Which of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games is best for a first time player?

[Herr Heinz]

I want to play the game since I am interested in Slavic culture and history. Which one is best for someone who has never played any of the games in the series before?

[Night]

I haven't actually played any of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games either, so I'm not sure if I should be the one to make a decision, but I think it might be best to start with the first game and then the rest of them, It makes more sense to play them in the correct order.

But according to a reddit post that I found when I googled it
(https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/comments/3qvggv/what_order_should_i_play_the_games_in/)

"Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, Call of Pripyat, Shadow of Chernobyl, Clear Sky, and then finally Call of Pripyat."

[Jack]

The cleanest most enjoyable straight out of the box is call of pripyat. The best of the series is a toss up with that and the first game. I'd start with call of pripyat and then when your hooked check out some mods.

[LHGreen]

STALKER 27, The Stalkering! Definitely gotta start with that one, it's the origin story!

[Jonathan Sensei]

As someone who's played all the games and beat them dozens of times with and without mods, I can say with certainty that it's not going to teach you much about Slavic culture and history.

That said, the best game for newcomers is the first game. The next one you should play is Clear Sky, then Call of Pripyat last. Clear Sky is the prequel story to the first game, and CoP is the sequel and ending to the story of the first game.

[TWPanda77]

Originally posted by Jack:

The cleanest most enjoyable straight out of the box is call of pripyat. The best of the series is a toss up with that and the first game. I'd start with call of pripyat and then when your hooked check out some mods.

Definitely Call of Pripyat :) it best game in franchise by far. Not to say others not great but start with Pripyat :)

[37]

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl have the best experience and is the first game, if you get stuck at the ending of the game and want to open the door, search for the gauss rifle glitch/bug to unlock the real ending.

[WhispersOfTheWind]

Thinking ultimately something like Pripyat first, in short to play them backward because Pripyat isn't that long and has the most flushed out experience I think where it's the smoothest, and it isn't that huge of a world to explore where in the first part so Shadow of Chernobyl you are traversing the terrain for long time and often nothing happens in the huge levels in between whilst travelling but Pripyat in this regard feels better, snappier.

Also IMHO Clear Sky is like Shadow of Chernobyl (level wise, openness) but feels more refined again in this sense that it's more detailed and worked out than the 1st part of the triology. (this is most noticeable in Faction wars)

The first part feels more like a 'tech-demo' of sorts compared to the rest of the games serving the purpose to introduce us with the world and the mechanics and I think you should start with 3 as a new player, you'll see when you get to 1 you will have little need to play the game completely but may you finish it, I have a nice mod for you that incorporates all 3 games into one, but only has no story since that was illegal to incorporate but if you become a fan of the scenery and atmosphere of stalker, this mod would really add to this feeling.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Chernobyl mod - Mod DB
https://www.moddb.com/mods/call-of-chernobyl

Originally posted by Plot Twister:

to unlock the real ending.

You mean the good ending right?

[Walach]

Check out the mod "Stalker Anomaly".
You might learn why it's the best when checking it out! :D

[life is a simulation]

id say try the 3rd game stalker Call of pripyat as the game is more balanced and it gives u the freedom to do whatver u want at the start of the game

[Von-Reaper]

Shadow of chernoybol ,then Clear skies, Then Call of prypat

[Samwise]

I wouldnt drop a money on the first game. It has lots of glitches, which the company never felt like fixing, and just moved on making more games for the series to neglect as well.

Only game i would suggest is the Pripyat

[RAMMSTEIN]

shadow of chernobyl was awesome.

[chesse]

Originally posted by RAMMSTEIN:

shadow of chernobyl was awesome.

[𝓡𝓮𝓽𝓻𝓸𝓒𝓪𝓽]

Speaking of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series, part 2 is in production now. My only gripe about the series is that they're old, a bit clunky, and don't play well with new PC parts and Windows 10. I finished the series with many crashes.

[WhispersOfTheWind]

Originally posted by Von-Reaper:

Shadow of chernoybol ,then Clear skies, Then Call of prypat

The Wish Granter had Enlightened me that it's a free choice to do as you will, basically.

I like often starting off from 3.

btw funny and cool that this tread is in OT'.