Play STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl For Free

[Keane Ng]

Play STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl For Free

The first game in GSC Game World's post-nuclear FPS-RPG series is now available to install and play for free on online game service GameTap, but the deal isn't completely without a catch.

If you've been waiting for a legal way to play GSC Game World's STALKER series for free, you're probably crazy. Nobody's just going to drop a copy of STALKER in your lap just because you've been patient. However, if you don't mind a handful of caveats, you can have your radioactive cake and eat it too, as GameTap is now offering the first STALKER game, Shadow of Chernobyl, for free.

So what's the catch? It's only available for a week - which, if you started now and put in a couple hours every day, would be enough to beat the game or at least see the good parts. And obviously you have to make a GameTap account and download and install the GameTap client. If you don't like bright green borders and all sorts of spinny things in your user interfaces, this'll be especially bothersome for you.

If you're not finicky about those things, you might be finicky about the fact that because of the way GameTap works its magic, Shadow of Chernobyl doesn't support mods. That's a bummer for any PC game, but it's an especially big one for SoC, which has an extremely vibrant mod community producing mods that smooth out gameplay annoyances, as well as some that can make the difference between running the game adequately and running it well.

But, why complain about free STALKER? If you can run the game and have the time, head over Get out of here, STALKER. [http://www.gametap.com/video-games/S.T.A.L.K.E.R.:-Shad-20000422-40.html]


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[new_age_reject]

GameTap is cool until it suddenly decides to stop letting you play the games D:

 

[johnman]

Or why not just buy the game? Its not expensive any more and playing it without mods is not reccomended, you need oblivion lost to make it a truely epic game.

 

[MasterStratus]

*sigh* If only my computer could play this game. Well, back to playing incredibly laggy Peggle.

 

[Triple G]

Good news, but I bought the game original in Russia when it came out, so no interest 4 me^^

 

[neuromasser]

I played it for some time before, but I was really dissapointed Probably because I waited six years D:

 

[scotth266]

Interesting, though I already have it on Steam. Does that version support mods?

 

[Zildjin81]

It only takes about a week to beat STALKER.

 

[Ancientgamer]

Not too bummed, I got it when it was on sale for $4.00.

 

[ElephantGuts]

I would like to play this game but I don't think it's worth being timed to a week and having to put up with whatever shit Gametap is going to put me through.

 

[Andy_Panthro]

If I buy a game, I want it to be as free from restrictions as possible, and Gametap is just not a service I will ever use.

If I wanted to play stalker, I'd just buy the cheap version available at most game stores, giving me as long as I like to play, and without having to sign up for and download an intrusive and otherwise annoying program.

 

[TsunamiWombat]

GameTap was a good serviced when it made it's own applet. Unfortunatly now they've switched to some horrible buggy browser based thing. It's hard just to delete a game, it's slow, it's clunky... they took a good program and ruined it. Steer clear people, trust me.

 

[Avatar Roku]

I actually downloaded it a few days ago. It seems interesting, but I just can't get into it.

 

[Avatar Roku]

GameTap was a good serviced when it made it's own applet. Unfortunatly now they've switched to some horrible buggy browser based thing. It's hard just to delete a game, it's slow, it's clunky... they took a good program and ruined it. Steer clear people, trust me.

I know. I still only use Gametap to play Psychonauts (and now occasionally STALKER), I just can't be arsed at this point to look for more with the way that it is now.

 

[Miral]

Unless they've changed something since I last looked at GameTap, there are some more caveats:
- can't play if you're not in the US
- can't play if you're using 64-bit Windows

 

[myogaman]

So for all yee lookin' for a DRM free version. Go for Steam. If you don't like Steam, you have a fatal flaw and need to see a doctor ASAP because Steam isn't the problem, that PoS computer is your problem. Every problem I've run into with Steam, it was because the computer.

But back to reality, go for the Steam version of STALKER if you want it. No stupid DRM that only allows 5 installs. My only beef is the dudes at GSC aren't too good at making Steam autopatch. So you might have to jump through hoops to get 1.0006 patch installed (which is a multiplayer only patch anyways).

ALSO! All you fans who want STALKER to be purtyier than ever, go to http://www.moddb.com/mods/stalker-complete-2009/news/stalker-complete-2009-release

Everyone who has crappy computers, please upgrade D:

 

[IrrelevantTangent]

Bah, if it's only going to be available for a week and its requirements are too much for stereotypical under-upgraded crappy computers like my own, then never mind. Bleh, I say! Bleh!