GAME
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Shadow of Chernobyl

Format: PC
THQ
£34.99

4 005209 058155
Age Restrictions: 16+
Available
23 March 2007


In 1986 the world's most horrific nuclear disaster took place in Chernobyl. After subsequent unexplained explosions in 2006, a military zone is set up preventing access to this area. Stories of huge anomalous energy disturbances and strange sightings within the Zone are rife. Only the foolhardy or insane venture in. You are a S.T.A.L.K.E.R., a mercenary paid by scientists and other undisclosed groups, searching for strange artefacts, information and technologies. However, you're not alone. Rival S.T.A.L.K.E.R.S., Military guards, mutants and deadly anomalous zones stand in your way as you begin to unravel the mystery of the Zone...

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Shadow of Chernobyl, you play a stalker - a guy who earns money from shovelling embers out of the Chernobyl Zone. Returning from the radioactivity-blazing zone, you can sell anomalous formations to underground dealers and scientists. This allows you to purchase equipment, weapons and protective suits allowing you to reach previously inaccessible areas. As such, this is a FPS/RPG that will see you returning time and time again to unlock additional content.

Six years in the making you can be forgiven for being a little apprehensive about this release. When games are continually delayed the end result is usually a product that was originally designed years before with the lumps knocked out of it. This, unfortunately results, more often than not, in a game that is already badly out of date being pushed out with a ton of gloss poured over it - in the hope that no one will notice how old it really is.

Surprisingly this is not the case with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The developers have neatly pulled it off, on the whole.

While the actually plot is rather dull, this doesn't really matter. You'll get drawn into this so completely that you'll easily swallow everything the developers throw at you. Apparently the developers had originally planned to make some of the numerous discarded vehicles drivealble. Sadly they aren't. I say sadly, because traipsing around the landscape can, at times be a little dull - you know where you have to go, but walking takes up so much valuable gaming time.

This is a huge, sprawling, monster of a game with more atmosphere than you need. The result is a creepy game that you won't want to play alone with the lights off. Certainly worth a look.

Nick Smithson

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