Beebom Score
After 15 years of waiting, canceled projects, and development during an actual war, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is finally here. The new entry brings the series into modern times while trying to retain the elements of what made the original special. And like its predecessor, it’s a game that’s as interesting as rough around the edges.
The basics remain familiar – you’re a stalker exploring the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, a dangerous area filled with radiation, anomalies, mutants, and rival factions. But now, the game world has expanded to 60 kilometers of territory and is built with modern graphics. So, do these changes help or hurt the game? Well, I decided to spend my time in this Zone, and after finishing the game, here’s my review of Stalker 2.
Story: The First Step
Your journey begins as Skif, a veteran whose apartment gets destroyed by a mysterious anomaly outside the Zone’s boundaries. This setup cleverly draws you into the Zone with personal stakes, though the early hours can feel overwhelming.
As such, the game throws you into its harsh world with minimal guidance. Your first expedition might end with an invisible anomaly tearing you apart, a pack of mutant dogs making you their dinner, or simply getting lost in the pitch black night until you stumble across a flashlight.
The opening hours establish a crucial fact about Stalker 2: this isn’t a game that holds your hand. The inventory system, radiation mechanics, and basic survival elements are barely explained. You’ll need to learn through experience how to manage your supplies, treat wounds, and navigate the Zone’s many hazards. This steep learning curve might frustrate some players, but it creates a genuine sense of accomplishment as you gradually master the Zone’s harsh rules.
Characters
The narrative takes time to build, starting with your search for answers about the artifact. What begins as a personal investigation expands into a complex web of faction politics, supernatural phenomena, and existential questions about the Zone itself. The pacing might test your patience early on as a lot of groundwork is laid before the story really kicks into gear.
However, the character writing shines throughout these factional conflicts. Richter, your earliest ally, masterfully walks the line between helpful mentor and suspicious operator as you’ll spend hours wondering if you can really trust him. Even minor characters feel fully realized – Elena, studying anomalies despite personal tragedy, or Marcus, teaching newcomers while pursuing his own mysterious goals, contribute to the sense of a living, breathing world.
The story branches significantly based on your choices, leading to four distinct endings that feel earned rather than arbitrary. Your decisions throughout the game – who to trust, which factions to support, and how to handle key moments – ripple outward, affecting both the immediate situation and the eventual conclusion. The game rarely conveys these consequences, making your choices feel more authentic and impactful.
The voice acting varies dramatically by language choice. The Ukrainian voice tracks deliver raw authenticity that perfectly captures the Zone’s atmosphere. The English dub is serviceable but lacks the emotional punch of the original recordings, often failing to capture the subtle tensions in key scenes.
A Living, Breathing Wasteland
Let’s talk about what makes the Zone more than just another open world. The game gives you 60 square kilometers to explore, but it’s not the size that matters – it’s what happens in this space that sets it apart. The Zone keeps moving and changing whether you’re there to see it or not, thanks to something called the A-Life system.
This is what it means in practice: You’re walking to your next mission objective when you hear gunfire in the distance. Head over there, and you might find stalkers fighting bandits over territory. Wait long enough,h and those gunshots could attract mutants looking for an easy meal. Stick around even longer, and other stalkers might show up to pick through whatever’s left.
You’ll find stories everywhere if you pay attention. Underground labs tell stories about experiments gone wrong through scattered documents and environmental details. Even empty-looking fields might hide something interesting if you pay attention.
The weather isn’t just for show either. When an emission hits, you must drop whatever you’re doing and find shelter quickly. The sky turns red, lightning starts hitting the ground, and anyone caught outside is dead. These moments create real tension because you have to make quick choices.
This isn’t a world that exists just to entertain you – it feels like a place that would keep on going even if you weren’t there. That might sound pretentious, but it’s the simplest way to explain what differentiates the Zone from other open worlds. You’re not the main character here – you’re just another stalker trying to survive in a place that doesn’t care whether you live or die.
Combat: Brutal but Rewarding
Fighting in Stalker 2 isn’t about being a superhero. A few bullets can kill you, your weapons jam and degrade, and resources are consistently scarce. Mutants move erratically, and human enemies can spot you from surprisingly far away. Early fights are particularly tense – that first encounter with an invisible Bloodsucker stalking you through an abandoned facility will stick with you.
The guns don’t really feel reliable. That gun you just picked up? It might work fine for the first few magazines, then start jamming. Every weapon needs constant maintenance, and repairs aren’t cheap. You’ll spend a lot of time weighing whether to repair your current gear or save up for something better.
The customization system is pretty deep once you get into it. You can add scopes, change barrels, upgrade stocks – the usual stuff. But here’s the catch: everything is expensive. Really expensive. You might spend hours saving up, only to realize you must also keep paying to maintain it. The game makes you think hard about every upgrade because nothing comes cheap or easy.
Let’s break down how different enemies work because you’ll need different tactics for each. Human opponents can be pretty smart in open areas. But this intelligent behavior has some weird quirks. Get those human enemies in tight spaces like buildings, and suddenly, they might get stuck on furniture or stand there like they forgot what they’re doing.
Mutants are a whole different problem. Dogs and pseudo-dogs hunt in packs, which sounds cool until you’re trying to shoot these fast-moving targets that never seem to run in straight lines. Bloodsuckers are probably the worst, as they can turn invisible and stalk you, which is terrifying the first few times but can get frustrating when you’re trying to line up a shot.
Here’s something important about combat in Stalker 2: preparation matters more than reflexes. Knowing when your weapon needs repairs and bringing enough medical supplies often matters more than how quickly you can aim. You’ll learn to check your gear carefully before heading out because resupplying in the field usually isn’t an option.
What makes Stalker 2’s combat interesting isn’t any single element – it’s how everything works together. A simple firefight can turn complicated fast when you realize you’re running low on ammunition, your gun starts jamming, and you hear mutants approaching. The game creates tense situations not through scripted events but through its systems interacting.
Is it perfect? No. The AI has clear problems, especially in complex environments. Mutant behavior can feel more annoying than threatening sometimes. But when everything clicks – when you’re in a proper firefight trying to stay alive.
Graphics and Performance
My Setup: CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 7435HS
GPU: NVIDIA RTX 4060
RAM: 8×2 DDR4 RAM @ 3200MHz
SSD: WD SN570 500GB
Monitor: 1080p@ 144hz
The performance in Stalker 2 tells an interesting story about optimization choices. After spending time with different graphics settings, there’s a clear picture of how the game runs on modern hardware.
The game runs surprisingly well at 1080p with Epic Settings, maintaining 90-105 FPS in most situations. The gameplay feels smooth, and the visual quality holds up nicely. The frame rate stays relatively stable even during hectic moments with multiple NPCs or during emissions. This seems to be the sweet spot for balancing visual quality and performance.
Bumping up to 1440p with high settings is where things get messier. While you’ll see numbers between 70-90 FPS, the actual experience isn’t as smooth as these figures suggest. Stuttering becomes a noticeable issue, especially during combat or when moving through different areas of the Zone. Loading new areas can cause rough hitches, even running from a fast SSD.
Combine that with occasional game crashes and other technical woes like clipping and stuttering, it’s obvious that Stalker 2 still needs some optimization to work well.
Verdict: Worth a Trip to the Zone?
STALKER 2 isn’t perfect, but it offers something unique. When you’re hiding in a dark tunnel, listening to monsters nearby, or watching the sky turn red as a radiation storm approaches, the game creates moments you won’t find anywhere else. The story itself is gripping, with an amazing narrative arc and equally satisfying voice immersion you’ll absolutely love.
The technical problems are real and can be frustrating. But if you can look past them, you’ll find a game that rewards patience and careful play. It’s not just another shooter where you run around feeling powerful. It’s a game about surviving in a place that wants you dead.
If you want a polished, smooth experience, maybe wait for more patches. But if you’re interested in exploring a dangerous world where your choices matter and every expedition feels tense, Stalker 2 delivers that experience right now.
