All STALKER Games In Order

There’s a single draw back within the S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. sequence: it’s too brief. There’re solely three foremost entries to date, and I really feel prefer it’s not sufficient.

Perhaps you noticed the trailer for the fourth entry, S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R 2: Heart of Chernobyl. It’s popping out in 2022 as an Xbox Series unique, and it appears nice.

Before that, Ukrainian studio GSC Game World showcased video-game mastery. They efficiently combined RPG, action-adventure, survival, and FPS to ship a story-driven survival horror shooter.

Let’s check out the Stalker sequence, and see what we’ve been lacking.

The S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. Series

S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. stands for “Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers, and Robbers.” It’s an acronym that describes the tone and the setting of the sequence.

The setting is an alternate Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. The recreation’s story explains a second explosion after the real-life one.

The Ukrainian space was a part of the usS. According to recreation lore, a number of secret laboratories had been conducting psionic skills experiments in Chernobyl. It created a disaster in 2006 that brought about a meteorological phenomenon and mutated the native animals and crops. The unique historic explosion occurred in 1986.

This space across the explosion is named “The Zone.” It’s wealthy in climate anomalies, mutants, radioactivity, poisonous wastes, and Stalkers.

See, these anomalies create “Artifacts,” objects with distinctive psionic powers. The Stalkers discover the Zone, trying to find the artifacts for private glory and enrichment. Some work on their very own, whereas others are members of rival factions.

On high of this, there’s the Duty faction and the Freedom faction. The former imagine the Zone ought to be destroyed; the latter imagine the Zone ought to be accessible to everybody. See, there’s a army perimeter across the Zone to maintain mutants and people with psionic powers in examine.

The setting opens up an FPS with scarce ammo and assets. Players have to handle a list with weapons, well being kits, ammo, meals, water, and different stats. If you’re aware of the Metro video games, lets say Stalker is its foremost competitor.

S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. Game in Order

S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl – 2007

The first recreation introduces the Zone, a harmful place solely the Stalkers pricey to discover. It debuted in 2007 for Windows. 

The setting takes inspiration from two supply supplies. It picks from Arkady and Boris Strygatsky’s Roadside Picnic, in addition to Andrei Tarkovsky’s movie “Stalker.”

You play because the “Marked One,” a person who misplaced his recollections. He wakes up with a message in his PDA, the place he reads “Kill Strelok.” Unaware that he’s Strelok, probably the most succesful Stalkers alive, he begins a journey to search out himself.

The map extends for 30 kilometers of ruins throughout Chernobyl and the Chernobyl Nuclear Plant. The builders additionally moved town of Pripyat to the realm, and it’s modeled to its real-life counterpart. 

It’s not an open world, although. Instead, the sport comes by semi-open map pockets tied along with loading screens. 

The Marked One has an Anomaly Detector that beeps when it senses psionic vitality to discover the realm safely. Also, Strelok can collect artifacts that improve and reduce attributes.

However, although it has RPG parts, dialog branches are restricted. There’re additionally no penalties in your decisions, other than declining or accepting a mission. 

Lastly, your mission spans radiation patches, mutants, raiders, harmful anomalies, and NPCs. 

S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R.: Clear Sky – 2008

Clear sky debuted in 2008 for Windows as nicely. THQ stepped down because the writer, and Deep silver stepped in. If you’re unfamiliar, Deep Silver is the developer of the Metro video games.

The new protagonist is Scar, a mercenary seeking to cease a gaggle of Stalkers from reaching the Zone’s middle. The middle is dwelling to the forbidden Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Only Strelok has reached the realm and lived to inform the story.

Either method, the sport makes use of a lot of the identical areas because the final recreation whereas introducing new areas. Also, it provides the power to customise weapons and armor. Lastly, it permits gamers to take part in faction wars.

The survival horror parts are nonetheless there as nicely. Ammo is scarce, scary, and the mutants are amok.

For RPG parts, gamers should handle stock, decide up quests, handle armor varieties, and deal with protection stats.

As for the faction wars, gamers study that factions struggle for territory and energy. Players can be part of any faction in battle and get particular gear and merchants in return.

Then, because the story goes on, Scar discovers the last word aim is defeating Strelok. He can struggle alone or develop into an ally to one of many 4 factions for the search.

S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R.: Call of Pripyat – 2009

Call of Pripyat debuted in 2009 for Windows. It is the final within the sequence earlier than its lengthy hiatus.

The third entry takes place shortly after Clear Sky and Shadow of Chernobyl. There’s an open path to the Zone middle, and the federal government decides to take management by its “Operation Fairway.” Moreover, the federal government plans to research the territory, due to this fact dispatching army pressure.

You play as Major Alexander Degtyarev, a stalker and an SBU agent. You journey to the Zone after the preliminary army operation failed. The aim is to seek for the crash web site of 5 helicopters.

This story opens up a brand new inside and across the nuclear plant. The ghost metropolis of Pripyat can be the principle state of affairs. As earlier than, you play on semi-open pocket areas related by loading screens.

The gameplay stays much like earlier than however provides a sleep system on high of starvation and thirst. Also, it provides different practical shooter parts like weapon put on injury, restricted financial system, restore prices, and related.

The buying and selling system additionally modifications in comparison with earlier video games. Notably, merchants can promote key data as paperwork. On the identical observe, there’re weapon and armor improve tiers. Each department requires a particular toolkit.

Then, essentially the most vital novelty is “emissions.” These are psionic anomalies that make the bottom shake. The participant will get a two-minute warning, and he should wind a predesigned shelter to outlive the fallout.

Lastly, the sport has a multiplayer PvP mode that helps 32 gamers max on a number of maps.

S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl – 2022

Heart of Chernobyl is the upcoming sequel for the S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. trilogy. It’s debuting for Windows and Xbox Series in April 2022, and it will likely be accessible on Xbox Game Pass from day one (PC and console).

Initially, the builders needed to launch the sport in 2012. However, they canceled the sport a 12 months earlier than its launch.

In 2018, the sport got here back to the floor underneath GSC Game World publishing. More importantly, the builders use the all-new Unreal Engine 5 for its graphics.

Every S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R. Game in Chronological Order

Do I have to play S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R video games so as?

You can play both recreation as a stand-alone expertise. By studying my sequence’ description, or another information, you’ll have the knowledge you want.

The three core video games are interconnected as they reside in the identical confined area. That means they share plot factors, tales, characters, and areas. However, the connections inside these video games are minimal.

If you don’t need to play them so as, expertise the sequence following their default launch dates.

Why is S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R 2 an Xbox Exclusive?

GSC Game World wanted a protracted interval to reorganize itself after Call of Pripyat.

After the studio determined to develop into the writer, they discovered they couldn’t deal with the advertising and improvement course of.

Many years after the third S.T.A.L.Okay.E.R entry, Microsoft stepped in with a brand new deal. They purchased the rights for the sequence to get it as an Xbox / Windows unique for 3 months. The interval is in keeping with paperwork gathered by The Verge.