Summary
- Survival is a top priority: Always conserve resources & stay cautious.
- Save often: Remember to make manual saves to avoid losing progress.
- Storage management: Travel light, sell unnecessary items, and maximize rubles.
While S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky shares a lot of key aspects to be mindful of when compared to its predecessor, it introduced a new mechanic surrounding warring factions. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Franchise has a big focus on survival elements, so players will want to practice caution and conserve their resources — including making every shot count to not waste ammo.
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There are many mechanics that players will have access to but not instantly be aware of. Players will want to become familiar with their detector, how to use cover, and to get into the survivor mentality of looting everything they stumble upon.
7 Survival Is the Top Priority
Don’t Put Yourself in Danger Just to Beat Opponents
- It's better for players to not take damage than to try to deal damage.
- Be mindful of surrounding dangers.
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Games are not typical action shooter games. They put a massive focus on the element of survival, and players that go charging into the world will find themselves suddenly keeling over dead without knowing what killed them.
While being attacked by an enemy accounts for direct damage, players can see their health depleting from radiation exposure, bleeding, and numerous other hazards. Players will want to listen to the early game dialogues, always have a weapon ready in hand, and always be aware of their surroundings for something that might injure them. Always make sure to carry some bandages and some first aid kits before heading out.
Underneath the player's health gauge will be a meter. This indicates how much radiation is affecting the player and will cause them to continuously lose health if it gets too high.
6 Save Often
Autosave Isn’t Enough; Make Manual Saves Often
- Save after long spans of time.
- Save after combat encounters.
Players will see the game autosaves. However, it can get frustrating having to cross through the hazardous wastes, avoid anomalies, and find an artifact or two, just to get killed and have to do it all over again.
Players should make a manual save whenever they feel they have been playing for a while during their current mission. This ensures they don’t lose a large portion of their progress. Players should also make a save whenever they wrap up combat and feel it is safe to do so. This prevents having to replay the same fight more than once.
PC players can tap F5 to make a quicksave at any time.
5 Practice Storage Management
Travel Light to Maximize Rubles
- Set off with plenty of inventory space.
- Sell all unnecessary items to merchants.
Players will want to check the inventory of every merchant they cross paths with to stay stocked up on everything they need. Players will want bandages to stop bleeding, first-aid packs to heal up, and lots of bullets for every weapon they use. This can get pricey, especially since players will be burning through these resources quite rapidly.
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Players will want to consider using light gear and weapons that can drop enemies with little ammo, and then setting off with as much inventory space as they can spare. Players will want to take everything of value they can find. They can then sell whatever they don’t need for some extra cash. This will ensure they don’t find themselves low on supplies in a game where survival is everything.
4 Always Be on the Hunt for Artifacts
When Not in Combat, Hunt for Artifacts
- Always have a detector in one hand while exploring.
- Sell redundant Artifacts.
Players will encounter many different invisible anomalies, even near the very start of the game. Make a save and then walk with a detector in one hand and a bolt in the other. Keep throwing bolts to see where they trigger small explosions to know where anomalies are. If the detector goes off, find the Artifact in the area before continuing.
Players can get better detectors down the line, which will make Artifact hunting far easier. These Artifacts can be sold, but players should hang onto any Artifacts that do what others cannot. This ensures they don’t accidentally sell something valuable and then regret it later.
3 Use Cover and Tilting
Enemies Can’t Hurt What They Can’t Hit
- Use cover to reduce as much damage as possible.
- It's okay to reload after a bad combat encounter.
The game makes use of a first-person perspective. This means it is easy to get shot while looking around a corner. Luckily, players can tilt their bodies to peek around a corner before ducking back behind cover. Making use of cover to pop out and take shots from is a great way to reduce how much damage a player takes when they stumble upon some unsavory characters in the Zone.
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Players that have little health left, and no first aid kits might want to consider reloading their last save. Trying to make it from one location to the next on low health means a lot of sudden "game over" screens.
2 Explore Between Main Quests
Don’t Ignore Landmarks and Structures
- Pick up any and all side quests.
- Stop and investigate nearby buildings.
Quests will have players moving through long distances between main quest objectives. Each time there are plenty of small undertakings players should not ignore. Small groups of enemies, structures, and, of course, side quest objectives.
Side quests will reward players with plenty of goodies. From weapons and resources to the always welcomed handful of rubles. Never underestimate just how valuable exploration and side quests can be. The amount of money from these will accumulate to ensure players are always stocked up.
1 Know Which Faction to Join
Players May Need to Have Several Playthroughs
- Siding with one faction can make enemies of another.
- Different factions offer different rewards.
Players will start the game by siding with the Clear Sky faction. However, they are able to join different factions during the middle of the game. However, there are active wars going on between these factions. Players that want to make the least enemies in the game will want to side with the Loners, while those that want to go in guns blazing against everyone might want to consider the Bandits.
Players that want to experience all faction interactions may need to play the game several times. This is not a bad thing, as different factions will play differently and let players have new ways to experience replaying the game.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky
- Released
- September 15, 2008
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Platform(s)
- Nintendo Switch, PC, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
