S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is one of those modern open-world post-apocalyptic Western RPGs that often gets overshadowed by the more mainstream Fallout franchise, but it absolutely deserves the spotlight. Offering similar gameplay elements, itβs set around a real-world catastrophe β the Chornobyl power plant disaster. This first-person shooter survival horror series from GSC Game World began back in 2007, with a few titles quickly following, until the official second game was put on hold and finally reignited in 2017.
The long-awaited sequel arrived on Xbox and Steam in 2024. Meanwhile, PlayStation players are currently treated to the first three installments, which are as follows:
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow OF Chernobyl (2007)
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky (2008)
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat (2009)
These games challenge the player with reactive gameplay, survival mechanics, and an open-world map that makes the player find missions, locations, and loot rather than spoon-feeding them. Itβs based on the book series Roadside Picnic and is set in an alternate version of the present-day Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in Ukraine. Β You will have to manage your various stats, build allegiances, and make sure you donβt get radiation poisoning.
If you think that this is enough then watch out for the mutants and other people that call the Exclusion Zone their home as it isnβt a walk in the park. Top this off with harsh weather conditions and various elements that can pop up at any time. This will be my first time playing the series and I couldnβt wait to see how S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy played on the PlayStation 5.
This is where it all started, getting to play the groundbreaking series that helped carve the way for a lot of apocalyptic games. They have been given a facelift and upscaling to welcome them to new systems and generations alike.
Now I will give a brief synopsis of the three titles. The first one is Shadow of Chornobyl, this one is the beginning of the Legends of the Zone trilogy. You play as The Marked One as you face sinister mysteries, radiation-soaked anomalous threats, and moral dilemmas while traversing the exclusion zone around the Nuclear Power Plant. Every choice you make will determine the outcome in the first installment of this immersive sci-fi saga.
Next, we have Clear Sky, the prequel game in the Legends of the Zone Trilogy. You take the role of Scar a seasoned mercenary who can directly influence the balance of power through Faction Wars. Scar also has the odd ability to survive deadly Emissions so it makes traversing the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant easier but not a breeze. You will still come up against enemies, mutants, radiation, and anomalies that will make it harder when you throw in the raging conflict that is ever present in the zone.
Then the last game in this fantastic Trilogy is Call of Prypiat. This time it follows the story of special service agent Major Degtyarev as you investigate the fate of a lost expedition. Fill with brilliant characters, memorable side stories, and the spirit of true freedom. It brings an unforgettable conclusion to the trilogy. You will investigate the Zoneβs origins, and forge paths as legendary stalkers that will make different outcomes depending on your choices and actions. The Exclusion zone has never been so desolate and full of danger.
These three titles have got me into the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and hoping that someday in the not-too-distant future, we could see S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl make its way to the PlayStation store.
With Shadow of Chornobyl, you will interact with various NPC to gain quests and develop the story as you try and uncover the mystery surrounding your character’s memory loss. Youβll need to manage your inventory, weapon, and equipment to make sure you are ready for anything the zone throws at you. It isnβt a bad thing to stray away from a gunfight if it means you live another day.
The games have multiple endings depending on how you play and how much of the memory you get back for the main character. So, I highly recommend taking on as many quests as possible to uncover the full story. It also depends on other gameplay factors to what ending you get.
Clear Sky is similar to that of Shadow of Chornobyl but there has been some new addition to the gameplay. Scar works with one of the factions within the Zone to research and understand it. You will notice emissions will occur more with the passing of time. During the game, you will have the freedom to align with or against the other faction in the zone to get to Clear Skyβs objective. You will also get to take part in faction wars and be on one of the winning sides. A selection of new gear and weapons were also added to the game and these could be upgraded, and repaired.
Then we come to Call of Pripyat and out of the three this one is the most polished and also has a wider area within the zone and they did refine the upgrade system to make it a lot better. You can notice the evolution of gameplay from the first one to the last and when you think that these games literally came out one after the other it was nice to see the passion and love the developers put into the series. It was surprising when you saw that the 2nd game got put off and only recently showed light.
Graphically you can tell that these games came out years ago but there has been a good amount of polish on them to make them look like a new ray of sunshine when playing them on the PlayStation 5. It didnβt get the full Elder Scrolls: Oblivion enhancement but it doesnβt mean that they donβt have the same rustic nostalgia that made this series thrive when they were released originally.
Audio in the game is brilliant, all the voice acting, gun noises, and atmosphere in the exclusion zone do everything right to create the horror aspect of the game as well as the danger that you face every time you leave the safety of settlements. The mutant designs are horrifying and it kind of makes me want for the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series to get a glow-up like modern remasters/remakes get but I suppose I will just have to wait or play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. There was the odd technical issue that I can across but nothing too major that I was a repeating and game braking problem.
Because you are getting three games at the price of one you wonβt be running out of things to do anytime soon. You get to binge them all back-to-back and either relive or experience for the first time the series and I can honestly say you wonβt be disappointed. If you are like me and this is your first time playing the series and you are a fan of games like Fallout, Atomfall, and Metro you will feel at home with S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
It does take some getting used to as when you die, youβll go back to the previous save point and could potentially go back quite far and lose some progression kind of similar in punishment to the Soulborne series but it doesnβt make it any less more enjoyable if anything makes the game more intense.
Conclusion
This Trilogy was so engrossing and Iβm happy that I eventually got around to playing it even if it has been over 10 years since this trilogy came out. They are without a doubt one of the best survival-horror action RPG games that I have played. I love the whole setting around the Chornobyl disaster and when I played Chernobylite a few years back. I do love the whole post-apocalyptic setting in video games and S.T.A.L.K.E.R. delivers.
The tension, atmosphere, and gameplay are solid and make playing through these games so much fun. It might not be as pretty as other remakes/remasters that we get nowadays but it doesnβt get away from the brilliantness of these games. As mentioned above this Trilogy is well worth the money with an asking price of Β£32.99 but if you are a subscriber of PS Plus Extra, youβll be able to experience the game through the PS Plusβs Library. I highly recommend the Legends of the Zone Trilogy and give it a well-deserved score of 9 out of 10.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Legends of the Zone – Enhanced Edition Trailer | PS5 Games
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