After several years of waiting, numerous delays and against all odds, Ukrainian studio GSC Game World has unveiled its new project – the long-awaited sequel to the S.T.A.L.K.E.R series. Thanks to its atmosphere, setting and thrilling shoot-outs, the first games really won over the public. For fourteen years, we have waited for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. A whole era has passed since the first announcement, during which almost everything has somehow imperceptibly changed: people, games, and more. And the Stalker itself no longer looks like the screenshots we saw in 2010. Fourteen years on, the rumors and hypotheses have not died down. Everybody was talking about ‘the sequel of the Chernobyl game’: it was discussed in newspapers and at meetings of nuclear energy ministries. Fourteen years later, the Ukrainian company GSC Game World was still working on another dream game. Stalker’s plot, graphics engine and overall concept were changed several times. The release date was shifted from 2012 to the winter of 2022. And then in the winter of 2024.
Many people have been looking forward to returning to the Zone to relive the unique melancholy of decadence and feel like explorers in a dangerous territory where a bandit, monster, or anomaly is waiting around every corner. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl gives us that chance. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl repeats the path of the first game in almost every way: both projects were delayed several times, earning them the nickname ‘walker,’ and both were full of technical problems upon release.
And, of course, both Shadow of Chernobyl and Heart of Chernobyl have an incredibly addictive, dense, and unique atmosphere – a curious gimmick for gamers and an entourage so dear to the hearts of the inhabitants of the former Soviet republics. The sequel follows in Shadow’s footsteps in terms of narrative and gameplay design so diligently that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 hardly feels like a significant breakthrough – more like a leisurely development of the ideas established in the previous Stalkers. After all, it offers much of the same, with the only changes being minor tweaks to improve the overall feel of the game. However, calling the Heart of Chornobyl ‘comfortable’ is still a stretch.
The long-awaited return to the ‘exclusion zone’
Let’s face it. There have been enough games about Chernobyl and the events surrounding it. Back in 2007, Shadow of Chernobyl was released, and it was truly unique, from the setting to the graphics and mechanics. Now, more and more indie studios are creating projects based on this theme—just one Chernobylite, which will have a sequel in 2025.
Unreal Engine 5 makes it possible to reproduce every detail, from the rusting structures of old factories to the reflections of light in puddles of radioactive water. The landscapes of the Zone change from time to time: dark forests, abandoned villages, misty swamps, and dead cities create a feeling of endless loneliness and fear.
But the beauty of the Zone is deceptive. There are dangers at every turn: invisible anomalies, savage mutants, and hostile groups. Any walk can end in sudden death, which makes you keep your weapons at the ready, pay attention to every detail, and be constantly on guard against the unknown. It really does work as intended, but there are nuances that I’ll discuss below. Unfortunately, these nuances are quite numerous.
In the heart of darkness
From the very first minutes of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, there is an uncharacteristic unfriendliness towards the player, especially in terms of the characters and narration. The game’s protagonist, Skif, infiltrates the zone to investigate the nature of the artifact that destroyed his home outside the exclusion zone. But the hero has no time to take a few steps into the Zone, as he is immediately drawn into a maelstrom of power struggles, intrigue, betrayal, and complex moral dilemmas.
Not a few hours later, Skif’s hands will be up to his elbows in blood, and the moral compass will be unnecessarily switched off because, in this place, there is no black and white, and the truth belongs to those who are quicker to draw their weapons.
The main story, as in previous games, is more grounded and functional than truly dramatic. However, this is a universe where such an approach really works. On his way to his goal, Skif will encounter bandits and military men, scientists and ‘blazers,’ fanatics and rationalists – all with their ‘truth’ and conviction in their extremely correct views. Of course, the situation in the Zone is heated: here in the ranks of the former Monoliths comes a serious discord. Here, the military tries to take control of more than suits other factions, and various gangster groups try to get to the top of the Zone’s food chain. Meanwhile, the local scientific complex is preparing an experiment that will change the face of mankind once and for all.
This series of plots and characters are presented both through dialogue (written, as it should be in the series, extremely colorful and pretentious) and through quite good first-person videos. In addition to passively watching the collisions unfold, we often have to make an important decision for the rest of the story. Which side of the conflict should be joined, or whether to save or take the lives of certain characters? All this will affect both the appearance of the Zone and the final story.
There are also secondary local stories in the storyline, where the ethical developments are a little less developed, and most of them are reduced to the usual ‘kill-get-kill.’ But even here, there are quite memorable mini-stories. For example, I was really amused by the task where the locals hired Skif to put a bottle of vodka ‘Cossacks’ into the equipment of three stalkers – to protect them from radiation, of course. The dusty job goes as smoothly as ever, until we meet one stalker who doesn’t want to touch the firewater anymore – while he was drinking shot after shot with his ‘friends’, life was passing him by. And it’s up to us to decide how this little story will end – whether the stalker will go back to the bottom of the bottle or whether he’ll use other drugs to cope with the radiation.
Or here is the standard beginning of the story, where Skif is signed up for another ‘case,’ but here is the problem – bandits are waiting for him at the meeting point with a not-very tempting offer to choose between his wallet and his life. There are a number of ways in which this difficult situation can develop: you can give the bandits the money and hope that they will let us go in a good way, or you can let everyone go to waste and then come back to the client with a claim on the merits, or you can agree with another victim of this ‘setup’ and deal with the gang fundamentally.
Through adversity… to suffering
In addition to a grounded dystopian narrative and characters with grey morals, Heart of Chornobyl is an uninviting world with a carefully constructed atmosphere. From the overall visual aesthetic, the Zone’s rapidly changing weather, sudden emissions, and fading Soviet modernist architecture, to hundreds of small details such as bizarre bandit nicknames, colorful writing on walls, and idle stalker conversations around campfires, every detail helps to thoroughly immerse you in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
Aided by an unfriendly environment and simple game mechanics. The heart of Chornobyl is fraught with danger, and death lurks around every corner: One step in the wrong place and another anomaly sends Skiff to the last save point; radiation kills more slowly – but reliably if you don’t find the means against exposure in time; various mutants are ready to rip your stalker to shreds, barely visible, and some even psionically climb into your head; and people are generally no good, so if you spot a group of suspicious individuals in the distance, you should immediately prepare for a mutual exchange of olives.
By the way, shooting in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.2 is decently done, and your enjoyment of it will be directly proportional to how deeply you want to delve into the many nuances. And there is a lot to dig into: the arsenal is impressive – lots of different pistols, sniper and assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, and each model has its own bullet spread, effective range, firing mode, and caliber. And each barrel has a durability index – if the weapon wears out, you can forget about your confidence in battle: the barrel will jam at the most inopportune moment, with fatal consequences for the Scythians, of course. So keep an eye on the condition of your armor and weapons and repair them in time. Take into account the weight of each unit of armor, ammunition, and consumables, leaving room for loot and not forgetting energy, which will allow you to quickly restore your stamina, without which your stalker will sooner or later become torture.
The sequel remains faithful to the ideas of the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R. at the level of gameplay solutions, which raised questions in the decade before last. The first thing that catches your eye is the unintuitive and not always logical design of many of the tasks and locations: you will have to run around the whole area marked by the quest more than once and more than twice, with cries of ‘where to go, what to do’. Another unpleasant atavism is the lack of fast movement and transport. You can, of course, use the services of a guide (a stalker, which provides the function of fast movement), but it is expensive, and you have to go and find them. And if at first, the walks in the Zone are fascinating thanks to the events around you, the dense atmosphere, and the fascinating views, then in the middle of the passage, the stock of interesting events becomes scarce, and Skif is carried from point to point, tirelessly absorbing energy in order not to slow down. It’s not a very atmospheric picture.
Battles cause irritation and anger, and that’s not necessarily a good thing
There are big questions to be answered about the balance of complexity: right from the start, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is unbearably hard and immediately dumps all the hardships of stalker life on the player. Weapons are hard to find, mutants have an obscene amount of health and are capable of digesting all your ammunition, and anomalies are scattered so generously that it feels like playing ‘bolt throwing simulator.’ But after a few hours, Skif acquires stronger armour and some powerful weapons, and now “it’s not us who are trapped with the Zone’s inhabitants, it’s them who are trapped with us”. The sense of danger fades, all the threats are familiar and no longer frightening, and the gameplay is literally reduced to shooting less ferocious enemies.
On top of that, every attachable modification adds weight. And weight is your worst enemy. Overloading your inventory slows you down, reduces your stamina, and makes you an easy target for enemies. Overloading is a normal phenomenon here. You don’t carry a lot of ammunition; it just slows you down, and that’s all. Pharmacies and other consumables such as psi-blockers or sausage and bread are also included.
The developers put a lot of emphasis on realism, and the main character has to eat regularly. Otherwise, his health will decrease. And sometimes he needs to sleep, otherwise his skills will start to deteriorate. Fortunately, sleep is only a part of it. I went to bed three times in 20 hours, and only once in the story.
Anomalies, enemies, and emissions have become more aggressive
Herein lies one of the game’s gameplay problems. Yes, weapons feel cool and break in cool ways. But this only happens to you. Enemies don’t. And then you open his loot, and there are two bullets in the clip and 2 in reserve.
The problem is the enemy AI itself. What the hell is wrong with them? They’re good at tactics. They go around you and pin you down. Yet they can stand a meter away from you and not hit you at close range. How’s that? They also like to hide behind textures and get into objects. There were situations where enemies would go, “Oh, I’m sick of this game, I’m going to go into T-pose. And that’s it. You can’t kill him. And you have to continue the quest. And you can’t. The only thing that helps is to restart. The same goes for simple (and not-so-simple) quest characters. NPCs like to do what they want without you knowing.
And your enemies can see you from three kilometers away. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is not about stealth. Not only can your enemies see you from a distance. They are also psychics with x-ray vision (anomalies have affected them that much, right?). It’s a common occurrence.
The anomalies in the game have become even more deadly and varied. They can be:
- Gravitational: pull everything around you into a point of destruction
- Electrical: create deadly discharges
- Chemical: Poison the air, forcing you to move only in protective armor.
- Thermal: Immediately set fire to everything in its radius.
- Liquid: Large bubbles in the air absorb everything around them and cause great damage.
Traversing these zones requires patience and the constant use of bolts to secure your path. However, the reward for the risk can be justified: in the most dangerous of them you can find artefacts – powerful items that have unique effects, such as reducing the amount of radiation you receive or increasing your stamina. They can be placed in special slots to gain the corresponding buffs. Thanks to the zone’s anomalies and monsters. You will die a lot here. To motivate (or mock) you, the developers have placed a death counter just above the reload menu. There, you can always see how many times you have died.
There are no new enemy types. There are traditional bloodsuckers, snorkels, controllers, and other infected and mutated creatures, such as animals. I also have a complaint about them. Why fight them if you don’t get anything from the monsters? In most cases, it will be easier to run away than to waste precious ammunition, which, like health kits, is always in short supply.
You waited 14 years? Well, we should wait again
I can’t recommend S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, I can’t. A lot of fans have already bought it / taken Game Pass. I’m saying this for myself – it’s very early to play it now. There are big doubts that it will be GSC Game World that will finish the game. Most likely, it will be the community that finishes the game. At the moment, we have a barely alive skeleton with a ton of bugs and a broken balance.
Personally, though, I was put off by S.T.A.L.L.K.E.R. 2 at this stage. And I will leave it for now, and maybe in a year or two, until the newness is normalized. The AI in Heart of Chornobyl is appallingly bad. Enemies cannot see Skiff at close range, lose sight of him two steps away, and shoot the steel wall of the container in front of him. What can be said about the ability of the dummies to perform tactical maneuvers: no rear approaches or use of numerical advantage – just a confident march directly under Skiff’s bullets. This is why, despite the excellent weapon system, the interest in firefights is quickly lost.
The unfinished AI is just the tip of the mountain of technical problems in the release version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Even the infamous Cyberpunk 2077 did not greet the players with such a number of critical bugs, which basically broke the joy of the process and the involvement in the game. And I’m not talking about the plethora of small glitches or visual oddities such as stuttering, slowing, artifacts, unfortunate facial animations, strange lighting behavior, and regular interface disappearances.
But when the game manages to go ‘softlock’ (a state that prevents you from progressing) several times during a story quest, that’s much more serious. And it happens too often for a project at this stage! Key doors deliberately close, and story characters fall into a stupor and do not lead Scythian to the goal – it can only be cured by reloading the save. Other times, the saves themselves break, leaving you to rewind half an hour of progress and hope that the problem goes away, or at least that the unpleasant part can be skipped. Another port and a couple or three months of polishing the game could clearly use some more work. I strongly recommend waiting for a couple of healing patches if you want to get used to it.
Like the first game in the series, Heart of Chornobyl is far from perfect, with a host of problems, controversial gameplay choices, a ton of bugs, and an ever-present sense of haste and incompleteness. Even without taking into account the lack of tweaks and polish, it won’t be to everyone’s taste. But if you like the lingering atmosphere, the gritty, down-to-earth story, and the romance of the stalker’s journey, then this is the Stalker you’ve been waiting for all these years.
The changes are mainly to increase the size of the game and improve the presentation of the plot, which has become deeper and more complex. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl immerses you in its world, but sometimes, it turns into a quagmire of routine and endless walks between distant points on the map. There is a sort of imbalance in the difficulty. You can dive into a dungeon, go through a bloody mess with monsters, get out of the trap at the limit of your abilities, and spend a lot of health kits and ammo to get a rusty weapon and minimal supplies in a cache on the way out. There are other rough edges, including technical flaws in the graphics. The game clearly needs patches. But even with some reservations, we have a worthy return to the legendary series.
