#STALKER CLEAR SKY ARTIFACT SERIES#

However, the game shifts its focus to factions at the detriment of the atmosphere and storytelling that made the original so compelling, and its core gameplay is so flawed that I ultimately found the game to be little more than an exercise in frustration. For players familiar with the first game, it will feel much like the Freedom/Duty section (both of which make a return appearance), but much more fleshed out. Players can form alliances with various factions and experience the rewards and consequences of such alliances. Clear Sky departs from the original primarily by greatly expanding the role of various factions in the game. Then came the gameplay, and it just went downhill from there. It all makes for a game that is very difficult to judge in terms of what kind of in-game settings to expect.ДЄfter fiddling with the settings for far too long, I was able to get a smooth frame rateвЂ¦most of the time. Keen gamers have also noted that certain sun effects absolutely kill framerates at certain times of the day. One particular level loaded with a chugging frame rate, but when I reloaded the level, it ran fine. Keep in mind I am running a reasonably high-end PC.

Beginning the game, I was treated to an absolute slide show, right from the opening cut-scene that chugged along with all the speed and finesse of a wounded duck. The game swings between being butter-smooth and unplayably choppy for no apparent reason. Under the DirectX 10 version of this mode, which brings with it some exclusive effects, performance is erratic. Under the new 'enhanced dynamic lighting' mode in DirectX 9, performance is a little slower, as expected, but still consistent. Under the normal 'dynamic lighting' mode from the original game, performance is good. As in the Crysis games, this isn't necessarily a good thing. The game boasts 'enhancements' to its proprietary X-Ray engine that now take advantage of DirectX 10. The problems begin right out of the gate. The only thing clear in this sky is that if the original was woefully delayed, the prequel is woefully rushed. It's also buggy as hell, in fact quite a bit more so than I ever remember The Shadow of Chernobyl being. The new concepts are implemented with such an amateurish neglect of fundamentals that one can't help but wonder how this game ever made it to retail in such a sad state. Clear Sky is a colossal disappointment on every front, retaining all the flaws of the original and indeed amplifying them to a large degree.

#STALKER CLEAR SKY ARTIFACT SERIES#

It promised to be released with the prim and polish of a finished game, rather than the rushed-out-of-beta feel that the first had to it (which was only corrected after a series of patches).Д¬onsider the promises unfulfilled. It promised to expand on the ideas presented in the first game вЂ“ ideas that were forward-thinking but never fully capitalized upon. Now, only a year and a half or so after the first Stalker (I'll refrain from typing it as an acronym for my own sanity), the series has been expanded with a prequel under the title of Clear Sky. The game spent some five years in development and when it was finally released, it still had a lot of bugs and unfinished features. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: The Shadow of Chernobyl was one of my favorite games of last year-an ambitious, mature, and incredibly atmospheric game that was marred only by some unfulfilled promises and amateur execution here and there.

LOW Shooting another character with a shotgun nine times from a few feet away and doing no apparent damage. HIGH Exploring the game's vast landscapes and detailed architecture.

Stalker clear sky artifact