Loading ...S.T.A.L.K.E.R Clearsky, a step back from the core, almost a flight out of the zone
S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl was an excellent idea for a game. The setting was perfect gaming material, however the implementation was flawed. The game had far far too many bugs out of the box, but became an absolute GEM with the application of a few well chosen patches!
I was delighted when GSC announced a prequel. My initial thought were: Just redo S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl, with new content and the bugs fixed (PERFECT). It was with this preconception that I awaited the release of Clearsky (big mistake!!!).
When it hit the shelves Clearsky was a game with HUGE problems. From what I have seen so far, it has far more bugs than SOC had out of the box. My first encounter with some bandits resulted in one of them walking off a tower (along an invisible floor) in midair, and throwing grenades down at me. When I finally gunned his ass down, the body disappeared and re-appeared back in the tower. What’s that I hear? It’s the sense of immersion in the game world flying out the window!
BUGS!!!! Has anyone seen the “Walk into the floor bug”. In the Duty base, and also in the STALKER base I have seen friendly and neutral stalkers walk into the ground, as if there is an invisible staircase. Have not managed to catch it on FRAPS but I never really have it on with CLEARSKY as im afriad I will cause it to crash even more than it already does!
CONFUSION!!! Confusion is how I would sum up the missions in Clearsky. You are frequently told to recapture a point. You charge to the point and kill all the enemy, only for NOTHING to happen. The point is not captured, and you are told to “Hold the point until help arrives”. Well this never happens. After a certain amount of time the mission either gets canceled or completes? Would it not be simple enough to start a timer at a control point once all enemies are dead. If no new enemies enter the area the point is then captured?
BLOWOUT!!! Stupid game design choice. Force the player to drop everything and run like a hare towards a shed, that protects them for a radioactive emission? Led walls methinks….
ARTIFACTS, I would have to disagree with Jim Rossignol’s review over on PCG. I actually think artifacts in SOC where far too plentiful…with no real work involved in finding or acquiring them. The detector at least makes you work for what are the most powerful and expensive items in the game! I therefore agree with this design decision, Jim did GSC not fill you with enough Vodka?
So all in all, what do I think? This is not an improvement on the first game. It has the same complaints as the first, and the developers must be questioned for not learning from the previous game. I don’t think we are asking too much too see a game that has been play tested to the point where it is possible to finish the game without a patch! SHAME ON YOU! I must commend the developers again for their ambition, I just think a game like Far Cry 2 will nail the open world shooter/rpg genre….when it should have been GSC’s crown with Clearsky.
