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Aces of the Galaxy
Stars indicate the most critically-acclaimed games. |
The story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky brings the players one year prior to the events of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in 2011. A group of stalkers has for the first time reached the very heart of the Zone - Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, and brings about a cataclysm on the brink of a catastrophe. An immense blow-out of anomalous energy changes the Zone. There are no more reliable and relatively safe roads. The entire levels vanish in the outbursts of anomalies. Stalkers and even expeditions die or end up sealed on the lost territories. New areas, which remained unknown since the time of the Zone emergence, appear on the Zone map. The Zone continues to shake with blowouts. The Zone is unstable. The anomalous activity is at its maximum. Changes of the Zone map known to stalkers shake the fragile balance of forces in the Zone. Among the groupings, there flare up hostilities for the new territories, artefact fields and spheres of influence. There are no more old enemies or friends - now everyone is for himself. The Factions War has started between the groupings. [Deep Silver]
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more... 90
games(TM)
Clear Sky chiefly succeeds because it transforms grim fantasy into a startlingly real-world experience. [Oct 2008, p.108]
88
PC Zone UK
Clear Sky is a unique experience, so far unparalleled save for its predecessor. [Oct 2008, p.52]
88
Games Master UK
Clear Sky delivers a more AI-driven, frightening and altogether more dangerous world than its predecessor ever could. [Oct 2008, p.77]
83
Worth Playing
The faction wars are an interesting concept, but the game is mostly about the player making his way through the zone and uncovering some of its secrets. It's a bit more about gunfights and a lot less scary than its predecessor, but overall, Clear Sky improves upon the original in many ways while using the same strengths that made it so compelling in the first place.
 80
Pelit (Finland)
More or less the same game as its predecessor. Atmosphere is still amazing and zone is a fascinating place to adventure in, but there is far too much travelling back and forth and there still isn't any real story to talk of. Great game for people who want to immerse themselves in the surrounding world, less so for competitive pc shooter fans. [Sept 2008]
79
3DJuegos
The second episode of Shadow of Chernobyl is a mere update of contents, a version 1.5 of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The overcrowding of the maps, the control system of territories and the more focused rate towards the action might irritate some and please others; but somehow they are incorporations that take away from the horror atmosphere of the series and turn it into a more conventional and repetitive action game. Nevertheless Clear Sky continues being a really interesting FPS and we enjoy its difficult and unpredictable proposal and, especially, if we play it on a high end PC.
75
1UP
What Clear Sky doesn't deliver is the abject, adjust-your-gamma terror of its predecessor.
73
IGN
So if you liked the first game because it was big and dense and scary, then you'll like Clear Sky for the same reasons. And if you like the original but wish that it offered more GRAW-style action, then Clear Sky is even better.
72
Jolt Online Gaming UK
For some S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Clear Sky will reek of a badly designed game, while for others it will resemble a well designed reality, but for us it’s somewhere in between the two and none the better for it.
70
LEVEL (Czech Republic)
Stalker is back with a tempting story, handful of improvements and new places to explore. Players of Shadow of Chernobyl will feel right at home (many areas “recycled” from first game), newcomers can learn the story who lead to Zone cataclysm. Unfortunately, some faults remained from the previous installment like handling inventory and AI scripting. [Sept 2008]
70
EuroGamer
Between the improved weapon modification and the more living Zone, a certain strand of Stalker fan will find much here to applaud, and those who've never actually played the earlier game at all will still be enchanted by the unique atmosphere of the place... but would be recommended going there first, perhaps with the Oblivion Lost mod attached.
70
Edge Magazine
As easy to misunderstand as it is to break, it again turns the best and worse of PC gaming into something extraordinary. [Oct 2008, p.94]
70
IGN UK
Stalker was made so much more of by patches and mods because it was such an impressive skeleton of a game. Clear Sky, though, has so much decaying flesh attached to it that cutting through to the admittedly very healthy bone below may prove too tall an order.
70
PC Format
Not strictly a failure, but it is potentially 2008's most disappointing PC game, and will certainly need a hefty post-release patch. [Oct 2008, p.100]
68
PC Gamer UK
Stalker: Clear Sky remains a remarkable misstep by the Ukrainian developers, and one that does not reflect well on their original game, or their independence from original publishers, THQ. We can only hope that their next effort will be more controlled.
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