S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a first-person shooting game with elements of survival and horror. It was developed by GSC Game World and published by THQ in 2007. The game has received mostly positive reviews, and it can boast the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, immersive world and survival mechanics despite its age. 

Setting

Survive in the Zone, a place of strong radiation and deadly monsters based on the real-life Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Stalker Shadow of Chernobyl takes place in an alternative universe in which after the initial Chernobyl disaster, a second one occurred. It caused animal and plant mutations and supernatural anomalies.

Become a Stalker and scavenge the area in search for money, valuable artifacts, and scientific information. With the help of your anomaly detector, listen out for warning signals and be prepared for weird happenings and fights to the death!

Visit Chernobyl, Pripyat and the infamous nuclear plant. Those locations are based on its real-life counterparts, so you will have the possibility to see those locations with your very own eyes!

Gameplay

It is primarily an FPS video game, so be prepared to use your gun and defeat the deadly monsters lurking all around you. Enjoy realistic combat mechanics and accurate ballistics. Play alone or with friends in the multiplayer mode that supports up to 32 players!

Collect artifacts and change your character's attributes

Scavenge the area in order to find collectibles that soon come in handy. During the game, you do not gain additional statistics or abilities, but with the help of the powerful artifacts you are able to gain negative or positive effects that change your character's attributes. There is plentiful of items to be found within the Zone and each allows you to customise your Stalker as you wish.

Talk with NPCs

As in every RPG, there are numbers of non-playable characters that await you. You can talk with them and choose dialogue options. Each NPC can have a mission just for you, so help them and progress through your main mission!

Overcome weird anomalies

During your playthrough, you come across supernatural anomalies that are potentially deadly. Beware of them as they can electrocute you, or pull in the air and crush you. However, those anomalies can come in handy as they can be an indicator where the rarest artifacts are.

Key features:

• Immersive story of a post-apocalyptic world based on real-life Chernobyl and its surroundings
• Unique combat and survival mechanics with accurate ballistic features
• Powerful artifacts that can alter your character's attributes and change your style of gameplay
• Possibility to talk to NPCs, see their points of view on ever-changing environment and understand how difficult their life in the Zone is
• Intensive multiplayer mode that supports up to 32 players