S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - How Did We Miss This?

those who didn't miss it are too busy playing it to come into system wars and spark console jealousy. Stalker should have been GOTY. It shows how good pc only games turn out when they dont have to be dumbed down for consoles / multiplatform NEOSPARKING

I agree, bioshock shouldnt get GOTY

Its a great game and a very original shooter, but its pretty rough around the edges. If they can iron out and polish up STALKER:Clear Skies, its going to be pretty damn sweet.XaosII

Patches and mods cleaned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. up significantly. There are some very cool mods out there for the game.

Because its a PC game, which is unfortunate. I really enjoyed S.T.A.L.K.E.R, as buggy as it was. Here's to hoping they're able to send Clear Skies a bit more polished.

I've got Stalker with v1.005 patch, Float32 mod, and No-Head-Bob mod - the repair mod screws up the save system, and frankly it's unrealistic that vendors would really have the knowledge / capabilities to repair kevlar or steel out in the Zone anyway.

However, yes, I'm playing through this wonderful game now and I simply *cannot* grasp how I haven't heard more people screaming about how wonderful this game is. It's the second best PC game out this year (next to Portal)...

It's quite a bit like Far Cry, Fallout, and Eldar Scrolls (Daggerfall or Morrowind) made some wonderful child. The first time I saw a bandit sneaking up on a camp, a field full of people fighting, and then took over a military installation (disabling the alarm by shooting out the siren) I simply fell in love.

Doesn't the game lack custmizable controls? That would be pretty irritating.

Doesn't the game lack custmizable controls? That would be pretty irritating.

Mordred19

No, controls can be fully customized, you can use the console to rebind keys, or do a number of things with mods. Most PC games support a wide degree of tweaking, and this game is no exception.

It didnt have streamlined and simplistic gaemplay. Console gamers didnt know what to make of it.Cali3350

I see your into unfinished games huh?

I had to restart 4 times because some crap happened to my savegames and my character would for example load dead on the ground twisting his limbs... If you lose 20 hours or so in total to that you kind of get fed up with it.

I'll definitly get clear skies if it has the same depth, the promised open areas stalker should've had from the beginning and got rid of all the bugs. Just hoping they don't dumb it down because the atmosphere in that game is unmatched.

I love STALKER. It's better than BioShock.

Most underrated games this year are both on PC, STALKER and Galactic Civs 2: Dark Avatar. Most people haven't even heard of Dark Avatar. It's too nerdy, but still the average ratio on Gamerankings is 93%.

I was going to buy STALKER, but it doesn't appear to be on Steam anymore (possibly because I'm in Australia?).

I could just go and buy the collector's edition at my local game store, but I'll wait and see if the cheaper version returns to Steam.

I was going to buy STALKER, but it doesn't appear to be on Steam anymore (possibly because I'm in Australia?).

I could just go and buy the collector's edition at my local game store, but I'll wait and see if the cheaper version returns to Steam.

Planeforger

It's still on Steam for me.

EDIT: Here it is.

[QUOTE="Planeforger"]

I was going to buy STALKER, but it doesn't appear to be on Steam anymore (possibly because I'm in Australia?).

I could just go and buy the collector's edition at my local game store, but I'll wait and see if the cheaper version returns to Steam.

RK-Mara

It's still on Steam for me.

EDIT: Here it is.

Thanks for the link - it confirmed that it isn't available in Australia via Steam. :(

Ah well, I guess that I'll just buy a retail copy.

It is a fantastic game no doubt.

Its not GOTY, but it is one of the best titles this year.

[QUOTE="XaosII"]Its a great game and a very original shooter, but its pretty rough around the edges. If they can iron out and polish up STALKER:Clear Skies, its going to be pretty damn sweet.Zeliard9

Patches and mods cleaned S.T.A.L.K.E.R. up significantly. There are some very cool mods out there for the game.

I know, but relying crowdsourcing is no excuse to have an unfinished game.

I've got Stalker with v1.005 patch, Float32 mod, and No-Head-Bob mod - the repair mod screws up the save system, and frankly it's unrealistic that vendors would really have the knowledge / capabilities to repair kevlar or steel out in the Zone anyway.

However, yes, I'm playing through this wonderful game now and I simply *cannot* grasp how I haven't heard more people screaming about how wonderful this game is. It's the second best PC game out this year (next to Portal)...

It's quite a bit like Far Cry, Fallout, and Eldar Scrolls (Daggerfall or Morrowind) made some wonderful child. The first time I saw a bandit sneaking up on a camp, a field full of people fighting, and then took over a military installation (disabling the alarm by shooting out the siren) I simply fell in love.

subrosian

Its on PC. Thats why. What do you expect for those that take the back seat?Cedmln

How do you feel being controlled by marketing?

I just wish that game would of had co-op. I really want to see more pc fps games with co-op. Still a great game though and quite creepy. astiop

Crysis Assault co-op is in the works - there is a teaser video, and there is co-op for too many single player games.

Hell a few days ago I played through HL2 and Ep1 co-op - 4 player, using the Synergy mod. Fantastic stuff.

No, seriously, System Wars, how did we miss one of the best games this year? Where was the outcry? subrosian

Um I had created many of threads about STALKER. Its more like where were you.

Honestly its still my favorite shooter of this year.

STALKER is GotY for me. One of the most atmospheric games around. It really does give you the feeling (until towards the end) that you are trying to survive in the Zone.cametall

Agreed. Especially since I had seen a two hour long show on it and the devs got the feel of the Zone very well. I have never been so sucked into game like STALKER.

Got it when it frist came out. VERY buggy and my comp wasn't beffy enough to run the damn thing. It was the crysis of that year. No comp could really run it on high at the time, but it looked gorgeous.

I still play it today even though it's pretty darn buggy. Fun game, great atmosphere, and really good AI.

Got it when it frist came out. VERY buggy and my comp wasn't beffy enough to run the damn thing. It was the crysis of that year. No comp could really run it on high at the time, but it looked gorgeous.

I still play it today even though it's pretty darn buggy. Fun game, great atmosphere, and really good AI.

kingman03

Theres patches for the bugs now. Even though I some how never experienced these bugs which i thought was weird.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is an example of a game with no hype surrounding it's release whatsoever.

There are titles that are overhyped and dissapointments (Lair anyone?)

and then there are titles like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. which had hype around it but was delayed for 2 years before finally seeing release.

It was a great game but there were just so many other amazing titles this year it just became a footnote instead of standing out.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is an example of a game with no hype surrounding it's release whatsoever.

There are titles that are overhyped and dissapointments (Lair anyone?)

and then there are titles like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. which had hype around it but was delayed for 2 years before finally seeing release.

It was a great game but there were just so many other amazing titles this year it just became a footnote instead of standing out.

I_Helios_I

I remember when I first saw that this game coming out. I was like this game looks awesome. Then I kept reading they were having problems and then it got delayed the two years like you said. My point is ive been tracking this game since it was first announced which is why I was still hyped for it.

[QUOTE="RK-Mara"][QUOTE="Planeforger"]

I was going to buy STALKER, but it doesn't appear to be on Steam anymore (possibly because I'm in Australia?).

I could just go and buy the collector's edition at my local game store, but I'll wait and see if the cheaper version returns to Steam.

Planeforger

It's still on Steam for me.

EDIT: Here it is.

Thanks for the link - it confirmed that it isn't available in Australia via Steam. :(

Ah well, I guess that I'll just buy a retail copy.

It's available on Direct2Drive for $30.

I don't understand why it wouldn't be available for you on Steam. I thought it's a global program.

I have to say the immersion is amazing, I find myself thinking in day-to-day life in terms of the Zone now, looking up Chernobyl pictures and finding out how close things are to there... it's absolutely eerie - not in a ridiculous way Bioshock was, but in a real-life haunted way.

If you ever go to the death camps from the Holocaust, there's the same sense, like there's trees, buildings, road, grass, blue skies, but it's still haunted, and there's something the seizes your heart - the feel that something horrible happened on that ground - that's the feel of Stalker - Crysis and Bioshock missed that "feel".

I have to say the immersion is amazing, I find myself thinking in day-to-day life in terms of the Zone now, looking up Chernobyl pictures and finding out how close things are to there... it's absolutely eerie - not in a ridiculous way Bioshock was, but in a real-life haunted way.

If you ever go to the death camps from the Holocaust, there's the same sense, like there's trees, buildings, road, grass, blue skies, but it's still haunted, and there's something the seizes your heart - the feel that something horrible happened on that ground - that's the feel of Stalker - Crysis and Bioshock missed that "feel".

subrosian

Agreed. Pictures of the zone when its sunny out and blue skies it still looks creepy.

[QUOTE="subrosian"]

I have to say the immersion is amazing, I find myself thinking in day-to-day life in terms of the Zone now, looking up Chernobyl pictures and finding out how close things are to there... it's absolutely eerie - not in a ridiculous way Bioshock was, but in a real-life haunted way.

If you ever go to the death camps from the Holocaust, there's the same sense, like there's trees, buildings, road, grass, blue skies, but it's still haunted, and there's something the seizes your heart - the feel that something horrible happened on that ground - that's the feel of Stalker - Crysis and Bioshock missed that "feel".

Killfox

Agreed. Pictures of the zone when its sunny out and blue skies it still looks creepy.

very true. remember when you went down the first lab? I'm actually getting the same experience with the Witcher. Both games are very immersive and have this sense of amazing realism to them despite certain fantasy elements.

I really hope they release a patch for freeroam soon.

[QUOTE="Killfox"][QUOTE="subrosian"]

I have to say the immersion is amazing, I find myself thinking in day-to-day life in terms of the Zone now, looking up Chernobyl pictures and finding out how close things are to there... it's absolutely eerie - not in a ridiculous way Bioshock was, but in a real-life haunted way.

If you ever go to the death camps from the Holocaust, there's the same sense, like there's trees, buildings, road, grass, blue skies, but it's still haunted, and there's something the seizes your heart - the feel that something horrible happened on that ground - that's the feel of Stalker - Crysis and Bioshock missed that "feel".

_Pedro_

Agreed. Pictures of the zone when its sunny out and blue skies it still looks creepy.

very true. remember when you went down the first lab? I'm actually getting the same experience with the Witcher. Both games are very immersive and have this sense of amazing realism to them despite certain fantasy elements.

I really hope they release a patch for freeroam soon.

So im guessing the witcher is worth getting. Ive been thinking about it. Should I get it???