The entire unique S.T.A.L.Ok.E.R. video games have lastly made their console debut almost 20 years after the sequence started on PC, and with three titles to select from, many newcomers are questioning which order to play them in. Fortunately, there’s an excellent easy reply for that.
With STALKER 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl hitting Xbox consoles and PC later this yr, now could be the right time to atone for the STALKER sequence to see what all of the fuss is about. These are a number of the most atmospheric shooters in the marketplace, and the closest factor that console gamers have had till now could be the superb Metro sequence. The video games is usually a bit arduous to get into due to their problem and studying curve, however a extremely rewarding expertise awaits anybody keen to courageous the Zone.
Really helpful STALKER Enjoying Order
The easiest way to play the STALKER video games is in launch order. You must begin with Shadow of Chernobyl, then transfer on to Clear Sky, after which finish with Name of Pripyat. That is the supposed strategy to expertise the sequence, and whilst you can bounce into any entry and luxuriate in your self, you’ll miss out on some context should you skip sure video games.
I do know some individuals like to expertise franchises in chronological order, and should you’re a type of individuals, you’ll have a barely completely different taking part in order for the sequence. Clear Sky is a prequel to the primary recreation, so should you needed to do a chronological STALKER playthrough, you’d play Clear Sky first, Shadow of Chernobyl second, and Name of Pripyat final.
Regardless of which order you select, it’s not really useful to start out with Name of Pripyat because it’s a sequel and depends on context from each Shadow of Chernobyl and Clear Sky. All three titles come collectively to create one massive story with deep lore, so that you’ll need to begin from the start (whether or not that’s launch order or chronological order).
The place Does STALKER 2 Match on the Timeline?
STALKER 2: Coronary heart of Chornobyl is coming to Xbox Collection X|S and PC in late 2024, and it’s the primary recreation within the sequence to get a quantity added to the title. Clear Sky and Name of Pripyat are technically thought-about standalone expansions to Shadow of Chernobyl and all three titles are part of the identical story arc, in order that they weren’t thought-about to be numbered entries within the sequence.
STALKER 2 is being designed as a jumping-on level for the sequence and can mark the beginning of an all-new story arc. There will probably be some callbacks to the unique trio of video games, although, so developer GSC Recreation World has really useful that gamers atone for the story to arrange for the brand new recreation. It’ll nonetheless stand by itself should you simply need to dive into the brand new storyline when the sport hits Xbox Recreation Go.
Whilst you can take pleasure in Coronary heart of Chornobyl by itself, it’s by no means been simpler to get into the STALKER sequence than it’s proper now. The unique trilogy has been caught on PC since launch and most followers advocate utilizing mods and community-developed fixes to get the most effective expertise, however now all three video games can be found on PlayStation and Xbox consoles for these of you who don’t need to tinker with settings. No matter which recreation you determine to check out, we want you the most effective of luck in your journeys within the Zone.