Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl → Cordon
Exit the bunker, familiarize yourself with the controls, read the basic information, and head to the farmstead where the stalkers have settled. Here you can chat with people, steal some food from the basement, listen to jokes, and finally, talk to a stalker named Wolf. He'll give you a pistol and ammunition, informing you that bandits are holding a prisoner at the motor and tractor station, and three stalkers are already hiding nearby, hesitant to storm the station.
Past the wreck of a bus, exit onto the main road. To the right is a military checkpoint; you don't need to go there. To the left, next to a train car and some concrete blocks, in front of a small bridge, lies the wounded stalker Tolik. Help him with the first aid kit (it's nearby) and listen to the radio transmissions of the helicopter flying around.
Now comes the first mission. It's very challenging for a tutorial, so be prepared. Stalkers await you by the road—here you'll have a choice: go on the assault with everyone or try to deal with the bandits alone, Rambo-style. The first option is easier, the second is more challenging.
The bandits are armed with pistols and sawed-off shotguns. Defeat them all and talk to Nimble. I wonder where he kept the drive so the bandits didn't find it? Overjoyed, the freed prisoner will share the location of a valuable stash.
Note: here, Nimble can also give you your first side quest—finding the "perfect" suit. The suit (a unique bandit jacket with integrated body armor elements) is located where the arrow points on the map—deep in the tunnel to the right, near the wall. A pseudo-dog guards the treasure. You can return the suit to Nimble or wear it yourself.
Return the flash drive to the merchant and don't forget to check in with Wolf along the way.
The merchant will reward you with some information about Strelok and what's happening in the Zone. It turns out that the central areas of the Zone, richest in artifacts, are inaccessible due to mysterious, brain-deadening radiation.
Note: you can take on a few more side missions from the merchant. Many have a time limit, so it makes sense to take them one at a time.
A briefcase containing classified documents will help you uncover the secret of the mysterious events. It's hidden on the third floor of the Agroprom Institute. The problem is that the institute is in military hands, making it very difficult to storm. Let's start small: how to infiltrate the northern part of the Cordon, past the military checkpoint under the destroyed bridge?
There are two ways to go north beyond the destroyed bridge. First, follow the merchant's advice—go to the left of the bridge through a narrow tunnel with electrical anomalies. You'll find notes in the dead stalker's PDA about these anomalies flashing according to a system. Apparently, the PDA owner misread the system. The second option is to go to the right of the bridge through a hole in the fence. It's crucial not to veer right there, to avoid the radiation patch. Finally, you can simply shoot the soldiers.
Checkpoint
Delighted by your success, Sidorovich will contact you and offer to speak with a stalker named Fox – he was just wandering around somewhere, fighting off mutants with varying success. You'll find Fox in one of the dilapidated houses. He's taken down quite a few blind dogs, but he's also taken a beating. I hope you have a first aid kit? Help Fox deal with a large pack of dogs.
He himself knows nothing about Strelok, but his brother, Gray, who lives in an abandoned factory two kilometers to the north, might. Forward! You need to break through the checkpoint occupied by bandits to reach the Dump area .