This game is incredible for the atmosphere alone. The level of immersion this game provides to truly bring you into the boots of a S.T.A.L.K.E.R.-esque world has been realized here. The sheer feeling of loneliness is unparalleled. The true experience is with headphones and with nobody around to bother you. It's just you, the Radius, and the dangers within it.
The sound design is great wherein there is NO music unless you find tapes and decide to play them, or put your own on. The only sounds are your footsteps, the sounds of anomalies, creatures, and atmospheric sounds to unnerve you.
While the graphics themselves aren't top tier, they're good for what they are as they don't detract from the immersion at all. In fact, during the night, they often seem to help create a more tense, unnerving effect. Night time and interiors are often pitch black, so you need light to see anything, and your first time caught in the Radius during night is one you won't forget, even if there aren't any enemies actively hunting you. This game truly brings out horror vibes when you're trying to quietly explore a new area in the darkness while hoping nothing catches you off guard.
While I've heard valid criticism of people wanting more enemy variety, the developers are still updating the game, but even with the current enemies it still isn't bad by any means.
The act of having to manually load your magazines and organize your items both in your backpack and at the base is such a perfect touch. Some might think it's tedious, but I still believe it adds to the immersion just like keeping your guns maintained.
If you want a purely action-focused game where you only care about shooting, this game might not be for you.
But if you want an immersive experience inspired by series like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. then I would highly recommend!