

Your PDA, which you start the game with, keeps track of your contacts, diary entries, quest log, and more. Everything weighs you down, except for cash. Your inventory is managed Diablo-style, with items taking up slots based on how large they are, along with a weight restriction on how much you can carry. There is no way to repair your equipment without mods, so don't expect to find the best stuff in the game and ride with it. Everything carries a durability meter that decreases with use, causing the equipment's stats to drop with it. Your weapons carry stats for handling, accuracy, firepower, etc, while your armor preference will juggle between bullet stopping, anomaly protection, and radiation. You travel from area to area on a main "quest" that brings you in line with optional side-missions to obtain more money and buy/acquire better armor and weapons. In its most base form, Stalker is a relatively familiar role playing game. You play as The Marked One, a Stalker who wakes with amnesia, having been rescued by a local merchant. Despite a military block, treasure hunters entered the zone in search of whatever was not bolted down, discovering artifacts of unknown origin. Launched in 2007, Shadow of Chernobyl lays the tale of a world in which the Chernobyl power plant has exploded a second time, causing a zone to appear in its surrounding areas. No vehicles but there is fast travel down the line (no spoilers).Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl is evidence that a small developer can make a big name for itself with the right product. Maybe I'll see you ingame? I play on "NorthAmerican NO PK +10%Exp, +10%Drops #3 server." Don't be intimidated, the engrish is workable, mic friendly, make classes, lots of noobs and high level people.

I'm going to explore The Bunker in the desert next. I'm playing a Mercenary after the Miner got a little tedious and it's a lot of fun. I've run into dozens of 25-40 level players who've offered me free medkits, a survival buddy or just advice.

Dude stole my 30 COOKED boar hearts while I made a fire and was tending to it.) and is, I think, coming back strong now with everyone having more down time. The community is very friendly (only met 1 Ahole after starting a new character class and was grinding to level up. CV has given me too much time off! I was skeptical at first but this is best described as "a STALKER fps with rpg-lite skill trees with easy group making." If any of that sounds appealing to you go get it now. I haven't been able to stop playing "Will To Live Online" for more than 5 or 6 hours at a time.
