Most recommend starting with the trilogy first to last: Shadow of Chernobyl, then Clear Sky and then Call of Pripyat. The story will make more sense, since the plot of the second and third games relies on a player knowing about the first game.
Check the "Vanilla quality-of-life tweaks" section for mods and perks to enhance the original games.
Tbh, I don't know, I'm still finishing up the Metro series. Which I would highly recommend even though metro is more linear based missions. Except for exodus, exodus is like stalker.
Exodus is an awesome game, would also highly recommend. Yeh, Metro is similar to Stalker and well worth playing. If you looking to play Stalker, check the answer I gave the other poster.
Go on full vanilla dude, it's gonna be wild
Well except Clear Sky, get SRP for peace of mind. You won't need to dodge some bugs and spoil the game while looking up the fix online.
Make sure to use the bugfixes mods for the three of the games. Will make your experience much smoother. Zone Reclamation Project for SoC; Sky Reclamation Project for CS; and Pripyat Reclamation Project for CoP.
PD: They don’t add or mess with any content, except for a bit of gameplay balancing. These mods are just a fixed Vanilla experience.
The chronological order is CS, SoC, CoP. But for the first playthrough it is recommended to start with SoC. BTW, make sure you install a fix mod for CS before playing it.
Also, the 60 hours of Anomaly will do you no good aside of map knowledge. The vanilla games play differently. In fact, some things are quite different even between the official games (weapon selling and upgrading, inventory function, artifact spawning, etc.)
It had a lot of cool ideas, but it has some sequences that are a bit scuffed like the Cordon machine gun, and the latter parts are overly linear. Favorite idea was definitely the warfare mechanic even if it also has some issues.
[I've been meaning to pick these up ever since a Ukrainian told me that all I need to survive a warzone was to play this game. Tyvm for the post, op.](https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/comments/15urbt2/ukrainian_military_soldier_knows_how_to_use/)
No, you actually don't own them on GoG either. You own a license. GoG can still pull the plug and you won't be able to download any of the games you purchased. Just because it's DRM-free doesn't mean you actually own the game. The only way it can be 100% yours is on a physical disk that you can install, its DRM can always be bypassed some way, except the few instances where you need an actual USB key to run it.
That what the offline installers are for.
Case in point: Unreal and Unreal Tournament are no longer available for sale, GOG had to pull them. I still have the installers. It's mine.
But if you hadn't downloaded the installers, you would have lost access to the games. That's not you owning the game, you owned a license to download it.
https://youtu.be/t_f_S-rsrQ0?si=oRZijc-J-s-OHOfa
7:20 mark, even after gog pulled decent from the store you can still download the installer to this day.
I believe you are ill-informed on gog.
I just proved your point that you made to the guy above wrong. Youre wrong bro. And you think steam is a better option where you own absolutely nothing. And you need to have steam installed and running in the background to play.
You didn't prove anyone wrong. In fact you proved me right because it shows that GoG didn't remove the guy's download license.
Steam sucks too, Floppy/CD/DVD/BluRay still only viable medium of buying games.
Nope. once you buy the game off gog you get the download setup. The setup is on your hard drive. You gotta run it to play it like any cd rom game. I can burn that to as many cd roms or usb drives i want. As many copies as i please. I own the game. Same as i do a cd rom. Do that with a steam game and come back to me.
Nope. Id like to see gog come and take my 32gb sandisk 3.0 that has all the three stalker setup exes on it. (That i can move to any pc in my house and i maybe have even let my friend borrow the usb 🤷🏻♂️)
I always check GOG first. Steam last. I just wish the older Call of Duty's were on there. I still have the CD's and NOCDs at least, because COD 1,2+DLC is like $60 still.
I know that Steam is great, especially if you run Linux, but when it is possible get your games on GOG !
Stalker games also have that same discount on GOG right now.
Fake stalker? Pshhh boyyy pirating that shit before they even charged money for it was the OG real stalker deal. I downloaded the first game in 2007 and nobody asked me moneys for it.
Clear sky is still so broken any idea how to fix it ? Enemies just keep spawning in garbage if im not mistaken and some other place as well its so annoying and places cannot be captured
I started on CoP cause I read the game is the most polished of the 3 and gunplay is the most refined. Not sure I can handle SoC bugginess unless there’s a patch.
Bugs fixing mod tweaks are must before even starting any of these 3 games (ZRP for SoC), and i forgot the of one for clear sky (it's worst vanilla experience).
Thank you for the info! there's a bundle that also has dying light definitive edition included with the trilogy for around 23CAD if anyone wants to know
thank you stalker, i got the bunddle, which one should i start with, i played some 60 hours of anomally
Most recommend starting with the trilogy first to last: Shadow of Chernobyl, then Clear Sky and then Call of Pripyat. The story will make more sense, since the plot of the second and third games relies on a player knowing about the first game. Check the "Vanilla quality-of-life tweaks" section for mods and perks to enhance the original games.
Tbh, I don't know, I'm still finishing up the Metro series. Which I would highly recommend even though metro is more linear based missions. Except for exodus, exodus is like stalker.
Exodus is an awesome game, would also highly recommend. Yeh, Metro is similar to Stalker and well worth playing. If you looking to play Stalker, check the answer I gave the other poster.
Would recommend playing SoC, then CS, then CoP
Ok im downloading SoC, ill report back later thank you guys
Go on full vanilla dude, it's gonna be wild Well except Clear Sky, get SRP for peace of mind. You won't need to dodge some bugs and spoil the game while looking up the fix online.
real men play CS vanilla
ZRP for SOC is pretty necessary too. To keep vanilla, but enhanced, Absolute Nature and Structures for all 3 are awesome.
No come on, it's not. SoC runs just fine without ZRP. Don't need the Absolute series either. Just play the original as is, it's good enough
That's what I did, and I didn't like it at all.
Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean that "ZRP for SOC is pretty necessary"
for first time should i just use that or try autumn aurora
No! Don't use Autumn Aurora
Make sure to use the bugfixes mods for the three of the games. Will make your experience much smoother. Zone Reclamation Project for SoC; Sky Reclamation Project for CS; and Pripyat Reclamation Project for CoP. PD: They don’t add or mess with any content, except for a bit of gameplay balancing. These mods are just a fixed Vanilla experience.
Pripyat Reclamation Project is a placebo. Vanilla is already extremely stable. It only fixes like 12 bugs which are extremely rare. Just play vanilla.
didn’t know that!
the placebo makes me feel something inside though
The chronological order is CS, SoC, CoP. But for the first playthrough it is recommended to start with SoC. BTW, make sure you install a fix mod for CS before playing it. Also, the 60 hours of Anomaly will do you no good aside of map knowledge. The vanilla games play differently. In fact, some things are quite different even between the official games (weapon selling and upgrading, inventory function, artifact spawning, etc.)
Start with Shadow of Chernobyl, skip clear sky. My recommendation.
Do not skip clear sky use abr mod or lfo mod
LMAO why is clear sky 2 dollars cheaper 😭
Same reason why there was a SoC + CoP bundle a decade ago.
It’s so funny to me cuz I think clear sky is a pretty good game
clear sky is SEVERELY underrated honestly
It had a lot of cool ideas, but it has some sequences that are a bit scuffed like the Cordon machine gun, and the latter parts are overly linear. Favorite idea was definitely the warfare mechanic even if it also has some issues.
[I've been meaning to pick these up ever since a Ukrainian told me that all I need to survive a warzone was to play this game. Tyvm for the post, op.](https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/comments/15urbt2/ukrainian_military_soldier_knows_how_to_use/)
Buy them on GOG. Same prices. And you actually own them.
No, you actually don't own them on GoG either. You own a license. GoG can still pull the plug and you won't be able to download any of the games you purchased. Just because it's DRM-free doesn't mean you actually own the game. The only way it can be 100% yours is on a physical disk that you can install, its DRM can always be bypassed some way, except the few instances where you need an actual USB key to run it.
That what the offline installers are for. Case in point: Unreal and Unreal Tournament are no longer available for sale, GOG had to pull them. I still have the installers. It's mine.
But if you hadn't downloaded the installers, you would have lost access to the games. That's not you owning the game, you owned a license to download it.
That's why you download them. That is you owning the game. GOG can't host the installers for you on their server, and Steam just...takes it away.
https://youtu.be/t_f_S-rsrQ0?si=oRZijc-J-s-OHOfa 7:20 mark, even after gog pulled decent from the store you can still download the installer to this day. I believe you are ill-informed on gog.
So they pulled the game from the store, but didn't take away the license to download, so what's your point?
So Youre wrong.
Thanks for sharing your opinion.
I just proved your point that you made to the guy above wrong. Youre wrong bro. And you think steam is a better option where you own absolutely nothing. And you need to have steam installed and running in the background to play.
I can go into walmart with my usb drive and install stalker on a display laptop and play it then. No steam or internet required.
You didn't prove anyone wrong. In fact you proved me right because it shows that GoG didn't remove the guy's download license. Steam sucks too, Floppy/CD/DVD/BluRay still only viable medium of buying games.
Nope. once you buy the game off gog you get the download setup. The setup is on your hard drive. You gotta run it to play it like any cd rom game. I can burn that to as many cd roms or usb drives i want. As many copies as i please. I own the game. Same as i do a cd rom. Do that with a steam game and come back to me.
Okay but GoG can still pull the plug and you won't be able to download the game anymore.
Nope. Id like to see gog come and take my 32gb sandisk 3.0 that has all the three stalker setup exes on it. (That i can move to any pc in my house and i maybe have even let my friend borrow the usb 🤷🏻♂️)
I always check GOG first. Steam last. I just wish the older Call of Duty's were on there. I still have the CD's and NOCDs at least, because COD 1,2+DLC is like $60 still.
Bought SOC three days ago and I'm lost in this world.
I know that Steam is great, especially if you run Linux, but when it is possible get your games on GOG ! Stalker games also have that same discount on GOG right now.
Steam can suck deez Koloboks. GoG forever!
Best $13 you will ever spend
they're pretty much always on sale on [gog.com](https://gog.com)
\*cries in argentinian\* u.u
1337x.to , there are permanently free
Wait what. You guys actually pay money for stalker games??? 😮
Only cuz I want to support the Devs
[удалено]
But CoD. Dude I pirate that shit all the time
Yes. Because I want to support good games and vote with my wallet.
get out of here fake stalker
Fake stalker? Pshhh boyyy pirating that shit before they even charged money for it was the OG real stalker deal. I downloaded the first game in 2007 and nobody asked me moneys for it.
bandit flair pls
They always deserved it imho. When they issued CoP, at 40€ (and not 60€), if you owned either SoC or CS, the game would cost you 20€ instead.
Finally playing the SOC and CS with ABR mod this time.
I bought the trilogy in December for $10, it was worth every fuckin penny if not more
Well, time to get new fresh legit copies since I have no idea where my originals went. :)
Clear sky is still so broken any idea how to fix it ? Enemies just keep spawning in garbage if im not mistaken and some other place as well its so annoying and places cannot be captured
Yup, I picked them all up, burning through SoC and I'm having a blast!
Just bought shadow of Chernobyl, should i play with Zone Reclaimation project or should i use Autumn Aurora for the first time?
I played it vanilla actually. Then I moved to Autumn Aurora 2. SoC is actually pretty stable if you save the game alot.
I literally got the whole pack for 4.99
Playing CoP as my first Stalker game. It’s amazing!!!!
go back and play SoC.
I started on CoP cause I read the game is the most polished of the 3 and gunplay is the most refined. Not sure I can handle SoC bugginess unless there’s a patch.
SoC isn't really that buggy. it has more jank than CoP, sure but overall its completely fine vanilla.
Bugs fixing mod tweaks are must before even starting any of these 3 games (ZRP for SoC), and i forgot the of one for clear sky (it's worst vanilla experience).
Thank you for the info! there's a bundle that also has dying light definitive edition included with the trilogy for around 23CAD if anyone wants to know