Chernobylite

Chernobylite's great survival horror gameplay, top-notch atmosphere, and excellent audiovisual presentation make it a must-play title for any fan of games like Stalker.

It’s easy to recommend Chernobylite to Stalker fans – The Exclusion Zone has never looked better, and an ambitious choice-lead approach to storytelling means that your decisions always have very tangible consequences. Despite this, a repetitive formula and shortcomings with the base building system prevent Chernobylite from taking that last great step to irradiated greatness.

There’s a lot going on in Chernobylite, and sometimes the melancholic love story at the center gets buried under unnecessary game play complications, tepid combat or shifts of tone. In other words, it’s all still a bit messy but interesting and worth playing for shooter, RPG or horror fans, especially those fascinated by this particular moment in modern history.

Chernobylite is special. If you enjoy RPGs that feature things like crafting, base building, team management, and heists, the ambitious Chernobylite is one that you won’t want to miss.

Its cast of characters and its choice system are genuinely gripping, while its depiction of the zone is at times breathtaking (if a little postcardy and non-interactive). Like its motley crew of eccentric companions, Chernobylite is a flawed misfit that I can't help but like. With its sometimes scatty systems, ambition and silly sci-fi story, it could even join the pantheon of Eurojank classics—unless there's a rule against Eurojank games looking this good.

A sci-fi horror game with action and survival elements. It's set in Pripyat and the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. With a combination of multiple features and mechanics from different genres, as well as a setting that's steeped in mystery, Chernobylite attempts to be the jack-of-all-trades. Unfortunately, a mediocre combat system, repetitive mission structure, and dull gameplay loop lead to questionable results.

Chernobylite combines a multifaceted narrative with stunning, atmospheric levels that repopulate with fantastic points of interest. Players can sneak or shoot their way around the faithfully recreated Zone and see the modest ripple effects of story choices they can alter following each death.

Chernobylite's mixed collection of gameplay styles comes together beautifully. The narrative is engaging, the world is atmospheric, combat is solid , and the base building is decent. It may not be a STALKER game, and it's eclectic collection of elements are integrated with varying degrees of success, but Chernobylite offers a worthy replacement, full of its own charms and quirks that will allow it to stand on its own two feet.