25th May 2007, 10:31 AM
Stalker really is one of the most fun experiences I've had with a FPS in a long time, probably not since Half-Life 2.
It's not a perfect game, there's the story [which kind of doesn't make a whole lot of sense], the voice-acting [which isn't all that good], and the dialogue [which is pretty bad]. Those things aside, the world in which your character travels is diverse [within reason] and well crafted and the gameplay is very solid, i.e. guns feel like real guns and shoot-out situations can get pretty intense at times even on the lowest difficulty level. Plus, you also get to find undead zombies, horrifying mutants, wild animals, and bandits. Fun stuff!
Also, it's one of the most genuinely creepy FPSs that I've ever played. See, what Stalker does is pretty much the exact opposite of Doom 3's horrible broken approach to manufacturing cheap thrills.
The Doom 3 Formula:
1. Every single room is pitch dark.
2. To bring up your flashlight you have to lower your gun.
3. To bring up your gun you have to lower your flashlight.
4. Enemies constatly respawn.
5. Enemies constatly respawn right behind you.
6. Lots of scripted events where things burst through walls at you.
Creepy, yes, but very artificial in approach.
The Stalker Formula:
1. Give you realistic guns that fire with realistic accuracy.
2. Create an enviroment of dread and paranoia.
3. Throw in lots of terrifying enemies that leap at your face.
4. Force you to scavange for supplies.
5. Toss in some amazing sound design.
And there you have it! The recipe for successfully creating a very creepy game.
Man, I love this game.
It's not a perfect game, there's the story [which kind of doesn't make a whole lot of sense], the voice-acting [which isn't all that good], and the dialogue [which is pretty bad]. Those things aside, the world in which your character travels is diverse [within reason] and well crafted and the gameplay is very solid, i.e. guns feel like real guns and shoot-out situations can get pretty intense at times even on the lowest difficulty level. Plus, you also get to find undead zombies, horrifying mutants, wild animals, and bandits. Fun stuff!
Also, it's one of the most genuinely creepy FPSs that I've ever played. See, what Stalker does is pretty much the exact opposite of Doom 3's horrible broken approach to manufacturing cheap thrills.
The Doom 3 Formula:
1. Every single room is pitch dark.
2. To bring up your flashlight you have to lower your gun.
3. To bring up your gun you have to lower your flashlight.
4. Enemies constatly respawn.
5. Enemies constatly respawn right behind you.
6. Lots of scripted events where things burst through walls at you.
Creepy, yes, but very artificial in approach.
The Stalker Formula:
1. Give you realistic guns that fire with realistic accuracy.
2. Create an enviroment of dread and paranoia.
3. Throw in lots of terrifying enemies that leap at your face.
4. Force you to scavange for supplies.
5. Toss in some amazing sound design.
And there you have it! The recipe for successfully creating a very creepy game.
Man, I love this game.
Sometimes you get the scorpion.