S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: CS - Diamond in the Rough

GameSetWatch has a feature on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky called Diamond in the Rough, with author Tom Cross arguing the game is a sort of first-person survival tower-defence game:

Stalkers and mercenaries populate the next zone, and an army base guards the only path to safety from the passage between zones. It’s a cruel, relentless sprint from the entry point to safety among the Stalker faction, the military hounding you every step of the way. I died many times here, cut down by a heavy machine gun I couldn’t see. Immediately following my escape, I was enlisted by the Stalkers to help them take several enemy locations. Again, the new weapons and increased numbers of my foes lead to my death, again and again.

It’s in these situations that Clear Sky looks to be a brilliant mixture of tower defense and classic Stalker survival horror shooter. Locations borrowed from the first game are chock-full of deadly new enemies. New items and weapons are no match for the ever-ready forces of the zone, but if I help the Stalkers kill enough military units and mutants, I might be able to buy new items, weapons, and armor. Maybe then I’ll be able to join up with Freedom or Duty, make some real money, and participate in the huge battles that are the highlights of the late game in Clear Sky.