A particular type of friction can significantly contribute to the creation of a demanding and penal game that is also While many post-apocalyptic first-person shooters are not particularly heart-stopping, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is. It is designed to produce the kind of friction that is essential to making a demanding, punitive, and engaging game. It becomes evident that the survival instincts ingrained in the STALKER series are still very much alive in this much-anticipated sequel when you are forced to fend for yourself in the face of numerous threats that might kill you at any time and rarely have a simple way out of a jam.
The kind of friction that prevents you from interacting with it seriously, such as subpar technological performance, occasionally amusing but generally annoying bugs, and illogical adversary behavior, is also at work. Nevertheless, despite all of the negative aspects, STALKER 2 has a timeless quality that draws you into the mysteries of its vast and harsh wasteland.
The heart of STALKER is still the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, the area surrounding the devastating, actual nuclear accident in 1986. It serves as both an intriguing backdrop that is essential to Ukrainian history and a harsh, frequently breathtaking open environment. Physics-defying anomalies function as lethal hazards strewn around its expansive landscape in this dramatized rendition, while equally dangerous mutant species hide nearby and paranormal events among the nuclear fallout create a sense of peril everywhere. Throughout, other groups of Stalkers—mercenaries who live in danger in The Zone—are also on the search; since it is difficult to determine who is an ally or an enemy, it is difficult to survive, much less prosper.
STALKER 2 is a masterwork of atmosphere in that regard: breathtaking dynamic weather, nights, and radioactive storms that turn the sky into a toxic green or infernal red are as frightening as they are visually arresting. The designers at GSC Game World create a unique sense of location in amazing detail, from the dark hallways of abandoned facilities to the views of a vast wasteland you receive on long, on-foot journeys between objectives. I was readily drawn into the life of a Stalker by even the smallest sounds, like the playing of a guitar while sitting around a campfire or the patter of rain coming from inside the hull of a run-down ship.
Anyone who has played the original STALKER games—Shadow of Chornobyl in 2007, Clear Sky in 2009, and Call of Pripyat in 2010—should be familiar with all of that. As a veteran of those games, I find it strangely comforting to be back in The Zone and see how much has changed over the years.
Although the main plot offers a path to follow, it is not the kind of thing that would ignite your passion in the early going. In the first mission, Skif, our character, is set up and betrayed, which sends him down a rabbit hole where he finds a person who knows where to find another guy, which starts a never-ending cycle of finding more guys in the hopes of eventually finding the real guy you are looking for. However, STALKER 2 starts to reveal its true nature after it involves the Zone’s de facto military, The Ward, and the scientific organization SIRCAA.
It incorporates the well-known themes from the earlier games, like the perils of seeking the truth about mind-bending psi emissions, the lethal consequences of doing research in the Zone, and the pointlessness of cults fighting against state entities for control. Although this new story does not require knowledge of the originals, it was intriguing to see how the old STALKERs were linked to and mentioned.
For better or worse, STALKER 2 keeps many of the series’ design elements.
STALKER 2 is a lengthy game that may occasionally be draining because you are always fighting for your life, so I am delighted it caught my attention. I spent forty-five hours finishing the main story, free-form exploring, and a sizable number of side quests. Side quests may not even yield immediate rewards, but they may yield rare loot or some much-needed cash. But sometimes, seeing where they take you or knowing more about the world and its people has inherent value. Additionally, STALKER 2’s lengthy travels across The Zone conjure a similar vibe to Red Dead Redemption 2, which was primarily spent horseback riding and immersing oneself in its universe.
Some crucial decisions that impact your journey are included in the main questline. These primarily include the times I choose to reveal or keep crucial information at pivotal occasions or simply choose a side when the chips are down. Even if they ultimately lead to the same place, the way the mission objectives and story setting shift gives those decisions a sense of impact, especially as they arise so naturally. Explicit telegraphs for potential outcomes or consequences are rare, and it takes careful attention to what actors say in a speech to comprehend what each decision implies. As a result, STALKER 2 is a gripping thriller that elevates the series with some outstanding cutscenes and performances.
Even after 14 years since its last iteration, STALKER 2 still adheres to many of the series’ design tenets, for better or worse. Games like this are extremely uncommon to see at this size these days. It focuses on features that are frequently found in modern hardcore survival games, placing you in scenarios where you have to choose carefully which places to explore and how to interact with opponents. Gear wear can lead to malfunctions, intense combat damage that can kill you with a few hits, bleeding wounds if you survive, hunger to ward off, radiation levels to control, limited inventory weight to manage, and continual looting to stay alive.
One of my favorite things was learning how to pack for the missions ahead, bringing only enough health supplies and certain types of ammunition while still making space for whatever loot I might find without becoming overloaded. Though I sometimes take that as a compliment because I genuinely appreciate how little is simplified, these systems are inelegant. It does not hold your hand, so it is even more satisfying when you find a method that works for you. After enough pressing and prodding, I was able to discover the kind of friction I like and began to understand how its mechanics work together.
Finding the correct NPC and paying up is necessary if you want to move rapidly through The Zone, which is similar to the harsh world of Dragon’s Dogma 2. A long trip with rogue stalkers, oddities, and mutants that could stop you in your tracks awaits you if you choose to continue on foot. (I will not lie: saving scumming will help prevent part of the possible annoyance, and I do not care what people think.) In terms of gameplay, this is not an RPG either, therefore there are not any skills or advancement systems to acquire.
You are always looking for nice equipment, upgrading it at stores, and keeping it in good shape. Although they can offer benefits like increased endurance or environmental protection at the risk of radiation poisoning, artifacts function as uncommon armor attachments that are not always as useful as possessing the appropriate weapon to fire your way out of a tight spot.
Combat alternates between frustrating, unfair wars of attrition and fierce, high-stakes shootouts. The strange actions of the adversary AI are the primary distinction between those two situations. Enemies are frequently stupid as rocks, responding in illogical ways while playing and oblivious to their surroundings, regardless of the difficulty setting. However, their near-perfect vision (even in complete darkness) and instantaneous, pinpoint weapon accuracy still make things difficult, and not in a completely logical way. You will just bang your head against the wall while attempting to shoot radioactive rats and dogs that are wildly lunging at you since erratic mutant movement is more bothersome than difficult. It also lessens the sense of dread that they can evoke.
Verdict
At its peak, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a unique experience that satisfies the itch left by earlier PC games in which you had to find out how to live and prosper in a harsh environment that did not care if you lived or died. It breathes new life into a place as terrible and dismal as The Zone and is refreshing, violent, and a masterclass in generating a somber atmosphere that I adored bathing in. After the main quest picked up steam, the decisions I made and the effort it took to finish it captivated me with a gripping narrative that improves on the aspirations of its forerunners.
However, several fundamental difficulties are difficult to overlook, such as strange enemy behavior during combat and the numerous bugs and performance problems that continue after launch. But those difficulties are worth it for those who have the patience and perseverance needed for a large, purposefully ugly shooter; STALKER 2 is an engrossing investigation of Chornobyl, and nothing compares.
