STALKER Clear Sky

🎮 Steam ⏳ 15 hours ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Expanded Prequel Experience #

The last STALKER entry to the oldschool era, Clear Sky, is a prequel to Shadow of Chernobyl that expands on the original’s gritty survival gameplay with improved visuals, a new faction war system, and enhanced weapon customization. Althrough it is considered it’s own game, personally I think it is more of an expansion/DLC since it literally uses all the assets, engine, and technical tools, from the two previous titles, and simply add more content to the STALKER world.

Atmosphere Over Stability #

The atmosphere remains one of the game’s strongest aspects, immersing players in a bleak and dangerous rendition of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. However, Clear Sky was notoriously buggy at launch, with frequent crashes and performance issues that frustrated many players, which was the norm at the time for STALKER games, as much as for the 3D Fallout titles, to the point where it was a meme. Even after patches, the difficulty curve remains steep, with aggressive AI and scarce resources pushing players to their limits.

Divisive Yet Essential #

While the core experience retains the series’ unique charm, the story feels less engaging than its predecessor’s, making it a more divisive entry. Similarly to the previous titles, I also recommend using mods for this one, though it received less love from the community in comparison, so it is more limited on this regard. A must play for STALKER fans to get themselves a little more fun time in the zone, this franchise’s world is worth exploring to it’s fullest.