Metro: Last Light vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
Metro: Last Light is an FPS horror game from 4A Games (2013) while S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is an FPS RPG game from GSC Game World (2008).
What each one is
Steam files Metro: Last Light under FPS and Horror. In contrast, it files S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky under FPS and RPG.
It is the year 2034. Beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro, the remnants of mankind are besieged by deadly threats from outside – and within. Mutants stalk the catacombs beneath the desolate surface, and hunt amidst the poisoned skies above.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the prequel chapter of the Legends of the Zone Trilogy. With the ability to directly influence the balance of power through Faction Wars, step into the boots of Scar — a seasoned mercenary, able to somehow survive deadly Emissions.
At a glance
| Metro: Last Light | S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 7.8/10 | 5.3/10 |
| Steam rating | Very Positive (91%, 81,499) | Mixed (56%, 3,429) |
| Critic aggregate | 76/100 | No aggregate |
| Price | $19.99 | $13.39 |
| Install size | 10 GB | 8 GB |
| Steam Deck | verified | verified |
| Released | 2013 | 2008 |
| Developer | 4A Games | GSC Game World |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
Metro: Last Light vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, point by point
Each facet side by side. A round is marked won only where a figure settles it; feel and "which is better" carry no mark, because no number we hold decides them.
Genre and premise
Metro: Last LightFPS horror gameS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyFPS RPG gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
Metro: Last LightPost-apocalyptic, FPS, AtmosphericS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyAction, Adventure, RPGThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
Metro: Last Light ✓Score 7.8 · 91% on Steam · 76 criticS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyScore 5.3 · 56% on SteamThe GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment, critics and popularity, computed the same way for every game.
Content and scale
Metro: Last Light81,499 reviews · 10 GBS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky3,429 reviews · 8 GBReach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
Metro: Last Light$19.99S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky ✓$13.39Read live from Steam and subject to change.
On a Steam Deck
Metro: Last LightVerifiedS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyVerifiedValve's own Deck compatibility rating.
Across the rounds a number can settle, it is level at 1 each. Which one is "better" is the part no figure decides, so we leave it to what you want from the two.
The two on the grid
Compare the whole catalogueMetro: Last Light and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky on the axes the GamingPickz Score is built from, on the full 0 to 100 scale so each dot is its real position. Change either axis to compare them on any measure.
2 games have both
Players. The share of Steam reviews marked positive, pulled toward the catalogue average in proportion to how few reviews stand behind it. A game with 200 reviews moves a long way toward the average; one with 200,000 barely moves at all. Without this a title sitting at 100 percent on nine reviews outranks Half-Life 2 at 98 percent on 278,000.
Popularity. A blend of two things that are not the same. Audience is how many people wrote a Steam review, which is a floor on how many played it. Reach is how many language editions of Wikipedia document the game, which is cultural footprint rather than sales. A game can score high on one and low on the other: a huge free-to-play title has audience without reach, and a landmark console exclusive has reach without a Steam audience at all. Where both exist they are averaged; where only one does, that one carries it.
- Multi-platform
- PC
Every point links to that game's entry. The value map and the reception map are fixed views of the same data.
How positions are decided
No paid placement, no favouritism, live third-party data
- Placed by the published method, not by us. Every coordinate is computed from the axis definitions and weights printed on this site. Nobody moves a point. See the axes.
- Nothing here is paid for. No sponsored placements, no promoted slots, no arrangement of any kind affects a position. If that ever changes it will be labelled and sit outside the ranking.
- No favouritism, including our own. The 16 games we have written full reviews of are scored by exactly the same formula as the other 1,510, from the same third-party inputs, and they land where it puts them. Our own opinion of a game does not enter its coordinates.
- A position is not an endorsement. It says how a game was received and what it costs, not that we recommend it. Where we do recommend something, it carries a written review with a name on it.
- Fetched from live third-party data. Player sentiment from Steam, critic aggregates as published on store pages, prices checked hourly, attention from Wikipedia. Each figure carries its source and the date it was read, and we do not adjust any of them.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The higher-rated of the two: Metro: Last Light (GamingPickz Score 7.8)
- The cheaper right now: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky ($13.39)
- Lighter on storage: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky (8 GB)
- The safer bet by weight of reviews: Metro: Last Light (81,499 reviews)
What they have in common
Both are tagged by Steam players with:
Post-apocalypticFPSAtmosphericActionStory RichSingleplayerFirst-PersonShooter
Where they differ
HorrorStealthBased On A NovelSurvival HorrorNudityRemake
RPGExplorationImmersive SimRealisticLore-RichChoices Matter
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, Metro: Last Light is demanding, for players who want a challenge. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
System requirements, side by side
| Metro: Last Light | S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky | |
|---|---|---|
| Minimum GPU | DirectX 10 | — |
| Minimum CPU | Dual Core CPU (2.2+ GHz Dual Core CPU | — |
| Minimum RAM | 2 GB | — |
| Install size | 10 GB | 8 GB |
Can your PC run them? Check each against your own kit: Metro: Last Light · S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 1 accessibility feature for Metro: Last Light and 4 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
If you like one, also try
Common questions
How different are Metro: Last Light and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky in scope?
Metro: Last Light has drawn 81,499 Steam reviews and installs in 10 GB. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky has drawn 3,429 Steam reviews and installs in 8 GB.
Is Metro: Last Light or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky better?
By the GamingPickz Score, Metro: Last Light rates higher (7.8 to 5.3). That is a composite of player sentiment, the critic aggregate and popularity, not our taste. "Better" also depends on price, length and platform, which the table above lays out.
Which is cheaper, Metro: Last Light or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is cheaper right now at $13.39, against $19.99. Prices move, so this is read live from Steam and can change.
Do you rank one above the other for a fee?
No. Neither game, nor anyone else, pays for placement or a verdict here. The order and every figure come out of the same public data the rest of the site uses.
Related comparisons
How we compare, and what we will not do
The GamingPickz Score is a composite of player sentiment (adjusted for sample size), the critic aggregate and popularity, computed by the same code every ranked list on this site uses. The Steam rating label is Valve's own, reconstructed from the positive percentage and review count. Prices are read live. We do not write an opinion of which game is "better": we report the numbers and say which wins each measurable question above.