Our long, long wait for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will soon be coming to and end, with the open world shooter set to launch not long from now. The closer we get to it, however, the antsier we get to get our hands on it, which is exactly what we’re here to talk about. Join us as we go over some of the things that we absolutely cannot wait to do when we play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
EXPLORE NEW LOCATIONS
GSC Game World is touting a massive open world map with S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and as you’d expect, a good portion of that map is going to be entirely new, regardless of your level of familiarity with the series. And as is the case with any game presenting a compelling open world for players to explore (which is what we’re hoping will be the case here), we’re anxious to dive into all of those new locations in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and explore them thoroughly.
EXPLORE FAMILIAR LOCATIONS
Of course, being set in the Exclusion Zone, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will also be taking us to plenty of familiar locations that have been featured in past instalments, and we’re just as excited to explore those, if for different reasons. Getting to visit familiar locations and witness them in thoroughly enhanced fashion is going to be fascinating, while GSC Game World has also promised that several of these returning locations will be either expanded, or feature tweaked design, which should make exploration interesting for returning fans.
MESS AROUND WITH THE IMMERSIVE SIM SYSTEMS
As fans of the series will tell you, one of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.’s biggest draws is always its insistence on placing heavy emphasis on player agency, and the upcoming sequel is set to do with, too, with plenty of immersive sim-esque gameplay being promised. From what we’ve seen so far, it looks like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is going to give players plenty of options in flexibility in how they want to go about tackling difference situations, and we’re always down for something like that.
EXPERIENCE ALL ANOMALIES
A big part of exploring the open world in a S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game is encountering all manner of otherworldly anomalies on our journeys, and sure enough, there’s plenty of that in store with the upcoming shooter, based on what’s been shown so far. From returning anomalies from previous games to entirely new ones, from spontaneous mini fire tornadoes to much more, GSC Game World has said the Exclusion Zone will have plenty of unexpected surprises to throw at players on this front.
SEE ALL MUTANTS
Of course, the list of dangers to contend with is going to be a long one in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and high on that list, alongside anomalies (if not higher), will be the many different kinds of mutants to be found throughout the open world. Finding, fighting with, or finding other ways to deal with these terrifying creatures is always a big part of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience, so our expectations from S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 are high in this area.
CONTEND WITH THE SURVIVAL MECHANICS
Surviving the Exclusion Zone is going to take much more than just killing the enemies that lie in your path, because S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is, of course, going to place a heavy emphasis on survival mechanics as well, just like its predecessors. Managing and conserving resources, managing your hunger, radiation, injuries, and more, will be a core part of the experience, and though that can definitely feel like busywork in games all too often, the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise has a knack for making all of that weirdly compelling. Whether or not its upcoming revival will be able to do the same remains to be seen, but our hopes are high.
MAINTAIN WEAPONS
One of several ways S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is looking to ground players in its grim, nightmarish world is by making weapons not a hundred percent reliable (to say the least). Weapons will have durability mechanics, which means maintaining them and keeping an eye on their condition will be key, with weapons in poor condition being prone to jamming unexpectedly, including even during tense firefights. When we’re exploring the Zone, then, you can be sure that we’re going to be more than a little diligent with our weapon maintenance.
KIT OUT OUR ARSENAL
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 won’t feature any RPG-style progression mechanics, but with over 30 weapons and a host of different upgrade and modding options available, there’s going to be plenty of room for customization nonetheless. As per the developers, this is another area where players will be afforded plenty of flexibility in kitting out their weapons to suit their play style, so we’re definitely looking forward to tinker with those systems.
LEARN ABOUT ALL THE FACTIONS
Having run-ins with different factions and dealing with their unique conflicts and stories is always a big part of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., so yes, naturally we’re excited to see what S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will have in store in this area. GSC Game World has confirmed a number of factions from past titles will be returning, which isn’t a huge surprise, though series fans will be excited to learn about those factions’ current state in the world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., this long after the series’ last instalment.
FIND REFERENCES TO THE ORIGINAL TRILOGY
Releasing a decade and a half after the last game in the series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is going to have to find a way to welcome in newcomers without any major roadblocks- but at the same time, hardcore series fans will be curious to learn more about how the game follows up on the original trilogy. How heavily will the story be related? How many returning characters can we expect to see, and how extensive will their roles be? As with any sequel that comes after such a long hiatus, it should be interesting to see how S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 tackles these challenges.
PLAY AROUND WITH A-LIFE 2.0
The original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy prided itself on its A-Life system, a catch-all term for larger, interlocking systems for thousands of NPCs, their schedules, and their behaviours, allowing the open world to exist independently of the player. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is promising enhancements here with what has been called A-Life 2.0, and naturally, we’re curious to see how that pans out. Systemic, sandbox-driven open world games are even more common now than they used to be back in the days of the original S.T.A.L.K.E.R. trilogy, so Heart of Chornobyl is going to have to seriously wow players with its systems to make a major mark.
EXPERIENCE THE CHOICE AND CONSEQUENCE MECHANICS
Keeping in line with the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series’ drive to put player choice front and center, Heart of Chornobyl is also going to feature choice and consequence mechanics that, just like in past entries, will allow for multiple endings. When done right, impactful choice and consequence mechanics can elevate pretty much any game, so we’re excited to see what this game is going to be able to pull, and just how different its multiple endings will be from each other.
CHECK OUT THE BEST MODS
As series fans will gladly tell you, modding has always been a big part of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. community, and sure enough, full mod support is confirmed for Heart of Chornobyl on both PC and Xbox Series X/S. With GSC Game World promising extensive tools on all platforms, we’re excited not only to get to play around with them, but above that, to see what the community will be able to do with them in the months and years following the game’s launch.
BE WOWED BY THE VISUALS
We’re going to sign off with a more nebulous one, but one that bears mentioning nonetheless, because boy oh boy has S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 looked seriously impressive every time it’s been shown off. With each showing, it has looked increasingly like a contender for one of the best-looking games ever made, so our hope very much is that that applies to the entirety of the experience.
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