Tom's Hardware: "Stalker Clear Sky should probably be called Stalker v1.5. You don't have to know the precursor, Shadow of Chernobyl, to enjoy this one, though it would help if you've played it before. Inspired by the movie, the main character is a stalker (go figure) who fights his way through the contaminated areas around Chernobyl. The main objectives are pretty straightforward: fight, explore the environment, perform a handful of small tasks, and then fight some more.
The game is not approved for children, so it isn't censored (as it says on the German cover). The game runs well on a Core 2 Duo and Geforce 8800 GTS at 1920x1200 pixels if you turn off anti-aliasing and DX10 lighting effects. For maximum graphics quality at high-def resolutions, you will need a Radeon HD 4870 or GeForce GTX 280 graphics card; you can read in our performance comparison about how well the game does with the HD 3870, HD 4850, HD 4870, GeForce 8800 GTS 512, 9600 GT, 9800 GTX, GTX 260 and GTX 280. If you want to get the most out of your game."
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is about to launch and we've noticed player counts for the original trilogy spiking in anticipation.
"Mechanically, Clear Sky is a surprising leap ahead of Shadow of Chornobyl. Shooting, which was already solid, is tightened further. Mercifully, armour can be upgraded and repaired and there are now much more gear set combinations. This is further complemented by an increased emphasis on artefacts as a necessary adjunct to your gear set. The key aspect that elevates this prequel above its forebear is the extra focus on inventory customisation." - Ken Talbot| NintendoLife
Review - S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky should be seen as an expansion rather than a full prequel, but it is one that fans will enjoy nonetheless.
