S.T.A.L.K.E.R? I barely know her

Clear Sky

i loved the first stalker. especially the end scene

Call of Pripyat is a more polished game, I think

Also there is nice mods for those games... Graphical and atmospherically...

I liked Shadow of Chernobyl more than Call of Pripyat but many people say that call of pripyat was better, watch some gameplays it'll help!

I only played some of the first and then lost interest...

That being said, if you get either of the three games, you may want to visit here for full complete mods.

Shadow of Chernobyl. Because it's much longer, has more levels, and a more satisfying story. But you should play both because Call of Pripyat is still an amazing game with more modern gameplay elements :)

SoC is the best.

Shadow of Chernobyl came first so it's a bit clunky in the gameplay but very atmospheric, with kind of a creepy vibe to the world you play in and with some frequently unsettling stuff thrown in as you explore.

Clear Sky came second (although it's a prequel to Shadow) and is considered kind of middling as far as features/polish goes, actually more shooty than atmospheric and it's known to run kind of crappy so I've known of people who just skipped it.

Haven't actually played Call of Pripyat but I know it is the latest in the series and considered the best/most polished one, sticking true to the original and refining some of the new stuff added in Clear Sky in a healthy mix, so I hear. Reviews seem to agree as well.

Call of Pripyat has more features(Weapon repairs, more weapons, weapon upgrades, Emissions, sleep), is more free roaming (SOC is kinda linear in a sense) and is generally more stable.
Shadow of Chernobyl feels bigger and more epic. Better, longer story. Multiple endings.

I like CoP better.

Shadow of Chernobyl is more atmospheric, but also more difficult. I strongly recommend Complete mod.

In short, SoC - more realistic feel, sometimes really scary. CoP is more of a sandbox experience, lightweight and refined.

GET OUT OF HERE STALKER!

OT, have no idea actually.

Wow! Thanks for all the feedback did not expect to receive this much!

CoP has some improvements since it's a newer game but story-wise SOC is much better. Also SOC is more challenging.

You should play them all in chronological order ;)

SoD, CS, CoP.

Shadow of Chernobyl is the best, although there's some flaw and bugs.
Call of Pripyat improved some of the gameplay (you cannot sell broken weapons to traders) but it has taken the exploration element out of the game and it feels too short.

i recommend buying all 3

Buy them all. Simple as that.