At long last, we are finally getting a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. title. After a cancellation, revival, pandemic, war, and multiple delays, GSC Game World has seemingly done the impossible and has shipped out the much-anticipated 4th official entry into the franchise. I’ve sunken dozens of hours into this already and I still feel like I’ve merely scratched the surface. It’s beautifully haunting, deeply engaging, and incredibly atmospheric in a way that only a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game can do. Here’s our STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl review.
Few IPs have as much prestige and dedicated fanbase when it comes to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. brand. Originating with 2007’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, the series set new standards for storytelling and immersion for video games. Its dynamic AI, open-ended quests, and deep gameplay systems made it a staple of PC gaming, influencing a generation of developers and gamers.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 brings cutting-edge technology and modern game design to a series that was already ahead of its time. Its release is a testament to the resilience of the developers at GSC Game World and their commitment to delivering an experience worthy of the franchise’s esteemed reputation.
Good hunting, stalker
You can always count on a STALKER narrative to provide a very dense experience. Oftentimes echoing a lot of real-world issues, especially with the geopolitical and war-related conversations, it seems that STALKER 2 could not have come out at a better time.
You play as a guy named Skif, who now has to traverse The Zone, in all of its beauty and ugly, to hunt down an individual who has caused a job you’re working on to go south. Despite the long development time, the developers have kept mostly hush about the plot details and so I’ll be doing the same. And they were right to do so because this is an incredibly rich story that’s full of twists and turns.
The best part about this game is that the developers have kept a very strong sense of player freedom in the story experience. Oftentimes, you’ll be prompted to make choices that will significantly alter specific paths, story outcomes, or even gameplay implications. There could be multiple people asking for the same item you’ve hunted down. Who you give it to will then change the way the storyline will go. You could be looting the dead body of someone’s friend, and they’ll immediately notice and will then antagonize you right on the spot. There are multiple times in the game where these types of choices have to be made and what’s even more impressive is how it’s not always obvious which is the right or wrong choice.
I constantly found myself contemplating as to whether or not I made the best possible decisions to give myself the best possible outcomes. I would try to reload certain saves just to see how alternative scenarios would play out or how other characters would react if I went down a different path. This is how you know that a game’s narrative sandbox has done its job of completely pulling you into the experience.
A very early part in the story, and one that was included in the playable builds I’ve tried back in gamescom asia 2023 and Tokyo Game Show 2024, has you stumbling upon a group of men who are shooting up a house at the side of the street. I could’ve easily ignored it and just continued on with the main story. But then I figured, why not? I snuck up behind them with just a flimsy starting pistol and shot everyone in the head, John Wick style. I then find someone inside the house, a fellow stalker who then asked me if I could help another friend of his in a nearby location who’s being held captive. That then led me to a whole host of other questlines and useful loot.
STALKER 2 does an incredible job at providing a tree branch-like experience when it comes to connecting scenarios together. Who knew helping one random NPC could be as significant in the long run? The Zone is filled to the brim with these interconnected storylines and a lot of cause-and-effect scenarios. It’s a world that feels lived in and one that is massively rewarding to explore.
And STALKER 2’s massive open world is definitely something you’d want to spend a lot of time in. Graphically one of the most stunning games ever made. The level of visual fidelity and environmental density is insane and had my AMD Ryzen 5 5600X with a 4070 GPU setup running for its money. I was playing in a mix of mostly high settings with some turned down to medium and I was constantly awe-struck by what I was seeing. Lush forests, phenomenal weather effects, worn down structures, highly detailed gun models, the way lighting works and bounces off of surfaces, and terrifying enemy designs. A bleak world has never looked this good.
Performance wise, while the game ran relatively smoothly at 100-130 fps with DLSS, I did encounter some frame drops, especially with high NPC areas like the settlements. I also had 3 hard crashes where I had to completely close out the game, one of which needed my entire PC to be restarted. And there are still a couple of bugs such as characters sinking to the floor, NPC T-posing, and a very noticeable audio bug where my gun shots were completely silent unless I had to turn off and on the combat music setting. But what’s a STALKER game without any bugs? Thankfully, a lot of these issues (especially the audio one) disappeared after installing the day one patch.
A masterclass in survival gameplay
There were so many times wherein I would have to weight in as to whether or not I should explore a cave or a random structure I found or try to bolt to the nearest settlement. Do I have enough ammo, bandages, and food for this? There are only a handful of times where you would feel safe in the world of STALKER 2, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.
The way the developers have balanced the loot pool from start to end is astounding. I never really found myself having an abundance of resources. I always have either just barely enough or completely out. They completely nailed the survival aspect of it all. It’s absolutely exhilarating.
The gunplay is incredibly punchy and satisfying. Weapons have a lot of weight to them and there’s a lot of variety in terms of their look and feel. Once again, you still have to take care of each one unless you want them jamming on you mid gunfight. STALKER 2 is not an easy game. It’s also not a forgiving one. One missed shot, delayed usage of a med kit, or staying in one spot for too long can mean an instant death. The refined AI system here can be ruthless at times. They’ll flank you from multiple sides, throw grenades to your position, or overwhelm you with numbers. However, I do notice that you can easily exploit them in interiors or tight corridors. They’ll just be standing still in a room or push you one-by-one allowing for easy pickings. Hopefully this does get patched in the future.
Inventory and item management are usually annoying in other games, but it is so deeply essential here in the STALKER 2 experience. There is no standard progression system. You don’t earn XP to have better health, stamina, or attack damage. Your survival is entirely depended on how you prepare and budget your gear before you set out to do a mission. No game has ever made me care so much about what type of guns I was carrying, how much food rations I have, or how many bandages I have left. It’s been a while since I preferred to just get lost in the gameplay with lights off and full headphones, without having some form of video playing in a second monitor.
STALKER 2 will have a firm grasp on you from the moment it starts up until the very end. And even then, you’d want to experience it all over again. Which you probably should. Aside from the multiple scenarios I mentioned, there are also different endings to get. And I also suggest doing a replay with full Ukrainian audio for the best possible immersion. While the English performances are ok, some of them could be better. Once I finished my first playthrough and switched audio tracks, it felt like a completely different timeline. Definitely worth experiencing.
Do not walk into this game thinking you are going to have a time similar to the Far Cry or Fallout games. This is a realistic sim experience. No hit markers, no special omni movement system to outmaneuver your enemies, no extra UI elements to mark and see enemies through walls. Just pure, unfiltered grit of realistic combat. And the incredible audio design does a lot to pull you in even more. This is a game that deserves to be played with the best possible speakers or headphones you have. Many times, I was immersed with the ambient sounds of the world, pumped up with every boom of a gunshot, and felt genuine fear walking through a cave and the crippling scream of a bloodsucker blasted my ears.
The game will reward you ever so slightly until you experience the overwhelming sense of dread again. It’s a constant push and pull. What an incredible experience.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl Review Final Verdict – 10/10
For both veteran fans and newcomers, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is more than a game; it is a return to one of PC gaming’s most iconic and influential worlds. Its launch underscores the industry’s capacity to evolve while honoring its roots, and its presence in the modern gaming landscape reaffirms the importance of thoughtful, atmospheric storytelling in an era of instant gratification. The Zone is alive once more, and with it, the legacy of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. continues to inspire awe and dread in equal measure.
This review was made using a game code for the PC provided by the publisher.