mutants and radiation cover the area. Rumours of a "wish granter" at the centre of the zone abound. As you delve deeper into the Zone's mysteries, the truth will be revealed.

The Zone is split into a number of areas based on real world locations, and as you travel about, you'll venture into each. Pay attention to the various task: although some are just side-missions, there are some important ones that affect the game's ending greatly. This is a major flaw in the game, as if you miss something, you either have to travel a long way back to get it, or you get gipped at the end. I recommend using a walkthrough, as it points out the things you need to get. Some of it is obvious, but some isn't.

There are lots of side missions. You can complete them all, or just stick to the main story. After you complete missions, you receive various rewards such as weapons, money, artifacts etc. You can wear various artifacts on your belt, which enhance your physical abilities, as well as providing protection from radiation, burns, gunfire etc etc

As a game, it runs well. At the time of release, there were numerous bugs, but if you apply all the latest patches, it runs fine. I have an nVidia card, and there were no issues. The AI is pretty good, although it's a little unfair at times: they fire immediately at you as soon as you come around a corner, for example. Overall it's okay, but you might end up replaying a few points, as it sucks when they notice you straight away. Other friendly AI works quite well. A group of friendly AI will actually engage and take out the enemy, rather than waiting about for you, like some games.

The graphics engine is old, but it looks great. Not that it's the best graphics, but it's got a great dirty look to it that works well with the concept of the Zone and the post-Soviet ruins. The weaponry is okay: decent guns, sniper rifles etc. Bullet damage can be severe, but you can stock up on health kits quite easily. You can carry quite a lot of equipment (59.9kg), but this affects the ability to run (shortens it).

The length of the game is great. Just sticking to the main story will take several days worth of playing.

Overall 9 out of 10. Great game. Great concept. Great execution. GSC have made a top rate game here. It's nice to see a game with a well- thought out story.

Could this be the new Half-life?

[ratcat0 · 9/10 · 10 May 2007]

I don't know if I'm just getting old or if it takes something really special to make me want to play a game again but S.T.A.L.K.E.R doesn't. Graphically, yes its quite good especially indoors. For some reason most of the outdoor graphics looked a little dated. Having said that I wont play it again soon doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it, as a matter of fact it was very good. The amount of exploring one can do is amazing! Every area has nooks and crannies everywhere, quite a big world which tells me that this was a very ambitious project but was released a little early. The developers released a patch shortly after its debut because the game had quite a few bugs. I read that ATI users had some major problems. I on the other hand had only a couple of minor crashes which I think I can attribute to my nVidia Graphics. (I've always preferred nVidia over ATI). Restricting the weight of weapons and other items in your inventory keeps you busy dropping superfluous gear and adds to the realism in the game, even the toughest soldier (or Stalker) would find it difficult to carry 50 KGs of stuff around on his back. Next time I play it, I might give the artifacts a bit of a miss except for a couple of anti-rad ones and a good health regenerating item. The learning curve is quite substantial and even on the easiest mode (Novice) I found it hard. The AI was quite impressive. I guess I award most of the points for the sheer length of the game. If you have read any of my other comments you will know what I'm talking about, a lot of games that come out these days are way too short. There were about three extremely hard parts in the game, a couple were timed so you had to get the job done or fail within a matter of a few short minutes and if you didn't have the right gear in the form of Armor or weaponry, you had to backtrack and find your correct arsenal. This was quite appealing to me and allowed me to finish other side objectives whilst upgrading my Personal Defense Apparatus, (PDA). Thers even a nod to Half-life in there somewhere (I didn't find it) with a PDA belonging to a MR Gordon Freeman! Overall I have to say that yes its a great game and to contradict what I said earlier...I'll definitely play it again comradski!!. RATCAT

my favorite game!

[roxydzey · 10/10 · 19 January 2024]

This is a piece of art which introduced me to a video gaming industry when i was just a child 15+- years ago. This was my very first PC video game that i played (miniclip web browser games doesnt count). My cousin showed me this game when i was staying at his place and i cant be thankful enough for him for that. The best experience was the atmosphere of the game - the map designs, the music and soundtracks, the characters voiced over with real russian accents. Later, when i did find out that this game territory was based by real life existing place called chernobyl exclusion zone, and that the developers of this game actually took photos (no google map technologies back in the days) themselves of the whole place - i was amazed and i started to like this game EVEN MORE! And later i checked in the internet and some books about this real place and i was addicted to the real life accident and its story too. I was so addicted to read about it that i think i could be a tour guide now, i know really way too much than i should. And everything started with this game. So i should call it instead a game, but a masterpiece of art and a lifestyle. Cheeki breeki lifestyle (fans will understand it). I could call this game a cult game. Im not the only one like that who get addicted so much by it. Others even starts to live a stalker life in real life, even in the same mentioned exclusion zone too! So actually there are even bigger madmen than I! And this is the only game which took me in so hard and that it does connect between real life and video game universe so much. I was just amazed more and more when i was a child back then. The more i found out, the more i knew - the more amazed i was. Now im really glad that HBO released Chernobyl series in 2019 and im extremely happy that GSC devs are making Stalker 2 and it will soon be released!

Oh and by the way, the story was good in this stalker game, but it could have been even better. Especially in the other sequels, they should have kept more about Strelok fella. And it seems Stalker 2 wont have him as a main character again, but im just hoping that the story will be good and somehow connected to this first game, cmon even the title is similar (Heart of Chornobyl). And its strange that they used the russian version Chernobyl for the first game but now they obviously chose to go for an ukrainian one Chornobyl which is an original native name of the place.

I just wish that it will be posible for me to visit the real place one day. Always wanted, but never SADLY did :( At least i can visit the place virtually in Stalker games, which haves so many identical places in the game with a real life ones.