In the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the surrounding area known as the Zone has seen widespread health problems, especially among those too poor to afford the more expensive anti-radiation medications. Vodka has been lauded in recent years as the poor man's alternative to high-end pharmaceuticals, and is a favorite among the STALKERs who roam the Zone in search of radioactive anomalies.

The evidence suggesting Vodka actually combats radiation poisoning is at this moment only anecdotal, and is quickly writing its way into the annals of folklore – alongside the story of Grigori Rasputin having outlived cyanide poisoning after his would-be killers laced his pastries and sweet wine, causing many to believe sugar to be an antidote.

There's no point in arguing with the die-hard believers. In the Zone where many carry guns and brandish terrifying weapons, the mixture of alcohol and violence is all too unsettling, but the lesser of two evils.

If you're one of the few who are living in the Zone, drink up and clutch your gun tightly. Because if the radiation doesn't kill you, the monsters certainly will.

The newest chapter in the series S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Call of Pripyat, is available as of February 2nd.

You can read GiN's complete review of the game and see how we survived the horrors of the zone, right here.