S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat

The new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. came out right on time. What’s next? Maybe the Liechtenstein team will triumphantly take gold at the World Championship? Or will Uwe Boll suddenly make a brilliant Half-Life adaptation? Or maybe CITY Interactive will come up with something truly original? Who knows… But one thing is for sure: this time the game will not please us with bugs hanging around the code like Christmas lights. Well, right?

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat Free Steam Account

The Zone is not what it used to be. As soon as Strelok turned off the Brain Scorcher, everything went wrong. Scientists immediately flocked to previously forbidden areas, eagerly exploring the most delicious part of the Zone – its center. They settled in bunkers, stocked up on security in the form of mercenaries and now methodically pick through the secrets that were previously inaccessible.

And what about the stalkers? Nothing much has changed. They migrated to new lands, sniffed around, settled in – and again in search of artifacts, and in the evenings they traditionally light fires and destroy strategic reserves of vodka. The military is another matter. While the Scorcher was working, they behaved relatively peacefully, but now they decided that it was time to take matters into their own hands. Or, to be more precise, with an iron fist. The plan is simple: establish control over the center of the Zone.

But the Zone is not a place where you can take something by storm. Operation Fairway turned into a real failure. Five military helicopters were sent on a mission, and every single one crashed under mysterious circumstances. No one knows what exactly happened, but the high offices decided not to have a debriefing and get down to business right away. The question of “who is to blame?” was put off for later, but “what to do?” was decided to be clarified immediately. This is how SBU Major Degtyarev appeared in the Zone – a former stalker, and now a man with a vague past and a clear mission. However, they clearly sent him without much enthusiasm. His equipment included a machine gun that requires half a clip, a can of food, and a PDA to destroy one dead blind dog. They dropped the major off in an open field with a silent message: “Survive as best you can.” And it’s good that there are still good people in the Zone. The first stalker he meets tells him that he can take shelter from emissions and rain on the old dry cargo ship “Skadovsk”. Well, it looks like that’s where we’re headed…

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Exploring the Zone: New Locations, Mechanics, and Survival in Call of Pripyat

We will be on the road most of the time – there, then back, a little further to the side… In general, about forty percent of the game time will have to be devoted to movement. Sometimes it is tiring: the backpack is full of cartridges, first aid kits, weapons – running with such a load is not really possible. The maximum is a dash of a hundred meters, after which Degtyarev will be exhausted and will barely be able to move his legs. But there is also good news: there are noticeably more guides. Any friendly stalker will gladly save us not only from an extra thousand rubles, but also from the need to walk across half the map. Now even after completing some tasks, you can get a nice bonus – the characters themselves will offer to accompany us, and the screen will kindly “scroll” the tedious path to the shelter. After all, it is not for nothing that they say: “If you set out on a journey with a friend, the road is more fun.”

Even more pleasant is that there are completely new locations to explore: the familiar Dump, Cordon and other old places are not here. There are only three maps, but they are huge. And most importantly – lively, atmospheric.

• Zaton is a swampy area that used to be a reservoir. Here you can find rusty ship hulks and abandoned buildings that have become a haven for stalkers and mutants.
• Yanov is a railway station, next to which there is a village of zombified stalkers. This is one of the central places of the Zone, where various groups flock.
• Pripyat is a real ghost town. The wind moans in the broken windows, grass is pushing through the asphalt, and the once well-groomed alleys have turned into wild groves. Sometimes you can even recognize familiar silhouettes: “There’s a basketball court between five-story buildings – like in my yard. And there’s a kindergarten with a lion cub painted on it – exactly the same.” The sensations are goosebumps.

To prevent the road from seeming too monotonous, the developers have improved the A-Life system. Now there are no senseless crowds running around the map, arranging chaotic shootouts, but it is still not boring. Shots are heard constantly – sometimes on the horizon, sometimes right next to you. You can always pull out a machine gun and join the fight, supporting one of the sides. And when the emission begins (now this happens regularly), stalkers immediately drop everything and rush to the shelter, and then go back to their business. Sometimes it is even interesting to just take out binoculars and watch: here is a pack of pseudo-dogs chasing a boar, and there bandits are trying to fight off bloodsuckers. The Zone is alive. Although not as violently as we were promised.

However, there is something to do during travels besides shootouts. For example, searching for artifacts. In “Call of Pripyat” this mechanic has become more interesting. Now small anomalies have almost disappeared, and instead of them there are large zones with dangerous radiation. Getting to the artifact and surviving is a real mini-game. You will have to deftly dodge flashes of fire, lightning and acid splashes, without losing sight of the detector readings. It looks impressive. For example, there is a rock with huge torn out pieces of rock – as if someone invisible bit off pieces of it. Or a huge crack in the ground, called “Scar”. The zone really showed its strength here.

At the end of a long journey, “Skadovsk” awaits us – a rusty barge that has become a home for stalkers. Here you can catch your breath, replenish supplies, improve your equipment with a local technician and, finally, sleep. In previous parts with mods, it was already possible to take a nap right in a sleeping bag somewhere in the attic, but in “Call of Pripyat” overnight stay is available only in shelters. Still, comfort is more important than safety – apparently, this is what the developers decided.

New missions in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat: exciting quests or the same old “bring – kill”?

In Skadovsk, you can not only take a break, but also take additional tasks from local stalkers. Compared to the previous parts of the series, they have become much more interesting. Now these are not just one-time assignments, but entire storylines, which have plenty of unexpected twists. Some quests are available only to the most meticulous researchers – for example, those who order weapons from a local dealer or treat a technician to a bottle of vodka. Boring, game-generated missions like “bring – kill” are a thing of the past. Now each task is a small adventure with elements of choice. Help the bandits rob the stalkers or intervene and stop the raid? Free the prisoner by force or try to negotiate? The decision is yours. But the story missions have not changed much over the years. You still have to go down to gloomy laboratories, participate in shootouts and look for classified documents. It’s still exciting, but too familiar. And if there is more freedom with the side-stories, the main storyline remains strictly linear. The only important choice is to leave the Zone to see a slide show with the fates of key characters, or to stay and continue playing. By the way, the free play mode after the finale was also taken from the mods – now it is part of the main version.

If you look into the main character’s PDA, you can find the “Achievements” section in the “Statistics” tab. Unlike other games, rewards are given not for boring achievements like “kill a hundred mutants”, but for real actions. For example, if you destroy a bloodsuckers’ lair, other stalkers will start throwing medicines into your personal stash. And if you collect the entire set of achievements, humanitarian aid will also include cartridges with useful consumables.

What feats can you accomplish in the Zone? Here are just a few examples:

• Eliminating a bloodsucker lair opens access to regular supplies of medicine.
• Achieving the reputation of a “legendary stalker” brings respect among factions.
• Complete exploration of anomalous zones allows you to obtain valuable artifacts.
• Rescuing prisoners from bandits improves the attitude of stalkers and brings bonuses.
• Completing all storylines gives a rare set of equipment.

But despite all the advantages, missions in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. still lack spectacle. Imagine: it’s night, you and your comrades go hunting for a chimera – one of the most terrible mutants in the Zone. Flashlight beams snatch twisted trees from the darkness, the swamp squelches ominously underfoot, and the silence is broken by a roar that sends shivers down your spine. A nightmarish creature jumps out of the shadows – the fight between man and beast begins…

And now – how it looks in the game. Clumsily animated partners rush nearby, textured stumps flicker in the bushes, and then a chimera awkwardly jumps out of the darkness. We unanimously pour lead on it, and in a second it’s all over. It’s a shame that the developers did not pay due attention to the presentation – as a result, even the most intense scenes sometimes look like an unfinished production.

Is S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat worth playing today?

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat is a successful continuation of the series. The game has become larger in scale, the tasks are more diverse, and thanks to this, the passage is addictive from the first minute. However, the outdated X-Ray engine is no longer up to the task even with support for DirectX 10 effects, so for some, the impressions of traveling through the Zone may be spoiled by the outdated graphics.

As a result, the perception of the game depends on expectations: some will immerse themselves in the atmosphere, experience a real hunt for a chimera and enjoy exploring the Zone, while others will grimace at the sight of angular models and animations reminiscent of a school theater production. But if you are primarily interested in the atmosphere, then behind the nondescript picture there are picturesque locations, oppressive tension, exciting hunts for artifacts and shootouts, albeit far from Hollywood scale, but still enjoyable.

By the way, no bugs or crashes were noticed during the gameplay (although some players still encounter minor, but not critical errors). So if you have already completed “Call of…”, all that remains is to wait for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Hopefully, not for another seven years.

Pros:

• Various and interesting tasks
• New large-scale and atmospheric locations
• Smarter fauna
• Exciting search for artifacts
• Improved A-Life system

Cons:

• Outdated graphics
• Missions lack spectacle and development
• A lot of running around locations
• Most of the innovations are borrowed from fan mods

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat System Requirements

How to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat for free on Steam via VpeSports

Do you dream of immersing yourself in the atmosphere of the mysterious and harsh Exclusion Zone again, experiencing exciting adventures and passing all the tests in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat absolutely free? We will be happy to help you do this! Our service allows you to play through a common Steam account, where the game is already available and is just waiting for your launch. You just need to go through a short registration on the VpeSports website and follow a few easy steps that will take very little time.

As soon as you register, we recommend visiting the section of the site with free steam account. Dozens of excellent games are collected here, among which it is easy to find the cult S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat. After going to the page with the game review, you will see clear instructions that will tell you in detail how to start playing right now. Your opinion is really important to us – do not hesitate to leave a comment, tell us about your emotions from the game or just thank the team for their efforts. Please note that all comments are moderated, so if your review is delayed, don’t worry – we will definitely publish it after checking. You will then receive a confirmation email with login details.

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If you have any difficulties or questions, don’t worry: we have taken care of it in advance and compiled the most detailed instructions for you called “How to play for free: full instructions“. We have described everything in as much detail and clarity as possible so that nothing will interfere with your journey into the world of the Zone. Now all you have to do is set off to meet anomalies, dangerous mutants and exciting plot twists. Good hunting, stalker!