S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy Review
Revisiting the Zone in 2025 on a PlayStation 5 feels a bit like going back to a hometown you barely survived, only to find it eerily unchanged yet eerily preserved. When I booted up “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy,” I wasn’t just launching a game; I was stepping into a warped, decaying world that’s been haunting PC screens since 2007. And somehow, that raw tension, that almost suffocating atmosphere, still holds up like a cracked Geiger counter that never stops ticking.
This collection brings together the trilogy that helped define post-apocalyptic survival horror for me: “Shadow of Chernobyl,” “Clear Sky,” and “Call of Pripyat.” While each chapter has its own identity, what unites them is that bleak, persistent danger of existing in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, a place where physics have gone rogue, mutated wildlife stalks the underbrush, and every bullet counts like it’s your last. The trilogy’s PS5 release does more than just resurrect the past; it subtly patches it up. Having played the PS4 versions not long ago, I immediately noticed better stability and smoother performance across the board. Frame drops and long load times that used to be common are largely gone, which makes a huge difference when you’re cautiously sneaking past anomalies or trading fire with a mutated chimera under a stormy sky. These aren’t remakes, and they’re not pretending to be, but the enhancements are welcome and keep the games from buckling under their own ambition.
Kicking off with “Shadow of Chernobyl,” you’re dropped into the dusty boots of the Marked One, a man with no memory and one mission: kill Strelok. What follows is a grimy, fragmented journey through irradiated swamps and decaying factories, making friends, enemies, and morally grey choices along the way. The game’s atmosphere is thick with tension and loneliness, and that has always been its most potent weapon. You feel small, vulnerable, and always a little bit lost, even when you know exactly where you are.
“Clear Sky” acts as a prequel, and it’s a little more volatile than its siblings. You take on the role of Scar, a mercenary who, for some reason, survives deadly Emissions that would cook a normal man’s brain. The faction warfare system introduced here adds a new layer to the experience, allowing players to tip the balance between groups like Duty, Freedom, Bandits, and the titular Clear Sky. While it was the buggiest of the three back in the day, it benefits the most from the PS5’s improved stability and load times. For once, I was able to see Clear Sky’s vision through without wanting to throw my controller in frustration.
Then there’s “Call of Pripyat,” the capstone of the trilogy and arguably the most refined. Playing as Major Degtyarev, you investigate the disappearance of a military operation deep in the Zone. The story, the side quests, the characters, they all feel more fleshed out here. There’s a real sense of being in a living, breathing (and radiating) world where your decisions echo long after the firefight ends. It doesn’t reinvent the series’ formula, but it sharpens it. And while it may lack the raw mystery of “Shadow of Chernobyl,” it makes up for it with confident pacing and storytelling.
Across all three games, the gunplay is twitchy and brutal, classic Eastern European design where enemies hit hard, ammo is scarce, and the environment itself is your biggest threat. The RPG elements are understated but essential. Upgrades, loadouts, and faction relationships aren’t just filler; they change how you experience the Zone. And even now, all these years later, those weird artifacts you find hidden inside deadly anomalies still give me a thrill. Risk and reward feels real in these games in a way modern titles often forget.
Of course, the trilogy shows its age. The animations can be stiff, enemy AI occasionally breaks down in hilarious ways, and the voice acting is charmingly awkward. But the soul of these games, their ability to pull you into a grim, dangerous world and make you feel like a scavenger clinging to survival, remains entirely intact. And in a generation where a lot of games guide you by the hand, “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” still delights in throwing you into the deep end with a broken compass and a leaky gas mask. For forty bucks, this collection is an easy recommendation. Buying the three separately at twenty each makes no sense when this bundled version exists, especially with the PS5 optimizations included. The value is there, and more importantly, the experience is too. These aren’t just shooters; they’re immersive sims with teeth, asking you to live in a space that actively wants you dead.
What’s more, the trilogy captures something most modern games only pretend to: a world that feels indifferent to your presence. The Zone doesn’t care about your mission. It doesn’t care if you live or die. It just is. And that cold, oppressive indifference? It’s part of what makes these games timeless. So yeah, I absolutely recommend “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy.” It’s an unflinching, deeply atmospheric trip through one of gaming’s most hostile environments, with a blend of action, stealth, and RPG mechanics that still outshine many of today’s titles. Now all I can do is wait, patiently, nervously, for GSC Game World to finally bring “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2” to PS5. Until then, I’ll be in the Zone… again.
8/10
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Related: Reviews by Nick Navarro
Gaming since I was given an original Nintendo as a kid. I love great storytelling and unique ingenuity. When both collide in a single game, I'm a happy gamer. Twitter/IG @NickNavarro87
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