

Stalker shouldn't be a game where you need to accurately assess your recoil patterns, it's a game where, while shooting is important, delving into the heart of the Zone's mysteries is the real focus. Even the most accurate simulations require some arcade-level shooting because it adds to the experience. I'm no gun expert, so I don't know whether this is realistic or not, but I know it isn't fun, nor is it gratifying when one of your shots finally hits a target. To my amazement, the shot flew directly to the right, missing the sniper who was now alerting the entire cordon to my location.

As I crouched there, shrouded in foliage just meters away from my target and wielding my fully repaired GP-37, I shot at his neck hoping it would recoil into his head. A rival faction had tasked me with taking out a sniper in a tower just behind a concrete wall. Take the story where I was stationed near a military encampment as an example. A mixture of weapon condition, player positioning, and extraordinarily fast fire-rate means that even the finest of weapons feel completely inaccurate.

Especially in 2008's Stalker: Clear Sky, where your first weapon is about as effective as a water-logged Nerf gun, the gunplay can feel especially ungratifying and downright frustrating at times. The biggest complaint from newer Stalker players is often about weapon functionality.
