Seven years ago when I first heard about this game I just couldn’t wait, even more so than the long overdue release of Half Life 2. Well, was it worth the wait?
Absolutely! I’m actually pretty glad S.T.A.L.K.E.R was this long in development as finally we have the specs to support such a mammoth game.
The initial release of the game was due in the 4th quarter of 2004 but it was held back to avoid the simultaneous release of Doom 3 and Half Life 2. Unfortunately delay after delay caused a bit of furore amongst avid gamers and many, including myself, felt as if it would never be released. It was almost to the point that it felt like it was one of those games that would just disappear out of the minds of the very people who were waiting for it.
But it’s here…
For those of you that don’t know or are too young to remember, the Chernobyl nuclear disaster happened 26th April 1986, when Number 4 Reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant exploded and more than 8 tons of radioactive material (one hundred times stronger than the A-bomb in Hiroshima) was spread over Eastern Europe.
From here the game story begins…
THE SECOND INCIDENT 13.04.2006
The second incident, when it occurred, was perhaps even more surprising than the first. Of all the internationally renowned scientists involved in the cleanup of Chernobyl not one would have expected even the slightest rumbling to occur within the massive concrete sarcophagus that had tamed Reactor 4. Not expecting, however, is a far cry from not occuring and the explosion, when it shattered the early hours, showed just how shallow Chernobyl’s grave of fear was. If the first explosion saw the end of the Soviet Union and the cold war, the second would see the beginnings of something even more terrifying. The immediate effects of the blast were dif? cult to observe, evenmore to understand but within years the Zone around Chernobyl was starting to attract a group of people convinced that prosperity lay in the ravaged land. These people, a mixed bunch by any standards, came to be known as Stalkers.
You begin the game waking from consciousness with no knowledge of your past other than a tattoo on your arm saying S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The people who are with you when you wake up call you The Marked One. Lightly equipped and given a crash course in how to use your navigation PDA you are then sent out into the wilderness to make as much sense as you can of your environment and situation.
Knowing the past history of the area gives this game unsurpassed realism and eeriness. For a hugely interesting insight into the real Chernobyl visit www.kiddofspeed.com to compare it to the game.
The Artificial Intelligence of S.T.A.L.K.E.R is phenomenal; the vast environment is home to a number of concurrent events that have a life of their own. There are no triggers in the game that you can memorise so enemies can (and will) appear almost at any time especially when you least expect it. Even your actions can determine how other characters react to situations. You can get involved or if you just don’t have the bottle you can avoid certain events and let the other characters sort things out for themselves. You can wander about a Stalker encampment and listen to them chatter in Ukrainian and watch them gather round a camp fire keeping warm while someone plays the guitar.
Although if you happen to find yourself trespassing behind military lines you will have to find yourself a decent hiding place or you’ll need good tactics disposing of soldiers that seem to be trained by the Ukrainian Special Forces themselves! They are that good!
This a vast First Person Shooter with many RPG features where you can roam freely about the land choosing whatever tasks you want.
This game is awesome, and I highly recommend visiting the Kid of Speed website mentioned above to get a real insight to the game and you will appreciate it a whole lot more, much more than the fantasized games such as Doom, Half-Life and Gears of War.
Highly recommended - play on a large screen in the dark with surround sound. Before long you’ll be looking for that light switch!
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Seven years ago when I first heard about this game I just couldn’t wait, even more so than the long overdue release of Half Life 2. Well, was it worth the wait?
