As historically significant and tragic as the Chornobyl nuclear disaster was, very few titles have captured the abject desolation and atmosphere of the environment as well as GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R. With S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl out this year for Xbox Series X/S and PC, now is as good of a time as ever to reacquaint older fans with the series, while introducing a new generation to its unique mix of sandbox exploration, first-person shooting and survival mechanics. Cue S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy, a collection of the first three titles with new aim-assist settings, some visual improvements, and new Achievements/Trophies.

The two biggest features – mod support and a current-gen patch for further improvements on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S – are coming later. However, as it stands, the trilogy isn’t just a great way to experience a piece of gaming history but showcases the long-standing appeal of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. as a whole, jank and all.

Though based on the original Chornobyl disaster, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s overarching lore is alternate history. It follows a second nuclear disaster occurring in the Exclusion Zone, leading numerous Stalkers towards the region for their own ends. Some seek profits from the mysterious Artifacts that have begun cropping up through the Zone, while others are lured by the mystery surrounding the center and the riches it could hold. There’s much more going on than meets the eye, but in each title, that’s not your immediate concern.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl sees you controlling the Marked One, discovered in a “death carrier” truck and somehow mysteriously alive. You have only one objective – find and kill Strelok. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is a prequel to the first game and sees Scar, a mercenary, joining the faction Clear Sky after mysteriously surviving an emission in the Zone.

Eventually, his fate becomes intertwined with Strelok as well. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat is a proper sequel with Major Alexander Degtyarev venturing into the Zone to investigate the aftermath of Operation Fairway, where five military helicopters are sent in to assess the zone and subsequently crash.

Unlike many other first-person shooters at the time, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy unfolds non-linearly. You could follow the objectives on your PDA or take on various jobs and interact with the factions inhabiting the Zone. It’s advised to explore for better weapons, ammo, and items that replenish your health or take care of any radiation sickness. However, it’s also a way to familiarize yourself with the Zone and its various complications.

Along with hostiles like Bandits, you’ll also run afoul of mutants, from dogs to other monstrosities with special abilities. There are also Anomalies which manifest in different ways and are capable of outright destroying you. “Seeing” the effects of each Anomaly is difficult – though you could toss a trusty bolt and see what happens – and while you could avoid them well enough in Shadow of Chornobyl, Clear Sky and Call of Pripyat ensure they’re the prime locations for Artifacts.

When you take damage in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., health isn’t regenerated. You’ll suffer effects like bleeding when taking damage, and while some bandages can patch things up, the severity can be intense. Then there are the emissions, which can cause death if you don’t seek cover.

With each subsequent title, the Anomalies, emissions, Artifacts and survival become more nuanced. It can seem challenging to get into, and each title can come across as janky or unrefined from the outset. Give it time, delve further in, and the intricacies gradually unfold into something magical.

Take Shadow of Chornobyl, for example – at the start, you can take on some jobs to rescue a person of interest, Nimble, for the group that’s set up camp in the starting area. It involves working with others and clearing out some ruined buildings with bandits armed with only a pistol. Upon rescuing the individual, you acquire his flash drive and can turn it in to progress further. Maybe Nimble has a job for you after that to retrieve a suit, but you can also obtain tasks from others like Wolf.

Before you can do any of that, the town is attacked by the military, and despite a valiant defense, your newfound comrades are torn to shreds. It’s all you can do to survive, but any jobs taken from NPCs in the location have failed since they’re all dead. There’s nothing left to do but move forward, scavenging whatever you can find while staying alive.

Such moments are all the more apparent in Call of Pripyat, the most refined title in the series, as you’re taking on tasks to retrieve tools or barter information one moment and jumping through Anomalies and conducting night-time ambushes at others. You may be tasked to retrieve something from a car, only to find it sunken into a ravine.

Do you try to navigate the caves filled with deadly Snorks to try and get to it, or navigate the cliffs leading downward and attempt to rush through? Speaking of that night-time ambush, if you choose not to get your hands bloody, you won’t get a cut, but at least they’re open to second chances.

This mix of missions and emergent gameplay is even more incredible with how old these titles are. That being said, the jankiness is still apparent from the repeated responses of some characters and the general animation quality to the artificial intelligence. In Shadow of Chornobyl, your enemies are pretty competent, using foliage as cover and knowing when to retreat.

Meanwhile, your allies are running into walls and barely helping. Enemy AI tends to feel a little overturned in Clear Sky, relying on grenade spam and generally feeling obnoxious to fight against. Call of Pripyat feels more well-balanced, with teammates and enemies putting up a good fight without feeling unhelpful or cheap.

Shadow of Chornobyl and Call of Pripyat are clearly the superior titles, with Clear Sky feeling like the weaker entry (despite introducing elements that would become a mainstay in the third game). This isn’t to say that the latter doesn’t have its merits, even if Faction Wars may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it’s more challenging and requires a slower pace than one may be accustomed to in the other titles.

As for the new additions, each title delivers a consistent 60 frames per second, while the amount of vegetation feels denser and the lighting improved. It’s probably not all that noticeable without comparing side by side with the original games, but the experience feels smoother overall. The atmosphere of all three games is enhanced, making you feel more isolated and alone when traveling through the Zone as if death can occur at any moment (and it often does).

The shooting also feels good, though I’m still experimenting with the new aim assist settings to find the right balance. Tracking assist apparently doesn’t play very well with everything else, and it can be a bit difficult to get a bead on things, especially when getting used to the weapon sway. Still, having options to control recoil is nice.

With S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Legends of the Zone Trilogy, what you see is what you get – three classic titles for a pretty fair price (also available individually) that still hold up after all these years. The improvements are significant without altering too much of what makes each game endearing. PC players may be better off playing the standalone Anomaly mod, as it combines all three into one map while overhauling progression and adding new content. For console players, the trilogy is a great way to delve into the series.

This game was reviewed on the PlayStation 5.