S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Plebs of Pripyat

[Rich]

It’s a bit frustrating to see so many people coming from GAMMA or similar mods, claiming that the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games aren’t worth anyone’s time—especially when they’ve never even played them. If you’re one of those people, expecting S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to be just another open-world survival game, you’re in for a real shock. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was never about that.

As a long-time fan of the series, I can tell you that the originals are defined by their unique atmosphere, storytelling, and tension, and these elements go far beyond the open-world survival mechanics that mods like GAMMA and Anomaly focus on. While mods can be a lot of fun, they often shift the experience into something repetitive and sandbox-like, losing what made S.T.A.L.K.E.R. unforgettable in the first place. The originals offer something that mods alone can’t replicate—the gritty, haunting journey through a world filled with mystery and danger.

For me, mods like Assembly by Sam do a much better job of enhancing that original experience without taking away from its rawness and atmosphere. They preserve the intensity and grit of the base games, adding just the right touch of polish.

At the end of the day, I respect that everyone has their own opinion, but if you truly want to understand what S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is all about, go back and play the originals. They aren’t just games—they’re experiences that deserve to be appreciated as they were meant to be played.

[LunarGatta]

I played the original Stalker games, albeit they were on physical disks that have been gone for years and I never rebought them on steam so you won't see them in my list.

The games themselves are perfectly fine without GAMMA or Anomaly or any other modpack.

If anything, I find a lot of the mechanics GAMMA adds to be tedious and annoying while adding nothing of value to the game. They are just tedious for the sake of being tedious.

I am glad the developers are not following the path gamma took, because that would have significantly reduced the amount of people that cared about Stalker 2.

When I was young, I was more than satisfied with the original stalker games without any mods, I expect Stalker 2 to do the same.

Mind you, I'm fully expecting bugs and whatnot, they almost always exist on release. That said, I can forgive just about anything that isn't utterly game breaking.

[[GRVTS]Fat Bastard]

I played Shadow of Chernobyl with the complete mod years and years ago. It was fun, but I wouldn't wanna do it again.

Edit: I also own CoP, but I haven't played through it fully. I just get kinda bored in the swamp.

[Rich]

I completely agree—nothing really beats the originals. Moments like the tension of turning off the Brain Scorcher for the first time or battling through the tunnels to Pripyat are experiences that just stick with you. The original games had this perfect balance of atmosphere, story, and gameplay without needing the extra layers that GAMMA or Anomaly add, which often end up feeling tedious, like you said.

I’m also glad the developers are sticking to the original formula for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Trying to cater too much to the survival sandbox approach could have lost what makes S.T.A.L.K.E.R. so memorable and unique in the first place. Bugs and all, I’m looking forward to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 capturing that same magic the originals did! :)

[ThisIsFrostiK]

Originally posted by Rich:

It’s a bit frustrating to see so many people coming from GAMMA or similar mods, claiming that the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games aren’t worth anyone’s time—especially when they’ve never even played them. If you’re one of those people, expecting S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 to be just another open-world survival game, you’re in for a real shock. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. was never about that.

As a long-time fan of the series, I can tell you that the originals are defined by their unique atmosphere, storytelling, and tension, and these elements go far beyond the open-world survival mechanics that mods like GAMMA and Anomaly focus on. While mods can be a lot of fun, they often shift the experience into something repetitive and sandbox-like, losing what made S.T.A.L.K.E.R. unforgettable in the first place. The originals offer something that mods alone can’t replicate—the gritty, haunting journey through a world filled with mystery and danger.

For me, mods like Assembly by Sam do a much better job of enhancing that original experience without taking away from its rawness and atmosphere. They preserve the intensity and grit of the base games, adding just the right touch of polish.

At the end of the day, I respect that everyone has their own opinion, but if you truly want to understand what S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is all about, go back and play the originals. They aren’t just games—they’re experiences that deserve to be appreciated as they were meant to be played.

This is why i prefer playing SOC with Radiophobia 3 mod. You get all the better textures and weather effects and lighting. Better weapons and models, but still get the vanilla storyline :3

[RabbitBreeder]

This is the "boomer yelling into the void" take and it's not "wrong" but it is sort of tone deaf.

This is the same as "souls fans" claiming that "You have to play the Dark Souls games to TRULY understand the games" instead of just playing Elden Ring. As a MASSIVE Elden Ring fan and playing through the Dark Souls games cause my friend says I HAVE to cause I'm such a fan of ER. The Dark Souls games were AMAZING.....for their time. But in 2024? They don't hold a candle to ER.

I expect this game to be the same. People will play Stalker 2 as their first Stalker game and they will make their experience just like everyone did way back when the first Stalker games came out.

[Rich]

Originally posted by GRVTSFat Bastard:

I played Shadow of Chernobyl with the complete mod years and years ago. It was fun, but I wouldn't wanna do it again.

Edit: I also own CoP, but I haven't played through it fully. I just get kinda bored in the swamp.

Ahh COP was a bit slow starting off but when you get a bit further in its honestly hard to put down. The story gets more linear after the swap sections. I highly recommend giving it another shot. It has some of the most memorable experiences in gaming iv had.

[Lathanx]

I don't like gamma because it's tedious.

I think the originals are put on a pedestal and incredibly overrated. We are not the same.

[RabbitBreeder]

Originally posted by Lathanx:

I don't like gamma because it's tedious.

I think the originals are put on a pedestal and incredibly overrated. We are not the same.

Based Take.

[Rich]

Originally posted by RabbitBreeder:

This is the "boomer yelling into the void" take and it's not "wrong" but it is sort of tone deaf.

This is the same as "souls fans" claiming that "You have to play the Dark Souls games to TRULY understand the games" instead of just playing Elden Ring. As a MASSIVE Elden Ring fan and playing through the Dark Souls games cause my friend says I HAVE to cause I'm such a fan of ER. The Dark Souls games were AMAZING.....for their time. But in 2024? They don't hold a candle to ER.

I expect this game to be the same. People will play Stalker 2 as their first Stalker game and they will make their experience just like everyone did way back when the first Stalker games came out.

I get what you’re saying, and I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a “you have to play the originals” argument. My point was more about highlighting that the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. originals and GAMMA are quite different, and players coming from the mods might have a skewed impression of what the original series was like.

Don't get me wrong—I still play the mods from time to time, and they’re a great experience in their own right. But the mods add layers that are entirely different from the tone and gameplay of the original games. GAMMA and similar mods lean heavily into survival sandbox elements, while the core S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience was more about the atmosphere and story-driven tension. So I’m glad S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 seems to be going back to that original feel, allowing new players to experience it for what it is.

[Lathanx]

Originally posted by RabbitBreeder:

Originally posted by Lathanx:

I don't like gamma because it's tedious.

I think the originals are put on a pedestal and incredibly overrated. We are not the same.

Based Take.

They were good for their time, but trying to play them now is a bit... how do i say this without coming across as condescending... half-baked?

Like, the sidequests in COP are barely side quests, you have virtually zero player agency, the over-world feels sterile compared to SOC.

Even the main story is... laughable at best. You can boil it down to "The military doesn't know anomalies move after emissions". Seriously?

Also the bad voice acting, OH MY GOD the voice acting "SPILL DA BEANS". Ugh.

[Rich]

Originally posted by Lathanx:

I don't like gamma because it's tedious.

I think the originals are put on a pedestal and incredibly overrated. We are not the same.

I don’t think the originals are overrated at all. Sure, they’re a bit outdated by today’s standards, but they were honestly ahead of their time and still hold up in a lot of ways. For me, nothing else has ever captivated me quite like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has. The atmosphere, the tension, the unique setting—it’s something that few games have been able to replicate, even with all the advancements in gaming since then.

[RabbitBreeder]

Originally posted by Rich:

Originally posted by RabbitBreeder:

This is the "boomer yelling into the void" take and it's not "wrong" but it is sort of tone deaf.

This is the same as "souls fans" claiming that "You have to play the Dark Souls games to TRULY understand the games" instead of just playing Elden Ring. As a MASSIVE Elden Ring fan and playing through the Dark Souls games cause my friend says I HAVE to cause I'm such a fan of ER. The Dark Souls games were AMAZING.....for their time. But in 2024? They don't hold a candle to ER.

I expect this game to be the same. People will play Stalker 2 as their first Stalker game and they will make their experience just like everyone did way back when the first Stalker games came out.

I get what you’re saying, and I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a “you have to play the originals” argument. My point was more about highlighting that the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. originals and GAMMA are quite different, and players coming from the mods might have a skewed impression of what the original series was like.

Don't get me wrong—I still play the mods from time to time, and they’re a great experience in their own right. But the mods add layers that are entirely different from the tone and gameplay of the original games. GAMMA and similar mods lean heavily into survival sandbox elements, while the core S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience was more about the atmosphere and story-driven tension. So I’m glad S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 seems to be going back to that original feel, allowing new players to experience it for what it is.

Tbh, I never even played the mods so I "missed out" on that experience altogether. Which I am ok with haha. I'm excited to see what the "vanilla" Stalker 2 is like. If it's everything that the original were, mixed with some polish, I'll be happier than a clam.

[Rich]

Originally posted by RabbitBreeder:

Originally posted by Rich:

I get what you’re saying, and I wouldn’t go as far as calling it a “you have to play the originals” argument. My point was more about highlighting that the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. originals and GAMMA are quite different, and players coming from the mods might have a skewed impression of what the original series was like.

Don't get me wrong—I still play the mods from time to time, and they’re a great experience in their own right. But the mods add layers that are entirely different from the tone and gameplay of the original games. GAMMA and similar mods lean heavily into survival sandbox elements, while the core S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience was more about the atmosphere and story-driven tension. So I’m glad S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 seems to be going back to that original feel, allowing new players to experience it for what it is.

Tbh, I never even played the mods so I "missed out" on that experience altogether. Which I am ok with haha. I'm excited to see what the "vanilla" Stalker 2 is like. If it's everything that the original were, mixed with some polish, I'll be happier than a clam.

Tbf. You haven't missed much. But yeah, same here! Let’s hope it runs well and lives up to our expectations. From what I’ve seen so far, it looks like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is going to make a lot of people smile—myself included! 😊

[Rich]

Originally posted by RabbitBreeder:

This is the "boomer yelling into the void" take and it's not "wrong" but it is sort of tone deaf.

This is the same as "souls fans" claiming that "You have to play the Dark Souls games to TRULY understand the games" instead of just playing Elden Ring. As a MASSIVE Elden Ring fan and playing through the Dark Souls games cause my friend says I HAVE to cause I'm such a fan of ER. The Dark Souls games were AMAZING.....for their time. But in 2024? They don't hold a candle to ER.

I expect this game to be the same. People will play Stalker 2 as their first Stalker game and they will make their experience just like everyone did way back when the first Stalker games came out.

You make a good point here that I skipped over, and it’s great that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will bring in a bunch of fresh faces to the series.

Elden Ring was actually my first Souls-like too! After beating it, I went back and played through all the Dark Souls games. I ended up really loving them (the first two were my favorites, Elden Ring second, and honestly DS3 didn’t quite hit the same way for me).

I guess the same will probably happen here—I'm sure a lot of people will go back to check out the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games at some point if they haven’t already.

[RabbitBreeder]

My biggest issues with the old games was "I point my sights at this guy, the bullet goes nowhere near where I am aiming" lmfao.