Due to its blocky world and low-res textures, at first glance,STALCRAFTcould appear to be a simpleMinecraftclone with a post-apocalyptic aesthetic. Although the game’s name brings togetherSTALKERandMinecraft, the actual gameplays more like aSTALKERMMOthanMinecraft. The first half of its name actually reflects about 90 percent of the game, as it’s heavily inspired by the belovedSTALKERseries. Released on August 03, 2025,STALCRAFTserves as an unlikely mash-up that fans ofSTALKERshould check out; especially since it’s free.
The last officialSTALKERgame was released in 2009, and fans of the iconic series have been anxiously awaiting the release ofSTALKER 2since its initial announcement in 2010. Thirteen long years later, many games have come along that took inspiration fromSTALKER. Games like the popularMetrohorror series,Chernobylite, and even fan-made standalone projects likeSTALKER Anomalyare a few standouts. With expansive MMORPG elements, a large open world, and high-stakes PvP,STALCRAFTis worth checking out while waiting forSTALKER 2’srelease.
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STALCRAFT Delivers a True STALKER MMORPG
STALCRAFTfully embraces its inspiration with a near-identical UI, menus, sights, and sounds to those ofSTALKER. This helps serve up a side of nostalgia with the main course that isSTALKER’ssignature tone and atmosphere. The dirty camps that serve as safe zones, the relentless monsters, enemy patrols, and supernatural anomalies all contribute to the feeling of a traditionalSTALKERexperience. WhereSTALCRAFTreally changes things up is in the depth of its RPG systems, a player-driven economy, and open-world PvP where players can go solo or team up with other players on their faction to increase their odds of survival.
Players start their journey by choosing to join one of the two factions - Bandits or Stalkers. As is the case with manyMMOs likeWorld of Warcraft, this choice decides where the players' bases are located, but doesn’t typically differentiate the gameplay in a meaningful way. InSTALCRAFT, Players traverse the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone with the freedom to hunt for artifacts or monsters, clear enemy-controlled areas, complete quests, seek out PvP, or simply explore. It’s a large map that gives plenty of activities for players to do, and almost all of it provides worthwhile items and materials to help progress.
Many would argue that the lack of other players is vital to the feeling of isolation and desperation in theSTALKERgames. However, PvP can happen at any time outside a safe zone inSTALCRAFT, so the threat of PvP keeps players on their toes at all times. Also, since a player’s loot is dropped at the place of their death, it means there’s always risk associated with heading out into the world. This creates a similar high-risk, high-reward gameplay loop to extraction games likeEscape from TarkovorCall of Duty’sDMZ mode, except there’s a chance to recover the dropped loot.
With countless materials and items to acquire, there is a vast crafting and upgrading system that helps create a continual sense of progression. Players can unlock new guns, attachments for those guns, upgraded suits, and more, much likeSTALKER. As players complete missions within an area, they improve their reputation with that area’s safe zone, allowing for even further upgrades. The number of weapons available inSTALCRAFTis impressive and the weapon modding goes deceptively deep, encouraging experimentation. The system can be overwhelming at first, but it makes almost all loot feel meaningful.
For fans ofSTALKER, it’s safe to say thatSTALCRAFTis not going to feel like an evolution of those games. Still, it borrows a lot and expands the crafting and reputation mechanics to provide quite a bit more content. So, for those who want to see whatSTALCRAFTis about beforeSTALKER 2releases in 2023, it’s available on PC and costs nothing to play. Plus, players might just get engrossed in the world and find themselves eager to explore deeper into the zone to unlock better gear.
