S.T.A.L.K.E.R.

It's S.T.A.L.K.E.R. vs. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. as we go toe-to-toe with the multiplayer side of GSC's hot potato 17:00 GSC Game World's S.T.A.L.K.E.R. - Shadow of Chernobyl seems to have been in development for ages, but it's still looking to be one of the more interesting, nay intriguing PC games scheduled for next year. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s potential is certainly there for all to see, as it mixes classic first-person shooty action, exploration, RPG and even vehicular elements in a wide open game environment set in the devastated region surrounding the old Chernobyl nuclear power plant. However, perhaps less well known are S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s multiplayer credentials with virtually nothing seen from the multiplayer code... Up until now that is, because we dropped by to check them out at last week's EGN event in London. Although we weren't expecting huge things of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. multiplayer, in action, it has to be said it offers a very decent, if at the moment not very robust, experience. Sure, it's still fairly early days for the team, so there were more than a fair few crashes and delays, but in between, during the actual brief but extremely violent in-game sessions, it plays like a very satisfying and slightly more sophisticated version of Counter-Strike. At the moment only Deathmatch is on offer, but the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. team is promising at least the addition of Team Deathmatch plus a few other possible variations in the final game. Launching into our first level, we were soon tooled-up and tearing about with eight other stalkers on the outskirts of a shattered town and abandoned railway yard in the shadow of the power plant. The first real thing to really strike you about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. multiplayer is how sophisticated the game environment actually is. The level's designed to look and feel very 'real world' and is in fact based on a satellite town which used to house the nuclear plant's staff and their families. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. team used extensive research and even visited the site to photograph and map the actual surroundings, though we hope they used the appropriate radiation protection suits. As a result, everywhere you go, you're surrounded by the grim remnants and decaying detritus you'd naturally associate with a blasted former Soviet housing block. Pretty it isn't, but it provides a perfect and highly detailed urban environment from which to track and hunt your fellow stalkers. You can hide in bushes, lurk in run-down factories, sneak across creaking walkways and there's plenty of walls and windows from which to take random pot shots at your fellow players. To be honest, we were actually quite taken aback by how detailed it all is and you really do feel immediately immersed into this grim post-apocalyptic world. Naturally there's a whole raft of weaponry and armaments to choose from and the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. team has chosen to keep them all determinedly real world... Apart from one that is, but more on that later. The buying mechanic is remarkably similar to Counter-Strike in that you earn cash for kills and have different categories like pistol, assault rifle and shotgun to choose from. Basically the story is you check your bank balance, pop a crate, pick your weapon or weapons and away you go. We saw and played with AK-47 variants, a nice M16 clone, some interesting sniper rifles and a very satisfying selection of shotguns. What is interesting though is that you can add a fair degree of customisation to each weapon, with the addition of scopes and grenade launchers bolting on to add even more fire- and sniping-power. There's also a standard selection of grenades and flashbang type materials, though we didn't spot any booby trap or trip wire style devices, which might have added another, more sneaky dimension. If you're looking to inflict some serious damage though, save up your cash and opt for the top secret Gauss rifle, which is as near as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s arsenal ever gets towards a true sci-fi gun. Basically, the Gauss rifle is a one-shot, one kill, EM projectile weapon, which bears more than a passing resemblance to Quake's railgun. Slow to reload, it's practically useless at close-quarters, but find a secluded spot, take your time and you can pick off distant stalkers at your leisure. We can almost hear the squeals of 'camping bitch' already, well actually we did, as one of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. team is already more than well versed in this particular tactic. One interesting idea currently also being pondered is whether the anomalies, the weird radiation hot spots which can afflict players with all manner of nasty death and destruction, could be introduced into the multiplayer game. The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. team still isn't sure whether they'll make it, but they could provide some interesting tactical variations and traps into the white heat which is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Deathmatch. We may have only had the opportunity to check out one level, but we have to say S.T.A.L.K.E.R. multiplayer took us pleasantly by surprise. We were certainly prepared to be underwhelmed, but actually, when it's working, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. turns out to be a surprisingly full-bodied and well-rounded experience. The loadout and arsenal is extensive, the shooting/stalking action is well realised, but it's the surprisingly convincing real world levels and grimy post-apocalyptic feel which really captured our attention. Once the code's looking a bit more robust and solid, it should provide yet another reason to admire the ambitious, innovative game which S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s certainly shaping up to be. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. SUPPLEMENTAL Well if you're any sort of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fan, then today, indeed, your cup runneth over because not only have we tipped you the wink on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. multiplayer, but we've also got some impressive new grabs from the latest single-player version of the game. Check out these hot shots as two stalkers battle a creature out of the nightmare vision which is the shadows of Chernobyl. John Houlihan

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