Thinking of getting this game.

[Chromesthesia]

I have been thinking of getting this game, and i have a few questions about it.
1. Is it free roam?
2. My Laptop plays Just Cause 2 with little jump, so will i be able to play it?
3. Should i get the previous ones?
3.5 If i get the previous, will they do question 1 and 2.
If the STALKER community can help me out here, that be helpful.

[mjcsniper]

Ill try and help,


1. Its split into 3 map areas. Each is perhaps a mile or 2 in dimensions but with fairly varied landmarks and quests in them with an option to go between them. To be honest it still has a feel of open world play.

2. Dont know its not the most optimised game, a mid range setup nowerdays should run it fine, but your better off googleing that with your specific specs. Id recommend being able to run the higher lighting settings as it complements the games atmosphere.

3. The previous ones are patched (mostly) now and are a lot of fun but this is the most polished of the 3 (ive not had a single CTD). You will probably want to go for some of the mods for the first and possibly the second game to bring it more in line with this one.

3.5 The other games have more smaller connected maps and I imagine if you can run this game the others wont be much different with regards to systems requirements.


Id recommend this game and then perhaps getting the previous titles if you enjoy its 'flavour'.

[Chromesthesia]

Alright, thank you very much.

[mudwater126]

I think it's worth it.

1. The maps are divided but it does have a pretty open feel as mjcsniper stated. It gets pretty creepy at night, that's also when the majority of the mutants come out. Don't go in expecting a map like Fallout or Elder Scrolls, you'll be disappointed. There's loot to be had too, similar to Fallout or ES in that it's static and not haphazardly dropped like in Diablo or Borderlands.

2. Yeah, you're system should be able to run it, it was released back in 2008 so if you've got a video card from around 2008 you should be fine. Aside from that, it's not a very resource demanding game so I'm sure you're system can handle it. Just look at the requirements and compare those to your machines to get a better idea.

3. If you want the full STALKER experience then go ahead and get the previous games. It's not necessary they aren't very connected if at all. The previous STALKERs will help give you an idea what the other areas of The Zone are like, but I think the inner most area (which is featured in CoP) is the most interesting and fun to play in.

[RxCzV]

1. The maps are of descent size and all connected. Night time is creepy and you'll probably die if you hang around out there.

2. To max out the game there might be minor lag, if you get mods you WILL get lag, since the graphics usually get overhauled.

3. Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat are good starters. Clear sky was kind of average.

[Chromesthesia]

Thanks you two, i sort of get the weapons avalible in game as i had downloaded a Fallout New Vegas mod which had the weapons ported over.
Overall i am considering of getting it, i just want to know which one is the best in your opinions.
And is your character customizable? (Clothing/armor)

[=7Cav=SPC.Lemon.D]

Call of Pripyat is widely considered to be the peak of the series, mainly because its the best optimised and most modern. Yes your character is customisable, and the armour itself has upgrade paths, but you will only see the outfits you wear in cutscenes. They act more like skins however (i.e. not like New Vegas were clothing goes over your loving created character creator face) , so find a character with the same armour as you and that's how you'll look.

On a quick personal note: atmosphere is everything in this game, and I think why it has gathered such a following. The inventory system is different to NV, and there is less 'stuff' - it's like hardcore mode in that survival is part of the game.

[mudwater126]

Customizable in some ways, yes. I'd say similar to Fallout 3/New Vegas, but with fewer options. You'll find you wear gear because of it's functionality and not for aesthetics or or roleplaying.

Better gear means the differince between life and death sometimes, especially later in the game. And the night vision is a must once you have it.

Odds are you will like the game, it's a good one if you don't care about visuals or mind slightly older game mechanics. And the dialogue is mostly text, some is spoken but not like Fallout. But if you don't care about any of that, than give it a go. It's a great middle-ware game not too indy and not AAA. Just right in the middle, I found few games in its genre can offer a similar experience.

[Chromesthesia]

Thanks you two.

[kaay]

1. All the three games in the Stalker series are free roaming, free to do whatever you want sandbox games that seem to be different everytime you play. No other FPS game offers so much freedom of exploration and action.

2. Shadow of Chernobyl (first one in series) will work well on medium PCs but CoP and especially the graphic jewel that is Clear Sky will need high end PC to be run at their full potential. On a laptop? i doubt it, unless its an expensive one with a good videocard.

3.5 All games in Stalker series are hard and unforgiving for new players. If you get into them, you will love them forever, but if you dont get into them, you will probably hate them forever, so i cannot tell you should buy or not buy them.
They are superb games, a milestone in videogame design, but they are not for everyone.

[Chromesthesia]

Thanks kaay

[GR:) 33397]

1. Mostly yes. The game locations are divide between a couple big maps, where free roam is everything.
2. Yes, and I think maybe at even high settings.
3. I REALLY recommend getting the previous ones, however if you wouldn't like this one, I'd say buy Shadow of Chernobyl, try it, and if you still don't like it, sorry, this might not be for you.
4.Yes and yes. SoC and CS (Clear Sky) are longer, but have their bugs. I'd say if you like the idea of the game, get all of them, really worth it.

[Chromesthesia]

I heard of a mod which allows you to free roam when you have completed the game, would you recommend that?

[GR:) 33397]

In Call of Pripyat, free roam/ freeplay is built into the vanilla game, and turns on after you complete the main story line. For SoC and CS there are multiple number of mods that enhance the game in many ways (including freeplay/free roam).

[Munx*]

1. Its a free-roam game with 3 big areas.
2. My Laptop cant even run JC2 and I'm running this game on medium with the "complete mod" (which increses the hardware demand. Also, get this mod. It adds alot of polish). The minimum requirement for this game is hardware from 2003.
3. If you like like this one, yes. They both are a little bit less open world (they have smaller areas, but more of them) and are more story-driven.
3.5 Requirements for all 3 games are pretty much the same.

[Tusken GA]

My review[guardianangel42.wordpress.com] for Call of Pripyat.

I played most of Shadow of Chernobyl (lost my save and too chicken to get it back) and all of Call of Pripyat multiple times.

As a game, Call of Pripyat does a better job. Because your character progression in this pseudo RPG is based entirely on your loot (as in no character traits, perks, or whathaveyou in Fallout) it is imperative that there is a feeling of progression from start to finish.

For me in Shadow of Chernobyl, which by far had the creepier atmosphere, I reached a point halfway through the game where I basically had everything I needed and that character progression broke down.

In Call of Pripyat that never happened, for reasons I detail in my review.

So while Call of Pripyat isn't as creepy or scary as Shadow of Chernobyl, it is the better game all around. That's not even factoring in the lack of bugs and such.