The third and strongest installment in GSC Game World’s STALKER trilogy concludes this fantastic set of Switch remasters. In some ways, it seems inaccurate to say Prypiat’s call is the best of the three because it makes very effective use of the foundation laid by Shadow of Chornobylbut it’s a brilliant, welcome return to atmospheric exploration and emerging terror, with a reduced focus on firefights.
The trailer recaps the real and fictional events leading up to the opening of the Zone’s mysterious center. The military enacted ‘Project Fairway’ to defeat other factions and reach the area first. Predictably, this does not go well and Major Alexander Degtyarev, a former Stalker, is sent to investigate the crashed helicopters scattered across the outskirts of Prypiat.
A significant improvement on the weaker but enjoyable one The sky is clearCall of Prypiat drops Major Degtyarev into the northern reaches of the Sector, with the freedom to tackle his targets in any order. Instead of running around faction outposts, surrounded on all sides by groups of trigger-happy Stalkers, Degtyarev found allies and resources wherever he could. The faction groups are mostly friendly, with the odd bandit outpost to shake things up (and mine to get rich).
The geography of this new area makes going off the beaten track more appealing. The anomalies are scattered evenly, some containing powerful and valuable artifacts that are the lifeblood of every Watcher. As mentioned, friendly factions will overwhelm hostile factions, so there will be more opportunities to get lore and side quests from groups you come across.
The Major’s journey to Prypiat re-emphasizes one of the most compelling aspects of the series: horror. Whether exploring an outpost full of zombie soldiers or sneaking past a group of sleeping Bloodsuckers, atmospheric chills are a priority for GSC here. There’s even a terrifying new enemy in Burer, a hooded mutant with telekinetic powers and a penchant for impersonating crying children.
Another addition to the Zone’s dangers this time around is exhaust fumes. Scripted events from the previous two games, these apparitions are now random killers on the map that will wipe out Degtyarev and any detected NPCs. Handy map icons guide you to cover when emissions occur, but they’re still tense fixtures. An interesting side effect is finding the bodies of unlucky Stalkers who didn’t find shelter in time…then looting them.
Call of Prypiat is the most refined experience of the trilogy. Everything from the HUD to the survival mechanics has been optimized to deliver the best experience for future Stalkers. Display status icons and a quick slot view on the screen will help you access the menu less often. Shooting is still excellent, with slight improvements to Chornobyl and Clear Sky’s systems making this the smoothest blaster of the bunch. It’s worth noting that the generous support options available on these versions should mitigate the series’ notoriously confusing targeting.
Alas, there’s still one major problem with all three titles, and that’s text size. On handheld devices, this isn’t too much of an issue, but on some screens you’ll have to squint to see the content of the conversation window. This is a holdover from the original PC version of the game, and it’s a shame that these truly great remasters haven’t addressed this issue.
