STALKER Anomaly has a heavy emphasis on trading for goods and gear to keep players well-equipped
STALKER Anomaly has a heavy emphasis on trading for goods and gear to keep players well-equipped

Players who are new to hardcore survival FPS games may find “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly” to be exceptionally brutal. In this game, death comes quick to the unprepared and even quicker to those who have no idea what they’re doing.

“S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly” is a difficult game even for veterans of the original “S.T.A.L.K.E.R.” games. The lethality of the AI, the scarcity of resources and all of the Zone’s paranormal anomalies can quickly ruin a new player’s day, even if they do have some experience with other hardcore shooters.

Dying and learning from mistakes is an integral part of any video game, but dying too much for seemingly random reasons can be a bit irritating, especially when a game doesn’t tell players what to do or where to go. With that said, here are a few tips to help newcomers get started on “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly.”

STALKER Anomaly is a heavily-enhanced standalone version of the original game, featuring a more open-ended sandbox experience and high replayability

STALKER Anomaly is a heavily-enhanced standalone version of the original game, featuring a more open-ended sandbox experience and high replayability Photo: STALKER Anomaly

Customize the difficulty

Almost every aspect of the difficulty in “S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Anomaly” can be adjusted via the difficulty options in the character creation screen and various in-game sliders from the Options menu.

Mind the Anomalies

Anomalies are deadly environmental hazards that can take new players by surprise. They’re relatively hard to spot, so try to keep an eye out for spatial distortions and odd lights in the environment.

Medical supplies take priority

Taking damage from scratches, bites or bullets can cause severe bleeding that will eventually kill players. To make matters worse, certain injuries can only be healed by specific healing items like specialized bandages or advanced medkits. Make sure to keep a decent stock of medical supplies to heal back health or reduce radiation levels.

Always take quests

Taking quests from traders and other STALKERs is the best way to earn money in the early game. Finishing these tasks also increases the player’s reputation with the quest giver’s faction, making this an important step in building relationships with NPCs.

Always read PDAs

PDAs can sometimes be looted off of dead enemies and found in the environment. These devices might contain locations to secret stashes filled with loot, so try to make a habit out of reading every PDA out there.

Additionally, players can get extra cash by taking out a PDA’s batteries. The PDA’s trade value won’t depreciate, and players will be able to sell the batteries to traders as well.