STALKER is a game that shouldn't be missed by PC gamers.
The game takes place in post-nuclear Chernobyl where stalkers, soldiers, bandits, faction members and mutants roam the land. The map size is 30km squared which isnt as huge as other games, like Oblivion but it doesnt need to be any bigger really. The outside world is full of derelict houses, factories and is full of radiation anomalies so you have to be careful. Everything looks very realistic in the game. It's not what you would call a 'beautiful landscape' unlike Oblivion but it looks really damn good in the gloomy sense.
Underground environments look even better- as soon as you turn on your flashlight everything casts a dynamic shadow that moves when you move. Definitely the best lighting in a game ever- fact. The underground areas are more eerie- you often hear crashes in the distance and wierd noises from mutants. There's this super-cool invisible mutant that uses its mind to lift up objects and launch them at you. It just looks so cool when you are underground and crates and pots etc are mysteriously being lifted up and hurled at you when you cant see anything!
There's a dynamic weather system in STALKER too- wind picks up that effects you and like GTA, days pass and so does night: but each second does not count as a minute. Days take way longer to pass in STALKER. In the day the Zone looks like a gloomy wasteland and at night it looks much more scary.
There's tons of weapons in the game too- there's lots of assault rifles, pistols, shotguns and sniper rifles. The combat in the game will be frustrating at first- you'll be dying often most likely but you soon get good at it. You cant go in all guns blazing. Well, it's very rare for you to do this unless your fighting basic enemies. Your guns are way more realistic than most games: You have to fire your guns in short bursts and crouch more for better accuracy. They jam occasionly and you need to reload when this happens. There are many types of different ammo too.
The enemy AI in the game is really good too- enemies will take cover behind things and they also shout things at you too which is cool (though I cant understand it because im not Russian). Each type of enemy fight differently too. However, enemies such as military, Freedom faction etc take in an alarming amount of shots before dying: even if you shoot them in the head they wont die in even 2 hits. The weapons are realistic but why enemies have so much health I dont know, most of them will take more bullets than you.
You can trade with people in STALKER which is nice because it's easy to get more essential items that your running short of. You can also buy items or sell your own. Items inlcude weapons, food, medpacks, radiation medicine, ammo, grenades, artifacts, maps etc.
The missions in the game are varied and non-linear. You will work for more people as you progress. As well as the main missions, there are tons of side-missions to do for extra money or to gain weapons. There is also an arena where you fight other stalkers for rewards. You can do missions at your own pace- you are free to explore the Zone as much as you like. This is fun just to explore or to go and look for items, kill enemies to get your rank up etc. There is a multiplayer here which is OK but I cant be bothered to describe it to eb honest with you.
The graphics in STALKER are really great too, especially the lighting as ive said before. The textures are all gritty and realistic and the rust effects look superb. I love the way the grass and trees blow around according to how powerful the wind is. Outdoor doesnt look quite as impressive as indoors but still looks damn good with a large draw distance and tons of long grass and rusty wrecked cars. Chracter models look good. You'll need a fairly powerful PC to see it at its best but it will run quite well on DirectX 8 static lighting on a low end PC. Overall STALKER runs pretty well on most PCs in general.
However, the load times are really bad. Each area has a seperate load time which doesnt sound like any big deal really but it takes a lot longer most games and you'll soon get annoyed with it. I suppose it takes longer to load because the world in the game is constantly changing but im not totally sure since other open world games like Oblivion load way faster.
Overall, if you are a serious PC gamer then you NEED this game. It's huge, has lots of replay-value, is totally unique and provides an unforgetable experience.
RECAP
Pros:
+ Large, realistic gameworld with lots to do
+ Realistic weapon handling and satisfying combat
+ Excellent graphics and lighting
+ Tons of weapons and items to use
+ Good multiplayer
Cons:
- Long load times
- Unrealistic weapon damge
- You should be able to carry more weight without being tired out so fast