Tom's Hardware > All Reviews > Components > Graphics Cards > Stalker: Clear Sky - Is Your System Ready?

Anomalies Make Life Harder

2:30 AM - September 30, 2008 by Tino Kreiss

If you’ve seen the movie Stalker, you will know why you need steel screws. Many anomalies are invisible and react based on movement or foreign objects. To trigger them, you will throw a screw in. A stalker tired of living can use himself as the test object.

Overall, the anomalies have gotten bigger and deadlier. Radiation is the number one enemy, and water is almost always contaminated, so swimming is not a good idea. The radioactive contamination gets weaker over time but that takes long while. Without vodka or injections, you can pretty much give up when you get a full dose of radiation, because you need all your supplies to permanently heal yourself.

Why would the Stalker go close to an anomaly if he wants to keep living? Because that’s where you can find artifacts that increase certain protection levels. In Clear Sky, the artifacts are invisible at first; the detector brings you close to them. Once you are in the center you can grab an artifact, then run for your life. In order to add an artifact, you need to improve your armor suit with an additional slot. The technician performs the upgrade for you.

The detector beeps and blinks frantically, but only small discharges are visible.

A hexagonal steel screw is thrown onto a field, and the inferno begins.

Many anomalies can be recognized by distortions in the environment.

Small flickering flames turn into a column of fire after the steel screw attack.

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V3ctor 09/30/2008 9:32 AM

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Page 7 is not available... It gives an error, as if the page doesn't exist.

magicandy 09/30/2008 9:35 AM

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pogsnet 09/30/2008 9:38 AM

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Now crysis is obsolete =p

haplo602 09/30/2008 9:43 AM

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hmm ... I loled when I saw the graphics error in the water tests. the camo-net disappeared everywhere it obscured water in all modes other than static. but you get a nice looking water effect :-)

I was wondering if I can get this game to run on reasonable terms on a HD4670 or HD3850. Based on the HD3870 results, it looks like it would be playable ...

cangelini 09/30/2008 9:53 AM

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V3ctor :
Page 7 is not available... It gives an error, as if the page doesn't exist.

Not sure what you're seeing (or not, in this case), but everything is working over here. Any more detail?

randomizer 09/30/2008 9:57 AM

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magicandy :
Sigh anything to please devs and grab ad dollars -_-

Dude, the GSC can't even afford to hire a dozen half-decent developers, let alone pay for ads.

blackwidow_rsa 09/30/2008 10:02 AM

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I had 'page not found' errors too, but they seem fixed now

randomizer 09/30/2008 10:03 AM

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-1

No page errors here.

ravenware 09/30/2008 10:06 AM

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Nice article, I liked the quality comparisons a lot

xx12amanxx 09/30/2008 10:07 AM

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I like the article ive been playing this on a 4870 for about a week now and absolutly love it!

dimaf1985 09/30/2008 10:21 AM

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magicandy :
Aside from the numerous pages that don't work, was a 24-page analysis of STALKER, a fairly mediocre shooter, really necessary? Is a 24-page analysis of any game necessary? Sigh anything to please devs and grab ad dollars -_-

A fairly mediocre shooter? Youre obviously an idiot.

The real question here is what was the point of the first 9 pages? Is this a review on a graphics analysis article? C'mon on, Tom's, get it together.

Other than the first 9 pages, nice article. Very in-depth.

Luscious 09/30/2008 11:27 AM

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No 4870x2 in that roundup? What about some CF/SLI numbers?

radnor 09/30/2008 1:10 PM

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Well, i found it a decent review. I liked how they categorized the cards and presented the game. This review might not ring you bells but it is not too bad.

Not that I'm going to buy this game atm. Its too hilarious to see the stock market now. Oh, well

V3ctor 09/30/2008 1:49 PM

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cangelini :

It posted as a bad link... as if i got a link (for example 1 year ago, and now doesn't work)... But it's fine now... never mind

Good review... 24 pages is a lot, u covered a lot of angles... including the graphics cards.

Anonymous 09/30/2008 1:50 PM

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The game is definitely an improvement on the first one - on paper at least.
The problem is the huge amount of game crashes. I played the game for about 8 hours, progressing all the way to The Garbage level when my crashes started. I was forced to install the latest patch, but that meant I had to start all over again. Although I this time got twice as far, the game still crashes - although now instead of rebooting the PC, it is caught by a built-in bug tracker.
I am really dissapointed now, cause after one of these crashes, my game is now stuck at the Yantar level - where I'm supposed to meet up with a character, but when you get to the character, he is completely inactive. I've moved backwards and forwards in levels, but I cannot get this dude to react to my presence.

I suspect I will probably have to restart the game, but I think I am going to abandon - at least untill a newer patch, and then hope the new patch will recognize my current saves.

Advice: Make regular custom saves - not just quicksaves...

mr roboto 09/30/2008 3:44 PM

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More like is STALKER ready? From what I've heard it's not. Numerous bugs and crashes, but then again the first game was like that so would you expect anything less?

modtech 09/30/2008 3:55 PM

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Patch 1.5.05 is out. The game never crashed or glitched for me and I've gone from start to finish, joined in on 3 different faction wars and explored the crap out of every area. I also finished crysis warhead and that CTDed twice from the start to the end.

ahslan 09/30/2008 4:00 PM

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I dont know if Im convinced on getting this STALKER...I was hugely disappointed with the first one (especially since sooo many people said it was a great game)...
For me, its the exact opposite of crysis...I didnt get crysis for the longest time because soo many people said it wasnt worth it, but once I took a chance on it, I loved it...now I got warhead which so far has be amazing...

modtech 09/30/2008 4:20 PM

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Warhead is short and shallow. Not a bad game but anyway. If you're talking about Stalker:SOC then you would do well to look at the modding community which really made the game the memorable experience it is to many. (Notably the oblivion lost mod)

I've played and finished both crysis games. They are in no way comparable to the atmospheric freedom that the stalker games have. You just can't compare them. Change the point of view to multiplayer and things might be different. Otherwise I you comment comes across as poorly thought out and shallow.

Yuka 09/30/2008 4:36 PM

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Very nice review indeed. I missed the 4870X2 and 9800GX2 though, but it was a nice review indeed.

I liked the "Performance Comparison" at the end the most. That's the most usefull piece of info you guys can give the reader: easy to digest pointers and info for overall game experience. Two thumbs up for that =)

Esop!