Cynical Gamer Reviews S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl

Sometimes life is very much like a box of chocolates, you never know what you'll get. So, in keeping with my review process this is the way I will review STALKER, like it is a box of chocolates.

If ever there was a game released which could have been anything when you opened the box, and I mean anything, it was STALKER. The build up to this game was unlike anything else that has ever been imagined. It was a bit like Willy Wonka coming to life and promising to make the greatest chocolate ever only to be assassinated never having produced said wonder chocolate. This was what happened prior to the release of the game. It was built up to be the wonder game. A massive open world in which they had mapped approx. 30 square kilometres of Chernobyl and that it was about 80 per cent accurate (check it out, that is what they said). However, obviously things weren't shaping up to fulfill their promises because when they finally got a publisher involved everything went off the rails and the said, legendary chocolate, appeared as though it would never be produced.

STALKER is a lot like Cadbury favourites, it has a little bit of everything in it which should please everyone. Of course, if you are a choc-a-holic you will devour the entire box and be even more satisfied. This is probably an apt analogy as STALKER will have something for everyone, but does not quite live up to some of the more memorable franchises. What is under the wrapper anyway? At the time of development GSC were touting the most revolutionary engine to use lighting in a game. The reality is that if the game had been released two years ago it may have been, but having only been released two weeks ago it was really run of the mill. The areas in STALKER are large and tempting, you really do want to eat them up and explore them all, however, you run across these annoying fences everywhere and before long you realise that you are herded in to several large corridors which guide you through what appear to be large open areas. In this way the game is a lot like Far Cry, however, it doesn't have the polish of Far Cry and this is not a bad thing considering the area the game inhabits. The game is set in an area called the "zone" or, the exclusion zone real life. It is the area inwhich people can't openly travel which surrounds Chernobyl. However, the game is set in the future after another incident in the area. Because of this there are a number of mutated creatures and people who inhabit the area. GSC have done an excellent job at creating atmosphere in the game. There may be blue sky, but there are always enough clouds to create an ominous feeling there. Then the blue sky disappears, dark clouds roll in and a lightening storm starts. Further to this you always have the feeling that there is something going on which you can't see. A gun battle going on or some mutants hunting for food. I work on a navy base and you often hear people firing at the range which is some distance away. The sounds of gunfire going off in the distance in STALKER is extremely well done.

The best chocolate I have ever eaten, and I wouldn't consider myself to be a connoisseur of chocolate, but the best would be Lindt. It has extremely smooth texture and that melt in your mouth appeal which is exquisite. You don't get the same result with a block of Cadbury dairy milk chocolate. While cadbury dairy milk gets the job done it doesn't have the same rich aftertaste, or the same post chocolate satisfaction as Lindt. This is where STALKER differs from your common, garden variety first person shooters. While it may lack polish and be buggy, it leaves you wanting more. With the number variations in the ending and the possibilities for doing things differently in this game the replayability is promising. Also, there is a massive number of weapons and weapon combinations that you can use. Weapons can be modified with scopes and grenade launchers allowing you to customize your rig. It is like putting Turkish Delight and White chocolate in your mouth at the same time and seeing what flavour evolves.

To me, all chocolate looks the same. Fortunately, not all games look the same. Obviously not the entire 6 years of development time for Stalker have gone in to the graphics. The graphics are of a quality which is to be expected now from games. They are completely serviceable but not reaching the limits of Gears of War for the Xbox 360.

However, the bugginess of the game can be frustrating. There are those people who are going to say that a game shouldn't be released until it is finished. Unfortunately, there are too many games being released in an "unfinished" state and being patched afterwards that there really is not turning back for the industry. How would it be if you purchased your box of chocolates and were only provided with the filling for the chocolate and not the outside? You would take the box back to where you bought it and either get your money back or have the item replaced with one which is finished. You can't do this with software. There really is no recourse for the consumer. Any other product on the market, if released unfinished, would nearly signal the end for the company who made it. Software, however, is different. Where would Microsoft be if they had to release every one of their operating systems finished? They would have only recently released XP. Ultimately, you have to take the games warts and all.

The mission structure in STALKER is well implemented. It is very much like being able to choose which chocolate you want to eat first. Most of the missions (which aren't associated with the main quest) are dynamically generated based on what is going on around you. This means that you can pick and choose which ones to do. Even with the main quests it is up to you as to how you go about them. There are sub quests in the main quest which you can actually skip altogether. They may just make performing the main quest easier (as in infiltrating the X-16 lab). So, if you prefer to make the game experience as hard as possible then you have the option to do that.

STALKER was always going to be like a box of chocolates, you would never know what you are going to get. The anticipation mixed with the extended build up for the game meant that the game could have been a terrific flop. However, fortunately, GSC has come through with an admirable game. As far as chocolates go STALKER is definitely the Cadbury Favourites. A mix of different chocolates which are all enjoyable to eat. They are not the high quality of Lindt chocolate or some other Swiss chocolate, but after consuming it you are extremely glad that you did.

The Cynical Gamer Rating System
If STALKER was chocolate is it nice enough to regurgitate and eat again? 100%
Does All Chocolate Look the Same? 80%
Would you eat STALKER like Chocolate? 30%
TOTAL Score for STALKER: 70%