STALKER: Clear Sky

Once in a while it's entirely possible to encounter a game that looks great in the early stages, and quickly turns out to be one that's been rushed to market from midgame onwards. Clear Sky is one such game.

At first glance, it is a truly atmospheric game. A total graphical revamp over its predecessor. The graphics are stunning, the levels and familiar areas simply look better than they used to, and hell...they even threw in the really nice idea of lethal Zone energy emissions, which one needs to dodge in order to stay alive. Now that is how (sucky) life in the Zone really ought to be.

Then comes the minor niggles. Bullet ballistics seem just wrong...the guns are somewhat underpowered. Then it turns out you can quicksave while nowhere near a safe area while an emission is coming, theoretically preventing game progress as you load a game moments before the emission kills you. Better yet, you're the only one hiding, because for some reason every other soldier can ignore the darned things. Oh, and did I mention that the safe zone could (unfortunately) be in the middle of an enemy base? Well...if the emission doesn't get you, the enemies probably would. Blagh.

Right, then comes the ending. The levels towards the end become somewhat...troublesome. Few stores are available for resupply and dumping off looted equipment. Your armor's probably torn to shreds at this point, and it's really a pain to get back to some base a few maps away. Then comes the clincher: The finale is one long and meaningless firefight.

Now, I am generally pretty happy with firefights. They're pretty exciting on average and can be quite fun. It just gets old when it becomes a series of clear the area of enemies, followed by clear the area of enemies, followed by clear the area of enemies, then we give you new gun and ammo, so shoot the final dude!

That one really sucked. For one, there's a carrying weight limit in the game. I don't know why I suddenly have a really nifty gun and ammo, but then 'coz of the weight limit...I can't actually move. Better yet, enemies are happily shooting at me. That sucks. Well...since everyone's shooting at me...who am I supposed to kill, again? Unlike the first STALKER, this one really really took the fun out of the ending. No alternative endings, nobody's really sure why I gota take the guy out, and it really took me a while to figure what I was supposed to do with the sucker. Way to kill a game that had so much potential. They should outlaw games rushed to market. :s