S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky

When in the spring of 2008 GSC Game World suddenly announced that Clear Sky would be delayed by almost half a year, fans sighed heavily. Could it be again? After years of waiting for the first Stalker, the prospect of another endless cycle of promises and delays seemed unbearable. But now, as you read these lines, all doubts can be left in the past: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky has been available on store shelves for a very, very long time, and everyone can see for themselves that the extra months of waiting were not wasted.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky Free Steam Account

The main thing that GSC managed to do during this period was to breathe life into the Zone. Yes, the simulation existed in the first part, but it felt more like a background. The player could go through the game from start to finish without ever encountering anything truly random. Stalkers stayed in place, bandits and mutants strictly adhered to the territories assigned to them, without going beyond the boundaries. If we moved from the Dump to the Agroprom Research Institute, we knew exactly where we would run into bandits, and where a pack of wild boars or blind dogs. There were corpses of other characters, but the process of their death remained behind the scenes. It seemed that all this “life” was happening somewhere on the side, without directly affecting us. The developers realized that hidden simulation was of little interest to anyone, and decided to bring it to the foreground. This is how the gang war appeared. From that moment on, Clear Sky became a full-fledged sandbox. There are five factions in the game that you can join and, theoretically, Zone with. Capturing key points gives advantages – the larger the territory.

The rules seem simple, commander, but just an ordinary fighter. You can’t just go up to the first stalker you meet and say: “Hey, let’s go capture the pumping station.” The only option is to join the squad and help him in battle. The Zone has hot spots, where shootouts do not subside for a minute, and calmer places, where everything has long been divided. In the first case, the PDA is literally inundated with messages: someone calls for help, someone shouts that the point is about to be recaptured, someone demands reinforcements. And sometimes mutants burst into this mess, making the chaos even more interesting.

In the second case, the map is practically under the control of one group, and the only threat is rare attacks of monsters. But it’s worth interfering, and the balance of power begins to collapse. People and mutants start moving, zones change hands, and you can even just stand aside and watch what happens next. At such moments, it seems that Clear Sky is playing itself, and it doesn’t really need the player. Although participating in this madness is, of course, much more fun than just watching from the sidelines.

The best thing about the faction war is that you can completely ignore it. This system was created solely for the sake of interest and a little income (money is paid for successful attacks and defense). Don’t want to participate? No one forces you. Moreover, it’s even profitable: you can complete the initial tasks of all factions and remain in shaky neutrality, according to the principle “they shoot at us, we shoot at them.”

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Monsters remained almost the same, but people became smarter and more aggressive. Now the enemies actively use cover, outflank, fire suppressively, and most importantly, they have finally learned to throw grenades. True, the developers have gone a bit overboard here: the enemies throw “lemons” with such precision that it’s time to doubt the laws of physics. When a couple of grenades fly right into the window from a distance of 30 meters, you involuntarily want to shout according to Stanislavsky: “I don’t believe it!”

Money, Artifacts and Faction Warfare – How to Play Clear Sky

Playing Clear Sky has become more difficult because the Zone itself is now tougher and more merciless. The developers have corrected the shortcomings of the original Stalker, due to which survival sometimes seemed too easy, and the intended mechanics did not work to their full potential.

One of the main changes was the economy. In the original, money literally rained down on the player – artifacts lay underfoot, weapons and equipment could be carried in tons to merchants, who bought up all the junk without any problems. As a result, the need to fight for survival turned into an illusion. In “Clear Sky” everything was turned upside down. A backpack filled to the brim with weapons, ammunition, first aid kits and even vodka can be sold for a maximum of a couple of thousand rubles. Running around the battlefield in search of abandoned loot is now pointless – it is not worth the effort.

Now you can earn money in only two ways:

1. Participating in a gang war is long, dangerous and not very profitable.
2. Searching for artifacts is risky, but much more profitable.

However, finding artifacts has become more difficult: there are much fewer of them, and they can only be found in anomalies, and without a special detector, artifacts are simply invisible.

If you see a cluster of anomalies, it means there is an artifact lying somewhere nearby. But getting to it is quite a task. In Clear Sky, anomalies have become practically invisible, and it has become mortally dangerous to walk around the Zone without constant caution. A meter late with the detector – and you are already in the center of a deadly trap. The detector only indicates the approach of the artifact, but does not show where exactly it is. Determining the boundaries of the anomaly is also not easy: the center can still be seen, but the radius of destruction is a mystery. You have to literally make your way between the sparkling deadly clots of energy, throwing bolts in front of you to draw a safe route.

But the risk is justified. Even the weakest artifact costs a decent amount of money and gives a noticeable increase in characteristics. Thus, the developers not only balanced the economy, but also made the anomaly zones really valuable – now it makes sense to go there, and not go around them a kilometer away. In Clear Sky, you will have to earn money. Of course, you can survive on loot from killed enemies, but then the game will turn into severe torture.

All these changes would be pointless if there was no place to spend the money you earned. Fortunately, now you don’t have to run around the entire map looking for a trader – each faction has its own huckster. Where there are no traders, you can always use the services of a guide who will instantly take you to the right place for a modest fee. But the main innovation is the ability to improve and repair armor and weapons. At first it seems like a real gift, but then you realize: upgrades literally suck out all your savings.

What can be improved:

Weapons:

• Improved sights and stabilizers
• Larger magazine
• Conversion of weapons to a different caliber

Armor:

• Increased protection from different types of damage
• Increased carry weight

Each mechanic specializes in his own thing: some are better at upgrading armor, others at upgrading weapons. As a result, even a weak AK-47 can be turned into a formidable assault rifle, and a perfected Vintar can be turned into a real death machine. However, after a visit to a mechanic, usually only wind remains in your pockets.

The evolution of Stalker: what has become better and what is still lame

We have already said more than once that Stalker has become much more beautiful and convenient to use, and now we can confirm this. At first glance, it seems that GSC did not do anything revolutionary – they just added a couple of effects, increased the detail of the models, improved the lighting and drew the textures better. However, the picture is now perceived as complete, filled with details and atmosphere. The engine, of course, does not work miracles, but it copes with the task perfectly.

One of the main problems of the original – an inconvenient map and PDA – has finally been improved. Now the developers have clearly distinguished between story and additional tasks, added key points and even marked the main groups and creatures living there on the map. It has become easier to plan a route: you can see where stalkers and mutants are (don’t worry, random encounters have not gone away), as well as their movements. The only thing that is still missing is the ability to make your own notes. Too bad, it would have been very useful.

Thanks to all these improvements, the game has become clearer in terms of quests. Now you always have a clear goal, tasks are marked on the radar, and if you have already taken on a task, success depends primarily on your actions. Almost always. Sometimes strange situations happen – for example, you are assigned to clear out bandits, but an allied squad that should help suddenly decides to make a stop with a guitar and vodka away from the battle point. And even if you kick them, even if you shoot in the air, you won’t move them from the spot. Fortunately, such bugs are rare. The role-playing component has also been noticeably improved. There are more unique characters with whom it is interesting to communicate, and there are now more quests. In the field, tasks either automatically come to the PDA or are issued by squad commanders.

Here are the main changes to the role-playing system:

• There are now more unique NPCs with interesting dialogues.
• Tasks can now be received automatically on the PDA.
• Squad leaders issue side quests right in the action zone.
• Additional missions have become more diverse and complex.

But the plot is not so rosy. It’s not that bad, but it’s not exactly a smash hit either. There’s almost no mystery or intrigue here — you’ll just have to travel around the Zone, exchange bits of information about Strelok’s location, and so step by step get to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Don’t expect any big plot twists, and the ending… well, let’s just say it will disappoint many. We won’t spoil it, but if you were hoping for something grandiose, you’ll be in vain. In addition, those who haven’t completed the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to the end will have a hard time understanding what’s going on.

GSC has once again managed to create a Zone that you want to return to

Problems with the plot are not a reason for experienced stalkers to avoid the Zone. Although the story itself is not very deep, the events around it develop so quickly that you will definitely not get bored. The path from the swamps to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant turned out to be eventful and full of unexpected encounters, and the new locations pleasantly surprise: the Red Forest, Limansk, a destroyed hospital, a military base – each of them has its own atmosphere. Limansk stands out in particular – cozy, as if frozen in time, and not at all like the gloomy, abandoned Pripyat.

But the main thing GSC has managed again: to create a living, detailed world that you want to explore. And what is especially nice is that the developers give us the opportunity to change it for ourselves, experiment and find our own path. Not every RPG offers such freedom as Clear Sky.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky System Requirements

How to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky for free on Steam via VpeSports

Do you dream of finding yourself in the dark expanses of the Zone again, feeling the adrenaline of battles and the mystery of anomalies in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, without spending extra money? We have a pleasant and very simple way just for you! We offer you a chance to immerse yourself in the world of Clear Sky absolutely free of charge using shared Steam accounts that already have the game. To do this, you just need to go through a quick and convenient registration on the VpeSports website and perform a few easy steps that take literally a couple of minutes.

After you register, immediately go to the section with free steam account. There you will find a variety of games, among which Clear Sky will certainly be. Open its page, read our review and just click on the download button. For your comfort, we have compiled the most detailed and friendly instructions, thanks to which access to the game will become an absolutely simple and understandable process even for those who are encountering something like this for the first time. It is very important and interesting for us to know your opinion about the adventures in the Zone, so we will be glad to hear every review, story or advice. Tell us about your first raid, how you avoided anomalies or met unusual characters. Remember that we care about the comfort of communication, so all comments are moderated – if yours does not appear right away, try just changing its wording a little, and soon it will definitely be published. After checking, you will receive an email with the login and password for your Steam account.

And another little tip: be sure to check out our cozy Telegram channel. There is a warm, friendly atmosphere there, where you can always discuss any subtleties of Clear Sky and find out the latest news about the entire S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. Here you are guaranteed to get advice, share interesting finds and just support the conversation about your favorite game.

If any difficulties or questions arise, we have a separate, very clear instruction “How to start playing for free – in simple words” or in the chat. There you will find answers to the most frequently asked questions, so that nothing distracts you from your journey to the Zone. So set off on a journey, explore mysterious corners, collect valuable artifacts and carefully avoid insidious anomalies. We wish you bright emotions and unforgettable adventures in Clear Sky!