S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat from 2009 is the third instalment in GSC Game World's series and the one that best remedied the technical flaws of the previous games. The story follows on from the end of Shadow of Chernobyl and tracks an agent of the Ukrainian government tasked with investigating the disappearance of a helicopter unit sent into the Zone. The player gradually makes their way to the city of Pripyat itself, next to the power plant, where the investigation leads across several large areas.

Gameplay stays true to the mix of FPS and survival horror with open locations. The A-Life system simulates the behaviour of NPCs and mutants independently of the player, so the world of the Zone feels alive even outside the player's immediate reach, and there is an emphasis on managing equipment, ammunition and the condition of weapons, which must be maintained regularly. New is a system of sleeping and resting at campfires, where the player can buy from other stalkers and listen to their stories, adding another layer of authenticity to the Zone. Call of Pripyat adds new side quests, a more elaborate economy with traders and several large open areas that proved more stable and better polished than in previous instalments, so the game feels more complete and less chaotic than earlier titles in the series.

Call of Pripyat is often called the best-balanced instalment of the whole trilogy by fans and critics alike. It combines the atmosphere and ruthlessness of the Zone with a solid technical side, more thoughtful mission and side quest design and a richer selection of unique weapons to find. That is why it still serves many players as the recommended entry point to the series for those who want to experience the world of Stalker without the biggest technical troubles of the earlier games, and also as a worthy conclusion to the trilogy that players like to come back to even years later.