I suppose it’s a blessing of sorts to not have money for new AAA games in December, for one thing it makes you take a cold hard look at your backlog. As much as I wanted to jump into Heart of Chornobyl at launch, despite its issues, I remembered that I never even tried Call of Pripyat. I bought it 12 and a half years ago. Why do we do this to ourselves? The modding community has done wonderful things to all three games in that time and yet, it’s always the new thing that gets our attention. I wanted to do better and I started with Shadow of Chernobyl. This was my second time playing it and of course I loved it, it’s still as good as I remembered. I installed Artistpavel’s recent Modern Update of the Complete mod released November 15, the timing of this release couldn’t have been more perfect. I was ready to enter the Zone.

I quickly remembered that a game with an inventory weight limit is not suitable for the hoarder lifestyle. I’m not a hoarder in real life, but something about video games brings out some sort of a trauma response, that if I don’t collect and sell everything, I will be broke by the time I get to the power plant. And the goal is what exactly, to open a diner for the weary traveler making their way to the Wish Granter? Looting everything you come across is just an insane response to a game’s economy and I’ve fallen for it every time. In this semi-comatose state we’re willing to haul a truckload of weapons on our backs to the nearest trader with unlimited funds and somehow convince ourselves that this is meant to be fun. Making money in the Zone is easy as pie, as long as you survive the journey. Mutant bits and artifacts should not be sold until Yantar and if you make several return trips there, you’ll be able to buy the armor and weapons you want. But you can also get a lot of that stuff by just exploring some life-threatening areas.

Everyone who isn’t shooting you is effectively a trader, most having enough funds to buy the trash you’ve managed to pick up. They don’t have any choice in the matter, they seem to want whatever you got and you have the final say. You can pick up the trash around an NPC and then sell it to said NPC. By revisiting open areas of commerce you will eventually find dead bodies with the 20 pistols you sold them. It’s a nice reminder that we take no riches with us when we die. I’m trying to impart some wisdom here, the game does not have vehicles or fast travel, the vanilla or Complete version, anyway. When you commit to finishing the final stretch of the game, you should only have useful things with you, not half a million with nothing to spend it on. The game also has many endings, so what is your goal as you reach the center of the Zone?

The object of mystery, the location itself, provides a rich soil for drama and suspense. We’re always captivated by places we’re not allowed to reach, like Area 51. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a dark tourist attraction to this day and I bet most fans of this series would love to visit it in real life as well. From 1986 to 2065, when cleanup is scheduled to complete, it’ll continue to inspire people around the world. This is why the Wish Granter is a particularly clever addition to the story. I’ve only ever played the vanilla and Complete mod versions of it, so future playthroughs are opportunities for more intense survival horror as well as experience a lot of cut content restored in other mods. The devs are working on bringing the Legends of the Zone Trilogy updates to PC as well, which will include achievements. Both Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat were recently included in GOG’s Preservation Program, so the series will remain in our hearts for years to come.

I suppose it’s a blessing of sorts to not have money for new AAA games in December, for one thing it makes you take a cold hard look at your backlog. As much as I wanted to jump into Heart of Chornobyl at launch, despite its issues, I remembered that I never even tried Call of Pripyat. I bought it 12 and a half years ago. Why do we do this to ourselves? The modding community has done wonderful things to all three games in that time and yet, it’s always the new thing that gets our attention. I wanted to do better and I started with Shadow of Chernobyl. This was my second time playing it and of course I loved it, it’s still as good as I remembered. I installed Artistpavel’s recent Modern Update of the Complete mod released November 15, the timing of this release couldn’t have been more perfect. I was ready to enter the Zone. I quickly remembered that a game with an inventory weight limit is not suitable for the hoarder lifestyle. I’m not a hoarder in real life, but something about video games brings out some sort of a trauma response, that if I don’t collect and sell everything, I will be broke by the time I get to the power plant. And the goal is what exactly, to open a diner for the weary traveler making their way to the Wish Granter? Looting everything you come across is just an insane response to a game’s economy and I’ve fallen for it every time. In this semi-comatose state we’re willing to haul a truckload of weapons on our backs to the nearest trader with unlimited funds and somehow convince ourselves that this is meant to be fun. Making money in the Zone is easy as pie, as long as you survive the journey. Mutant bits and artifacts should not be sold until Yantar and if you make several return trips there, you’ll be able to buy the armor and weapons you want. But you can also get a lot of that stuff by just exploring some life-threatening areas. Everyone who isn’t shooting you is effectively a trader, most having enough funds to buy the trash you’ve managed to pick up. They don’t have any choice in the matter, they seem to want whatever you got and you have the final say. You can pick up the trash around an NPC and then sell it to said NPC. By revisiting open areas of commerce you will eventually find dead bodies with the 20 pistols you sold them. It’s a nice reminder that we take no riches with us when we die. I’m trying to impart some wisdom here, the game does not have vehicles or fast travel, the vanilla or Complete version, anyway. When you commit to finishing the final stretch of the game, you should only have useful things with you, not half a million with nothing to spend it on. The game also has many endings, so what is your goal as you reach the center of the Zone? The object of mystery, the location itself, provides a rich soil for drama and suspense. We’re always captivated by places we’re not allowed to reach, like Area 51. The Chernobyl Exclusion Zone is a dark tourist attraction to this day and I bet most fans of this series would love to visit it in real life as well. From 1986 to 2065, when cleanup is scheduled to complete, it’ll continue to inspire people around the world. This is why the Wish Granter is a particularly clever addition to the story. I’ve only ever played the vanilla and Complete mod versions of it, so future playthroughs are opportunities for more intense survival horror as well as experience a lot of cut content restored in other mods. The devs are working on bringing the Legends of the Zone Trilogy updates to PC as well, which will include achievements. Both Shadow of Chernobyl and Call of Pripyat were recently included in GOG’s Preservation Program, so the series will remain in our hearts for years to come.