S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky – Enhanced Edition

 
The Zone shifts, and your map is a rumor
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky — Enhanced Edition brings the 2008 prequel back with modern lighting, controller support, and cleaner presentation while preserving its grim survival loop. You’re Scar, a merc with a pulse that somehow outlasts Emissions, pulled into faction feuds that redraw frontlines overnight.
How it plays now
The Enhanced Edition sharpens the vibe rather than rewriting it. Global illumination, screenspace reflections, improved skyboxes, and upgraded weapon FOV make swamps, factories, and Red Forest read clearer at a glance. Full gamepad support and quality‑of‑life fixes sand down rough edges, but the sim is still unforgiving: bleed, hunger, radiation, and weather sit on the same stack as bullets and rubles. Faction Wars remains the star—push checkpoints, route patrols, and watch the Zone answer back.
Key features

Visual upgrade: God rays, dynamic SSR, global illumination, improved water shaders, upscaled textures, and refreshed skyboxes.
Better feel: Upgraded weapon models and field of view for cleaner sight pictures and muzzle readability.
Controller support: Native gamepad mapping plus cloud saves on supported storefronts.
Faction Wars: Capture points and supply lanes to tilt power balances across Swamps, Lymansk, and the Red Forest.
Survival stack: Armor condition, bleed/rad management, artifact hunting, and ballistics that punish sloppy play.
Lore fit: Events slot directly into Shadow of Chornobyl, with familiar faces and places seen “before the fall.”

Quick facts

Release Date: 20 May 2025 (Enhanced Edition)
Developer: GSC Game World
Genre: FPS, Survival, Immersive Sim
Setting: The Zone (prequel timeline: Swamps, Cordon edges, Red Forest, Lymansk)
Features: Faction Wars, artifact hunting, gear upgrading, emissions/weather, upgraded visuals, controller support
Special Features: Global illumination pass, dynamic reflections, 4K cinematics, improved weapon FOV/models, cloud saves and QoL fixes