STALKER: Clear sky is the second in the STALKER trilogy and a prequel to Shadow of Chernobyl. Honestly, and many will agree with me, this is the weakest in the series. It’s a rehash of the previous game with slightly better graphics, some new areas and a new but worse story. Still the core of STALKER is there so I can’t call it bad, it’s just mid. It’s not required to play to be able to understand the next game. I would only recommend it to anyone who just wants more STALKER.
Story
Same setting as the previous game with only minimal differences. The story itself is worse.
You are part of an organisation trying to stop people from going to the centre of the zone in the guise of - very bad things will happen. It’s mostly just doing the same as in SoC, but without the magic of experiencing it for the first time.
Mechanics and gameplay
Gameplay wise there are multiple improvements, but it’s overshadowed by the next game in the series, Call of Pripyat, that does everything even better.
My biggest problem is that 80% of the map is the same. Playing this right after SoC makes both blur together. It could have been used to good effect if the storyline was better, but it isn’t so.
There is one thing I wasn’t included in the next title - faction warfare. It was in SoC, but it didn’t have much depth. Here you can join your faction of choice and fight for them, even taking territory. I wasn’t interested in it, so ignored it, however if you do want to spice up your playthrough, consider it.
Graphics
Improved compared to the previous title. I mainly remember the lighting being better.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Even with all the criticism I dished out, I was still mostly immersed in the world of Clear Sky. So I can’t say anything bad about the atmosphere, it has even improved in some parts.
Music
These games share many of the songs in their soundtracks. They are almost exclusively dark ambience. Clear Sky does have exclusive songs in each of the faction bases, the bandit radio being very popular to the point where I had no idea it was even from Clear Sky. My favourite is “Loner Radio”.
Final thoughts
Ever heard that very popular “Cyka blyat” sound bite, I believe it comes from this game, or at the very least from the STALKER series.
Story
Same setting as the previous game with only minimal differences. The story itself is worse.
You are part of an organisation trying to stop people from going to the centre of the zone in the guise of - very bad things will happen. It’s mostly just doing the same as in SoC, but without the magic of experiencing it for the first time.
Mechanics and gameplay
Gameplay wise there are multiple improvements, but it’s overshadowed by the next game in the series, Call of Pripyat, that does everything even better.
My biggest problem is that 80% of the map is the same. Playing this right after SoC makes both blur together. It could have been used to good effect if the storyline was better, but it isn’t so.
There is one thing I wasn’t included in the next title - faction warfare. It was in SoC, but it didn’t have much depth. Here you can join your faction of choice and fight for them, even taking territory. I wasn’t interested in it, so ignored it, however if you do want to spice up your playthrough, consider it.
Graphics
Improved compared to the previous title. I mainly remember the lighting being better.
Atmosphere/Immersion
Even with all the criticism I dished out, I was still mostly immersed in the world of Clear Sky. So I can’t say anything bad about the atmosphere, it has even improved in some parts.
Music
These games share many of the songs in their soundtracks. They are almost exclusively dark ambience. Clear Sky does have exclusive songs in each of the faction bases, the bandit radio being very popular to the point where I had no idea it was even from Clear Sky. My favourite is “Loner Radio”.
Final thoughts
Ever heard that very popular “Cyka blyat” sound bite, I believe it comes from this game, or at the very least from the STALKER series.