S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear SkyThis is not just down to the storyline, however, as the gameplay is equally to blame. Clear Sky is a punishingly hard game even on the easier difficulty settings. This is largely because in order to survive in the Zone, you need a good suit and good weapons. Both of which cost money. It isn't easy to accrue the sort of money you'll need to equip yourself properly and the game design offers no help. Between the factions and the mutants, you're almost constantly being shot at or bitten and this gets even worse at night. You may as well forget about going for a wander past sundown unless you have a powerful weapon, decent armour and a boatload of med kits. And should you manage to acquire these, there's every chance you'll have them all stolen from you by a bandit during what initially seems to be a regular conversation. You don't even have the option to refuse the bandit's request for all your stuff, forcing you to reload the last save. Which is something you'll do a lot. The difficulty will undoubtedly cause a lot of players to abandon the game before they have a chance appreciate the better aspects of Clear Sky.