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Review: Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl Shows Promise, Lacks Polish
It's the dead of night, thunder roars and nothing but a dim flashlight and lightning strikes illuminate the path forward. The vast wasteland between my last safe haven and the current destination is devoid of life, human or animal. Yet, I remain vigilant of my surroundings, questioning if those leaves that whipped by my ear were an omen of a deadly anomaly ahead, or simply just the wind. At last, I hear voices as I approach my objective — a rising altercation between a member of a friendly faction and an unknown instigator. Shots fire and I whip out my rifle, only for my game to turn into a glorified slideshow. The enemy’s shotgun begins to levitate and wiggle in front of his face, before he suddenly contorts himself into an indescribable shape on the ground. Meanwhile, my newfound ally unloads a magazine into the nearby wall. This is Stalker 2 : Heart of Chornobyl .
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKO4PL8Xzik
In a universe where the 1986 Chornobyl disaster wasn’t an isolated incident, the Zone of Alienation — or simply “the Zone” — is a hostile wasteland inhabited by opportunists seeking to exploit its supernatural properties. You are Skif, a veteran drawn into the Zone after an anomaly destroyed your home, leaving behind a mysterious artifact in its devastation. With nothing but a pistol and the clothes on your back, you must utilize the limited resources of the Zone to survive and uncover the web of conspiracies you find yourself tangled in.
As a first-person shooter, firearms naturally play a central role, but don’t expect to charge in guns blazing. There’s a significant emphasis on vulnerability, where a single mistake often results in another tick on an ever-increasing death counter. Ammo and medkits are scarce throughout most of the game, forcing you to cautiously approach every encounter or to work out how to avoid conflict entirely. Even as resources become slightly more abundant, inventory management remains a constant battle. Each item adds weight to your satchel, forcing difficult decisions between leaving loot behind or becoming encumbered.
Screenshot by Siliconera
The issue with Stalker 2’s combat system is that enemies frequently swing between extremes: laughable incompetence or pinpoint accuracy. Every fight is a toss-up between enemies firing at the wall and running in circles, or barraging you with bullets with impossible aim from across a field. Mutants, on the other hand, will devour your entire stock of ammunition, kick your ass, and (metaphorically) spit on you while you’re down. While also susceptible to broken AI, these bullet sponges are so powerful that this rarely matters. Don’t get me started on those little gremlins that telepathically launch your weapons from your hands.
When combat does work, it works rather well. Between holding my head in my hands, waiting for the loading screen to return me to my checkpoint, there were triumphant fist pumps after defeating tough enemies. There are few feelings better than overcoming difficult sections, whether it’s the relief or survival, the thrill of accomplishment, or a mix of both. Often, the only reward is satisfaction, as mutants don't drop loot.
Image via GSC Game World
Armor and weapons in Stalker 2 are subject to a durability system, gradually deteriorating with use or when damaged. Luckily, most bases have an NPC who can repair and even upgrade your gear, provided you have the cash. This is where side quests come into play, offering a means to earn money, acquire new weapons and gear, and learn more about the Zone and its people. There are several factions to align with, including Spark, a familiar band of stalkers from previous titles; Noontide, a clan of former brainwashed individuals seeking redemption; and the Ward, a military branch “serving” the Zone. You begin on relatively good terms with each of these, but tensions will eventually begin to rise. Difficult decisions must be made eventually, shifting your relationships and the story itself.
The open world of Stalker 2 feels massive, amplified in scale by the absence of vehicles or traditional fast travel. Anomalies mean that navigating the Zone is never a simple task. From gravitational distortions to sudden walls of jagged glass, staying vigilant is essential on every journey. The long walks between objectives offer plenty of time to soak in the game’s incredible atmosphere. I often found myself cranking up the volume of my headphones during storms, immersing myself in the thunderous clashes in the sky above, the patter of rain, and the crunch of leaves underfoot. As frustrating as they could be at times, the “emissions” were one of my favorite examples of how the game builds atmosphere and tension. These deadly surges of energy envelop the Zone in a sinister red mist, gradually intensifying until stepping outside means certain death.
Screenshot by Siliconera
As phenomenal as the atmosphere is, it can only carry the game so far. Eventually, the long treks grow tiresome, and the Zone starts to feel hollow. The once-advertised A-Life 2.0 system, which was meant to create dynamic NPC interactions without player interference, is essentially nonexistent. Aside from a horde of enemies spawning out of thin air, there are no memorable moments that make the Zone feel alive. NPCs are mostly confined to bases and similar areas, offering little interaction and seemingly borrowing one another’s faces.
Unfortunately, Stalker 2 ’s technical issues don’t stop there. As you might have noticed, this review comes nearly a month after the game’s release. Despite my system meeting the recommended specs, the game ran at an unplayable frame rate during my early access period. When the game finally launched, I was greeted with constant crashes. It wasn’t until a week after launch that I was able to actually run the game, but that doesn’t mean it’s smooth sailing. The game still suffers from frequent stuttering, freezing, and occasional moments where I have to manually restart to regain a playable frame rate. There are brief stretches where the game runs buttery smooth, but those moments are typically short-lived.
Image via GSC Game World
Despite its significant technical and performance issues, the allure of the Zone and the intrigue of the narrative drove me forward. From carefully weighting each decision to navigating the many twists and turns, I was hooked . I particularly appreciated how the game avoids clear-cut “good” or “bad” choices, instead opting to mirror real life complexities of morality in dire situations. However, the true intrigue lies in the Zone and its mythic, as many of the characters failed to make a lasting impression. Partially due to the English voice acting, which, aside from Skif himself, was generally lackluster for several main characters and NPCs. Overall, I struggled to form any genuine emotional connection with any character, which is a rare exception for me when it comes to story-heavy titles.
Considering the conditions Stalker 2 was developed in , it's remarkable that it exists at all, but it's clear the game needed more time to fully realize its grand ambitions. The foundations are solid, and beneath the grime of poor optimization, bugs galore, and broken AI lies the potential for a truly excellent game. GSC Game World appears committed to its equally dedicated fans and with any luck, we'll see a Cyberpunk 2077 -esque turnaround in the years to come.
In the end, Stalker 2 is an experience that is as frustrating as it is engaging. It's brutal, unforgiving, buggy, and often unfair — yet it's precisely this combination of atmosphere, world-building, and challenge that earned the franchise its fiercely loyal fanbase. The most dedicated players will likely uncover a brilliant gem beneath the grime, but for many, the game's technical flaws and questionable decisions may prove too difficult to overlook. For now, it's a matter of waiting to see whether GSC Game World can iron out its issues and unlock the true potential of a remarkable foundation.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is available on PC and Xbox Series X/S .
The post Review: Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl Shows Promise, Lacks Polish appeared first on Siliconera .
Dec 17
Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 Is Out NowAhead of the fourth anniversary of Cyberpunk 2077, which was released on December 10, 2020, albeit in less than perfect condition, CD Projekt has unexpectedly announced that it has prepared one more update for players. Meanwhile, players shouldn’t have been expecting any more, as support for the game was officially discontinued by the developer earlier […]
The post Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 Is Out Now appeared first on WePlayGames.net .
Dec 16
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness Manga Debuts
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness , the first manga adaptation of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners , is available to read on Comic Walker . The first chapter is 42 pages long, and the next chapter will come out on January 10, 2025.
The plot of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness takes place before the anime, focusing on Pilar and Rebecca. In the first chapter, we see how they developed an “every man for himself” type of mentality following a conversation with their father. This is the way to survive in Night City. However, despite that education and her brother stopping her, Rebecca still goes out of her way to help someone. The chapter then ends with the two of them firing up their resolve to become edgerunners.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners is an ONA based on Cyberpunk 2077 , with Trigger the studio in charge of the animation. It first appeared on Netflix in 2022, and is itself a prequel to Cyberpunk 2077 . The show follows David Martinez, a street kid who becomes a mercenary, or an edgerunner, after losing everything to a drive-by shooting. It received high praise from fans and critics alike when it came out. While Edgerunners itself is standalone, Netflix teased another show set in the same universe back in September 2024. More information on that should come out further along in the production process.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness is available to read on Comic Walker.
The post Cyberpunk: Edgerunners Madness Manga Debuts appeared first on Siliconera .
Dec 13
How CD Projekt Plans to Avoid a Cyberpunk 2077 Launch Disaster With The Witcher 4CD Projekt has outlined how it aims to avoid repeating the mistakes it made with Cyberpunk 2077 for the launch of The Witcher 4.
Dec 13
Ben Starr Plays Jimbo in Balatro Friends of Jimbo 3 Update Trailer
Since Balatro launched , we’ve seen a number of free updates that allow us to change the appearance of the cards to resemble other indie games, and the new Friends of Jimbo 3 trailer reveals both more crossovers and Ben Starr as “Jimbo the Joker.” It is immediately available on all platforms .
How it works is you download the update. Once you next play, you can change the skins for the cards you use in the game. As a result, they’ll have designs and in some cases characters based on the indie games taking part in the crossover.
These are all the games represented in the Balatro Friends of Jimbo 3 update:
1000xResist
Cult of the Lamb
Divinity: Original Sin 2
Don’t Starve
Enter the Gungeon
Potion Craft: Alchemist Simulator
Shovel Knight
Warcraft
Here’s the Ben Starr Balatro trailer showing all of the new Friends of Jimbo 3 update additions.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1r1LVgAGXlE
In addition to playing Clive Rosfield in Final Fantasy XVI , he’s also Prometheus in Hades 2 , Khazan in The First Berserker: Khazan, and Verso in Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 .
In case you missed them, here are games that appeared in the past two Friends of Jimbo updates:
Among Us
The Binding of Isaac
Cyberpunk 2077
Dave the Diver
Slay the Spire
Stardew Valley
Vampire Survivors
The Witcher 3
As for the mascot Jimbo, it is possible to get merchandise of him. A Makeship plush promotion is running until December 14, 2024. For $29.99, you can get a stuffed animal of the character. It will not sound like Ben Starr.
Balatro is immediately available on the Nintendo Switch, PS4, PS5, Xbox One, Xbox Series X, PC, and mobile devices, as well as Apple Arcade .
The post Ben Starr Plays Jimbo in Balatro Friends of Jimbo 3 Update Trailer appeared first on Siliconera .
Dec 12
Cyberpunk 2077 Players Discover Secret Quest Based on Hit Indie Game Added With Patch 2.2IGN has already reported on the cool things Cyberpunk 2077 players are doing with Patch 2.2’s new and improved photo mode, but it turns out the update also added a secret quest to the game.
Dec 11
“They hunt for V like NYPD hunts for CEO shooter”: Cyberpunk 2077 Patch 2.2 Introduces a Scarily Hilarious Car Customization Feature
The future just got a whole lot funnier and more stylish in Cyberpunk 2077 with the release of Patch 2.2, dubbed Express Yourself. This update adds a lot of new customization to the game letting players stamp their identity onto everything from their character to their vehicles. The update also brings back a hilariously futuristic […]
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Dec 11
Cyberpunk 2077’s Update 2.2 Adds More Character And Vehicle Customization Options, New Photo Mode OptionsCyberpunk 2077's new Update 2.2 is now live on PS5 and other current-gen platforms adding more customization options than ever before.
The post Cyberpunk 2077’s Update 2.2 Adds More Character And Vehicle Customization Options, New Photo Mode Options appeared first on PlayStation Universe .
Dec 10
CDPR, Where is the PS5 Pro Patch for Cyberpunk 2077?A lot of games are getting PS5 Pro patches, but a patch for Cyberpunk 2077 is nowhere to be seen.
Dec 10
Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 Adds Photo Mode And MoreAn unexpected new update for Cyberpunk 2077.
The post Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.2 Adds Photo Mode And More first appeared on Kakuchopurei .
Dec 10
Cyberpunk 2077 Gets Surprise Update With New ContentSurprise, choom! CD Projekt Red just rolled out a new PS5 update for Cyberpunk 2077. Beyond the usual bug fixes, update 2.2 adds some new customization options so players can run around Night City in even more style. What is Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.2? Cyberpunk 2077 update 2.2 adds customization options for both created characters, […]
The post Cyberpunk 2077 Gets Surprise Update With New Content appeared first on PlayStation LifeStyle .
Dec 10
Cyberpunk 2077’s Update 2.2 Adds 112 New Character Creation Options, Revamped RandomizerPhoto Mode has also received three new lights and a Drone Mode for more freedom. You can also use Smart Frames to display photos.
Dec 10
Cyberpunk 2077 Update Brings New Ways To Express YourselfThe post Cyberpunk 2077 Update Brings New Ways To Express Yourself appeared first on Xbox Wire .
Dec 10
Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Has Revealed That It’s ‘Not Done’ With The Game As There’s ‘Still Gas In The Tank’CD Projekt RED has revealed that it's 'not done' with Cyberpunk 2077.
The post Cyberpunk 2077 Dev Has Revealed That It’s ‘Not Done’ With The Game As There’s ‘Still Gas In The Tank’ appeared first on PlayStation Universe .
Dec 10
CD Projekt Red Announces New Features Coming To Cyberpunk 2077 In Update 2.2, But It Won’t Be A PS5 Pro PatchCD Projekt RED announced that new features will be coming to Cyberpunk 2077, but don't expect it to be a PS5 Pro patch, cause that's not on the menu.
The post CD Projekt Red Announces New Features Coming To Cyberpunk 2077 In Update 2.2, But It Won’t Be A PS5 Pro Patch appeared first on PlayStation Universe .
Dec 9
Cyberpunk 2077’s Next Update Won’t Feature New Game Plus or PS5 Pro SupportHowever, CD Projekt RED's Marcin Momo said the team has "some other cool stuff in the oven" with Update 2.2 to talk about.
Dec 9
Cyberpunk 2077 Livestream Announced for December 10th, New Update IncomingUpdate 2.2 is "coming soon" to the first-person action RPG, with the developer outlining its features in a new REDstream.
Dec 9
The Witcher 3’s Hidden Quest Saw Geralt Being Teleported Into Cyberpunk 2077’s Night City but Never Became Reality
What if Geralt from The Witcher 3 took place in a Cyberpunk 2077 setting? Given that the same studio created both of these games, why not? Additionally, CD Projekt Red intended to use this in The Witcher, and Data miners’ findings provide evidence of this. The makers of the wildly ambitious What Lies Unseen datamined […]
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Dec 9
Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 – A Massive Step to the Perfect GameNight City is finally alive. From MaxTac raids to street crowds that feel real, Cyberpunk 2077's Update 2.0 shows what happens when developers refuse to give up on their vision.
The post Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.0 – A Massive Step to the Perfect Game appeared first on WePlayGames.net .
Dec 4
CD Projekt Red Should Learn From Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League’s Mistakes Before Venturing Into Live Service With the Witcher Franchise
CD Projekt Red (CDPR) has earned its reputation as one of the most esteemed game developers in the industry. This is thanks to its groundbreaking single-player RPGs like The Witcher 3: Wild Hunt and the more recent Cyberpunk 2077 which just made one of the most impressive comebacks after a disastrous launch. The studio is […]
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
Dec 3
Cyberpunk 2077Cyberpunk 2077 is an action role-playing video game developed by CD Projekt Red and published by CD Projekt, based on video game designer Mike Pondsmith's game series
