Description
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: The Shadow of Chernobyl is based on the famous science fiction novel
Picnic on the Roadside (Piknik na obochine, 1977) by Russian writers
Arkadi and
Boris Strugatski. In the book, aliens have visited the Earth and left behind mysterious Zones which are extremely hazardous but also extremely profitable because the physical changes inside the Zones have altered the items left inside the Zone. These potential profits draw all sorts of people to the Zones and the people who go scavenging are called stalkers.
There is also a famous movie adaptation of the novel by
Andrei Tarkovski, but the game actually is much closer in concept to the book although instead of having numerous Zones around the world, the game s focused around the Ukrainian town of Chernobyl, the site of the most severe nuclear accident in history. The story goes that in 2006 another incident of some sort happened and by 2012 the whole area is hazardous with mutated animals, bandits, soldiers who don't ask questions before shooting, and first and foremost, mysterious anomalies. These anomalies differ in their effects but they all have one thing in common - they are quite deadly. There are areas where the gravity is much stronger, others where the air is crackling with electricity, etc., and there is also the radiation to worry about.
The player is a stalker who lost his memory in an accident. After being rescued by another stalker, he discovers himself in a village located on the outskirts of the Zone, with only a single clue: he has a note in his PDA telling him to kill someone, another stalker.
The game plays as a FPS but with a 30 square kilometer playing area where the player is free to roam (assuming he can survive). There are also lots of NPC characters he can communicate with and in this sense the game plays more like an RPG, although there are no attributes or skills to improve. The player may also develop relations with NPCs. Helping them will boost his reputation with that particular individual, which may result in better items for purchase or information, while shooting at them will ruin his reputation and prompt the NPC (and his/her friends) to attack the player. Along with the main quest, the player can also complete side quests. Some of these quests have time limits, some do not.
The player has to carefully manage his inventory not only because is there a carrying capacity, but also his equipment degrades as they are used. The player can also use the items, called artifacts, altered by the anomalies to his benefit. They offer different kinds of bonuses, but usually (not all) have side-effects. For instance, an artifact could improve your bullet resistance but also increase your radiation level.
The game features ragdoll physics, destructible surroundings, HDR lightning, dynamic weather, day/night cycles, and multiplayer for up to 32 players.
Alternate Titles
- "迷失地带" -- Chinese title (simplified)
- "S. T. A. L. K. E. R.: Oblivion Lost" -- Working title
- "S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Cień Czarnobyla" -- Polish title
- "Stalker" -- Common abbreviation
Part of the Following Groups
User Reviews
The Press Says
| Gameplanet |
Apr 18, 2007 |
  |
90 |
| Games Master |
May, 2007 |
89 out of 100 |
89 |
| Good Game |
Apr 17, 2007 |
8.5 out of 10 |
85 |
| GameSpot |
Mar 19, 2007 |
8.5 out of 10 |
85 |
| Gameslave UK |
Apr 14, 2007 |
8.5 out of 10 |
85 |
| Maximum PC |
Jun 06, 2007 |
8 out of 10 |
80 |
| FZ |
Apr 04, 2007 |
 |
80 |
| RPGWatch |
May 13, 2007 |
|
80 |
| Tap-Repeatedly/Four Fat Chicks |
Apr, 2007 |
|
80 |
| 2404.org PC Gaming |
Apr 18, 2007 |
7.6 out of 10 |
76 |
Forums
Trivia
At some point of the game, you find one PDA called "
Gordon's PDA". Some people say you find it in some scientist's corpse, but it seems to be more random than that. Reading it, the owner tells how he was first in Black Mesa, then in some Russian town and then here in Ukraine. This is clearly a reference to the
Half-Life series and the possibility of that series' protagonist Gordon Freeman visiting the zone as an stalker.
The funny thing is how Freeman looks like a total rookie trying to survive in the Zone, to the point that he even has to trade his crowbar for a can of food. The bottom line comes when you realizes that you have just killed Gordon Freeman (which is why you have his PDA), who hasn't been able to survive to the Zone after all.
This entry to the MobyGames database was contributed by
Mortimer (76) on Mar 20, 2007.
