Finding Igor's wife in Chernobylite feels less urgent in the face of the overwhelming radioactive bleakness of Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone. It's arguably the star of the game. Such is the case for any video game that picks Chernobyl as its setting. For that matter, learning how to live or even thrive in such a hostile and inhuman environment is a big part of the gameplay loop in Chernobylite.
Thankfully, the player character, Igor is a flexible human being. He's no stereotypical egghead; Igor might as well be a soldier of fortune due to how fast he can learn some nifty mercenary survival skills. It's all thanks to his faithful crew in the game. Of course, not all of them offer Igor the best when it comes to Exclusion Zone survival knowledge so players will have to be picky; this selection helps with that.
10 Saving (Tarakan)
- Everything built and crafted in The Refuge is 10% cheaper.
- Great for players who prefer to max out their hideouts.
Tarakan is the resident thrifty man in Igor's crew and he can impart some multipurpose skills to Igor. One of the most important among those skills or perks is Saving. It reduces the cost of every construction or crafting project in the game's designated hideout.
When one factors in the cost of running back and forth to retrieve some valuable resources that might even cost Igor his life, then Saving is totally worth it. If players want to further feel Tarakan's Saving perk, then they can opt for the Perfect Saving which is the upgraded version that doubles the effect.
9 Gathering (Mikhail)
- Receive 15% more of every picked resource.
- Awesome skill for hoarders who don't want to put in too much effort.
What goes well with Tarakan's Saving? That would be Mikhail's Gathering. It essentially makes crafting and base upgrades a lot less tedious and a lot more affordable. For many players of survival titles, base upgrades and crafting might be daunting.
This skill makes it so that that aspect of gameplay is less annoying, especially when paired with Saving. Like Saving, Mikhail's Gathering also has a "Perfect" variant or upgrade which also grants double the effect of its predecessor perk so players don't have to spend too much time running around with that virtual gopnik grocery.
8 Survival Instinct (Mikhail)
- Gives a 10% chance of finding extra food while gathering plants and mushrooms.
- Great for keeping the crew happy.
Mikhail being the resident survivalist of the Exclusion Zone makes him a lot more attuned with nature. On top of the Gathering perk, Mikhail can also grant Igor the Survival Instinct which is really just a better proficiency for finding food.
Food is one of the lifelines of Igor's crew and having enough around ensures that they don't desert him. Other than that, some types of food in the game also work well to restore Igor's psyche, making him more resilient and ready for exploration or missions.
7 Capacity (Mikhail)
- Gain 12 more inventory slots.
- Great for hoarding and saving time.
Chernobylite keeps things grounded in reality as much as possible especially when it comes to gathering resources. There's no magical bottomless inventory bag here, the space players are allotted is limited. At times, players might even have to force themselves to drop certain items.
That's why Mikhail gives Igor better opportunities to keep all the loot. Capacity is really just a better bag arrangement system that lets Igor save space. It's a lot better than Olga's +6 to inventory slot perk. The downside is that it doesn't have a "Perfect" variation but that's easily forgiven.
6 Control (Olga)
- Assault Rifle deals 25% more damage.
- Good choice as the Assault Rifle is a decent universal weapon.
Some players might be wondering why there are so few damage perks here; that will be explained later. For now, it's best to settle for one weapon, particularly if that weapon can do it all. That would be the legendary AK rifle, the favorite tool of any Russian man, at least according to the internet.
In any case, Olga's Control allows players to maximize their AK or Assault Rifle bullets by adding a substantial damage increase per round. Any other weapon just isn't as versatile, especially against Chernobylite's different enemy types.
5 Camouflage (Tarakan)
- Enemies will need more time to notice Igor.
- Can save players from a botched stealth run.
As for why players usually won't need to improve their weapons through perks, one good reason is that being stealthy is a better route. Players can save up on ammunition and the only disadvantage is the hit on Igor's psyche whenever he murders someone through stealth.
Players can avoid that by avoiding the enemies themselves. Camouflage by Tarakan is a good way to ensure that this goes smoothly. Even if Igor gets spotted, players get more wiggle room allowing them time to correct their mistakes.
4 Parkour (Sashko)
- Run faster and land more safely from bigger heights.
- Good for all-around general use in and out of combat.
Exploration and combat are two gameplay aspects in Chernobylite that require Igor's agility. Parkour is one such skill that improves this by allowing Igor to move faster and shrug off fall damage. There are many applications for the former, such as escaping or even running past slow enemies.
Meanwhile, reduced fall damage is generally useful in preventing some miscalculated deaths or frustrating accidental damage. If players want to improve Igor's athleticism even more, then they can further go down the line with Perfect Parkour.
3 Stunning (Olivier)
- Takedown is quieter and won't negatively affect Igor's psyche.
- Good for conserving ammunition and choosing a quiet assault.
As mentioned before, Igor gets a psyche hit when resorting to stealth takedowns. Players can then make him less psychologically vulnerable in this facade of combat by employing Olivier's Stunning skills. It makes Igor more practiced in quiet takedowns.
More than that, the takedowns can be made non-lethal, meaning Igor won't have too many nightmares the following night after a violent stealth run. Once players have this, then they can mostly rely on takedowns as a means of depopulating enemies in an area.
2 Software Upgrade (Tarakan)
- Environmental Analyzer will highlight enemies.
- Great for general use and being cautious.
Information is one of the most underrated weapons in combat and in warfare; knowing the enemy or what they're up to can be more valuable than guns or armies. Tarakan understands this well and channels his inner Sun Tzu by giving Igor the Software Upgrade.
The improvement ensures that Igor's Environmental Analyzer will tag nearby enemies in the area. This gives Igor and the players more spatial awareness. Moreover, it's a priceless perk when it comes to both loud combat and stealth.
1 Stealth (Olivier)
- Move, run, and jump more quietly.
Speak of the devil, here's Igor's safest perk or skill to yearn for. It's an ideal perk for anyone who wants to be as efficient with their in-game resources as possible. No weapons are cheaper than Igor's arms and hands, particularly when equipped with a knife.
Players don't even have to choose violence. Being able to be agile while also being quiet has many advantages; they can avoid combat if they want and just run past the area. For exploration, this perk helps a lot in avoiding some roaming anomalies. Regardless, it's best to be quiet when it comes to trips to Chernobyl and this skill allows that.