S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat Review

Unquestionably the best game in the series with large open levels and plenty of exploration rewards. More user friendly without sacrificing the core elements of the series.

Posted by Ben Thomas on February 3, 2010 - 3:17am EST

Aside from a few of these AI bugs I had no problems with saves, crashes or quests malfunctioning. There were points where I needed to re-read quests to figure out something I was doing wrong as they certainly don’t hold your hand. The game has been out for many months in Russia giving them a good chance to patch it up and the extra time has paid off. Some of these bugs will be nothing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fans haven’t seen before but there wasn’t anything major that prevented me from progressing at any point. Although I experienced a lot of the Zone there was still quite a lot more to see but it definitely seemed the most bug free of the series.

An abandoned factory in the Zone, that light is strangely inviting

It’s hard to compare Call of Pripyat with the previous two games in the series and come away with anything other than praise for it. GSC has tapped into the core gameplay elements that work so well for the series and capitalized on them. Almost all areas of the gameplay and interface have been improved. Gone are the bad bugs and the linearity from the ending of Clear Sky has been largely reduced. The thick atmosphere and exploration qualities are back bigger than they ever were. Clear Sky weapon and armour upgrades return with more useful drugs even allowing you to survive an emission without retreating to cover. The game is so open and vast in nature that not all of the details can be covered in review that would do it justice.

The open nature of the levels lends itself perfectly to the improved Zone gameplay with fewer load times and more freedom. There is naturally optional backtracking and more points of interest that may interrupt you in the middle of a quest. Sure Pripyat hasn’t been used as well as it could have been but it doesn’t radically damage the game when the first two levels are so incredible. The only thing I missed a little bit from the original was the impressive pre-rendered cut scenes and the well defined endings. Critically for me, the Zone itself feels like a new undiscovered area that dragged me in just as viciously as any Vortex anomaly could ever do. So grab some Vodka, a pistol and some bandages – it’s time to head back into the Zone.

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Our ratings for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat on PC out of 100 (Ratings FAQ)

Presentation

Some graphical improvements over the original with nice effects like soft water and Dx11 support. Still retains the very dark and atmospheric feel of the original and has much larger levels.

Gameplay

Open levels that scream out to be explored in search of artifacts, hidden stashes or mutants. Has a superior A-Life system with better quests. The new areas make it compelling to discover every corner of the world.

Single Player

The main story quests are there when you get tired of exploring the new locations and building up an arsenal. The story presentation is basic but it�s all about the unique experience offering around 20 hours of gameplay depending on exploration.

Multiplayer

Functional multiplayer that includes some old maps from the previous games, fans of the previous multiplayer efforts will enjoy it because it remains much the same but it probably won�t gather too much momentum online.

Performance

(Show PC Specs)

CPU: AMD Phenom II 955 @ 3.2GHz
GPU: Sapphire Radeon HD 5850 1GB
RAM: 4GB DDR3
OS: Windows 7 Ultimate 64-bit

Clearly the most bug free STALKER yet, no showstoppers and very few quest bugs. Most problems are linked to some strange AI behaviour, but largely to be expected in such an unpredictable game. Highest settings will push good PCs.

Overall

Call of Pripyat is the best in the series because it�s more open with new areas that contain attractive and deadly anomalies. There are new mutants to deal with and a quest structure that allows you travel at your own pace absorbing the thick atmosphere.

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