Chernobylite Reviews
Slight repetition can't diminish the incredible atmoshpere of Farm 51's post-apocalyptic survival game.
An ambitious and atmospheric adventure undercut by some simplistic mechanics.
Chernobylite is special. If you enjoy RPGs that feature things like crafting, base building, team management, and heists, the ambitious Chernobylite is one that you won’t want to miss.
Chernobylite offers a deep survival game experience that offers elements of sci-fi, horror and RPG. It's hard to call this a survival horror title, but all the management aspects and the branching storylines will provide fans of the survival genre plenty to enjoy.
We liked much of Chernobylite and this is a playable port with a fairly solid frame rate, but too many things held us back from scoring it any higher - the graphical downgrade, the tedious death loop, and most egregiously, the multiple crashes that we experienced throughout. We never lost any progress but almost a dozen crashes in the 15-20 hour runtime are worth noting.
Chernobylite does the tension of survival better than most, but the hokey horror element lets it down.
Fans of hardcore survival games might find Chernobylite a little too easy-going, while horror aficionados may not be horrified enough. But if you're looking for a more balanced experience with a compelling world and a lot of varied mechanics, Chernobylite is well worth investigating.
Chernobylite is a game that's dripping in atmosphere, but doesn't quite hit the mark in other areas. If you can get past its clunky shooting and stealth mechanics, there's some fun to be had in base building and people management.
The Farm 51 re-signs a title with a unique approach, combining genres as disparate as survival and management, and it does so with success. The versions for PS5 and Xbox Series X|S are superior, but they continue to drag flaws (improvable AI, visual failures ...) that if polished, could close a superior experience.
Review in Spanish | Read full review
A game with some interesting ideas and concepts, that sometimes manage to provide meaningful content to the players but are too often obscure by the deeply repetitive nature of gameplay and quest design.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Chernobylite isn’t a perfect game. Aside from the continuity issues and the horror that falls flat, there were a couple of game crashes too. However, the game has plenty more positives, including impressive decision-making, the amount of freedom with base building, and simple but satisfying team management. Chernobylite is well worth dipping into for a few hours as long as you remember the game is not meant to be a AAA experience.
Chernobylite's great survival horror gameplay, top-notch atmosphere, and excellent audiovisual presentation make it a must-play title for any fan of games like STALKER.
Chernobylite is a lovingly crafted example of what a post-apocalyptic game can and should be, offering players a rollercoaster of a story with plenty of choices that naturally lend to an overarching sense of freedom. Aside from a few technical issues, Chernobylite does everything right and wraps it all in a tense, and oftentimes uncomfortable, package that has you wanting to see what’s lurking around the next corner. If there has ever been a game that makes you want to pack your bags and take a trip to a dangerous part of the world, this is it.
Despite this occasional lapse, Chernobylite manages to stand out with a brace of compelling mechanics, elements of horror, and some deft storytelling. Don't ignore this one.
Chernobylite gets new life with its release on the PS5, harboring enough improvements to make its fundamental shortcomings easy to overlook. Frame rate, graphics, and performance all get enhanced to the next level, making this the best way to play Chernobylite.
Chernobylite's graphical detail is one of the greatest aspects behind it. Additionally, the game's nail-biting story, the memorable characters, and the freedom to explore the areas of the Exclusion Zone provide a great sense of dread and loneliness that's both fun to play and make for a great Action RPG with team management mechanics.
Chernobylite combines some cool ideas and implements them in a way that complements the story it wants to tell. Several issues stand in its way, with potential save corruption acting as the biggest road block. Once that issue gets patched out, the core experience will offer up something unique, even if many of its gameplay elements lack depth.
Chernobylite is a complete game that comes in different aspects of gameplay and still offers good value for money. If the tactical part with management of the base and companions is pleasant, as is the infiltration, the fights are nevertheless somewhat behind, especially because of the very dark graphics making it difficult to locate the enemies. The latter are however well detailed and participate in the successful atmosphere of the app, enhanced by the soundtrack.
Review in French | Read full review
Chernobylite certainly has ambitions beyond being a rote shooter and although not everything meshes and the gears of its systems sometimes grind, the setting feels authentically haunted and foreboding. There’s a lot going on in Chernobylite, and sometimes the melancholic love story at the center gets buried under unnecessary game play complications, tepid combat or shifts of tone. In other words, it’s all still a bit messy but interesting and worth playing for shooter, RPG or horror fans, especially those fascinated by this particular moment in modern history.
Chernobylite is not gonna make up for the lack of the new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game in your life, but even so it's a good enough title to dive into before the release of the next GSC Game World project.
Review in Russian | Read full review