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Review: STALKER: Call of Pripyat - PC

by Steven Williamson on 4 March 2010, 10:34

Tags: Koch Media, PC, RPG

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What every fan of the franchise has been crying out for...

One aspect of this game that will stand out instantly to any S.T.A.L.K.E.R fan is that the game feels smaller, area wise, compared to the original and in some respect, Clear Sky. The map in the game isn’t split into distinct areas or cities or labs etc. The map is still big but only split into three parts so you don’t feel as if you are travelling any great distances. This is where NPC’s come into their own at times, if you see any stalkers randomly walking in small groups always talk to them, you will soon be thankful that you did as stalkers will take you where they are going so you can cut out a lot of the leg work. They will generally take you to where you want to be after questioning them about the location you want to go to.

By today’s standards, the game and engine look dated, but this doesn’t matter one bit as this is the charm of S.T.A.L.K.E.R itself, it somehow belongs and fitting with the zone and the visual representation of decay, abandonment and bleak nature of the zone. If you are a fan of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games you would probably expect this already, but the engine is refined and it works out the box without a single hiccup or bug in place, or none that I have come across as yet, this is a new trait for the franchise if anyone has had experience with the previous games you would know about the patch and bug issue’s that plagued them, thankfully Call of Pripyat doesn’t suffer the same ill fate.

This instalment of S.T.A.L.K.E.R is pretty much what every fan of the franchise has been crying out for. All that was right from Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky, combined together and refined with the broken mechanics from both firmly cut and left out of this game. The tension, suspense, outright fear of the unknown is still ever present along with the harsh realisation of isolation. The blood gurgling screams of stalkers meeting their demise on the horizon still ring out between the cracks of lightning, the mutants howl and the rain pours down.



I would firmly recommend buying this game. It has it faults and it may not be the best FPS/RPG out there on the market by some standards but you can’t beat the atmosphere of the game, it draws you in and spits you out the other side wanting more whilst firmly putting you in your place and proving once again, the zone is its own entity and you need to respect it.

Score: 8/10

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HEXUS Forums :: 12 Comments

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I've been playing this for the last week or so, and as a big fan of the series, particularly SoC I agree with what Mr M@a says here. A couple of things that do bother me however;

I dont like paying to travel between maps, I quite liked the trekking across the wastelands as in SoC to get to where I needed to be. Other may prefer this ‘fast travel’ solution. I wasn't so keen on the hub based design of each of the three maps, a little samey. I wish there was more regions to explore too.

Like Clear Sky this doesnt instil the same level of tension and fear that SoC did for me, I guess im used to what the zone has to offer.
I've played SOC and am just about to go into the 3rd area of COP. I would say COP does not have as many of the :surprised: moments of SOC. There are a few but SOC provides a lot where I was glad I had my brown trousers on :) Still a good game. If you buy SOC check the forums as there are patches available that will stop it crashing. Both games have excellent levels but I think so far I prefer SOC but we'll see.
noTHINGface
I dont like paying to travel between maps, I quite liked the trekking across the wastelands as in SoC to get to where I needed to be. Other may prefer this ‘fast travel’ solution. I wasn't so keen on the hub based design of each of the three maps, a little samey. I wish there was more regions to explore too.

Like Clear Sky this doesnt instil the same level of tension and fear that SoC did for me, I guess im used to what the zone has to offer.

I am with you, I loved the exploration of SoC and also when you went off the beaten track you would find whole cities mapped but not included in the main game.

That last comment rings true also, it is a case of whether we are used to the zone and its mutants/mechanics or its the case of been there and done that but it still has its moments. Blood suckers especially this time around, they seem to grunt a lot more so you know they are there.

jnutt
I've played SOC and am just about to go into the 3rd area of COP. I would say COP does not have as many of the :surprised: moments of SOC. There are a few but SOC provides a lot where I was glad I had my brown trousers on :) Still a good game. If you buy SOC check the forums as there are patches available that will stop it crashing. Both games have excellent levels but I think so far I prefer SOC but we'll see.

Same as above really, I think SoC was really in a class of its own and the Clear Sky and Pripyat are both more of the same, we know what we face so you don't fear it enough.

The one aspect of the game that I was glad that made it from Clear Sky were the constant blowouts from the reactor which forces you to run for cover. Although in Pripyat when you go for cover, so do the mutants and the enemy merc/factions so even if you get safe you still have to fight to survive.

As I said in the review (I was toying with the idea to ask Steve if I could do a full blown review first as there is so much in the game which I glanced over or outright missed) this seems to borrow from both and put things right. Although the tension is there during the night times, just doesn't have the same fear levels attached to it that SoC did but I can't say for sure if that's due to being used to the zone or if this time around it seems to be a lot brighter in the zone.

After playing it again though I feel as if this game is a little bit of a cop out, set shortly after the original and Strelok unlocking the path to the centre of the zone, the sheer lack in mention of this seems a little out of place. The story is linear if you stick to the “find the helicopters”. I intentionally went out my way to do anything other than the helicopters at first to spark off factions against each other then went and did the main story just to get towards the end.

I do however now like the new radiation effects in those area's you can't avoid it. The screen turning green or blurred and you pumping yourself full of anything you have to resist it. Although you survive the effects you still suffer the symptoms without losing life etc.

I don't actually think a short review does the game justice, as with all Stalker games, no matter how many times you go through it, every expedition through the zone will throw something new at you :) So many little touches here and there, especially when you see the ALife system in action, loved it when I would kill stalkers and then move on only to look back and see mutants fighting over the body and the dogs dragging the corpses away.
Grey M@a;1885836
I don't actually think a short review does the game justice, as with all Stalker games, no matter how many times you go through it, every expedition through the zone will throw something new at you :) So many little touches here and there, especially when you see the ALife system in action, loved it when I would kill stalkers and then move on only to look back and see mutants fighting over the body and the dogs dragging the corpses away.

Which is a good point boss. CoP does feel more ‘alive’ and the little incidental moments like the one you describe above are much improved in CoP. The ‘official’ unveiling of the Burer and Chimera are also welcomed.

I was in one of the labs in Pripyat last night and for the first time I got the prickles on the back of my neck skulking through the darkness listening to the grunting of the snork I couldn't yet see… Ace moments like this are why I play Stalker games.
The snorks, I hate them xD

They seem to die easier in this game to.

Although the labs and when you have the poltergeist and you see the chairs float you know you are in trouble. For a proper brown pants moment is when you are searching a lab and all is quiet and all of a sudden you get a chair chucked at your or a crate. Proper cack your pants moments xD