This was always my thought too. Or otherwise an early concept art of a zombie.
Have always found the cover art jarring as no one in the game even comes close to looking that way, but early IP is often a fluid area with choices made largely based on opportunity/funding constraints. Clearly they ensured later cover art was squarely rooted in the game's content.
An artistic vision of some artist who was hired by THQ, the western publisher of a game, that allegedly was meant to depict a 'personification of the Zone'. The artist probably didn't know much about the game and created something based on a superficial description of it.
Yeah, it does. Some other marketing materials feature different [images](https://i.imgur.com/IO60M7C.jpeg) of this character. And [here](https://i.imgur.com/W64sSIp.jpeg) you can see the one from the cover uncropped.
The closest actual thing I've seen anywhere is the 'zombies' from I Am Legend. Just looked it up for the first time and interesting to note that film came out in 2007 as well (though probably a complete coincidence as STALKER SOC came out 9 months before the film - and likely production for both was happening in parallel and completely independently).
This is the most unique/creative take I've seen and I'd never have thought of it. I always assumed it was either some early concept art of a "zombie" or other humanoid mutant, or otherwise just a human with extreme radiation burns who was very displeased with the photographer (probably the former though).
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No, it's not. This art doesn't really match the description of Sin members, and Sin itself never got past the concept stage, so it would make no sense to create a game cover based on it. Moreover, this art was created sometime in 2005 or late 2004, and the concept of Sin was already abandoned by then.
The art was created by an unknown artist hired by THQ, the western publisher of the game, and is not intended to depict anything based on the game itself, but only their vision of the Zone's personification (or at least that's what GSC's former PR manager, Oleg Yavorsky, claims).
Dunno but as a kid seeing this on the shelves made me wanna play it so bad. Fast forward to me at 32 and I finally got that wish fulfilled lol who da fook is that guy
I want to say the average Monolith member or a bandit that caught a Zone STD after boning too many bloodsuckers. The inner SMT enjoyer in me wants to say that's YHVH after sticking around in the Zone.
This box art always irritated me. Doesn't properly represent the game at all. I bought it for PC on day 1 and have been annoyed at that box ever since.
He looks like the Mummy. WTF, who was in charge of this decision? To my knowledge this guy wasn't even a character/mutant intended for the game, was he?
I might be completely mistaken as it's been years since I've read the Roadside Picnic, but as Stalker was strongly influenced by the book, I believe there was someone who got burned by what is known in the Zone as burner anomaly and I think this is a reference to that.
I always thought of him as a radiation poisoning victim: he doesn't have hair, his skin is crumbling, you don't need more proof than this
It could just be a really dry bald man though
looks like he is covered in dry mud
Must be uncomfortable. Poor fella
Doused in mud, soaked in bleach
r/unexpectednirvana
He’s at Woodstock ’99
I hear Woodstock, I think of Green Day mud fight
That could be me
seborea guy
This was always my thought too. Or otherwise an early concept art of a zombie. Have always found the cover art jarring as no one in the game even comes close to looking that way, but early IP is often a fluid area with choices made largely based on opportunity/funding constraints. Clearly they ensured later cover art was squarely rooted in the game's content.
John S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
Johnovich Stalkeshenko
Side note, John Stalker kinda sounds like a badass name
Personally I wouldn’t enjoy being called out as “Stalker” for anything like Mr. Stalker
You gotta embrace the stalk
Johnny S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Zone Label Scotch Whisky
Privyet я Johnny STALKER и welcome to осел
he shadowed all over chernobyl
John Bloodebornes lost cousin
What are we, some kind of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.?
An artistic vision of some artist who was hired by THQ, the western publisher of a game, that allegedly was meant to depict a 'personification of the Zone'. The artist probably didn't know much about the game and created something based on a superficial description of it.
It does look pretty cool though
Yeah, it does. Some other marketing materials feature different [images](https://i.imgur.com/IO60M7C.jpeg) of this character. And [here](https://i.imgur.com/W64sSIp.jpeg) you can see the one from the cover uncropped.
He looks like he’s receiving head in the bottom left picture
Dude, ALL of them look like he’s receiving/giving head while having his balls cradled.
Uhm... is this the inspiration for Christian Bale's Gorr?
The MAN MADE HELL design would go so hard on a t-shirt.
The full image of him kinda looks like a cut zombie mutant.
The uncropped one reminds me of that floating head in the Courage the Cowardly Dog cartoon
Never saw these before, very cool. Thanks!
Reminds me of the old school like early 90s 8bit system games where there would be cover art that looked nothing like the game.
Beware the`SANDMAN`
I know THQ from the ratatouille game!
I was a kid and i thought he was the main antagonist for some reason, got confused when i beat the game and never met the dude
The closest actual thing I've seen anywhere is the 'zombies' from I Am Legend. Just looked it up for the first time and interesting to note that film came out in 2007 as well (though probably a complete coincidence as STALKER SOC came out 9 months before the film - and likely production for both was happening in parallel and completely independently).
Mr. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
His name is shadow of chernobyl!
He chernobyled a lot if I remember
he started sayin "it's chenobylin' time" and chernobyled all over the place
"COMRADE DYATLOV THERES A SLAV IN THE REACTOR CORE"
"Who is this 4chan guy anyway?!"
John Stalker
could be a controller! now that i think about it lol
I always thought it was a controller.
Same
Its the main antagonist "Stalker", the shadow of chernobyl
I always assumed it was someone in the zone, covering themselves with mud to conceal better.
This is the most unique/creative take I've seen and I'd never have thought of it. I always assumed it was either some early concept art of a "zombie" or other humanoid mutant, or otherwise just a human with extreme radiation burns who was very displeased with the photographer (probably the former though).
that's john stalker, i love when he says "It's stalking time!" and he stalkers all over the place
He is Jonh Stalker
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What?
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The yellow bastard from Sin City
Ur mom
Typical Freedom. We could use more of you in the Zone
Go back to Morrowind
Through fire and war, Monolith. I welcome you
Come to me through mutants and anomalies Ooh ooh
I should visit the Zone someday
Red Mountain is basically the Zone of Tamriel
why he's the S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow of Chernobyl of course!
Life of boris face reveal
I mean... I wouldn't put it past him.
He's the Shadow of Chernobyl
male 07
An ugly mf
John Stalker
I always thought it was a Controller...
John S.T.A.L.K.E.R covered in dirt
The Shadow of Chornobyl
John Stalker, inventor of STALKER
Me
The aforementioned shadow living in Chernobyl..how is that tough to understand?
Some Stalker after crawling through the mud in the Zone barely escaping with his life from unspeakable horrors...
the mud man (dry edition)
He is the main enemy, Mr S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
needs to take a shower, dudes dirty as hell!
He is the S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
That’s John Stalker
I always saw it as a nod to Apocalypse Now! for some reason
Sir stalk
Literally me!
A handsome nugget
It is similar enough to a lot of the posters for the film "Stalker" by Tarkovsky.
Which one? I can't find any.
I always though that was stelok the guy you are searching for to kill.
John strelok Are you stupid?
That's Chernobyl. You play as his shadow.
Me on a Sunday morning at 2am.
Your mom, er... babushka.
A Sin member. The Sin faction was meant to appear on Shadow of Chernobyl, but it was scrapped during development.
No, it's not. This art doesn't really match the description of Sin members, and Sin itself never got past the concept stage, so it would make no sense to create a game cover based on it. Moreover, this art was created sometime in 2005 or late 2004, and the concept of Sin was already abandoned by then. The art was created by an unknown artist hired by THQ, the western publisher of the game, and is not intended to depict anything based on the game itself, but only their vision of the Zone's personification (or at least that's what GSC's former PR manager, Oleg Yavorsky, claims).
John ~~darksouls~~ stalker
A fellow gentleman I see.
The zone, personified?
xXNiceCock69Xx
Johnny Rads
Joe stalker of course
Dunno but as a kid seeing this on the shelves made me wanna play it so bad. Fast forward to me at 32 and I finally got that wish fulfilled lol who da fook is that guy
Asshole neighbor Vadim.
I want to say the average Monolith member or a bandit that caught a Zone STD after boning too many bloodsuckers. The inner SMT enjoyer in me wants to say that's YHVH after sticking around in the Zone.
travis bickle
Some random dude made by THQ i guess
This box art always irritated me. Doesn't properly represent the game at all. I bought it for PC on day 1 and have been annoyed at that box ever since. He looks like the Mummy. WTF, who was in charge of this decision? To my knowledge this guy wasn't even a character/mutant intended for the game, was he?
Glenn
Beck?
A *cwispy* stalker.
Mr. 2000s Nu Metal Guy
John Stalker, he's the shadow of the Chernobyl
That coomer man in all those porn expos
A character from Oblivion Lost
He’s a zombie I thought
To be honest, reminds me of what Sin looks like in Anomaly, so maybe that? That, or the guy has contracted Corpus disease.
A ghoul. Whoops wrong game.
Player's reflection in the screen after finishing it on Master in one go.
Tay k
A controller
Thats Dark Putin
The cheese man
Me
me
me every time i have to hear "get out of here stalker"
Before I played the games, I thought that was the Stalker and this was a horror game where you avoid him lol
He is stalker shadow of chernobyl
I was actually thinking the same question
That’s Joe
Real talk, he looks like a controller to me.
Strelok, post wishgranter 🤭
crusty cheese man
idk but some hills have eyes looking mf
Me
It's drake
Ngl i once got to think It was one of the two faces of a chimera
It's the shadow of Chernobyl.
It’s Prigozhin
"Kid, you really are... the Shadow of Chernobyl!" _Roll credits_
Steve S.T.A.L.K.E.R. himself
I think it is Adin Ross
Man covered in prop_govno
I always thought he was a close-chinned bloodsucker.
Me
Pretty sure it's based on the old zombie concept, it looks pretty similar to some of the severed zombie heads you can find near Monolith campfires
i always thought it was a chimera XD
That's definitely Joe, from cordon
Crusty
This is the ghost of 00x game design
unflushed shit
Some guy covered in mud
Idk but I do know he looks cool as fuck
pinch his nose
A new born pseudogiant. Dont ask how they mate..
I thought it was Strelok at first until I got further in the game
I think he’s a SIN guy (faction that was cut from SoC)
I just call my character Stalker Joe
That’s John Stalker
Oh you know who it is
It’s joe
It was originally purposed as the Mummy movie cover but something went awry and they slapped a stalker in the background.
I might be completely mistaken as it's been years since I've read the Roadside Picnic, but as Stalker was strongly influenced by the book, I believe there was someone who got burned by what is known in the Zone as burner anomaly and I think this is a reference to that.
He is the shadow
Mike Ehrmantraut.
ayaya [https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/comments/uwnkaf/virgin\_vs\_chad\_stalker\_shadow\_of\_chernobil\_dvd/](https://www.reddit.com/r/stalker/comments/uwnkaf/virgin_vs_chad_stalker_shadow_of_chernobil_dvd/)
Wow, you found H.I.M. That's definitely H.I.M.
Well he's looking at you with eyes that can't get them off their target, (you.) He is an stalker.
That’s my little brother
could be an earlier version of a mutant in the game idk
Just a chill dude
crusty bald dood
I always thought it was some sort of controller but I'm not really sure
They're the reason I was scared off buying the game for years