Rating: ★★★★ - Great
Time Played: 13 hours
Difficulty: Stalker

Gameplay:
- Immersive gritty hardcore open-world FPS RPG set in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone.
- Survival mechanics including hunger, radiation, and stamina management.
- Dynamic systems in place that makes the world feel alive with NPCs and creatures acting independently.
- Various factions with unique relationships and conflicts that the player can influence.
- Inventory and looting system encourage careful planning and resource management.
- Gunplay is wildly in-accurate for run and gun and depends on corner leaning, burst fire, crouching and range management.

Story\Dialogue:
- Intriguing plot centered around a mysterious Zone filled with dangerous anomalies, mutants, and valuable artifacts.
- Player takes on the role of the "Marked One," uncovering their own past while navigating the Zone's mysteries.
- Multiple endings based on player choices and actions, enhancing replayability.
- Engaging side quests and lore that deepen the sense of immersion.
- Dialogue is well-written but sparse, often delivered through text rather than voice acting, which may feel dated to some players.
- The game has English voice acting for main missions and key moments. For everything else, the voices are in Russian. There are sadly no subtitles for the Russian voice acting.


Graphics:
- Atmospheric graphics with a gritty, realistic art style for the time.
- Impressive use of lighting and weather effects, including dynamic day-night cycles and atmospheric conditions.
- Character models and textures show their age, with most animations appearing stiff and less detailed compared to modern standards.
- Environmental design excels in creating a sense of place and unease, with detailed, decaying structures and eerie landscapes.

Before you Play:
- The best difficulty for your first playthrough is 'Stalker'.
- Be prepared for a steep learning curve, especially with the survival mechanics and combat difficulty.
- Make sure to look through and rebind hotkeys to what you find more suitable; specifically sprinting, crouching and weapon\item shortcuts.
- Quicksave often using F6. Regular save before and after key missions to protect your progress from quicksave corruption.
- Take time to explore and understand the Zone's dangers, as rushing can lead to frequent deaths and frustration.
- Familiarize yourself with the map and faction territories to avoid unexpected conflicts and better plan your routes.
- Patience is key; the game rewards careful exploration and strategic thinking over run-and-gun tactics.
- The Geiger counter and anomaly beeping is to be listened to in precaution to not die quickly\slowly.
- If on the fence about whether or not the game is right for you due to the game feeling slow and difficult, finishing the main mission 'Find Strelok's group's stash' in the Agroprom Underground is a great point to confirm.
- If interested in following the main story, do the optional but most pivotal quest 'Meet with Guide'.

Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl has arguably one of the most engrossing game environments ever, but it is annoyingly railroaded by tight fencing-in. Also, the constantly respawning enemies are annoying and take away the feeling of free exploration. Luckily, the great end-of-the-world atmosphere keeps the player interested till the very end.

Get out of here, Stalker.