Reviews - Noe

Beautifully refreshed Zone. Lovely colors and weather. Great mood. Entertaining story, it's like watching fan fiction movie. Good balance. Game definitely not focussed on grinding. That Termite guy looks like based on Prigozhin ;) Last but not least - very different from all other Stalker games and mods.

I start my adventure with FPS-es from Wolfenstein 3D. Then of course Doom and Quake. And hundreds of other. Then it came nostalgia, but none of the old titles were playable due to DOSBOX limitations, slowness, and of course keyboard mapping impossible to adjust to modern standards. Then it was GZDoom, nice, but nah... Not really. Then Brutal Doom was a real game changer. The best tactical on-screen violence. The best action, like immediate action. Each shot makes the proper bang. And mess. And it was hard enough on hard realism mode. I tried some Wolfenstein 3D source ports but I didn't like the pace. Way too slow, not enough bang and violence. Brutal Wolfenstein is THE GAME. It's hard, brutal and... Tactical. You have to be damn fast, accurate, but plan your actions and choose the right weapon for the job. Speaking of which - there are plenty of new weapons here, each with unique characteristics, none of them under-powered or over-powered. The game balance is perfect. Then - enhanced level design utilizing GZDoom engine to the full extent. Then it's so complete I just haven't expected it. This game keeps on giving. Brutal Wolfenstein is even more to Wolfenstein than Brutal Doom is to Doom. Being totally depressed and uninterested in gaming whatsoever - this one crazy mod made me play again, as in good old days.

The game looks really nice with this mod, the sounds are at last as they should sound from the start. All the guns work significantly better and it's pure fun to use them. I never liked original Doom 3 sounds, the new ones are so much better. It's also worth mentioning the light from firing (flashes) looks very neat. The game balance is unfortunately worse. The ROE levels are way too hard, all because one type of monster which is plentiful and kills the player every time when teleports the first time in multiple points. The chaingun and assault rifle are IMHO to weak. The shotgun is stronger and better. Grenades work also considerably better, I use all grenades I can find.

It's Lost Alpha, however we are talking about beta. It is important, because the ratings here are very dependent on game version.

The previous version was so much incomplete and buggy I abstained from rating it until version 1.3003 came out.
What have we got here? Exactly what we've been waiting for! New S.T.A.L.K.E.R. No more, no less. Full, complete new game from our favorite series. With modern graphics! It's amazing how the game from 2006 can look now, in 2015! Nothing like retro stuff, even better than modern games, somehow more realistic, even if it has a little less of tiny hi-tech details.

I LOVE huge maps. People say they are too big and too empty, but THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS TOO BIG MAPS ;) And since 1.3003 they are not too empty, they are infested with mutants.

And here we go! MUTANTS in Lost Alpha are completely new experience. Well - they are not too tough and... They are not as hostile as in any mod or original game. First time in Zone history we can finally GIVE PEACE A CHANCE :) If you don't attack them and don't come too close - they probably leave you alone. Dogs stop chasing you when you run from them. As a declared ecologist - I LOVE IT.

Then the story line. Again, we can GIVE PEACE A CHANCE! Shoot'em all strategy is not the only option, and not the best one. Many game goals can be achieved without violence. You can argue if it's really that great, but at least it's DIFFERENT. It's a shame that it's a little inconsistent, because there are quests, when peaceful solution should be obviously available, but it's not.

THE CARS! They are almost perfect. The driving part is like another game in the game! In 1.3003 they finaly fixed ALL which annoyed us. So - there is plenty of fuel for cars to buy (and it's pretty affordable). There are many free cars to be found, and they are very different in driving. Finally - the cars can be repaired for free. But there's one not so great thing about cars: Garbage. Driving through this map is hell. But I'm currently searching for the routes to bypass this area. It's possible ;) What's great? Speed! You can actually speed in Lost Alpha!

Weapon modifications are simple, easy, and don't allow the players to make super-weapons ruining the game balance.

Finally - version 1.3003 is so much optimized that it crashes far less than any original game.

Oh - Lost Alpha IS an original game. It's a fourth part of S.T.A.L.K.E.R trilogy, and it can stand among them as equal. It also tells another story: it takes insane amounts of time and effort to make a game this big. I mean - literary.

First - the mood. Lot's of new sound, greatly improved graphics, awesome music. Then far more realistic, tough, yet not too tough combat. Better weapons, HEADSHOTS. New gadgets like bioscanner and anomaly detector! Super cool CYSTA exo! Cars and even a tractor to drive and kill mutants! Freeplay. Some new quests. And all those awesome features without crashes, this mod is more stable than a vanilla game :) I think AI is also improved. All of this and more makes me come back to this mod again and again.

And now I'm hooked :) Here's some ultra-violence. Something helping to be a peaceful man IRL. Tough as hell, a real challenge. After a few hours of playing you'll find everything around is happening slower, and you are faster. If you liked Doom, you will LOVE this. This game is addictive.