S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow Of Chernobyl Hands-on Preview

If you’ve been at all interested in PC gaming at any point over the last five years, chances are that you’ll have heard of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl. Announced back in 2002 and originally due for release in 2004, given that it’s now 2007 you’d be forgiven for thinking S.T.A.L.K.E.R. would never see the light of day – or a store shelf. But you’d be wrong. It might have eluded us for half a decade but it’s due for release in March 2007 and is shaping up very nicely indeed. I grabbed my Geiger counter and headed out into the barren landscape of the Chernobyl exclusion zone.

Things kick off an in explosive opening cinematic that sees your mysterious character bring a ‘S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’ branded man to Sidorovich, an old trader who works from an underground bunker. Little is revealed about why this man is branded in such a way, but from this location you can take new missions from Sidorovich, which send you all over the immediate playing area and gradually reveal more on the secrets of the ‘Zone’. While not completely seamless (there is loading between each large area) the playing area is huge, with small set pieces and missions taking place in areas scattered about the land.

Finding your way from place to place is made remarkably simple thanks to a handy PDA that Sidorovich is all too happy to update with new data, including coordinates and other vital mission info. From your PDA you can also see which S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s are in the local area, along with their current feelings towards you. A simple red, yellow and green system indicates whether they’re likely to shoot you, be completely neutral or friendly.

Comparisons to Oblivion have been made in the past, simply because the game world in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is so large, and this runs true throughout the mission system as well. Once again your PDA is useful here, listing all current, completed and failed missions, along with each step needed to get to their conclusion. You can switch focus to whichever mission you like and this in turn places markers on the map and an arrow on the smaller map window. Travelling isn’t quite as simple as walking in the direction the arrow points, but you’ll never be lost.

The reason travel isn’t that simple is all down to the radiation pockets that crop up all over the environment. Visible in the game as slightly distorted areas of air, getting too near them will cause radiation poisoning and eventually death, should you not have the required counter medicine. While I was more than a little hesitant to try it myself, the many mutant creatures that roam the land frequently wandered to an explosive end at the hands of these pockets. I stayed well clear.

Although I only made it through a fraction of the game a number of neat little gameplay mechanics came into play. All fallen enemies can be looted for items (although there is a limit to what you can carry) and guns wear out over time, jamming frequently before eventually breaking completely. These are the kind of things you’d expect in an RPG like Oblivion, as is the regular NPC interaction. Sadly, non-key NPCs generally have very little to say, but vital story info is all delivered with some impressive voice acting. Choices are given over whether to accept certain mission offers, but whether or not these decisions have an effect on the overall story remains to be seen.

Any concerns over the game’s lack of visual appeal given its extended development can be put to rest. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. isn’t flashy in its presentation but it has a look of realism that is very rarely seen in video games. The setting is intentionally drab and this comes across brilliantly, helped by a full day/night cycle and plenty of weather effects. How good it looks will depend on your PC’s power, but when played practically maxed out it does for first-person shooters what Oblivion did for RPGs. The draw distance is just phenomenal, allowing you to use your binoculars to pick out enemies way off into the distance. If you can see something, chances are you can get there.

Living, breathing game worlds have been talked about for a few years but I don’t think I’ve seen it pulled off as well as it has been in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Animals (rancid dogs and vile wild boars amongst others) function as you’d expect, hunting in packs and running away if outnumbered. During one early mission to take out a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. I didn’t even get a chance; a pack of dogs beat me to it, leaving me to return to Sidorovich for my reward without any blood on my hands.

AI in general is excellent, with enemies working together to hunt you down. Battles can go on as you watch from a distance, and this is something that is a more than valid tactic if you’re lacking fire-power and low on health. Things could still be improved (one guy turned on me after I accidentally shot him in the leg while we fought off a pack of dogs), but for a build that was more than two months from completion, the signs are extremely promising.

As much as I enjoyed my time taking part in fire-fights that didn’t seem pre-planned (even though many were), I can’t talk about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. without mentioning how tough it is – at least in its current state. Body armour means enemies can often take an awful lot of bullets before hitting the dirt, so headshots are vital. Given that you’re often outnumbered and packing far less fire-power than your enemies, taking your time to pick them off with accuracy is easier said than done. You can often find alternate routes around trouble, but if forced to fight don’t be surprised to see ‘Game Over’ appear on screen.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. has been an awfully long time coming but it just might be worth every single torturous delay that we’ve suffered. The core game seems to be a clever mix of linear story telling and free-roaming adventuring, giving you just enough of both to make sure you don’t become lost but at the same time don’t feel restricted. There are certainly some issues that need addressing, but after a few hours in the ‘Zone’ it’s hard not to be impressed. Whether or not that’s simply misguided enthusiasm for a game that looked doomed will become clear in March.