S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl S.T.A.L.K.E.R Food Guide

Introduction To Food In S.T.A.L.K.E.R Shadow Of Chernobyl

Food is an important and whilst not decisive part of the game it is useful to understand how to get the best out of it. S.T.A.L.K.E.R includes 5 food items in-game being: Cossacks Vodka, Energy Drink, Diet Sausage, Bread and Tourist's Delight.

It is important to note if you are moving on to Clear Sky after playing Shadow of Chernobyl that the food mechanic is left out and is only used to heal yourself slightly.

Let's start our way from the top of the food items listed and work our way down.

Cossacks Vodka

Cossacks Vodka is an interesting item to say the least. It appears in all of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R games and is arguably one of the best consumables because of it's properties.

The background of Cossacks Vodka comes from the series of games also made by GSC called Cossacks. It can be found on many characters in the zone due to every Stalker being an alcoholic.

In Shadow of Chernobyl the cost of one bottle of Vodka is 100 Rubles, a fair price if you ask me. That is equivalent to $1.18 in the US or 0.92p in the UK. It is 0.50kg which doesn't seem like a lot but if you are lugging around several of these it takes a toll on your stamina fairly quickly and greatly increases your overall weight.

The statistics of Cossacks Vodka are:

+1% Health Restoration

-30% Radiation

+1% Hunger Elimination

That is why many people regard Vodka as a cheap alternative to curing minor radiation poisoning. It does come with it's downsides however as it makes the characters vision blur and the screen sway the more you consume.

The in-game description for this item is:

"Vodka made by the GSC company. Goes down easily and significantly reduces the effects of radiation, but for obvious reasons should be enjoyed in moderation."

Vodka is sold by most traders in the zone, best place to find it however is in the 100 Rads Bar for obvious reasons.

In rookie village, you can find a single bottle of vodka in the furnace of a house just left of Sidorovich's bunker.

You can also find three bottles of Vodka in the 100 Rads Bar on the tables.

Turning to stashes now you can find Cossacks Vodka in a few of them including:

Drunkard's backpack x10 bottles

Secret stash under the cross x1 bottle

Under the bush by the wall x1 bottle

That is it for Cossacks Vodka!

Let us move on to the Energy Drink.

Energy Drink

The Energy Drink is a great item if you are in a pinch. Say you have been ambushed coming back from a mission and are over encumbered. No worries, the Energy Drink is here to save the day! The ability to restore your energy is vital whenever you are lugging around plenty of loot that you need to sell off and are not able to use endurance artifacts. The price of 75 Rubles which is equivalent to 0.88c in the US and 0.69p in the UK makes the Energy Drink very affordable and handy early game. Even if you just want to travel quickly the Energy Drink is perfect for this allowing you to run extended distances and get to where you want much more swiftly. You can carry plenty of these too unlike Vodka due to the Energy Drink only being 0.30kg and one item slot in your inventory.

The statistics for the Energy Drink are:

+80% Stamina

The in-game description for the Energy Drink is: "This is an excellent energy drink consisting of caffeine, taurine and a mixture of rejuvenating vitamins. Just the ticket when you're too tired to push forward!"

Many bodies will have Energy Drinks on them meaning that they are an easy form of cash if you are desperate for some money. The majority of traders sell them too like Sidorovich and Barkeep.

You can find an Energy Drink in the cellar near the campfire in the Rookie Village. Three cans are on the tables in the 100 Rads Bar. Lastly two cans are in a locker outside of Borov's Office in the Dark Valley.

Moving on to stashes:

Radioactive Pipe x5 Energy Drinks

Backpack under tree x2 Energy Drinks

Chest with supplies x5 Energy Drinks

Backpack behind the garages x2 Energy Drinks

Secret stash under the pine tree x1 Energy Drink

Backpack is in the porthole x3 Energy Drinks

That wraps up the Energy Drink!

Next we move on to the Diet Sausage.

Diet Sausage

The Diet Sausage is a decent food item in Shadow of Chernobyl being found on most Stalkers as an affordable option for a meal. They are found in all of the games and are a staple of the series for the stereotypical Slavic meal choice. If you need some quick cash early game looting sausages is an option but not the most efficient. Their cost is 50 Rubles or 0.59c in the US and 0.46p in the UK. Quite a fair price if you asked me and evidently explains why so many people choose this as a main meal in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Their weight is slightly heavier than the other items we have featured at 0.50kg meaning that if you want to carry plenty of these on you at once expect to be weighed down a bit.

The Diet Sausage's Statistics are:

+10% Health Restoration

+30% Hunger Elimination

This makes it solid but not quite as good as Tourist's Delight. Their in-game description is "Made from a mix of chicken and soya, the "diet" sausage is often, for lack of other options, a stalker's breakfast, lunch and dinner in one." Early on in the game when you are lacking materials like medical kits and bandages food like the Diet Sausage can be used as a substitute healing approximately an eighth of your health.

As for stashes which include the Diet Sausage:

Hidden backpack (Wild Territory) x2

The backpack that was left behind x10

Overall a neat consumable!

Shall we proceed to the infamous Bread?

Bread

Bread is likely your primary source of food for most of the game in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The cheap cost of 20 Rubles or 0.23c in the US and 0.18p in the UK allows for you to carry dozens at once and it weighs in at just 0.30kg meaning they are much better to lug around with you than sausages and Tourist's Delight. Pretty much every body you loot will have a piece of bread or two on them because of how common it is to be brought into the zone. Perhaps it is to be assumed there is a bakery somewhere in the zone? Who knows? Nevertheless they are the most reliable and trustworthy consumable in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series for the characteristics stated above.

The statistics of the Bread are:

5% Health Restoration

20% Hunger Elimination

I personally am a big fan of the Bread in S.T.A.L.K.E.R however some may argue that the Tourist's Delight is more favourable despite the fact it is heavier. The description for Bread is: "Hard to say who manages to bake these loaves in the Zone, but the bread isn't contaminated and is perfectly edible. Well, at least none of the stalkers have complained about it." A single piece of Bread can be found in the cellar of Rookie Village near the campfire. Two loaves of Bread can be found on the tables of 100 Rads Bar. Three loaves of Bread can be found in the locker outside of Borov's Office in the Dark Valley.

In terms of stashes:

Wild Territory Hidden Backpack x3 Bread Loaves

Drunkard's backpack x1 Bread Loaf

Dark Valley Chest with goods x3 Bread Loaves

The backpack that was left behind x3 Bread Loaves

Backpack in the secret stash x3 Bread Loaves

That is all for the staple item Bread!

Now we move onto Tourist's Delight.

Tourist's Delight

Ah, the Tourist's Delight. Probably the most well known item from S.T.A.L.K.E.R and with good reason. This thing is certainly a great meal due to it's properties and sells for a tidy price if you ever need a bit of money. Plenty of dead bodies will have this on them so it really isn't hard to find. Along with that, you can find loads of Tourist's Delight in wooden boxes which can be destroyed with a knife. For just 100 Rubles or $1.11 in the US and 0.86p in the UK it will be a brilliant and filling snack as you traverse the radioactive wasteland that is the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Beware though, it comes in at a fairly heavier weight than other consumables at 0.50kg so if you are hauling several of these at one be ready to be over encumbered. The statistics of the Tourist's Delight are:

+15% Health Restoration

+40% Hunger Elimination

The in-game description for Tourist's Delight is "Canned food from an army warehouse raided by stalkers. The best-before period hasn't expired yet." We can safely assume that between Clear Sky and Shadow of Chernobyl when the warehouses fell to Freedom, Tourist's Delight was given as a sort of complimentary or double ration for their victory. Any excess could have reached the market as trading between fellow Stalkers is a big thing in the zone. Delight can be found on one table in the 100 Rads Bar in Rostok. Pretty much all traders such as Sidorovich and Barkeep will sell this item.

As for stashes:

Supplies in the chest x5 Tourist's Delight

Backpack under tree x2 Tourist's Delight

Secret stash in the bus x2 Tourist's Delight

Hidden backpack x3 Tourist's Delight

This concludes our final consumable in the guide!

Conclusion

In conclusion, all items are great and serve their purpose respectfully.

Whilst I wont dictate the way you play the game Tourist's Delight and Energy Drinks are arguably the best consumables you can find in the game so pick them up if you can, just as long as you keep weight in mind!

This is my first guide and most likely not the last so if you found this helpful or wish to give me some criticism please leave a comment down below.

Get out of here S.T.A.L.K.E.R

Source: https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=3303322930

S.T.A.L.K.E.R Food Guide