After one year from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl release, comes the prequel called S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. A stand-alone expansion that reveals some of the secrets behind the Zone and the nuclear disaster. For a retrospective view please refer to our S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl review. Again you are a stalker called Scar who has survived a massive anomaly and has been rescued by a group of scientists known as Clear Sky. As you wake up in their camp situated in swamp region, you will find out that you are a natural mystery by surviving such a huge anomaly.

But this immunity carries a deadly consequence: the Zone will "eat you alive". Your organism will fade away for every new anomaly that will appear in the Zone. Your only chance of surviving is to venture into the center of the Zone and to gather enough informations that will be used by Clear Sky's scientists in order to stop the Zone to spread. Along your way you will travel through familiar places like Cordon, Agronom, and you will meet some characters from the original game. In few words GSC Game World decided to create a new world that consists of old and new areas in equal portions. Following the storyline the gameplay tends to be pretty linear but the immense environment gives you freedom to explore and the competing factions enough secondary objectives.

Factions

Probably this is the major addition compared to the original title. These factions can change dramatically the course of the game in a tactical manner. The start of the game presents a decent tutorial based on this idea teaching you how to conquer a region of the map for a chosen faction. After you exit the first area you are free to choose which faction to help or not, every new decision bringing tactical consequences between the factions which can be viewed in the PDA. But why would help these factions in the detriment of the main quest? For every succeeded secondary quest you will get rewards and as the faction will increase its reputation over the others you will have access to better weapons at the trading post.

Not to mention that by following only the main storyline you will find yourself financially broken after a while, and you will be forced to complete some new secondary missions in order to gain some money. As impressive as it may seem on the paper, in the game this new addition has also its problems. Many secondary objectives are canceled before ever reaching the checkpoint, or others end being successful without doing anything. Some of them are repeating themselves every time you return in that area although you had already completed them. Also the status of friendly or neutral factions can change instantly while you are walking in their area. While I was entering Dark Valley area governed by the Freedom faction I was threaten by the guards to holster my weapon or I will die. While I did this they began shooting at me and in no time I was dead. Quickload and the situation changed dramatically as I already knew what will happen. I still don't know if these kind of situations were predetermined by the developers or its just a mistake.