How good is STALKER?

[devilkazuya]

STALKER came free with my gfx card, but I want to know what you lot think about the game before I bother to install it.

Does it have good story and atmosphere compared the current crop of its piers?

 

[-Exodus-]

one of the best games I've played in a long time, great atmosphere and story, real game which lasts more than the standard 8 hours of games ATM. Really awesome, takes a wee bit to get into as guns at the start are pretty useless, also check out some of the mods which should help a lot

 

[OpenToSuggestions]

one of the best games I've played in a long time, great atmosphere and story, real game which lasts more than the standard 8 hours of games ATM. Really awesome, takes a wee bit to get into as guns at the start are pretty useless, also check out some of the mods which should help a lot

I have stalker but couldnt get 'hooked' on the game, the guns just never seemed to hit or do damage!

 

[Amnesia]

first time i played i thought 'wow this sucks...how could have this been recommeneded to me'.
i went back to it some months later as i remember the graphics were pretty good and i had bought a new graphics card...ended up playing it a fair bit.
ive started new games a few times on it and its been better each time as you become more familiar with the game.
ive not yet completed it even though the last time i was pretty far in it.

its very atmospheric and given time it does reward....one of the best games of last year.

 

[Megahurtz400]

Its like marmite really, i LOVED it, but some people struggle to get into it properly!

Just make sure you immerge your self into all the side missions and do a lot of exploring, theres a lot more on the map than where the main quest takes you, and stick to it past the first few hours, you get a lot better guns

 

[devilkazuya]

is it comparable on any level to the original Deus Ex which is probably my favourite single player game of all time along with Baldur's Gate 2

 

[Shamikebab]

Nothing is comparable to Deus Ex, I gave up hoping for that a long time ago.

That being said it is a very good game.

 

[fergie128]

Its good enough to warrant playing anyway

 

[adam cool dude]

Loved the theme of it. Replayed quite a few times, which rarely happens with a single player FPS. I really wish more companies would do the Russian theme of war. American wars are starting to wane.

 

[m4cc45]

I expected it to be a lot better than it was.

The playing area is very enclosed and you feel as if you are being guided down a very specific route.

The graphics were okay. Nothing more than that. I wouldn't compare it to Dues Ex as that game had me hooked straight away. The marmite comment really sums up this game. I've played it for about two hours and just didn't like it. I've not been back to it since.



M.

 

[Leodido]

First time i tried it i was kinda disapointed and stopped, then i got a new computer and a new gfx, i started over and got hooked up, i must say the game has some good ideas.

Word of advice, patch before starting playing because the saves are not compatible with later version I gotta start over again sometimes

 

[custard]

I love the game. It's a refreshing change from other FPS's, good replay value and mods with a deep atmosphere that is so rare in FPS's. It does have some bugs so you may find yourself saving lots. Here's hoping Clear Sky exceeds in all the places SOC missed a beat.

 

[Guinny]

I hated it first time I played it and still hated it when I re installed it a year on!

It just doesn't feel right to me and the graphics and animations are washed out and poor IMO!

 

[LoadsaMoney]

Great game, just takes a bit of time to get into it as it starts off pretty boring, but the further you get the better it gets.

 

[Kelt]

Great game, just takes a bit of time to get into it as it starts off pretty boring, but the further you get the better it gets.

Not when a mutant jumps out at you and starts ripping you a new one! (Oblivion Lost mod, btw)

 

[roadie]

I bought it on Steam and played it for a few hours, but lost interest after a while. I think I'd enjoy it a lot more if the world was truly open.

 

[misterjingo]

Once you move out of the starting area the world is near enough fully open. I loved the game. First time I tried it I didn't give it a chance, but 3-4 hours in on my second try I was hooked.
I deviated from the core storyline all the time, exploring, taking down military bases etc. I haven't played a game which made me hesitant to enter various areas due to the building atmosphere until stalker came alone.

 

[Xiler]

had a go at STALKER and didnt like it, think it was due to my graphics card though.

Gave crysis another go and am really enjoying it (didnt like it first time, again maybe due to crap graphics card.) Should be finished it this week some time and am going to give STALKER another bash. Bioshock however was still crap and boring when i went back to it

 

[romperstomper]

first time i played i thought 'wow this sucks...how could have this been recommeneded to me'.

its very atmospheric and given time it does reward....one of the best games of last year.

+1

 

[drunkenmaster]

Once you move out of the starting area the world is near enough fully open. I loved the game. First time I tried it I didn't give it a chance, but 3-4 hours in on my second try I was hooked.
I deviated from the core storyline all the time, exploring, taking down military bases etc. I haven't played a game which made me hesitant to enter various areas due to the building atmosphere until stalker came alone.

Isn't every last base in the game part of the main story line anyway, except a couple of the tiny camps you don't "have" to destroy but have like 5 people in anyway.

Side missions and faction quests have no point at all, haven't played it patched, finished before there were any. Invincible, or as good as 2 hours in(if that) make it a touch ridiculous, 2 great fights in the game, very early on, incredibly dumb AI, ridiculously accurate weapons and powerful past the first hour of the game. Once you get a gun that actually puts bullets at the crosshair , which is basically the 3rd/4th gun onwards its just too easy. The "open world" also takes about 3 minutes, if that to get from one side all the way to the other, so open world, generally yes, tiny world, also yes.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, both this and Bioshock started off as RPG's where the general idea is harder and harder enemies but you "level up" and increase stats and get better weapons to compensate. Unfortunately both games forgot about the harder enemies, so you keep getting better weapons, suits and powers, and the enemies simply can't do a thing about you after an hour or two into either game. If you want a FPS/RPG as both games aimed for, the whole game has to scale and not just the players character.

The main bases for the biggest missions are very nicely put together, although mostly VERY short, it feels like a few normal levels of say HL2, with long runny bits inbetween getting to those levels to extend the game to me, nothing more nothing less. The atmosphere is nice but theres little to do.