S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the second installment in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and yet is the prequel to the original game. In this game, a group of stalkers have unwittingly triggered an explosion of anomalies when they ventured into the heart of the exclusion zone - the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant itself, turning the entire zone into an unstable mess that continues to quake with anomaly outbursts. Stalker factions have also erupted, further adding to the overall chaos of the region.S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is essentially similar to the previous game, though it does have some significant improvements. For instance, the game is a lot more stable, which is ironic considering that all the storyline in this game talks about is how unstable the zone is. The weapons and armor in the game work better than in the original since they can, finally, be repaired. Artifacts are harder to find here but is a lot more rewarding and well, generally the overall setting feel a lot more realistic.
This is definitely a nicer game to play than its first game, but it's not really comparable to the third game of course. However, if you love the S.T.A.L.K.E.R., you might still want to consider buying all three games via its Steam bundle.
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.