User Reviews (11 - 21 of 127)

Show these reviews first:

Highest Rated
Lowest Rated Newest
Oldest Most Helpful
Least Helpful

Good concept - poor execution...

3 Rating: 3, Useful: 8 / 10
Date: August 09, 2007
Author: Amazon User

For years, the gaming industry has gotten away with releasing games to the public that weren't quite finished. Why not? They've got plenty of us Lab Rats who will shell out good money to do the final product testing for them. And... maybe they'll send a patch out to cover the worst of the ills.

This game, as I bought it, is extremely frustrating. No, no, not the gameplay itself. That's a bit more difficult than your standard Doom/Half-Life stye shooter, but a little patience and a little strategy go a long way. The frustration comes from the bugs, particulary the ones that make you do missions again and again - and the inability to figure out where the heck you are because the map system is screwed up and constantly points you in directions that are straight out wrong.

The load times are a bit long between areas of the map... and there are enough areas that it's a bit easy to get lost. I found myself crossing a checkpoint, waiting for it to load, realizing where I had arrived and having to back to where I just came from (with more load times!) way too often. Part of this is unfamiliarity with the world, but most of it is because the map kept insisting that I had to go back and finish missions that I had already finished!

It's not a bad game, but I grew frustrated enough to stop playing before the patches came out. I suppose that I will get the patches and try again, but I'm still working my way through Painkiller first! (A Great Shoot Everything That Moves sort of shooter!)

Fantastic!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 16, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game was origionaly slated to hit store shelves in 2003 but kept getting pushed back. All I can say now is I'm glad the developer took their time and made sure they did this game right. This game has few bugs for a new game and the couple it did have have already been patched. The graphics are beautiful and the gameplay is a blast. All of the maps in this game are directly mapped off of the actual terrain around Chernobyl. The game has a nice blend of a first person shooter and a role playing game in a huge open ended environment. With the many different choices and plot directions available to you, this game has great replay potential. The game does have some AI problems but they rarely effect the overall game play. I would highly recommend this game to anybody.

Fun and Challenging.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 18, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I read several of the reviews before I baught this game. And even after that I waited until a friend of mine actually played the game, which I watched for some time.
Once I installed the game and started playing I had no issues with bugs or lag (frames). I run this game on a Intel® CoreTM 2 Duo T7600 (2.33GHz, 4MB L2 Cache, 667 MHz FSB) with 2GB of RAM, and a GForce 7950 Graphics Card, Windows VISTA OS.
With that out of the way, as has already been stated befor this game takes place around the city outside of Cherynobyl. The game itself is very challenging and the AI of your opponents can be very clever at times. Its not your average run and gun, with no worry of imminent death. Much like a real fire fight, in this game you can die very quickly if you don't think stratecially and make the most of cover and crossfire (if you have NPC team members with you). I believe this game was well worth the wait, and while the graphics may be a bit dated... they still look phenomenal with all effects cranked up.
People tend to give this game a lower rating because they feel its to difficult. In all honesty whats the point of playing a game if you just waltz through it in 4hrs blasting everything in your EXO-suit with your BFG?? Fun, perhaps... but it gets old fast. I liked this game very much, I found myself dead several times after fighting an opponent head on... Then looking around the same corner to see if my opponent is still there, when in fact he has snuck up behind me and blasted me in the back with a shotgun. Sneaky, I like that.
This game obviously isn't for everyone... with the majority of people wanting clones of H A L O or similair gameplay its no wonder FPS's are few and far between with truly challenging gameplay.
I give this game a 5!!!

Excellent Game

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: November 05, 2007
Author: Amazon User

This game is an excellent choice if you're looking for more open ended FPS games that offer more than your simple "go here and kill" options. There is a whole trading, politic, and exploration aspect to this game you won't find many other places. Oh, and there are over 7 endings to this game! Try finding that in most other games out there!

Problem is, as you can imagine with an open ended game and that many endings... continuity is a bit hard. The story line has to be broad and ambiguous enough to allow for some very different endings. Problem is that it doesn't always fit together nicely either. Some seemed to contradict other info, and others hit you out of the blue completely.

Because of it's sheer size though, there is the possibility for a lot of glitches in the game. My recommendation is this: save often. All of this however does NOT detract from the depth and fun in the game. I still highly recommend it and would urge you to try to find different endings by doing everything you can... other than scouring youtube.

Don't pass this game up, it's worth every penny.

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 5 / 5
Date: April 04, 2008
Author: Amazon User

S.t.a.l.k.e.r. is the hidden jewel of the year. If you have somehow overlooked this game, may I suggest that you go and purchase it right now. Download the patches and install before playing. Then prepare to leave the real world for a few weeks while you figure out how to get yourself through the depths of S.t.a.l.k.e.r. After about an hours worth of learning curve at the beginning, it will begin to draw you into this land of nuclear disaster and all the high weirdness that comes with it. You will hunt for food, weapons and a seemingly endless assortment of items as you wind your way through this ghostly world. Don't expect to just rush through this game with guns ablaze-ing, as you won't last long. You have to think and fight your way through the madness. The game does have a few bugs from time to time as you progress, but this is easily forgiven as you discover the large wide openness and depth of the story. In my humble opinion, S.t.a.l.k.e.r. will grab and twist your imagination with it's unique storyline in a way that Bioshock or Crysis just can't touch. Don't let this jewel of a game pass you by.

Masterpiece of Immersion

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: March 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

Having played likely every type of game software available, across PC's and consoles, since the very first plastic overlay sheet on the TV screen in the early 70's ...and done programming across many platforms as well, I can very much appreciate the developers' efforts in this exquisite piece of work!

The game engine is a bit taxing on even newer technology PC systems, but is it ever worth it! There's a lot to load for each area involved, but a bit of patience is well rewarded. Most of the latest graphics technologies, as described already in previous reviews, enables a great real-world experience.

It is, truly, one of those rare games that draws you around every corner, just to 'see the sights' of this graphical wonderland. The detail, especially in the localities of towns or other buildings in this world is quite enjoyable, even in areas which are likely to never be seen during play. Take a few moments and climb, crawl or jump to almost any position and look around. The rich detail exists even on top of the tallest buildings, which will only be seen by the exploring gamer. Oh, you'll have to fend off crafty enemies, who may decide to split up and catch you in a crossfire, or hide behind a pillar until you're close, then jump out and challenge you in mêlée from a few feet away, or maybe group and attack you relentlessly, taxing your ammo and reflexes. Some of the best AI today can be found here. Most gratefully, I found that the designers included the courtesy of a 'save anywhere' quicksave, in addition to choosing arbitrary multiple fallback points, so that you have a genuine opportunity to try a dozen different tactical approaches ...the true reward for your complete immersion.

The complaints of micro-management are the result of the ability to adjust your personal belongings in semi-RPG style, but this just allows you the option of many, many play styles, from "Deus Ex" type of careful stepping to full-blown "Call Of Duty" action!

Once you get your own PC system synchronized with gameplay options for the best combination and allow a bit more time for all graphics features to load, you're in for a myriad of experiences with military grunts, zombies, mutant creatures ...surprises above and below ground that will eat away at most of your free time. Don't be surprised at four to six hour sessions you have to force yourself away from.

awsome

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 7 / 9
Date: May 01, 2007
Author: Amazon User

First of this is my first review. Im totally aw stuck at Stalker. I have played prey, doom 3 and reserection of evil, Quake 4, Tomb rader indiana jones. im a hudge fan of FPS and my take on this is it will take a lot to top it. The story line goes forever, The sights sounds are unexpected. you jump at a storm coming up from behind you and hear all sort of creatures that your sure are right beside you but arnt. You must complete some quests that take you through a dead land with many bandits killers strange animals and severe radiation. Radiation is my biggest problem it eats your health and you Die. your given radiation health pills but if u run out or dont eat fast enough you Die. many things kill you but the radiation hazards on roads and little wirly storms get you the most. you can play as a rookie or more advanced and depending on what you choose to do will change the end. you can go striengt for the radiation outlet or go and get Artifacts. It a game that takes a Long time y have to save alot. on a totally great scale 90 percent. it can get a little buggy at times which is the other 10. however, if you enjoy Great Entertainment that takes a lot of brain power and stealth this is it. just the landscaping alone is worth the walk.....

Best Game of 2007!!!

5 Rating: 5, Useful: 6 / 7
Date: March 28, 2007
Author: Amazon User

In short this game was nothing but amazing. I thought the AI was brilliant for the most part(considering there are hundreds of other stalkers in the game very seldom did the AI not impress me). Next the graphics were amazing as well, especially the lighting and shadows. Finally the gameplay and story were also very good, being able to roam free in a 30km area and basically choose your own destiny added to the overall gameplay.

Lastly I just wanted to touch on the bugs that other reviewers say they are having. I am running Windows Vista 64x edition and never a single problem at all. My quick saves and loads were fine and never once saw a glitch.

**The patch was released today and it was a huge file. Anyone waiting on that to purchase should do so now**

Great but glitchy

4 Rating: 4, Useful: 7 / 10
Date: October 03, 2007
Author: Amazon User

STALKER is a great PC game. Every good thing about this game has a flaw that pulls it down but the game is just too great to be pulled down too far.

The graphics are fairly good. They could be much better. I noticed a fair amount of stuttering but everyone's computer is different. It doesn't even come close to the graphics of Bioshock but it definitely is good enough to not take away any feel from the game.

Mods add a lot to PC games and there's no exception here. Things like vehicles, altering of how much weight you can carry, and changing how long you have to complete a quest add something new to the game. Patches are released every so often and while they fix things they also disabled some mods so hopefully things like that will get worked out.

The AI is intelligent with their fighting tactics but you'll find they constantly walk right into fires or anomolies that kill them. They just stroll right through and take hit after hit of electricity without turning back. (NOTE: You cannot have mods installed to play on multiplayer servers unless that server also has those mods).

The weapons and gameplay in STALKER are what make this game a worthy purchase. The feeling of being in a deserted place like The Zone is great. Searching for weapons and food to survive the harsh baron zone and its deadly anomalies and creatures while also balancing weight. The sound adds to the deserted and lonely feeling. A free roam no quest feature will be put out eventually and that's great because following the laughable story just to be able to explore The Zone is annoying. Although the story is lacking the gameplay is not.

AI glitches, stupid story, and a bland multiplayer bring down STALKER but wonderful gameplay, a large assortment of weapons and ammo, and the feeling of trying to survive a radiated Chernobyl filled with bandits, mutated creatures, and anomalies brings the game right back up. If patches can resolve some of the glitches and get rid of the requirements of doing the story STALKER will only be getting closer to perfect.

Ambitious, overrated, flawed.

2 Rating: 2, Useful: 9 / 15
Date: March 26, 2007
Author: Amazon User

I was going to write something clever like "One word review: Uninstall." But that's not really fair, so here's what I really think. And I should preface this by saying that I do tend to be turned off by games that are rough around the edges. Glitchy UI etc. will frustrate me and eventually I'll stop playing - that's just me. So having read other reviews, I probably should have known better than to take my chances with S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

Anyway... There's a lot to like here but its mainly in the way of recognizing what the game is trying to be, rather than what it actually is.

As far as what actually works, the sense of vulnerability in a wide-open hostile environment with LOTS of enemies and realistically fallible weapons... it's great, and probably what's earning the (undeserved?) 8/10 "official" ratings everywhere. This much starts out a little frustrating, but grows on you as you catch the learning curve. There's a real challenge here that blends action and strategy very well.

But that's about all that works. The visuals are pretty lame on my (2G, Athlon 3800, NVidia 6800-based) system because dynamic lighting is out of the question. Anything other than static lighting yields frame rates down around 1 FPS. (That's not a typo.) Sound is sometimes effective, but mix and positioning are often confused, ie. is that ground cover shuffling under my feet or machine gun fire in the distance? Who knows?

The rest is really, really broken. And I'm sure some of it works in some measure because a lot of people are toughing it out and really enjoying themselves. And that's great. But if there's a core story line that makes sense for the very patient, it is absolutely BURIED in content that makes no sense whatsoever. I would write this off as bad translation/localisation, but it is not merely that the dialog is hard to comprehend. It's also that missions begin and end (fail, more often than not) with no apparent reason. When there is an apparent reason - ie. an NPC is completely incompetent - it's every bit as frustrating. The PDA and especially the map are very non-intuitive to navigate. (Maybe it works, but not as I'd expect... not even the 2nd or 3rd way I'd expect.) I could go on and on.

The final deal-breaker for me was the dreaded inventory page. The game is challenging, so you'll hate to leave valuables (namely, ammo and the weapons to deliver it) behind. But you will be forever burdened and wondering what to keep, what you can afford to leave behind. The inventory screen that pops up when you loot a corpse is marginally different than the standard one (not so much that you won't constantly forget) and it somehow makes the process of looting a corpse and unloading the precious bullets from his weapon and then unburdening yourself so you can actually, ahem... walk... very, very tedious (and frequently deadly.)

But maybe that's OK since most other loot is useless. Artifacts offer "tradeoffs" that can consistently be reduced to: using this item will improve armor slightly but also kill you slowly. Hmm, trick question? And saving things for resale is also pointless since, as many have bemoaned, the game's "economy" is non-existent. There are few vendors with nearly nothing of interest, and currency is mostly a non-concern.

Others have complained that the faction system is broken, that the game and the NPCs do not react any differently based on your interactions with others. I can't confirm or deny because I'm never sure who's friend or foe until the first shot has been fired. At me. And that's every bit as much fun as it sounds. And then, sometimes, I'm still not sure.

Sigh. I really wanted to like this game. I already spent the money, already wasted a weekend, and on top of all of that, it's a very cool concept. But there's more bad than good here, plain as that. This game didn't leave me feeling like a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. so much as a S.U... You get the idea.

Review Page: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next 

Actions