I'm going to be honest with you guys -- I've never played S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, the GCS Game World developed first-person PC shooter. From what I understand, despite being being released nearly six years after its announcement, turned out pretty good. Personally, I don't like the game, because typing out "S.T.A.L.K.E.R." is incredibly obnoxious.

But I like you guys, so I'm pleased to report that the Ukrainian developer and Valve have announced that S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky will be digitally distributed via Steam. The digital release will launch alongside the retail version of the game (which is being published by THQ) later this year.

Clear Sky is set one year prior to the events of the original S.T.A. -- uh ... title, and follows a group of stalkers as they "reach the very heart of the Zone-Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant-and brings about a cataclysm on the brink of catastrophe." Well that sucks. Just the brink of castrophe thing, not Clear Sky. The game itself sounds pretty cool. I just don't like cataclysms or catastrophes. Or brinks.