S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Beta, Surprisingly Fun

I installed this expecting a pretty poor multi player experience but it's actually a lot of fun. I had lost faith in this game after it's numerous delays, but what they've finally released is really pretty decent. I was really surprised because the focus of this game always seemed to be on the single player, so if the multi player is this polished I can only imagine how fun the single player experience will be. So far, from what I've read in previews, the most common description is a combination of Deus Ex, Oblivion, and Fallout, but with more of a focus on action. Sounds pretty damn good to me.

But enough about that, all I can speak for is the multi player. The best way to describe it is Counter-Strike with more options all-around. Not only is there more guns, but each gun usually can take 3, sometimes more, ammo types and can be outfitted with silencers, grenade launchers, and different types of scopes. Not only that but there's a few slightly futuristic weapons, since this game takes place something like 10 years in the future. Nothing too outlandish, but there is an archaic railgun equivalent, thing costs an arm and a leg though.

The game also features very cool day and night cycles, which can be toggled to the server admins liking. Not only that, but there's weather cycles. Whereas in a game like Counter-Strike once you've run through the level once you've seen it all, in this game the scenery is always changing. You'll run through a parking lot one time and it will be mid-day and sunny, the next time you'll run through and it will be the dead of night during a thunder storm, and yet another time you'll run through at dusk while it's windy and leaves will be blowing all over the place.

The game takes place in Chernobyl, the infamous meltdown zone, so it gives off a very creepy vibe. The place hasn't been inhabited for years so the buildings are all dilapidated and the metal is all rusted out. In the middle of the night, with only your flashlight to guide the way, it gives off a very Silent Hillish vibe. The creepy ambient soundtrack helps a lot to keep you on your toes.

Also adding to this tension is the fact that the environment itself is a hazard. Thanks to the radiation, a variety of anomalies have formed in the contaminated zone. You have to keep your eyes peeled for visual distortions of the world around you, because if you walk into an anomalies trap the environment will attack you, in a variety of interesting and destructive ways. My personal favorite is the vortex that sucks you into the sky than completely obliterates you, turning your body into nothing more than giblets and a fine red mist. You can avoid this easily if you're observant, but sometimes in the middle of a firefight you might backpedal into one and end up a charred corpse in the bushes.

I've been playing the Artifact Hunt game mode, which is a bit like CTF but with a slight twist. Instead of there being a flag at each base, there's one artifact that spawns randomly in the middle. Sometimes it will spawn in the middle to the left, sometimes to the right, and sometimes in the dead center. After each capture it spawns in a new place, so you never quite know where you should position yourself to be in the best place to capture it.

Overall it's a very fun game, and while I'd almost written it off my faith has been restored and I'm seriously considering picking this up on release day.

By OpiateSeclorum868