On the most basic of control levels, you have your standard FPS game. You have WASD controls with mouse look, a couple of slots to hold weapons, click to shoot, that kind of thing. But when you really give this game a good look, you see that it has so much more to offer.

You journey out into the world; you are alone with no true allies, only enemies and those who are neutral towards you. From here you begin making relations. Get on someone’s good side, and your reputation will spread as a friend to their cause. One misguided bullet in a firefight can quickly destroy your reputation with a group, so save often and check your fire.

One of my favorite parts of this game is that it is an FPS title with a RPG type feel. What I mean by that is not only in reference to the massive world, but even how you go about looting corpses. In most FPS games, when you kill an enemy, you simply walk across them to pick up all they had. In this game, you actually have to go up and choose to loot the corpse, causing you to actually have to focus on doing that, rather than just quickly replenishing during a firefight.

Learn the locations of different stashes by looting these corpses, because some will have information. Sometimes you’ll come across a stash with an upgraded weapon, or an item you can sell to line your pockets a bit. Using these stashes can also help you if you become overloaded, but don’t just want to drop the items on the ground. Simply go to a stash of your choosing, and unload what you need to, it will be waiting for you later when you return. Personally I like to keep some ammo, a weapon, and a bit of health stashed at places I frequent, as it makes the journey a lot easier.

There are many different factions in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., so you need to watch who you make angry. Shoot the wrong person and make enemies that will kill you on sight, and it is very hard to change it so you can once again gain their trust.

You can do odd jobs for different people, off of the main storyline. Sometimes it is something as simple as delivering a package to someone deeper inside the zone. You’ll meet people who want you to go retrieve a lost or stolen item for them. You’ll also come across assassinations, sometimes of an individual, sometimes of an entire camp. You aren’t always alone in these fights, but I’d go well prepared if I were you. These jobs can help you to unlock upgraded items that you otherwise might not run across, such as a high powered weapon, or a better body suit, or maybe just a rare item to put more cash in your pocket.