Vinnie404

A Masterpiece I’ll start with what I think is the absolute best quality of this game. The atmosphere. Whether you’re strolling thru the swamps and a thunder storm strikes, or you just got done fighting a group of bandits in an abandoned village and an emission breaks out, this game makes you feel alone, desolate, and completely in the boots of Skif, the protaganist who has come to the Zone to find out information about the anamoly that has destroyed his hometown. Skif becomes stuck in the zone after the prologue, and from then one you are fully enveloped in the politics, struggle for survival, and madness of the zone. And it is absolutely so well put together. The weapon variety, the customization for upgrades, the way you can add a holographic sight or a 2x magnified scope to your rifle, the way you can switch between buckshot and slugs for your shotguns, or the fact that the zone is a living breathing thing with a pulse, full of mystery, chaos, and Surprisingly, Beauty. The graphics look amazing on a 4k UHD Tv. It adds even more to the immersion. The land is beautiful at time but it can be dark and depressing, the sky at night is full of starts, and the sun shines thru the clouds of the blue sky during the day. Random weather events can happen at any time, especially during some of the story missions. Emissions are scary and nervewracking, thunderstorm are awesome.. the wind starts slowly, then picks up very fast, and in about 2 minutes the sky is dark and filled with lightning bolts ( which you can get struck by ) enough about all the other amazing qualities of this work of art.. I will finish this review with something that needs to be mentioned. The Story. The cutscenes are so brutal and Realistic, and you feel this from the first hours of the game. The story kicks off quick but not right away, and when it hits, it pulls you along easy. You are pulled deeper and deeper into the zone , finding better armor, weapons and supplies as the story goes on. Skif will learn the ways of the zone very quickly, and he slowly shows the player how much of a savage he can be when needed. You have choices to make, some with timers, so choose quickly. (Siding against the ward whenever I can on my first playthru) Everything just flows so well with the story, and there is lots of moments where you find an old friend ( or enemy ) with a choice to execute them or spare their life. In the Zone, you have few friends, many enemies, and for most of your experience you will feel like the only thing you can count on is your firearms and your medkits. This game deserves game of the year. 10/10