Meet our new mascot. This Snork is now officially owned and branded by Tap-Repeatedly, and will represent us at several major functions in the coming months. It was a rigorous interview process, but ultimately this Snork – Edgar – won out over Zombie #14 from Deadly Shadows’ Shalebridge Cradle mission.
None of the above is true.
Actually, this Snork graces our front page because today is a day of days, my friends: it is STALKER: Call of Pripyat Day in North America and western Europe. And if the first English-language review is accurate, they finally got it right.
Unfortunately, Call of Pripyat is being handled by such a rinky-dink publisher over here that actually finding it at retail may be a challenge. And so far I haven’t seen it on Steam or Impulse pre-order pages. What to do?
Stay tuned for a Steerpike Special Review.
I thought it was a groundhog for a moment. Wait, maybe it iiiiiisssssss a groundhog.
In the Zone!
Can someone in the UK gift you the game on American Steam?:S
Apologies for the double post. On a side note Steerpike, that review is really favorable. Might be worth a peek 🙂
Dan Pearson’s review had me at the Somerfield simile.
Looking forward to the review Matt. It’s about time GSC learned from the previous two entries.
“Every dark and foreboding basement, every foetid and festering tunnel, each chattering, Learian, wind-blasted moor is pregnant with the potential for sudden and terrifying action. STALKER’s environments seethe with sinister malevolence, despite being largely uninhabited.”
That’s exactly what I loved about Penumbra: Overture as well. The powerful use of negative space and your imagination.
I was really hoping by now that a greater emphasis on story would be placed within the STALKER games. GSC have already nailed the atmosphere and setting, we’ve all known that for a long time. However, they desperately need someone to create a free roaming plot that allows the player to explore the storyline as much or as little as they like.
Many of the empty spaces are incredibly creepy, and tell a story in themselves (underground labs for example) but to allow the player to discover the how/what/whys and when’s is always well received.
STALKERs main storyline although enjoyable was forgettable, and I would really love to see a talented writer make use of the setting and atmosphere STALKER boasts. Even if it was something as small as documents, recordings and video files to discover and not necessarily set pieces.
Agreed. If there is a STALKER 2, it needs to capitalize on the open-worldedness of the experience, and focus on life in the Zone – exploration and adventuring and multiple story arcs rather than a single major arc and a million one-stop sidequests. And since, as Lewis says, they’ve proven they can do atmosphere, it’s time to branch out a bit.
That said I doubt GSC’s next game will be a STALKER sequel; after all these years they must want to try something new.
That review sold me. Can’t wait to get back to the Zone! Do post what you find out about distribution
Also check out Jim Rossignol’s Wot I Think at Rock, Paper, Shotgun. Rossignol is an awesome writer and he’s done a lot of great writing about the STALKER series.
It’s on Amazon. Mine showed up on Friday.
You have to play with the dang DVD in, but that’s a small price to pay to return to the Zone…
Overall? Enjoying so far. It seems easier, but I may just be a bad-ass.
Hey Josh, I recognise you from RPS! That is all.
Hey Josh, it is indeed. That’s where I got my copy. Retailers around here (Michigan) said they’d have it, but it never seemed to arrive.
Amazon’s is the Collectors Edition, which includes a map, a tech tree, and some keen stickers.
Overall? Like you, enjoying it so far. I feel like they’ve addressed many if not most of the concerns of Clear Sky, and added some things they’ve always meant to – other stalkers loot corpses, anomalies move, etc.
I’ll be doing a review presently.
Yes, other stalkers loot corpses, the jerks. Those first aid kits and boxes of ammo are rightfully mine!
And yeah, I like how anomalies seem to work now. And the terrible cracks in the ground where nightmarish things lurk and stuff. All good fun.
And hello back Gregg!