Out of the 3 Stalker games this one is by far the most controversial. Clear sky was a much more ambitious game than the other 3. People complain that the game has a lot of bugs, a ridiculous plot, stupid mechanics, an unfairly difficult ending, but I think that Clear Sky is the most stalker filled.

You play as the mercenary Scar. The game begins in the swamps acting as a tutorial to the game, especially on the turf war aspect ( which I will mention again later ). Scar sets out to find Strelok and stop him before his recklessness of figuring out the zone's inner workings kills everyone. You constantly tail Strelok as best as you can, whilst you help out various factions to give you more information or needed tools to progress the story.

The game itself is most likely the hardest out of the 3 Stalker games. The swamp tutorial is a very good addition to the game. It teaches the importance of exploring, looking for stashes ( even sometimes out of bounds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PufgHrmh3k ,
stockpiling your loot and artifact hunting.
This is the only Stalker game to have a VERY harsh bleeding system which only applies to the main character and no one else, I think it was added to make the player always at a disadvantage IF he doesn't use any artifacts to his disposal. That theory kind of makes sense since in this Stalker game the artifacts are VERY useful and require you to go out of your way, onto the unbeaten path to actually find some. This is the only Stalker game which doesn't feel barren to me, you will almost always get rightfully rewarded for exploring areas which no mission even pointed you to do so.
There are a lot of different viable build choices other than just SEVA or the really hard to get Exoskeleton. Through the upgrade system you can decide what kind of armor you are really in need of ( More artifact slots, more bullet protection, more mutant protection ect. ). Each faction specializes in some sort of weaponry, each mechanic will give you different tips about upgrading your hard earned stuff and give you their own special upgrades that the other factions can't offer you. Being a politician and having a good stance with every faction should be your main goal, since you can get use out of every single mechanic in the game.
Every factions trader is unique. You will get different prices on different items at different places ( also factions attitude towards you ), almost like there is an actual supply and demand economy unlike the the past other games.
You get to participate in the turf war now. You ( the player ) are allowed to pick your favorite faction and officially join them, earning yourself an insignia which will not only give you plenty of adventures, but also comrades till death. You and your allies fight opposing factions, claim new grounds in an attempt to crush your enemies.

Sadly, the ending is quite bizzare. The game never warns you about your last chance to ressuply before all hell breaks lose in Limansk. You will fight a ton of well geared and armed crazed fighters - The Monolith. Your mission to to kill Strelok in the midst of all the chaos around you while Clear Sky fighters take their lives to buy you more time. You will always be surrounded, shot at, your armor will be in scraps, your guns will keep jamming from all the damage they have sustained, your medkits will be in single digits. The choreography of the fight on roof tops is beyond difficult, enemies teleport all around you scoring perfect headshots, you are never under proper cover. Even after all of that badass unfair fighting, you will be bested. Strelok reaches his position to the power plant and dooms everyone in the surrounding area. Everything was for nothing, all of your hard work, all of those sacrifices were for nothing. You lose... Maybe this is yet another lesson from the Zone. Not everything is possible, even with the best of intentions and willpower.

Overall, Stalker Clear Sky offers the most content and the most replayability out of the other 3 games. The one Stalker game which wants you to go out into the abyss, collect rare artifacts, find rich stashes, win against all odds and become an ultimate stalker. The only Stalker game to give you so much free will as a bound character. This is exactly why I think that even though S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky looks like a failed game, it's actually an unfinished masterpiece.

Out of the 3 Stalker games this one is by far the most controversial. Clear sky was a much more ambitious game than the other 3. People complain that the game has a lot of bugs, a ridiculous plot, stupid mechanics, an unfairly difficult ending, but I think that Clear Sky is the most stalker filled. You play as the mercenary [b] Scar[/b]. The game begins in the swamps acting as a tutorial to the game, especially on the turf war aspect ( which I will mention again later ). Scar sets out to find Strelok and stop him before his recklessness of figuring out the zone's inner workings kills everyone. You constantly tail Strelok as best as you can, whilst you help out various factions to give you more information or needed tools to progress the story. The game itself is most likely the hardest out of the 3 Stalker games. The swamp tutorial is a very good addition to the game. It teaches the importance of exploring, looking for stashes ( even sometimes out of bounds) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PufgHrmh3k , stockpiling your loot and artifact hunting. This is the only Stalker game to have a VERY harsh bleeding system which only applies to the main character and no one else, I think it was added to make the player always at a disadvantage IF he doesn't use any artifacts to his disposal. That theory kind of makes sense since in this Stalker game the artifacts are VERY useful and require you to go out of your way, onto the unbeaten path to actually find some. This is the only Stalker game which doesn't feel barren to me, you will almost always get rightfully rewarded for exploring areas which no mission even pointed you to do so. There are a lot of different viable build choices other than just SEVA or the really hard to get Exoskeleton. Through the upgrade system you can decide what kind of armor you are really in need of ( More artifact slots, more bullet protection, more mutant protection ect. ). Each faction specializes in some sort of weaponry, each mechanic will give you different tips about upgrading your hard earned stuff and give you their own special upgrades that the other factions can't offer you. Being a politician and having a good stance with every faction should be your main goal, since you can get use out of every single mechanic in the game. Every factions trader is unique. You will get different prices on different items at different places ( also factions attitude towards you ), almost like there is an actual supply and demand economy unlike the the past other games. You get to participate in the turf war now. You ( the player ) are allowed to pick your favorite faction and officially join them, earning yourself an insignia which will not only give you plenty of adventures, but also comrades till death. You and your allies fight opposing factions, claim new grounds in an attempt to crush your enemies. [spoiler] Sadly, the ending is quite bizzare. The game never warns you about your last chance to ressuply before all hell breaks lose in Limansk. You will fight a ton of well geared and armed crazed fighters - The Monolith. Your mission to to kill Strelok in the midst of all the chaos around you while Clear Sky fighters take their lives to buy you more time. You will always be surrounded, shot at, your armor will be in scraps, your guns will keep jamming from all the damage they have sustained, your medkits will be in single digits. The choreography of the fight on roof tops is beyond difficult, enemies teleport all around you scoring perfect headshots, you are never under proper cover. Even after all of that badass unfair fighting, you will be bested. Strelok reaches his position to the power plant and dooms everyone in the surrounding area. Everything was for nothing, all of your hard work, all of those sacrifices were for nothing. You lose... Maybe this is yet another lesson from the Zone. Not everything is possible, even with the best of intentions and willpower. [/spoiler] Overall, Stalker Clear Sky offers the most content and the most replayability out of the other 3 games. The one Stalker game which wants you to go out into the abyss, collect rare artifacts, find rich stashes, win against all odds and become an ultimate stalker. The only Stalker game to give you so much free will as a bound character. This is exactly why I think that even though S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky looks like a failed game, it's actually an unfinished masterpiece.