Chernobylite Review – PlayStation 4

There is always a certain beauty to be seen in post-apocalyptic video games, TV shows, and films.  Sure, they all feature landscapes littered with destruction and detritus, but there’s also that encouraging vision of nature returning and taking back its rightful place amongst the ruins. Polish developer The Farm 51, delivers this post-apocalyptic beauty with their incredible new survival horror adventure FPS.

But while so many other franchises have gone with the “what if” with their post-apocalyptic takes on New York City, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Tokyo, or any modern city – The Farm 51 tackles the real-life current post-apocalyptic wasteland of the Chernobyl disaster with their game, which they call Chernobylite.

There has been a lot of interest in Chernobyl lately, mostly drawn from HBO’s incredible historical drama miniseries Chernobyl (2019), which gave viewers a glimpse behind the Iron Curtain that covered up the Chernobyl nuclear disaster that happened in the former USSR in 1986.  It’s only natural then than Chernobyl would begin popping back up in video games, and who would be more suited to tackle Chernobyl than a game developer situated in the former USSR’s nearest neighbor, Poland.

While Chernobylite certainly isn’t the first game to take on the area surrounding Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (see: Call of Duty Warzone), it is the most exact representation of the wasteland you will find in gaming.  The reason I can say this is The Farm 51 spent a great deal of time in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone armed with 3D scanning photogrammetry devices and software to capture and deliver the most accurate and complete depictions of the Chernobyl plant and it is surrounding area.  We’re talking from as far up as 3D drone imaging of the buildings and landscapes, right down to the actual papers and garbage that is still scattered on the floors from when the initial evacuation occurred.

And folks, these visuals aren’t just your standard gaming fare – Chernobylite churns out some of the most photorealistic visuals I have seen on my PS4 to date.  I had to take a half hour or so in the beginning to simply wander around and take it all in.  It’s simply stunning.  But enough of how the game looks – let’s talk about what it is, and how it plays.

Chernobylite tells the story of Igor, a Chernobyl nuclear physicist who after 30 years, returns to Chernobyl to search for clues of what happened Tatyana his coworker and fiancée, who disappeared shortly before the disaster.  What Igor discovers in the Exclusion Zone is a mysterious substance called Chernobylite, which allows its user to travel back in time and re-experience past events to the point that they can actually change their own past decisions and thereby change their present situations.  It’s an amazing gameplay mechanic that not only changes the outcome of a storyline, but also serves as a “retry” for failed missions.

At its heart, Chernobylite is a first person shooter (FPS), that is heavy on looting and crafting.  The looting is not only performed by the gamer, as Igor, but also by Igor’s team of allies.  Similar to an underground resistance group, these allies work with Igor to eliminate not only the dark Shadow creatures which roam the landscape in search of Chernobylite, but also the paramilitary group that is using the Chernobylite for their own nefarious purposes.  Of course, the game is also listed in the survival horror genre, so prepare for plenty of panic and fear, because The Farm 51 definitely delivers on the jump scares.

The overall play structure is somewhat open; with an obvious main storyline missions surrounded by a bevy of side missions.  There’s also a bit of resource management, as Igor must make decisions on how to divvy up loot (food, supplies) with his AI team members to help develop relationships and keep them happy and on his side.  Of course, that means Igor can also piss-off his team members, which will significantly affect their performance in the game.  In addition, there’s a training mechanic which helps build the team members’ physical stamina, mental acuity, and comradery.

I can’t even lie and say I feel like I’m at all near completion in Chernobylite.  I’ve already put in a good 10-15 hours and I feel like I’m still just scratching the surface.  And considering all of the optional side missions, crafting options, and time travel decision change opportunities, I think it would be fair to say that the replay value with Chernobylite is pretty much infinite.

Chernobylite is an amazing FPS survival horror game that just keeps giving and giving.  You owe it to yourself to check this one out – especially with an MSRP of only $30, you will definitely feel you got your money’s worth.

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Author: Arend Hart
Veteran gamer and review writer, Arend has been playing and reviewing games for Game Chronicles since the beginning with more than 400 reviews over the past 20 years, mostly focusing on PlayStation.

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