S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Like the first game in the series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 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.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a fantastic game that flirts with greatness but falls short of being truly incredible. Longtime fans of the franchise will relish the brutal challenge the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. universe is known for, while newcomers might find the bugs more horrifying than the world itself.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a good video game that I think fans of the saga will enjoy. That said, he still has many things to polish that do not take away from the fact that the things he does well, he does very well. Its universe, its setting and its non-linear narrative are the highlights of a delivery that has a lot to improve from its performance.

You'll have to be very patient or lucky to get the most out of Stalker 2. And it's well worth it, more for the atmosphere than anything else.

Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a melancholic and compelling shooter made in the most extraordinary circumstances. The beautiful and filled to the brim game world is accompanied by frustrating AI and graphical errors. In addition, the experience is not much different from the previous parts. Despite that, Stalker 2 is a game that you can spend hours in. The more effort you put into exploring the Zone, the more it will yield.

With an impeccable atmosphere and thrilling gameplay, Stalker 2 has what it takes to be an incredible, immersive experience. One day and many, many patches later, I’m convinced the developers will have hammered it into shape, but the game that I played over the last 40 hours felt rushed and unfinished.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a unique experience in the modern video game landscape that deserves to be commended. GSC Game World's FPS offers total immersion in a fascinating post-apocalyptic universe, a survivalist vision that is (too) rare in video games and an unparalleled atmosphere. Unfortunately, it also suffers from several problems that prevent it from achieving excellence, starting with its technical delay, its improvable AI and its story that struggles to assert itself. Stalker 2 will appeal above all to fans of the genre who will be able to ignore all its mistakes.

Stalker 2 is a great example of a game that some would describe as “eurojank”. Ambitious, unfussy, charming, eluding industry trends and incredibly addictive, but at the same time quite "stiff" and with numerous technical flaws. If you are able to put up with it, you will have a great time. I, as a long-time fan of the series, certainly had.

Criticizing Stalker 2's technical issues is tough, simply because it's astounding that GSC managed to launch the game in the first place. Admittedly, this made it easier for me to overlook some of its irritating quirks, particularly when they weren't egregiously crashing the game. Yet even this might not have been the case if it also weren't an engrossing game. Stalker 2 is notably flawed in a few areas, yet these shortcomings tend to dissipate when a compelling, non-linear quest goes awry thanks to an unforeseen element forcing you into a frantic shootout. This unpredictability and the way its various systems interact to create anomalous stories sets Stalker 2 apart. Throw in a beguiling world and the fascinating mysteries hidden within, and it's difficult not to fall under its enticing spell.

As it stands now, STALKER 2 is fun and has a lot of potential, but it would be unfair to call it good. You can easily sink 100 hours into it without noticing, especially if you have a deep love for previous iterations. However, the performance issues, overall inconsistency in many areas, and clumsy presentation will hold this game back until a major overhaul comes.

STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl is a difficult, immersive and often frustrating game. Few compromises have been made, making the gameplay as brutal as the universe in which it takes place. Progress is slow and painful, especially with the many bugs present, while death can be as sudden as it is unfair. It requires a solid dose of patience, but it has to be said that exploring the area is well worth it, with all its dangers and mysteries that we try to unravel. The tools and interactions at our disposal are far too limited. This reduces gameplay and options to the bare minimum, sometimes destroying the immersion the game has worked so hard to build.

STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an anomaly. It dazzles with stunning visuals, an eerie atmosphere, and gameplay that captures the soul of the original series. Yet, like The Zone itself, it's plagued by technical glitches, inconsistent performance, and design missteps that get in the way of its lofty ambitions. Despite its flaws, STALKER 2 has a strange magnetic force, and once you’re in, it’s hard to look away.

Although it doesn't deliver a full-fledged "next-gen" experience, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl brings back the familiar charm and quality of a survival looter-shooter, taking a long victory lap to the delight of franchise and genre fans alike.

Despite the tremendous atmosphere, big open world, and familiar mechanics, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an uneven experience due to AI flaws, combat annoyances, laborious exploration, and technical issues.

On the one hand, 2: Heart of Chornobyl offers exactly what I was hoping for: delicious Eurojank. Newcomers will find an old-fashioned RPG with a beautiful world and a nice survival gameplay loop, and unfortunately also stupid AI, a lot of graphical problems and extremely frustrating bugs. It is impressive that the developer is able to release the game under these circumstances, but it will not become more than a cult hit in this form.

A general lack of polish and quality assurance has become a somewhat endearing shortcoming of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. experience. We joked about it and expected it for the sequel, especially given the endurance of a developer currently facing tragedy at home. GSC Game World’s extraordinary ambition in delivering this long-awaited follow-up is buoyed by some frankly impressive world-building and narrative developments that fully commit. The extraordinary scale of this world, the generally satisfying gunplay, and the ambitious story are always contending with the player’s growing anticipation that their experience is about to break down at any moment. The magic circle that is so crucial to the successful immersiveness of this series is, currently, fractured by the extent to which the many promising aspects of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 simply don’t reliably function together.

Canceled, postponed, stunned by the COVID crisis, then paralyzed by the war in Ukraine, STALKER 2 is, we can say, a miracle. However, despite this good news, and like all these Arlesiennes who arrive in pain after so many years, there are inevitably cracks, even fractures. And a few minutes are enough to see the handicaps that are dragging the GSC Game World title down. Technically first of all, STALKER 2 is lagging behind, with a 3D engine completely overtaken by events. Everything seems frozen, as if we were finding the STALKER of the 2007s, whether in its still life, its static NPCs or its creatures animated with a trowel. The artificial intelligence of the enemies is unfortunately not spared by a lack of know-how, with soldiers who are able to spot us from miles around at the slightest crack of a branch, but are unable to move properly. The open world is certainly gigantic and makes us experience the life of a true survivalist in wartime on a minefield of anomalies as painful as they are invisible, but the progression is marred by a slow, painful and above all unexciting pace. We tried to cling to this story of supernatural elements and a Skif at bay, but the countless bugs and the game system stiffened by this rigid handling and this mediocre interface will have finished off the little enthusiasm we had left. That said, if you are patient, conciliatory with a game whose development was not helped by extraordinary circumstances, and above all totally addicted to the great atomic-Soviet thrill, you might enjoy traveling in the shadow of Chernobyl…

An experience that is as frustrating as it is engaging.

Stalker 2 presents an impressive world, supported by Unreal Engine 5, where freedom of exploration and survival mechanics stand out. However, it suffers from technical problems, poorly structured missions and problematic artificial intelligence. The release was obviously rushed.

Full of anomalies in more ways than one, Stalker 2 is a mess of bugs and jank that nonetheless stays faithful to the open world survival shooter of yesteryear.

For fans of hardcore shooters or punishing post-apocalypse games, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is truly incomparable. Unfortunately, due to a litany of bugs, it's the greatest game you shouldn't play right now. Give it some time, and this will be one of the best survival experiences you'll ever play – but until then, only the series' biggest fans should take the plunge.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is incredibly promising, but needs more time to cook.

Stalker 2 is brutal, unforgiving, and not for the faint-hearted. While its storyline is poised for new players, its gameplay feels the opposite, providing a hardcore experience for anyone looking to dive into the Zone. Nevertheless, Stalker 2 is the kind of game that ages like a fine wine, getting better, richer, and slightly bolder as you push through its 35-hour campaign. That being said, the performance issues and missing features do leave a somewhat bitter taste.

All in all, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a perfectly average open world survival shooter. It’s an interesting setting with well-realized characters, but it’s held back by less-satisfying gunplay and a run-of-the-mill ‘good enough’ sense of exploration. I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. But if you’re a fan of games like Fallout: New Vegas, or you enjoyed past Stalker games, then this one is worth following up on.

A great stalker shooter that's marred by catastrophic technical issues and stumbles over its own open world.

Stalker 2 is unlike anything else in the FPS market right now, but design flaws that only become more baffling the more you play and an embarrassingly long list of minor bugs, performance hiccups, and game-breaking issues undo nearly all the good done in other areas of the game. An engrossing experience lies beneath all the clutter, but it will take time to unearth it.

An intense, atmospheric shooter which, however, cannot fulfill its potential due to its disastrous tech. Massive AI glitches, frustrating bugs and enormous performance problems cause significant frustration.