S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - The Latest Greatest First Person Shooter

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is the latest greatest first person shooter, with a horror twist. It is reminiscent of classics such as Deus Ex, in terms of immersing the player in a virtual world.

The game borrows the mysterious main character type, that Gordon Freeman made popular in Half Life 2. You play as the Marked One, suffering from amnesia and stuck inside the exclusion zone outside a nuclear power plant. Interestingly, this is the same power plant that exploded in Ukraine in 1986. The game will take you along different areas, giving you a chance to find out who you are. Watch out for the mutants- the wild beings created from the radioactivity- on your quest for information.

The game's strong points include the open ended game play. You can literally do what you want, how you want to. You will have a large arsenal of weapons- from pistols, shotguns, and rocket launchers to assault rifles and heavier weaponry. You even have to find your own food in the game- something new to first person shooter games.

The artificial intelligence is life like, as are the fire fights. Deeper into the game, you will see horror come into the plot through mutated beings and poorly lit areas. The game has a few bugs here and there, but overall it is a great treat to play.

If you are looking for another game to play before Halo 3 hits stores, this may be it. It has a good 10 hours worth of solid game play, and multiplayer for when you are done. It retails at about $50, and is well worth the money for those who enjoy the genre.