Stalker Shadow Of Chernobyl Console Commands Weapons
Marissa Riggle
It's been assumed for years that the first three games in GSC Game World's cult classic open world FPS franchise STALKER would never come to consoles, so seeing the studio shadow drop the trilogy on Xbox and PlayStation during Microsoft's recent Xbox Partner Preview event was quite the shock. 2007's Shadow of Chernobyl, 2008's Clear Sky, and 2010's Call of Pripyat are all available to play on Xbox Series XS, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4 now, complete with a Series XS "high-fidelity mode," user interface refinements, and reworked gamepad-friendly controls.
Below, I've put together a list of seven essential tips and tricks that every stalker should know and keep in mind as they venture into The Zone. Note that all of these apply to all of the STALKER trilogy's games, so you'll benefit from following the advice no matter which one you're playing (I've included some bonus game-specific tips and other small, miscellaneous pointers at the end of the article).
All anomalies can be spotted, but some are much harder to see than others, especially when you're running. Therefore, you should be very cautious when exploring places you haven't been before; once you know where the anomalies in each of The Zone's levels are, you can speed up.
Unsure if the spot in front of you is safe? Throw a bolt (you have an infinite number of them) and see if it triggers an anomaly. If nothing happens, there's no danger. Note that using bolts to check for safe routes around anomalies is essentially required if you plan to collect the useful artifacts that occasionally spawn near them.
Another reason to be careful and avoid constantly sprinting in the open is that you might stumble across a pack of mutants or roaming stalkers from a faction that opposes yours, but will be left without helpful high ground or cover to use. Admittedly, this isn't really a big deal with mutants, but you'll likely be gunned down fast by enemy stalkers if you're exposed. Make sure you've got your head on a swivel, too, because hostile stalkers that see you but haven't been spotted yet will often try and silently crouch-walk behind you to land point-blank headshots.
Throughout all three STALKER games, you'll either be up against mutants or other stalkers during combat engagements. Both are equally dangerous, but to fight them as effectively and efficiently as possible, you'll need to approach them with very different tactics.
Though there are a few exceptions to this, the vast majority of mutant enemies will attempt to rush or leap at you and slash or bite. In addition to dealing damage and causing bleeding, this slows you down temporarily, making it harder to get away from swarms of weaker mutants like blind dogs or follow-up attacks from deadly threats like bloodsuckers.
Thus, you'll want to constantly move around, backpedal, and strafe when battling mutants, and ideally use a good shotgun. You can also try jumping onto nearby props and objects in the environment, as many mutants won't be able to get to you if you do. Oh, and if there's an anomaly close by, stand behind it and let the mutants run into it; depending on which anomaly it is, they'll either get severely wounded or killed outright.
Unlike mutants, stalkers fight with firearms, and that means you'll need some solid cover to fight from. By crouching behind it and taking advantage of STALKER's leaning mechanic, you'll protect yourself from most incoming fire while also making it easier to line up your own shots. If necessary, you can also fully retreat into your cover when you need to heal with bandages or medkits.
Combat in vanilla STALKER has a reputation for being bullet spongey, especially when you're fighting Military or Monolith stalkers that wear quality body armor. I expect some mods that address this will release once mod support comes later in 2024, but in vanilla, there are two ways to solve this problem.
The first is to use armor-piercing (AP) ammunition, which you can buy from traders or loot from corpses and stashes. This is a reliable method of dealing with tough-armored stalkers, but AP rounds are expensive and rare, and they're not available for the pistols and shotguns you'll be using towards the start of each game.
The console versions of the STALKER games come with adjustable and toggleable settings for sensitivity, aim assist, and aim assist tracking, so I recommend playing around with these and seeing what feels best to you. Once you've got a setup you're comfortable with, you'll be able to land headshots consistently.
Ammo, food, medical supplies, weapons, suits of armor, and gear repairs/upgrades all cost money, but it's difficult to get enough of it if your only source of income is selling what you find or loot off of corpses. That's why I strongly suggest taking side quests whenever you can, as completing one will, in most cases, net you a few thousand rubles. Often times, you'll also get helpful items like boxes of ammo, consumables, or common artifacts. Some particularly challenging or lengthy side quests may even give you valuable gear like advanced weapons, high-tier armor suits, and rare, powerful artifacts you'd have a hard time getting otherwise.
Most side quests are offered by important NPCs like traders, faction officers or leaders, and uniquely named (not randomly generated) stalkers in batches of up to four at a time. Objectives typically range from killing squads of mutants or specific stalkers to bringing the client a specified item, though a few have more unique requirements. Notably, some are repeatable and will become available after a set amount of time, while others are locked behind progression of each game's main questline.
Something important to be aware of is that some quests given by faction leaders will require you to assassinate stalkers from the group that opposes them, even if that group is neutral towards you. Carrying out the mission may turn that faction hostile unless you're able to kill the target without anyone seeing, so I would avoid doing those quests specifically (I explain why trying to be on everyone's good side is advantageous in a below section).
You can find everything from vodka bottles and anti-radiation drugs to rare artifacts and suits of body armor in these caches, with stashes that were owned by more experienced stalkers or sold for a higher price generally containing better loot. Just be aware that some stashes are located in spots with high radiation, so make sure you've got anti-radiation supplies and gear at the ready before you attempt to kife the goods from one.
You should also keep a stash for yourself, as you won't be able to carry all the different weapons, ammo types, armors, and artifacts you want to keep at once without overencumbering yourself. Any cache you find in The Zone can be used for a personal stash, though you'll need to remember where it is since there's no way to mark locations on your map. For that reason, I recommend using one of the blue or green metal chests often found in memorable locations like faction bases.
Though each of the STALKER games start you out as a neutral stalker, or "Loner," you can join other factions like Duty, Freedom, and even the Bandits (in Clear Sky). However, I would avoid doing this, at least for your first playthroughs.
What I suggest doing instead is working for everyone you can while still remaining neutral. Sure, you'll miss out on a few special quests and some faction-specific rewards, but that's arguably better than losing the opportunity to work with a faction entirely or to pass through their territory safely by siding with a group they're fighting. Also, by doing quests for neutral factions until you've built up enough goodwill that their members appear as Friends (green) on your minimap, you'll still be able to take advantage of lower trader prices.
STALKER is an amazing series, and a sizable portion of its charm stems from its "eurojank." Sometimes, though, the trilogy's glitchy silliness can lead to some frustrating situations where genuinely unfair moments occur. Enemies occasionally spawning behind you and instakilling you after you travel to a new level is a big one, but I've also seen stalkers shoot through walls by clipping into them and mutant spawns break to the point where I've had close to 100 hounds sprinting at me at top speed.
Many said this day would never come, but the original STALKER trilogy has finally arrived on console thanks to the recent shadow drop on Xbox Series XS, Xbox One, PS5, and PS4. Some of the best PC games are now amongst the best Xbox games, too, and they're a must-play for shooter fans or for folks interested in checking out STALKER 2 later this year.
One of the biggest open world shooter franchises in PC gaming history has shadow dropped on Xbox and PlayStation. Get all three of the amazing STALKER games for $40 and play through them ahead of STALKER 2's launch later this year.
Brendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter."}), " -0-7/js/authorBio.js"); } else console.error('%c FTE ','background: #9306F9; color: #ffffff','no lazy slice hydration function available'); Brendan LowrySocial Links NavigationBrendan Lowry is a Windows Central writer and Oakland University graduate with a burning passion for video games, of which he's been an avid fan since childhood. You'll find him doing reviews, editorials, and general coverage on everything Xbox and PC. Follow him on Twitter.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (titled S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl on consoles) is a first-person shooter survival horror video game developed by GSC Game World and published by THQ in 2007 following a long development. The game is set in an alternative reality, where a second disaster of mysterious origin occurred at the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, causing strange changes in the area around it. The game features a non-linear storyline and includes role-playing gameplay elements such as trading and two-way communication with non-player characters.
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