S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is an FPS RPG game from GSC Game World (2008) while S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is an FPS horror game from GSC Game World (2007).
Quick answer: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has the higher Metacritic, 82 to 75.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl
What each one is
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is filed under FPS and RPG. In contrast, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl under FPS and Horror.
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.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is a first-person shooter video game developed by GSC Game World and published by THQ in 2007 following a long development. It is the first game in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise, set in an alternate reality where a second disaster of mysterious origin occurred at the Chernobyl exclusion zone, which further contaminated the surrounding area with radiation, and caused strange otherworldly changes in local fauna, flora, and the laws of physics. The background and some of the terminology of the game are borrowed from the 1971 novella Roadside Picnic and its 1979 film adaptation Stalker.
Story, characters and reception
Plot
While guiding a group of scientists through the Zone , Scar faints during a high energy emission. Scar, the only one to survive, is then rescued by Clear Sky, a secret independent Zone faction dedicated to researching and learning about the Zone in their attempt to better understand it and its related phenomena. It is not known how Scar has survived the emission, but it is noted he has suffered damage to his central nervous system and seems to exhibit… (Wikipedia)
Reception
Reception The game received "generally favourable reviews" according to the review aggregation website Metacritic , although not to the extent S. T. A. (Wikipedia)
At a glance
| S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky | S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl | |
|---|---|---|
| GamingPickz Score | 5.3/10 | — |
| Steam rating | Mixed (56%, 3,429) | — |
| Critic aggregate | 75/100 | 82/100 |
| Price | $13.39 | Unknown |
| Install size | 8 GB | — |
| Steam Deck | verified | Untested |
| Released | 2008 | 2007 |
| Developer | GSC Game World | GSC Game World |
Prices and Steam ratings are read live and move over time.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky vs S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, 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
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyFPS RPG gameS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of ChernobylFPS horror gameWhat each is filed as. Each game describes itself in full above; we do not judge a premise.
How it plays
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyAction, Adventure, RPGS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of ChernobylNo descriptive tagsThe tags players apply most, in order of votes. A read on feel, not a verdict.
Reception
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyMetacritic 75S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl ✓Metacritic 82Metacritic's critic aggregate, from the game's Wikipedia reception where it was never on Steam.
Content and scale
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky3,429 reviews · 8 GBS.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl—Reach and footprint, not quality: more reviews or a bigger install is not a better game.
Price
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky$13.39S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of ChernobylUnknownRead live from Steam and subject to change.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl takes 1 of the marked rounds to 0. That is only what a number can decide, not which you will enjoy more.
Which to pick, by what you want
- The better reviewed of the two: S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (Metacritic 82)
Where they differ
ActionAdventureRPGShooterExplorationFPS
Tags players apply to one game and not the other.
Difficulty and who each is for
By the tags players apply, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is middle-of-the-road on difficulty. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl is middle-of-the-road on difficulty.
Accessibility features
Steam store pages declare 4 accessibility features for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and 0 for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. A declaration is a floor, not a review.
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Common questions
How different are S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl in scope?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky has drawn 3,429 Steam reviews and installs in 8 GB. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl lists little scope data.
Is S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl better?
Neither carries enough reviews for us to score it reliably, so we do not call a winner. The table above shows what each does have.
Which is cheaper, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl?
One or both do not have a current listed price, so a straight comparison is not possible. See the table above.
Should I get S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky or S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl?
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl has the higher Metacritic, 82 to 75. It also depends on what you want: the "which to pick" section above calls out which is cheaper, lighter on storage, better on a Steam Deck and the safer bet by weight of reviews.
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
All comparisonsHow 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.