Stalker 2 is going to turn a lot of people off, and that's a good thing

I didn't expect Stalker 2 to be the game it turned out to be. The original came out over a decade ago, and even then it was an impenetrable PC experience that challenged and punished its players with a brutal, uncompromising nuclear wasteland. When I talk to fans these days, playing with mods is pretty much necessary if you don't want to hit a wall of frustration every time you enter the zone.




In the modern gaming landscape, we've grown accustomed to open-world games that over-explain everything, holding our hands in fear that we won't understand some gameplay mechanics or get bored with the unfolding story because there aren't enough explosions. Blockbusters are so extremely concentration tested that homogeneity is now the norm, to the point where I can watch a gameplay trailer for something, close my eyes and play the game in my head. That speaks to a triple-A library that needs to change and innovate.


The area is not for everyone


Stalker 2 spits in the face of that trajectory, simultaneously taking us back in time and straight into the future with its free-flowing exploration, challenging combat, and a player experience that rarely pushes you in a specific direction. The Zone is your oyster, and in 2025, it defies convention. Whether this will result in worldwide success or niche appeal seems unclear, but I'm proud of GSC Game World for sticking to its creative vision, even if it alienates people.

You don't have to play Stalker 2 in a certain way, quite the contrary. But no matter how you decide to begin your journey in the Zone, you'll be met with friction. During the preview, there were a few moments where I saw an abandoned shack on the horizon and decided to check it out, only to be ambushed by a pack of feral dogs or rogue mercenaries eager to kill me.

The player navigates another radioactive storm in Stalker 2.


It was a lesson learned, so I stocked up and tried again, banging my head against the problem until my enemies found their end and I could go in to claim my rewards. Sometimes there will be a treasure chest containing a lot of resources and a new firearm, and sometimes there might be nothing. This is frustrating, but it's also brilliant in what it wants the player to feel.

You are not an all-powerful superman who can bend the world to your whims. At least not yet. In the preview I went into the UI and encountered some merchants that made it obvious that you can upgrade your existing gear and buy new gear with the right currency, but even the best weapons can lock and the best armor they can erode over time.

A group of soldiers sit around a campfire in Stalker 2.


There were several fights where my firearms stopped working as enemies sprinted towards me and all I could do was accept my fate and that I wasn't ready. I have to get better, and if I don't, Stalker 2 will continue to punish me.

Maybe I'm a masochist, but this kind of stuff really lights a fire under me. It reminds me of when I first played Dark Souls, or horror titles like Pathologic 2 where everything is not explained to you, because the joy comes from confronting the impossible.

Get up, dust off the radiation and try again

Stalker 2


Stalkers are, most of the time, in the area of ​​choice. Ever since the Chernobyl disaster, it has become a place of morbid opportunity, where factions clash and resources left behind by former inhabitants are up for grabs. For years, thousands of people have struggled for all this and developed distinct cultures. You step into this ecosystem not as a savior, but as a man who must prove himself like everyone else. Whenever I spoke to quest givers or embarked on quests, I wasn't spoken to as if I were the all-powerful protagonist, but the dirt on someone's boot who was clearly in it for themselves.

There's certainly a chance the narrative will evolve into a grander affair, but until then, it'll hopefully feel earned. I'll have spent dozens of hours digging through the world to do quests, meet other occupants, and gather an arsenal to further my quest for survival. It won't be for everyone, especially after the way modern triple-A games have conditioned mainstream audiences to difficulty, but it'll be worth giving it a shot. Plus, it's launching on the first day of Game Pass, so hopefully it will attract an audience of curious newcomers, not just hardcore fans.


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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the long-awaited sequel to the apocalyptic first-person shooter. As the Stalker, you must venture into the deadly exclusion zone, facing mutants and warring factions alike in search of valuable artifacts.

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