The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series remains to be a cult classic in the FPS genre to this day.
Many fans will argue that the world and atmosphere of the zone just doesn’t compare with any other.
All this, along with the superb AI and unpredictable world events, make for playthroughs that remain interesting no matter how many times you replay the game.
But mods certainly help with that replay value!
With that said, many consider mods to be essential for any S.T.A.L.K.E.R. playthrough.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky is the second installment in the series and acts as a prequel to the original.
And here are some of the best mods to check out for this title.
While Clear Sky isn’t a bad-looking game, it’s still well over 10 years old.
I’ll personally take graphics improvements for any game that old.
And in this case, the Clear Sky HD Models Addon is a great way to get that.
This mod does exactly as it says, replacing most of the game’s original textures with higher quality ones – making the game look much better at higher resolutions.
The S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series has received praise for its atmosphere throughout all three installments.
It was considered to be one of the most important aspects that made the game so good, any modder CrommCruac wanted to see if he could take it even further.
His mod AtmosFear for Clear Sky tweaks the game’s weather system to be much more dynamic than in vanilla, adding yet another layer to what makes the Zone feel so alive.
Stalker Clear Sky OGSM is another popular option for enhancing your Clear Sky experience.
It adds in many features that most fans wished had been included in the original game.
One of the mod’s biggest features is the introduction of free play upon the completion of the main storyline, allowing you to continue to roam the Zone and explore the world.
The mod includes a number of other tweaks to improve gameplay as well, including AI improvements, new weapons, and a variety of rebalances to keep things interesting.
Another huge feature introduced in Clear Sky were the Faction Wars.
Tension between the different groups in the zone is directly impacted by which missions you take and how you interact with NPC’s – adding a whole new level of depth to how you experience the game.
You could choose which factions to team up with and which to go against throughout your playthrough, and random events and encounters affect the NPC’s you meet along the way as well.
As with many aspects of the game, the Faction Wars feature was riddled with bugs in the original version.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R: The Faction War aims to create a completely polished experience around the concept.
Focus is shifted towards your part in the Faction Wars, making it much more important to fight for control of the Zone.
While it’s a great mod, I wouldn’t recommend it for newcomers, as it might distract from the game’s main storyline at first.
R.E.B.O.R.N. Another Way has become a sort of Reddit joke mod for Clear Sky, as it’s received some of the strangest reactions over the years.
There’s not much to go on based on the modder’s description other than the vague introduction but looking through some of the reviews – it’s actually supposed to be a pretty good mod.
And this one isn’t afraid to veer away from what S.T.A.L.K.E.R is supposed to be, as it plays around with alternative storylines and concepts making for a completely unique experience with the game.
Just try to keep an open mind. And who knows, you might end up enjoying what R.E.B.O.R.N. has to offer.
In case you’ve played through the base game a couple of times before, you’re probably itching for more of a challenge.
This offers a great way to keep things exciting.
At the very top of the mod page you’re immediately greeted with a warning explaining that the mod isn’t for everyone.
The mod makes several gameplay tweaks including a tougher economy system, more aggressive radiation, and deadlier anomalies to make for a more difficult experience overall.
Clear Sky marked a shift in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series.
It was highly anticipated by fans of the original game, but many were disappointed as it was plagued by bugs and glitches upon launch.
While others chose to power through to get the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. fix they needed, others just couldn’t stand to play the game in the state is was released.
This prompted many modders to work together to enhance the Clear Sky experience, and Clear Sky Complete is one of the best ways to do so.
And this mod acts as the game’s community patch of sorts, including improved graphics, sounds, bug fixes, and much more. Give it a try and see what you think!
The Sky Reclamation Project is one of the most popular bug fix mods for Clear Sky, offering what many consider to be the definitive way to enjoy the game.
The pack is a compilation of community patches and fixes that aim to resolve pretty much all bugs you would encounter in the original game.
This mod does a great job of patching up many of the game’s issues, and is probably the smoothest Clear Sky experience possible.
If you’re looking for a more polished vanilla Clear Sky experience, SRP is the way to go.
Top on the list here we have another option for the hardcore S.T.A.L.K.E.R fans, making for one of the most challenging Clear Sky experiences possible.
MYSTERY was actually made by the same team that created the popular Misery mod for Call of Pripyat, this time bringing their brand of hardcore survival horror to Clear Sky.
Beyond the graphics changes, this mod also introduces a variety of rebalances to the game’s weapons, damage, mutants, and anomalies to make things much more challenging overall.
What sets Mystery apart from other hardcore mods is that the challenge level is highly customizable, making it easier for you to play however you want.
