F.E.A.R. 3 vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
F.E.A.R. 3
F.E.A.R. 3 definitely upped the notch by providing players with two incredible characters to play as - either Point Man, a genetically-enhanced soldier with superhuman reflexes and can manipulate time; or the undead spirit of his brother, Paxton Fettel, who wields amazing psychic powers. The AI in the game is as sneaky as ever, forcing you to have heightened combat awareness or you might just get attacked from behind. You can also pilot an enhanced mech in this game, which is always an awesome thing to do.However, many fans of the series feel that the story has been drawn out way past its lifespan and that the story in this installment is just underwhelming. There are also several major plotholes which just further messed up the story. Not to mention, the gunplay in this game seems to be a much-watered down version of its previous games.
So, if you're a hardcore fan of the story, you might still want to get this game while it's on offer just to enjoy some of the better parts of the plot. But if you're a newcomer, you might want to look to its first or second game instead.
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.