Best S.T.A.L.K.E.R game?

[Hag]

Oh look, another dumbass who doesn't know how the game works trying to teach others. Classic.

Can you elaborate ? I finished the game with all endings ten years ago, no mods, had a (nuclear) blast and have never had any issues smashing the AI even with Cordon weapons.

 

[Baron Dupek]

ShoC - best STALKER experience despite issues. NPCs death not affecting the progress is both cool and jank.
CS - if you get into it and deal with the other issues then it's decent comfy food. Once you find out that there's another exit from the Swamps if you give up with MG nest and return.
CoP - too cashual 4 me (get few stashes and you're set). It has spawned the Misery project, which later has turned into Anomaly and became de facto "a standard STALKER experience" for modern audience.
bleh
Like we didn't already had this mindset with Complete mods...

All 3 have terrible endgame - I've played each numerous times, but dealt with endgame maybe in 1 out of 10 playthroughs.
And sidequests in ShoC and CS are not that great beside giving you a reason to slow down and explore.

 

[Gerrard]

Oh look, another dumbass who doesn't know how the game works trying to teach others. Classic.

Can you elaborate ? I finished the game with all endings ten years ago, no mods, had a (nuclear) blast and have never had any issues smashing the AI even with Cordon weapons.

I'm referring to the urban legend that you do more damage on higher difficulty.

 

[Iucounu]

Both CS and COP have their moments, but overall feel like rushed products from a studio that was circling the drain.

Yeah, I've never understood that. After SoC's buggy release you'd think they'd spend at least a little more time on debugging CS, but instead they rushed that one too.

When CoP was made it seems they were digging at the bottom of the barrel of unused assets from the SoC pre-development, there's a notable difference in quality between CoP's (old) underground and (new) above ground level designs.

CS reuses SOC levels

I don't mind that, after all the Zone is what the Stalker games have in common (same goes for reusing MoozE's superb music). In contrast I think the new CoP levels feel out of context; for example, Zaton's dried sea bed might as well be part of Metro Exodus' Caspian level.

, and COP is a huge graphical downgrade (likely in response to the negative reviews they got on CS from potato players) as well as having a ridiculous, boring and tacky feeling last final third.

 

[Iucounu]

Getting headshots beyond 15-20 meters with the shitty early game guns is pure luck, and as such aiming for the body is more economical. Good luck spending 30 rounds on a single enemy when there's 20 guys around.

You can always loot more ammo from the ones you've just killed.

If you sneak into the attic of the Cordon Military base you can easily headshot-kill even Military NPCs in the room below with just a pistol, then pick up their AKMs and clear out the whole base.

That's because of the aim_bullet mechanic, which increases bonus damage to the head if you haven't fired recently.

Yes that's the firing pacing I mentioned, and it works the same everywhere (not just in the attic). Also make sure to crouch, and don't move just before firing.

The problem with these artifacts is that you can just not walk into the anomalies instead.

That's not a problem, it's a feature. You don't take damage from walking into anomalies (either accidentally or to grab something in there), and in some places (like Pripyat) it lets you take shortcuts through anomaly fields blocking the way.

There are also useful artifacts for regaining health or stopping bleeding, thus reducing the number of medkits and bandages you have to carry.

Their only cool use is the exploit where having 4 of a kind would heal you instead, but you're never going to find 4 of a kind in a normal playthrough, without grinding fetch quests, unless extremely lucky.

I always get four of a kind (or more) in every playthrough, but playing styles vary...

All NPCs traveling long distances does is make the find item quests more annoying.

Annoying because you have to travel longer distances? That sounds like you're rushing the game, no wonder you don't enjoy it.

Migration creates variety and a living gameworld. For example, you may encounter a Pseudogiant somewhere on its way to the X-18 lab (some have found it in the Bar area, IIRC), or a Military squad in Garbage on its way to Cordon(?). Because these migrations have real destinations they don't feel fake, like some randomized spawning would.

 

[Iucounu]

CS - if you get into it and deal with the other issues then it's decent comfy food.

One trick to enjoy CS to its full potential is to do all side quests in a level before each main quest, since the latter tends to change lots of things. It's also important to return to previous levels now and then, since they often change after each new main quest (this goes for SoC as well).

For replay variety you can join each of the factions in turn, which changes the "political" landscape of the Zone by making enemies of your current faction hostile to you. That way areas with previously friendly NPCs will now be hostile, forcing you to rethink your travels. You don't have to take part in the actual Faction War for this.

The Faction War itself can be challenging, but for the ultimate hardcore experience try making the Bandits not just conquer the Stalker base in Cordon, but also the Rookie Village. You can also try conquering the Duty base (can't remember if I used Bandits or Freedom for that). Or you can "help" Monolith move from Army Warehouses, through Red Forest and into Yantar. Basically, the Faction War can be used as an "AI" sandbox for all kinds of experiments.

Once you find out that there's another exit from the Swamps if you give up with MG nest and return.

That's the first thing I did. I mean, in real life you wouldn't try to rush a machinegunner, but look for another way. Once you get a sniper rifle you can of course kill the NPC manning the machine gun, but a second one may replace him quickly. It is possible to rush as well though.

And sidequests in ShoC and CS are not that great beside giving you a reason to slow down and explore.

True, but again exploration is the point of the game. Frankly I'm pretty fed up with the cringy pretentious writing in most other games, I'd rather go fetch a hoof of a Boar if the trip itself is worth it.

 

[Iucounu]

I really do think that there was a decline in artistry between CS and CoP. Take CS's opening swamp, then compare it CoP's own opening swampy area. The former is more memorable, moodier, prettier,

Indeed, there's no comparison.

Now if only CS's original areas were in a different game. Again take the opening swamp with its ruined church, desolate farms, dense vegetation, imagine slowly navigating thru and exploring all that with an air melancholy desolation that SoC evokes combined with anxiety due to limited visibility, rather than it being overpopulated with warring groups and you constantly stumbling on hostile NPC's or being called to join fighting at some spot that is under attack.

Most activity tends to calm down after a while, and the western/left side of the swamp is mostly empty already from the start. Same goes for Red Forest, most NPCs there don't survive for long.

 

[HeatEXTEND]

1<>3 both great but too different to choose
Gun to head gotta go with 3 only because its more polished.

CoP - too cashual 4 me (get few stashes and you're set). It has spawned the Misery project, which later has turned into Anomaly and became de facto "a standard STALKER experience" for modern audience.
bleh

That is some hipster reasoning right there. Reminds me of people pooping on Brutal Doom because muh popularity. Weak shit. Anomaly is comfy as fuck.

 

[Beans00]

Can't really go wrong with SoC vs CoP.


After voting I wasn't at all surprised to see clear sky with zero votes. I should have voted for it to troll people but then I would have felt dirty.

 

[Tacgnol]

I really enjoy both SoC and CoP, though SoC is the best warts and all. It has the best storyline and atmosphere.

Call of Pripyat is definitely the most polished of the trilogy out of the box. I really enjoy the large content-dense maps, the choices in dealing with some of the factions and the improved upgrade system.

 

[Iucounu]

After voting I wasn't at all surprised to see clear sky with zero votes. I should have voted for it to troll people but then I would have felt dirty.

I would have voted for CS before CoP. I'd rate the games: SoC 5/5, CS 4/5 and CoP 3/5.

 

[Clockwork Knight]

I'm referring to the urban legend that you do more damage on higher difficulty.

I wonder if the illusion is maintained by the player damage resistance leading to more tense fights on harder difficulty, making people think that the fights take longer on easier difficulties because you can tank more damage and feeling like "this should be over already"

 

[toughasnails]

Can't really go wrong with SoC vs CoP.


After voting I wasn't at all surprised to see clear sky with zero votes. I should have voted for it to troll people but then I would have felt dirty.

Yeah, CS's Cordon was too sunny, but this drawing might be even better as a demonstration of what is wrong with a large chunk of Stalker community, where they commit to one aspect of the game and turn it into a self-parody. Because that depiction of SoC is also a strawman.
There was a fair bit of "color" to original Cordon, and there is a particular sort of melancholy that comes from the sight of beautiful, picturesque nature overtaking the remnants of human existence. And if you take a look at some of the mods based on OL build, the locations were even more picturesque.
And yet it is as if some repress this from their memory. In any case, they certainly equate "atmosphere" with "gray, brown and overcast".

This is another thing where some of what was shown/leaked from Stalker 2 encourages me btw.

 

[Iucounu]

In any case, they certainly equate "atmosphere" with "gray, brown and overcast".

I think part of the difference in atmosphere comes less from the graphics and more from the ambient sounds and voice acting. In SoC there is more silence, giving an impression of emptiness and desolation; while CS may contain more bird song and wind noise. In SoC many voice actors sound frightened or dramatic (at least until the Bar area); while in CS many voice actors sound cheerful regardless of situation.

As for the weather, here is sunny CoP:

...and here is sunny SoC (the weapon looks modded though, so maybe the weather is too): https://nohud.fandom.com/wiki/S.T.A.L.K.E.R.:_Shadow_of_Chernobyl_No_Hud (the site did not allow embedding the image here).

 

[Be Kind Rewind]

Oblivion Lost (not the mod) never got released as it was originally intended but it felt like the peak of old GSC Game World shooters. Codename: Outbreak and Firestarter had a very specific feel to them that the final STALKER didn't replicate. The devs that left GSC to form Deep Shadows instead of working on STALKER didn't succeed entirely with Xenus/Boiling Point either.

 

[Spacer's Nugget]

My main problem with Clear Sky is the infuriating amount of needless back-and-forth/backtracking at the starting maps, the worst in the series in that regard.

 

[Carrion]

I'd say CoP is the best, although my favorite by far is SoC, with the unfair advantage of being the first in the series. What can you do, it's the one with the best atmosphere and the most memorable parts.

Clear Sky is the worst, no doubt about that, but I did enjoy it after SoC, as it had some enjoyable new areas and improved game mechanics. It was just unfocused in the sense that it tried to both improve the survival aspect of the game and introduce the horribly broken faction system, and those two things never formed a coherent whole. CoP took the best things from CS and ended up being a much better game.

 

[Be Kind Rewind]

 

[Iucounu]

My main problem with Clear Sky is the infuriating amount of needless back-and-forth/backtracking at the starting maps, the worst in the series in that regard.

If you don't like exploring the levels you could always use the Stalker Guides for quick travel (especially useful when bringing large amounts of loot to the Clear Sky base, where the trader pays best for weapons). I'd say one of the key features of Stalker (new at the time?) was the ability to return to previous levels, instead of constantly being herded forward like in most other games. But it's important to avoid overloading yourself with gear so you become unable to run.

 

[Gerrard]

My main problem with Clear Sky is the infuriating amount of needless back-and-forth/backtracking at the starting maps, the worst in the series in that regard.

The only point where you need to backtrack in CS in the main quest is going back to Red Forest from Military Warehouses (the point of inclusion of which in the game is still a mystery to me). Also you have fast travel.
SoC unarguably is the worst in that regard (and many others).

 

[Ash]

It's a tough one. SoC actually has enemies! CoP feels so empty, and seriously lacking combat with other stalkers/military which you get plenty satisfaction with in SoC. This is a shame because the combat & AI is pretty good for what it is, and even more so a shame because CoP has lots of nice guns & upgrades. OK So it has its fill of mutant enemies, but they almost only spawn in pussy locations (main road and points of interest) in predictable ways. You can traverse much of the nice open worlds without a scratch just by avoiding the few spawn points which you quickly come to recognize. A-Life my ass.

Further thoughts regarding pros and cons:

CoP feels more complete as a FP/RPG-lite of sorts, SoC did always feel like it had a little something mising, but it wasn't missing the basics (lots of grueling combat).
Burers are a neat concept but in execution annoying to actually fight. they shouldn't be raising their shield THAT MUCH.
Both games throw far too many grenades & ammo at you. Probably is very easy to do a grenade-only playthrough, at least in CoP, and that is bad.
Gunslinger mod for CoP is fucking rad and may edge out CoP as the winner.
The story in 1 is best.
CoP fixed the annoying stash system of SoC.
I prefer the atmosphere of CoP. The higher degree of polish, brutal systems like emissions, and more menacing soundtrack helps with that. Though the atmosphere of SoC is no slouch.
CoP Pipyrat location is too short/underdeveloped. Game in general is too short while SoC it doesn't feel that way so much.
Upgrade system, emissions, anomalies redesigned are all big improvements to the formula.

Almost impossble to decide. Deeper systems, better concepts/more fullfilled overarching vision of CoP, or SoC for its originality and it actually having adequate combat which is hugely important (also a more cohesive story for whatever that is worth).

 

[None]

The first title wins out solely because of atmosphere. The Zone is oppressive, mysterious, and you're alone. The other titles are too familiar, and while CoP has new areas they feel inconsequential in the grand scheme of things. Like the Zone has already been figured out by that point.

Runner up is the first hour of Clear Sky. Something about running around the swamp as Scar reminds me of the first game.
Next is CoP. Mechanically the best, but it has no soul. Something is missing and it feels like just another day in the Zone.
And lastly is the rest of Clear Sky.

If we're including mods, Lost Alpha DC sits firmly in second place. It can be quite janky but I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the new and expansive areas it introduces. It reminded me a lot of my first time playing ShoC.

 

[Iucounu]

it tried to both improve the survival aspect of the game and introduce the horribly broken faction system, and those two things never formed a coherent whole.

I somewhat agree, the Faction War works best as freeplay bonus content, not as part of the main plot. But it's not as broken as many think, it's just takes time to figure out (and the game doesn't really help you). Most importantly, the supply line of new cannon fodder NPCs from the base to the frontline needs to be uninterrupted; if a squad gets attacked somewhere on the way by e.g. mutants the whole supply line grinds to a halt until you go back and resolve the situation. Complicating this further, the supply line paths often take long detours instead of the shortest path to the frontline.

Continuing with the survival aspect: in SoC anomalies are everywhere, so that both you and NPCs may run into them; while in CS and CoP the anomalies are somewhat pushed to the side so that the NPCs can move around safely. But at the same time CS adds the artifact hunting minigame, giving you a reason to intentionally explore anomalies. You also get frequent emissions in CS, and unlike CoP there are no drugs that let you survive them.

 

[Iucounu]

Runner up is the first hour of Clear Sky. Something about running around the swamp as Scar reminds me of the first game.

And CS's Red Forest, one of my favorite areas in all the games:

 

[toughasnails]

I thought that Clear Sky's Limansk looked fairly nice too. It was even designed in such a way that it could've been used for a classical Stalker exploration, even though CS's final stretch plays pretty much like a typical late 00s,early 10s military FPS so that much of Limansk wasn't even used in any meaningful way.
Heck, even the hospital at the end feels like something that would've been memorable and creepy if it was something you were exploring on your own.