Stalker: Clear Sky

[OverCoat]

I just finished this game. Whatcha'll think of it?

I thought it was a very exciting and challenging game, though the fact that the NPCs didn't speak 100% russian was kind of disappointing. I heard far too many "pineapple" puns. Maybe I'll go through again with a mod.

Also, I felt like the endgame was too long !. I wanted to go back and do the whole "faction wars" thing but the game would not let me :[

Clear Sky had the same gameplay as SoC [lol], though IMO, while it had some moments, it lacked the creepy atmosphere of the first game. I liked revisiting the old locations though

ALSO ALSO: lol @ the drum&bass battle music.

[OverCoat]

[Schwaltzvald]

Seems to be Yahtzee approved

http://www.escapistmagazine.com/videos/view/zero-punctuation/271-S-T-A-L-K-E-R-Clear-Sky

[Razumen]

I haven't finished it yet, but I did reach the endgame - I don't know if I agree that the endgame is too long, but I was really disappointed that I couldn't go back after entering entering that town (can't remember its name.) Like the first game, I'm also a little dissapointed how they handled the reactor area, forcing you along a certain path rather than letting you explore in a more free-form manner.

And yeah, a lot of the atmosphere from the first was lost in favor of the squad war feature. Things like the underground labs were the best parts of Stalker: SOC. There was far too much of an emphasis on human vs human conflicts. The blowouts were a cool addition as well, but for me they only seemed to ever happen at the beginning of a level, reducing the randomness and unpredictability of them (Having them occur in the middle of a fight would have been interesting, but that never happened.)

The squad wars feature, interesting as it is, is still quite bugged and needs tweaking. Any 'feature' that removes the player from having to accomplish a task by letting the AI do it is not much of a feature in my books. Also, being able to see the location and number of every enemy and monster on your radar and map definitively lessens the elements of suspense and fear. Only friendly blips should show up, and enemy's only if you have direct line of sight on them.

The ability to upgrade and repair your weapons and armor was a big plus though, definitively made you feel a little more attached to your armor and weapons.

All in all I'd say it's definitively an improvement, though a few steps forward in some areas and a few steps back in others. And with all the bug in it, it was definitively a Stalker game . Here's to hoping the franchise keeps alive, it's definitively still a unique experience in games these days.