Fallout: New Vegas vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
Fallout: New Vegas
Fallout: New Vegas is what many hardcore fans of the popular game franchise called a "spin-off" but even so, the game is incredibly well-done in terms of its gameplay and graphics. You'll get to experience a whole new "world" (the map of post-apocalyptic Vegas... a.k.a. New Vegas) filled with plenty of hidden secrets and interesting quests to discover. There is also a more intriguing connection between the characters in this game, allowing for an epic power struggle between factions to realistically play out... with some nudging of your own, of course.The game even boasts of a new features like a companion wheel so you can order your companion around in a smoother manner, as well as a weapon configuration system that may not be as in-depth as in Fallout 4 but it definitely paves the way to the incredible weapon crafting/customization system that the game uses today.
The most unfortunate part about this game though is that it's riddled with quite a lot of glitches - none of which are truly gamebreaking but they can be rather immersion-breaking. Nonetheless, despite being kind of like the black sheep in the family, Fallout: New Vegas is still a fantastic open world RPG with one of the creepiest Fallout DLCs (IMHO).
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is the first of a hugely popular post-apocalyptic-themed, first-person, survival-horror shooter which might have just amassed a cult following. Set in 2012, almost two decades after the worst nuclear disaster occured at the Chernobyl power station and around 6 years after a second explosion rocked the damaged reactor, causing various anomalies to ripple open and from them came waves of mutated creatures, deadly radiation and also rare artifacts that are somehow imbued with powerful anomalous energy... artifacts that many would kill to have.Since then, the existence of such artifacts have brought forth groups of "stalkers", scavengers who scour the cordoned areas around Chernobyl for these very objects... and in this game, you play as one of them.
The game has risen to acclamation partly due to the terrifying, nightmarish creatures that the game contains, in addition to the brilliantly immersive storyline and an incredibly realistic game environemnt that's modelled after its real-world counterpart deep inside the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The gameplay is excellent as well. The game has accurate ballstics and combat mechanics, as well as a challenging survival aspect that is further made difficult due to the impact day and night, and the weather system has on the environment. There is also a multiplayer mode that can support up to 32 players.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has just celebrated its 10-year anniversary earlier this year and as such, many aspects of the game aren't really up to scratch by today's standards at least. If you do plan on getting this game, you might want to download some mods to help improve the game somewhat.