Chernobylite

Chernobylite is a captivating first person shooter adventure that blends survival and roguelite elements into a thoroughly engaging, conspiratorial sci-fi/horror mystery to unravel.

79%Game Brain Score

story, gameplay

optimization, stability

85% User Score Based on 9,562 reviews

Critic Score 73%Based on 43 reviews

Platforms

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About

Chernobylite is a single-player or co-op horror shooter RPG set in a hyper-realistic 3D scanned Chernobyl wasteland. As ex-employee Igor, you'll investigate your fiancée's mysterious disappearance, facing military, stalkers, supernatural creatures, and harsh environment. Build a base, craft, manage resources and companions, and prepare for a thrilling adventure of survival, conspiracy, horror, love, and obsession.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

+25

85%

Audience ScoreBased on 9,605 reviews

story2.4k positive mentions

optimization136 negative mentions

The game features stunning graphics and a beautifully recreated Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, enhancing the immersive experience.
Chernobylite offers a compelling story with meaningful choices that impact the narrative and character relationships.
The gameplay combines elements of survival, stealth, and base building, providing a unique and engaging experience.

The game can become repetitive due to limited locations and missions, leading to a sense of monotony.
Combat mechanics are often criticized for being clunky and unresponsive, with enemies sometimes acting unpredictably.
The voice acting, particularly in English, has been described as subpar, detracting from the overall immersion.

story
8,019 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
29%
67%
4%
The story of "Chernobylite" is a compelling blend of personal tragedy and sci-fi elements, centered around the protagonist Igor's quest to find his missing fiancée, Tatyana, amidst the haunting backdrop of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Players navigate a narrative rich with choices that significantly impact relationships and outcomes, though some find the pacing slow and the mission structure repetitive, as many objectives occur in the same limited environments. Overall, the game is praised for its atmospheric storytelling, intriguing plot twists, and well-developed characters, making it a notable experience for fans of narrative-driven games.
- “The story missions have a big emphasis on making choices that will alter the story, companions, and ending.”
- “The game has a really compelling storyline and the voice acting is one of the best I've seen; they really nailed that part!”
- “The story is engaging enough on the surface.”
- “The story was generally well written, but some things were obvious like the identity of the black stalker.”
- “The main draw is the twisting story which dabbles into both some interesting science fiction and intrigue.”
- “The story is one-dimensional.”
gameplay
2,767 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
57%
8%
The gameplay of Chernobylite is a blend of first-person shooting, stealth, resource gathering, and base building, reminiscent of titles like Fallout and Stalker. While the game features an engaging narrative and innovative mechanics, such as the ability to alter past decisions, many players find the gameplay loop repetitive and the AI lacking. Overall, the game is praised for its atmosphere and graphics, but it suffers from performance issues and a lack of depth in some mechanics, making it a mixed experience for players.
- “The mix of human and supernatural enemies keeps players on edge, while the game’s time loop mechanic adds a unique twist, allowing players to go back and change decisions if missions don’t go as planned.”
- “Gameplay in Chernobylite is robust, featuring an extensive range of activities including crafting, base building, and diverse missions. These elements create a rewarding gameplay loop of exploration, strategy, and action.”
- “The gameplay loop of zone exploration and base maintenance is super addicting.”
- “Also so many bugs and crashes happened during my gameplay.”
- “Every other map has horrible frame rate stutters and the core gameplay loops are the boring parts of Fallout 4 settlement mechanics with even more meter management.”
- “The AI is dumb and just walks at you menacingly, the enemies/monster selection is limited, and the gameplay loop itself is rather bare bones.”
graphics
1,539 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
64%
34%
2%
The graphics of Chernobylite have received widespread acclaim, with many players praising the stunning visuals and atmospheric design that effectively capture the eerie beauty of the Chernobyl exclusion zone. The game utilizes photogrammetry to create highly detailed environments, contributing to an immersive experience, although some users noted performance issues and optimization concerns on lower-end systems. Overall, the graphics are considered a standout feature, enhancing both the gameplay and storytelling elements.
- “Chernobylite has fascinating graphics and sound effects.”
- “The game's graphics are nothing short of breathtaking, with meticulously crafted environments that perfectly capture the desolate beauty of the abandoned Chernobyl exclusion zone.”
- “The graphics are absolutely astonishing, the voice acting is serviceable, the environments are creepy.”
- “The graphics are outdated, the voice acting is poor and the controls are clunky.”
- “Honestly, graphics suck, movement combat sucks, crafting is okay, story is eh, game constantly crashes with a 3090 just feels like a game that came out in 2008 honestly.”
- “The graphics feel a little dated, although the environments look realistic and well designed.”
atmosphere
1,236 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
61%
37%
1%
The atmosphere in "Chernobylite" is widely praised for its haunting beauty and immersive quality, effectively capturing the eerie essence of the Chernobyl exclusion zone through meticulous 3D scanning and detailed environmental design. Players appreciate the game's ability to evoke a sense of dread and curiosity, enhanced by atmospheric sound design and a compelling narrative that draws them into its world. Overall, the game's atmosphere stands out as a key strength, making it a must-play for fans of atmospheric exploration and storytelling.
- “The atmosphere: the developers used 3D scanning to recreate real locations in the exclusion zone, creating a hauntingly beautiful and eerie world to explore.”
- “Visually, Chernobylite is a marvel, with its meticulously detailed portrayal of the Chernobyl landscape and atmospheric effects that enhance immersion, making players feel as if they are part of its world.”
- “The atmosphere is heavy and disturbing, but there is no doubt that it will captivate you.”
- “You can tell they tried to make the atmospheres of the maps evolve as the story progresses, but they reused each map too many times for it to have any effect.”
- “The atmosphere and attention to detail is simply beautiful.”
- “The atmosphere is gripping... the devs are getting close.”
optimization
486 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
21%
51%
28%
The game's optimization has received significant criticism, with many players reporting severe stuttering, frame drops, and inconsistent performance even on high-end hardware. While some users have noted improvements after updates, the overall sentiment is that the game remains poorly optimized, particularly in certain areas, making it unplayable for many. Despite its potential and engaging gameplay, the optimization issues detract from the experience, leading to frustration among players.
- “Performance wise I had a 60 fps experience through all the game, very steady without a single crash.”
- “And when it comes to the hardware, I also have no complaints, the game is well optimized and on my hardware it always works well on the highest graphics settings.”
- “Honestly amazing, immersive gameplay with a well written storyline and already pretty well optimized :) good Fallout cross Tarkov cross Stalker vibes.”
- “Running on 3080ti and Ryzen 9 7950x, no reason for poor performance.”
- “Sadly the game is terribly optimized and I experienced numerous massive frame drops for no reason.”
- “This game has so many optimization issues and drops frames so frequently at the worst times.”
music
419 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
58%
41%
1%
The music in Chernobylite has received widespread praise for its atmospheric and immersive qualities, effectively enhancing the game's eerie setting and emotional depth. Composed by Mikołaj Stroinski, the soundtrack features soft, ambient tones that complement the game's visuals and narrative, although some players noted that the music can become repetitive over time. Overall, while the soundtrack is generally well-received, a desire for more variety and balance in the audio design has been expressed by some reviewers.
- “The original soundtrack composed by Mikołaj Stroinski is a work of art. It is composed of soft and pleasant ambient music with calm, mysterious, and strange tones.”
- “The game has a wonderful atmosphere and its soundtrack is absolutely beautiful. The soundtrack is also well done for this game and fits the atmosphere very well.”
- “Wandering through the in-game exclusion zone, recreated from the 3D scans of the actual zone, along with a highly immersive soundtrack playing in the background creates a unique experience only residents of Eastern Europe can relate to.”
- “The music in this game is a bit too loud for my taste; I had to turn it down to 50, and even then there were moments where I just wanted to stop the music entirely.”
- “Ok, after a year of trying to come back with fresh eyes and hope for something more, this game never really delivered. The in-zone music is yawn-inducing, as is the search and scavenge gameplay.”
- “I really don't like the music in this game; it does not help with the immersion.”
stability
323 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
11%
89%
The game's stability has received mixed feedback, with many players reporting frequent crashes, freezes, and various bugs that disrupt gameplay. While some users experienced minimal issues and praised the overall performance, others highlighted significant technical problems, particularly in early access versions. Overall, the game shows potential but requires further optimization and bug fixes to enhance the player experience.
- “Beautiful game, good story, and bug free. Keep up the amazing work!”
- “Runs great and looks great.”
- “It's not a AAA title with thousands of people working on it, but it is not buggy, and a very fun experience.”
- “The game crashes constantly from the beginning, and I have to manually turn off my computer each time because it freezes everything.”
- “There is a fair amount of bugs, glitches, crashes, etc. These happened frequently as my game would straight up crash, a quest wouldn't let me continue without failing and then redoing it (no, this was not part of the game, it was a glitch), I couldn't pick things up or switch gear, etc. For a game out of early access and having 2 years of development time, it shouldn't have been this bad.”
- “The game right now is buggy, un-optimized, crashes about every ten to forty minutes of game time, missing animations, RAM usage oddly high for a game, and seriously bad frame drop.”
grinding
176 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
3%
15%
82%
The grinding aspect of the game has received mixed reviews, with many players finding it tedious and repetitive, particularly in resource gathering and mission execution. While some appreciate the survival mechanics and base management, others feel that the gameplay loop becomes monotonous and lacks meaningful progression, leading to frustration. Overall, players who enjoy grinding may find some satisfaction, but those who prefer a more dynamic experience might be disappointed.
- “Good understandable mechanics on how a loot run works, base building seemed fine if not a slight bit bland but then again not overbearing at least, again, some grind, but not too grindy.”
- “I hate survival games but this is great (not too grindy).”
- “Gun play isn't too tedious or difficult, there is base building, crafting, resource gathering, team management, stealth if you please, skills/stats and weapon upgrades.”
- “The missions are tedious and slog fests and the acting is over the top.”
- “Collecting the same materials over and over again in order to progress is quite tedious and annoying.”
- “There's a tedious gameplay loop of going on missions (to a small zone you've probably already been to 5 times), doing a quick objective while sprinting around to pick up supplies, coming back to base, building up the base, talking to companions, and repeating.”
replayability
131 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
32%
57%
11%
Chernobylite offers a mixed bag in terms of replayability; while some players appreciate the non-linear story and decision-making mechanics that encourage multiple playthroughs, others criticize the game for its linearity and lack of significant new content after initial runs. The roguelite elements and continuous updates provide some replay value, but many reviewers express disappointment over the limited long-term engagement and repetitive gameplay. Overall, the game has potential for replayability, but it may not satisfy those seeking extensive replay options.
- “This adds a layer of replayability, encouraging players to explore different choices and witness various facets of the gripping tale.”
- “Furthermore, between some degree of story replayability, the free play mode, and the team constantly adding new elements and even modes to the game, you can definitely get even more time out of Chernobylite if you find yourself totally into it.”
- “The voice acting is amazing, and coupled with an interesting in-game mechanic of revisiting past major decision branches, allows for greater replayability and immersion.”
- “Good game for how it sits; I'd give it a 6/10 because of very low replayability, aforementioned notables, repetitive routines, and Tatyana.”
- “But be warned that there is little to no replay value the way the game was designed.”
- “Overall a solid choice for a few hours of gameplay, but if you're looking for a long-term game, there is very, very little replayability.”
humor
122 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is a standout feature, with players praising the clever writing and memorable characters, particularly Mikhail, who is frequently highlighted for his comedic lines. The dialogue often blends dark humor with absurdity, creating a unique atmosphere that complements the game's grim setting. While some jokes may not land for everyone, many players find the humor to be a refreshing and entertaining aspect of the overall experience.
- “The writing is clever, especially that hilarious self-aware bit about how sexist it is that a female character is good at packing bags.”
- “This game really doesn't take itself too seriously in terms of the way you meet some of these characters, and the jokes along the way could be hit and miss for some - for me though, it was hilarious.”
- “The dialogue is also well written, with quite a few genuinely funny moments lighting up what is otherwise a pretty grim setting.”
emotional
86 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
93%
7%
The emotional aspect of the game is highlighted by its gripping narrative and well-developed characters, which evoke strong feelings and often lead players to tears. While some players find the story engaging and impactful, others criticize it for being slow or lacking depth, resulting in mixed emotional responses. Overall, the game successfully immerses players in a haunting atmosphere that resonates deeply, despite some flaws in execution.
- “There are an unlimited amount of endings... heartbreaking and so real.”
- “Never before has a video game or any piece of entertainment given me such an emotional experience; I am not ashamed to say this made me shed a tear on multiple occasions.”
- “Overall, the game is a masterpiece of storytelling that punishes you in every way imaginable and makes you want to cry in a good way.”
- “The game itself is fun, but there are a few trash parts about it, including the boring story and long exposition conversations.”
- “Just a boring story.”
- “Boring story.”
monetization
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
6%
94%
The monetization aspect of the game is positively noted for its lack of microtransactions and a focus on delivering a complete experience without exploitative practices, contrasting it with larger AAA titles. Players appreciate that the game does not feel like a "cash grab," although some mechanics, such as the reliance on aiming down sights (ADS) for shooting, can feel clunky and may detract from the overall combat experience. Overall, the game is seen as a refreshing alternative in the indie space, prioritizing gameplay over aggressive monetization strategies.
- “I've been enjoying these smaller indie games more than the big AAA titles lately, as the indie studios don't try to squeeze their players dry with exaggerated monetization mechanics.”
- “I've been enjoying these smaller indie games more than the big AAA titles lately, as the indie studios don't try to squeeze their players dry with exaggerated monetization mechanics.”
- “I apologize if I made anyone buying this 'low effort cash grab', I hope you guys can forgive me.”
- “I feel like you can tell when a game is a cash grab or if blood, sweat and tears went into it.”
- “In fact, recently I'm getting more fun out from playing these smaller indie games over the big triple-A games, because these indie studios don't try to squeeze their players dry with exaggerated monetization mechanics.”
character development
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
35%
56%
9%
Character development in the game receives mixed reviews; while some players praise its depth and the engaging design of characters, others criticize it for being inconsistent or lacking in certain areas, particularly in the plot surrounding Tatyana. Many appreciate the immersive storytelling and character interactions, but some feel that the gameplay often overshadows character development, leading to moments of boredom. Overall, the game is noted for its strong character design and dialogue, though opinions vary on the effectiveness of character arcs and their integration into the gameplay experience.
- “The game combines elements of survival, exploration, and horror with a strong emphasis on storytelling, character development, and player choice.”
- “Incredible story and character development.”
- “A dark atmosphere with in-depth character development and a setting that I've always found fascinating made for one hell of a great game.”
- “Now I like this game, yes, but it has a lot of shortcomings in my opinion, mainly about character development.”
- “In overall, it's a good game, but I played it mainly for the gameplay rather than the story or character development, because although the story had me hooked in the beginning, the weak character development and interactions with what you discovered quickly made it a bit boring to listen to the characters.”
- “The character development that most shines is from enemies.”