Be sure to get one of the two true endings to fill in all the plot holes. Though some of the story's twists and turns are interesting, the pacing and storytelling methods could have used some refinement. It turns out the Zone's NPCs aren't the best storytellers, so to more accurately understand what's happening you'll need to regularly check your PDA the Marked One turns out to be quite the diligent note taker. S.T.A.L.K.E.R.'s main story missions provide the most engaging experience, as completing the challenges sometimes bestows useful rewards, opens up new territory to explore, and advances the mysterious plot. As the journey progresses, you'll move through the game's various self-contained zones that together make up The Zone, from the relatively placid Cordon to the war-wracked Army Warehouses, Pripyat, and finally the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant itself, from which all things sinister seem to emanate. You soon meet up with a man named Sidorovich, who hands out your first tasks and introduces the fiction of the environment. Events kick off with your character, known only as the Marked One, tumbling off a death truck on the outskirts of The Zone.
