The S.T.A.L.K.E.R franchise has always been an interesting IP. The original S.T.A.L.K.E.R still holds critical acclaim for its use of atmosphere, even with its incoherent plot and numerous bugs. The release that followed improved upon the original’s winning formula, and now in its 3rd incarnation, S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Call of Pripyat takes players back to the zone once more.
Something to remember when going into a review for a S.T.A.L.K.E.R game is that the entire S.T.A.L.K.E.R IP has always been a love/hate one. Many gamers hated it while a seemingly equal number loved it. The original Shadow of Chernobyl had done something special; it took a sandbox environment and the freedom that goes with it and combined it with scripted mission events, and somehow managed to get these 2 systems working in relative harmony. So it is with a large degree of excitement and some trepidation that I started the game, after all S.T.A.L.K.E.R games are just as well known for their bugs and glitches as they are for their brilliant atmosphere.
As Creepy as Ever
S.T.A.L.K.E.R Call of Pripyat starts somewhat different to its 2 predecessors. For one you don’t wake up from unconsciousness and you don’t start in, or close to the edge of the Zone. Instead you spawn in the middle of a field near Zaton, a marshland on the outskirts of Pripyat. In this new S.T.A.L.K.E.R you take on the roll of Major Alexander Degtyarev, a member of the Ukrainian Security force and an experienced S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
The game’s new DX11 Enhanced Dynamic Lighting effect turns the already beautiful zone into something almost surreal, if of course you have the rig to run it on high settings. Even with regular full enhanced dynamic lighting and the anti-antialiasing turned down the visuals are pretty spectacular. This lower setting will also keep the frame rate running into the 40’s on most entry level gaming rigs.
Returning players will be immediately familiar with the controls and HUD, even with the new F1 to F4 hot keys for Med Kits, Bandages, anti-rad medicine or any other regularly used consumable. New players however should really play at least one of the 2 previous games, as tutorials are a rarity in Call of Pripyat.
There are some changes to the HUD that are worth noting. Firstly the mini-map at the top right of the screen now has sound & visual indicators, showing the player when other S.T.A.L.K.E.Rs or mutants can see them, as well as how much noise the player is making sneaking through the bushes. The 4 hot key windows in the bottom right are the biggest changes from previous games, with the audio & visual indicator being something that forms an integral part of the game’s mechanics.
Since Major Degtyarev is an undercover soldier he does not care much about the faction war in the zone and this is probably why the faction warfare mechanic, which was one of Clear Sky’s most distinguishing features, was omitted from Call of Pripyat. Call of Pripyat takes the same direct approach as Shadow of Chernobyl; the player is a man on a mission. Even though there are side missions, they serve only to prolong the campaign as the currency they bring in can be easily made by hunting Artifacts. The side missions are variations on the “go there”, “kill that” and “retrieve this” models so frequently used in games. There are simple collection missions and others which give the player some leeway in how to accomplish things, but nothing that breaks away from the regular side quest mechanics.
The Zone remains as creepy as ever with deserted buildings and factories being frighteningly scary even when they really are empty. GSC Game Worlds have once again mastered the atmosphere within the Zone with its distant howls and beautiful lightening storms. The inclusion of a sleep function is also welcome, especially early on when the player does not have night vision gear and facing the unyielding blackness of the Zone’s twilight hours with only a flash light, which will give away the players position to every other S.T.A.L.K.E.R and mutant in the area, is undesirable to say the least.
Call of Pripyat is by far the most stable S.T.A.L.K.E.R ever released with minimal bugs, glitches and crashes to impede gameplay, although having said that, I experienced game crashes every time I travelled to or from Zarton.
Far from Perfect
Something about Call of Pripyat just feels wrong. The first thing I noticed was how a faction didn’t remain hostile even after I had massacred a few dozen of them in a camp.
I could walk up to a pair, shoot one in the head and cap the other one as he grabbed his rifle then walk not a 100 meters up the road to a position held by them and they welcomed me with open arms, so to speak.(Ed. That actually sounds kinda realistic, if no one saw you kill the first guys…)
Once I realised this the Zone became a lot less intimidating, sure the Mutants, especially those invisible Bloodsuckers, still manage to scare the bejeezus out of me, but not having to worry about accidently bumping into a patrol of Bandits took some of the danger and excitement away from the game.
The second thing that “feels” wrong about Call of Pripyat is the difficulty. It is very easy to survive in the zone. The first few hours maintain the trademark S.T.A.L.K.E.R hostility, with guns jamming and ammo counts dangerously low. A few hours in however and the player will have more ammo than they can carry. The same goes for health packs, bandages, anti-rad meds and even grenades.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R is a survival horror franchise. For all its RPG elements and FPS mechanics it is, at its core, a survival horror. Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky had driven this fact home by having the player sneak through a base with barley any ammo and just 2 or 3 Med Kits and a few bandages. The player had to make every shot count as running out of ammo and needing to swap weapons could mean death. This is not the case in Call of Pripyat, and at the time of writing, I had around 100 000RU (the games currency) more than a 1000 rounds for my main assault rifle, 700 shotgun shells, 50 med kits (not counting the ones I carry in my inventory) and enough anti-rad medication to stock a small hospital.
At one point I had sold all the food I had, keeping only 5 sausages, and received almost 1500RU for it. Why conserve ammo when the player has enough ammo to simply pump the mutant full of lead? Why sneak and use cover when the player has enough med-kits to not have to worry. This excess of equipment destroys Call of Pripyat’s survival horror functionality, and turns it into a mindless shooter. The acquisition of a semi-automatic shotgun, which can be upgraded to full automatic, with a 12 round clip also means the player doesn’t have to fear even the dreaded chimera mutant, simply let rip in full automatic at close range and it drops like any other enemy. (Ed. That sounds AWESOME)
The weapons upgrade system also feels hollow. The upgrade trees are a far cry from Clear Sky’s more complex system, and are divided into 3 ascending tiers. The reason it feels hollow when compared to Clear Sky’s system, is that all the first tiered upgrades can be purchased, unlike in Clear Sky where even on the first tier one upgrade would block off another.
Conclusion
Many of the issues in previous titles have been attended to, and the inclusion of a sleep function, the improved AI and the addition of a personal storage locker are great features.
For players new to the series it may feel confusing and a bit jumbled, although all together more user friendly than its 2 predecessors. Veteran players returning for another adventure in the zone may appreciate the tweaks made, but at the end of the day the game may well find itself relegated to the shelf before too long.
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