The passage of "S. T. A. L. K. E. R: Shadow of Chernobyl" becomes more interesting with each new item found in the game. Only by replacing the sawn-off shotgun with a hunting rifle do you begin to understand its advantages in a clash with a herd of wild boars or a family of bloodsuckers. Only by dressing up in the "SEVA" costume can you complete quests in places where it is impossible to get into a bandit's jacket. Only by acquiring an exoskeleton can you become a human tank, but tanks also have their weaknesses.
In all official parts of S. T. A. L. K. E. R., the exoskeleton is the most resistant armor to physical attacks. In game terms, it is a metal outer skeleton with electric and hydraulic servos. The design is put on the body of the stalker, repeats and enhances his movements. According to the plot, rare copies of armor appeared in the exclusion zone through the efforts of unknown underground Ukrainian craftsmen. During the passage of the official version of the game "S. T. A. L. K. E. R: Shadow of Chernobyl", the protagonist is given only a small number of points where you can get such a costume.
Characteristic from the description in the game: “An experimental sample of a military exoskeleton. I did not get into mass production, due to the extreme high cost and some design errors."
Where to find the exoskeleton
In game version 1.0004 and higher, you can buy protection from the Bartender in the Bar location. You should look to him after the correct completion of the task in the "Laboratory X-16". The cost of the armor is 200,000 in-game coins. It will take a long time to make up such a sum under the conditions of the "Zone". In the version of the game not lower than 1.0006, the exoskeleton can be bought from the Freeman of the Curmudgeon in the location "Army warehouses". Appears for sale after successfully completing a mission from Lukash to destroy the Skull squad. The Curmudgeon's price for exoskeletons is also 200,000 coins. If you complete the tasks of destroying Pavlik with Ara, protecting the "Barrier" and joining the "Freedom", then the price will drop to 150,000 coins. "Khabar Fang" is located in the grave of a stalker named Fang, in the center of the "Pripyat" location, near the monument to VI Lenin. After clearing the street with a detachment of stalkers, you need to go towards the electrical anomalies, without going down into the underpass. The place where the exoskeleton with the upgraded version of the PNB-4U3 night vision device is hidden is marked with a grave cross. The coordinates of the cache are given by stalkers near the trailer, where measurements are taken on the instructions of scientists, in the location "Amber". Sometimes the coordinates can be found when searching the deceased in the dungeons under | "Laboratory X-16". At the location "ChNPP". In the "Sarcophagus" one of the corridors has a branch, at the end of which there are two members of the "Monolith" group, armed with shotguns. After eliminating them, you need to turn left and search the room with pipes. It contains a box with useful things, artifacts and an exoskeleton. At the ChNPP location, behind a door with a coded lock. The decoder for the door at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant is hidden in the Pripyat location on the second floor of the hotel. The coordinates of the cache with the decoder will appear in the PDA after the main character is blown up on a banner and talking with the Doctor. The hotel itself stands opposite the underground passage, after the kindergarten. In the Chernobyl NPP location, immediately after the descent into the Sarcophagus, there is a winding corridor in which a room with a grate will meet on the left. You need to go past this room, to the end of the corridor, where another room is located. If you go into it and go down to the basement, you can find there an exoskeleton in a box. Behind the building of the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, under the chimney. Somewhere a hundred meters before the true ending of the game, where the main character shoots "O-Consciousness" and falls asleep in the meadow. From the very beginning of the story, you will have to find a way to fight the "Zone" using simpler equipment. The developers of the game make it possible to find good weapons and an exoskeleton only closer to the middle of the plot in order to set off the gameplay with the realism of survival.
Pros and cons of an exoskeleton
Due to the use of unique protective materials, hydraulic and electric servos, the exoskeleton in the "Shadow of Chernobyl" received the capabilities of a walking tank. According to the description, the exoskeleton in the game "Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl" has the following properties: - protection from burns: 50%; - Protection against electric shock: 50%; - Impact protection: 90%; - Protection against tears: 80%; - Protection from radiation: 30%; - Protection against chemical burns: 50%; - Explosion protection: 80%; - Protection from bullets: 60%; Its weight: 15 kg. The main purpose of the exoskeleton is to protect against bullets, shrapnel, impacts and explosions. These properties are good for repelling attacks of the Monolith on the Barrier or bandits on the stalker's camp, for hunting snorks or bloodsuckers. The fully modified exoskeleton in the game is capable of withstanding a single hit from an RPG shot and five shots from a shotgun. It is not suitable for searching for artifacts, passing an area with a large number of anomalies and a high radiation background. The main problem of the exoskeleton is its immobility. You cannot run in this armor, which becomes a headache for the player in anomalous zones. If you hit the "Funnel" or "Trampoline" anomaly, you can safely restart the game from the last save point, because you will not be able to get out. If you get caught in a sudden crossfire in an open space, you will have to use a large number of bandages and first aid kits in search of cover. In an exoskeleton, you cannot accelerate to jump over a crevice or a hole in the floor of a building.
Characteristic from the description in the game: "Provides excellent protection against bullet and shrapnel hits, but does not guarantee resistance to anomalies."
The suit allows you to carry 90 kg of useful items, including spare weapons and ammunition. Even with such an attractive carrying capacity, it is impractical to use an exoskeleton in a real stalker job. If you really want to get out of the shadows, collect more cartridges and fight from the heart, the exoskeleton is the best that the game world of "Stalker" has to offer. As Boris Strugatsky said: "Stalker" is one of the few words invented by the ABS that has become common. It comes from English to stalk, which means "to sneak up", "to go stealthily." The main pleasure in the game is to complete the most difficult quests, using optimally balanced sets of "armor-weapons-artifacts". Walk around the zone not with an armored piece of iron with machine guns, but with an inconspicuous stalker with a Vintorez, a bottle of Cossacks and a supply of sausage.
