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

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Game Cover
77%Game Brain Score
story, gameplay
optimization, stability
77% User Score Based on 51,080 reviews

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

About

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a single player and multiplayer open world role playing shooter game with a horror theme. It was developed by GSC Game World and was released on June 10, 2021. It received mostly positive reviews from players.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the unforgiving FPS survival adventure in a dark science-fiction open world. Scavenge for gear and resources, hunt for wonders, make hard decisions to survive and pave the path through the Chornobyl Anomalous Zone.

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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl screenshot
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77%
Audience ScoreBased on 51,080 reviews
story3.6k positive mentions
optimization3k negative mentions
  • The atmosphere is incredible, capturing the eerie essence of the original games with stunning graphics and immersive sound design.
  • The gameplay loop is engaging, balancing survival, combat, and exploration, with intense gunfights and resource management that keeps players on edge.
  • The story has moments of brilliance, with depth and character development that resonate with players, drawing them into the narrative.
  • The game suffers from severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems, making it feel poorly optimized.
  • Many players find the character development lacking, with key characters and factions not receiving sufficient context or growth, leading to a disjointed experience.
  • The monetization aspect has drawn criticism, with some feeling the game was released in an unfinished state to capitalize on nostalgia, leading to disappointment.
  • story
    14,251 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The story of "Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl" has received mixed reviews, with many players praising its depth, character development, and connections to the original trilogy, while others criticize it for being convoluted and filled with bugs that hinder progression. Players appreciate the engaging narrative and the impact of choices on the storyline, but often find the pacing slow and the quest design repetitive, leading to frustration during gameplay. Overall, while the story has moments of brilliance and emotional weight, technical issues and a lack of side content in later stages detract from the overall experience.

    • “The story pulled me in from the start, the side quests felt meaningful and fun, and the world itself felt alive in a way that kept me exploring just to see what was around the next corner.”
    • “The story is pure art; it is wonderful, it is amazing, it punches you in the gut.”
    • “The story is captivating.”
    • “The story is uninteresting and boring.”
    • “The story itself is alright, but getting through it is nothing but a pure slog of fetch quests across a massive empty map with boring enemies and a terrible stamina system.”
    • “The main story fails to engage, and side quests feel inconsequential, offering little incentive to complete them beyond basic rewards.”
  • optimization
    11,041 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The optimization of "Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many citing severe performance issues, including stuttering, frame drops, and crashes, even on high-end systems. While recent patches have improved stability and performance to some extent, the game is still considered poorly optimized, often requiring mods and extensive tweaking to achieve playable frame rates. Overall, players recommend waiting for further optimization updates before fully engaging with the game.

    • “The balancing, optimization, and bug fixes have made a huge difference.”
    • “Patch 1.7 significantly enhanced performance.”
    • “It's by no means perfect, and there are still a few issues/bugs that need to be sorted out, but since release it has improved considerably with update 1.7 being the best so far with some nice performance improvements.”
    • “A year later and the game is still horribly unoptimized.”
    • “Even if you can get it to run on 60 fps, which in most cases requires turning settings to the lowest possible options, making the game look like shit, the unavoidable Unreal Engine 5 stuttering upon literally anything happening will ruin your experience.”
    • “Completely broken game optimization that makes you rely on NexusMods to fix some of it, and even then, the developers tell you to go f*** yourself, because performance mods will disable the achievements for this unoptimized garbage.”
  • gameplay
    6,071 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The gameplay of "Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric immersion and engaging combat mechanics, while others criticize its technical issues, bugs, and outdated mechanics. Players appreciate the survival elements and the nostalgic feel reminiscent of the original trilogy, but express frustration over performance problems, unbalanced enemy health, and the lack of meaningful stealth mechanics. Overall, while the core gameplay loop of exploration, looting, and combat is enjoyable, many recommend waiting for further updates and optimizations before diving in.

    • “Overall gameplay is amazing; I like the gunplay.”
    • “The gameplay strikes a perfect balance between survival, combat, and exploration, with resource management and tactical encounters keeping you on edge.”
    • “The gameplay loop is incredibly engaging, with intense gunfights and a punishing difficulty that rewards patient players.”
    • “The game, while absolutely better than what it was on launch, is still absolutely plagued with bugs, optimization issues, janky and awful combat and loot mechanics and a subpar story, at best.”
    • “The gameplay feels like a modern shooter, with yellow paint to lead you towards your goal, which plays alright, but nothing special.”
    • “The gameplay loop is simple yet incredibly satisfying, but the updated graphics, more stable engine and the great animation work really sell this game.”
  • graphics
    5,749 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The graphics of "Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl" have received mixed reviews, with many praising the stunning visuals and atmospheric design that effectively capture the eerie beauty of the Chernobyl zone. However, numerous players have reported significant performance issues, including poor optimization, frequent graphical glitches, and frame rate drops, even on high-end systems. While the game showcases impressive graphical fidelity, the overall experience is often marred by technical shortcomings, leading to a consensus that it requires further optimization to fully realize its potential.

    • “The graphics are stunning — the world of the zone has never looked this good.”
    • “The visuals are absolutely amazing, and so far I really like the story.”
    • “The graphics are incredible, even on medium settings, creating a hauntingly beautiful atmosphere.”
    • “The visuals are a blurry, grainy mess.”
    • “The performance is awful, the visuals bug out constantly, and it feels like the entire thing was glued together at the last minute.”
    • “The graphics are terrible even on the highest settings, especially while running.”
  • atmosphere
    5,365 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The atmosphere in "Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl" is widely praised as one of its standout features, capturing the eerie, oppressive essence of the original games while enhancing it with stunning graphics and immersive sound design. Players describe the environment as hauntingly beautiful, filled with tension and a sense of danger, making exploration both thrilling and unnerving. Despite some technical issues and gameplay flaws, the game's atmosphere remains a compelling reason to engage with the world of the zone, drawing players into its rich, atmospheric storytelling and survival mechanics.

    • “From the very first minutes, you get pulled into the atmosphere of the zone — dark, dangerous, beautiful, and incredibly realistic.”
    • “The atmosphere is incredible, the gunplay feels great, the world is gorgeous and terrifying.”
    • “The atmosphere of the zone alone makes it worth checking out.”
    • “The game is garbage, shit, and not optimized in the slightest, it's impossible to play, there are no voice acting or story standards, and there's no immersion in the game's atmosphere.”
    • “In the current state of this game it just destroys the atmosphere it creates.”
    • “The atmosphere, the gameplay, and mechanics are all top-notch.”
  • stability
    3,696 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The stability of "Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl" has been a significant point of contention among players, with many describing it as a "buggy mess" at launch. While some users report improvements following patches, a substantial number still experience frequent crashes, freezes, and various glitches that can disrupt gameplay, particularly in the later stages of the game. Despite these issues, many fans express a willingness to overlook the bugs due to the game's immersive atmosphere and engaging mechanics, suggesting that it may improve over time with further updates and community support.

    • “The game runs great and is stable, as well as having offered a lengthy and engaging adventure.”
    • “I have a 4070 ti super and a 7800x3d, runs great and smooth for the most part, have only had a couple of crashes, nothing major.”
    • “Game runs great, looks incredible and is overall just a great game to play.”
    • “The game is a buggy mess, even after a year of patches.”
    • “It's still horribly unoptimized, buggy, and unstable.”
    • “The game is currently too buggy and has performance issues.”
  • music
    823 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The music in "Stalker 2" has received mixed reviews, with many praising its atmospheric qualities and integration of Ukrainian music, which enhances the game's immersive experience. While some players find the soundtrack haunting and evocative, others feel it lacks the memorable impact of the original trilogy, describing it as occasionally generic or underwhelming. Additionally, technical issues such as music cutting out or not playing consistently have been noted, detracting from the overall experience.

    • “The game captures the eerie beauty and danger of the zone perfectly, with stunning visuals, a haunting soundtrack, and an immersive open world that constantly keeps you on edge.”
    • “The soundtrack is just awesome, and unlike most open-world games these days, I never got tired of it.”
    • “The music is gorgeous and perfectly complements the eerie yet captivating atmosphere of the zone.”
    • “And the music in the game is very much politicized; I feel disgusted playing this game and I regret that I didn't refund my money back.”
    • “The music is all wrong, gone are the atmospheric sounds and far-off screams that made the originals great, instead replaced by pretty meh and predictable background music.”
    • “The music, while more prevalent than in previous titles, is still used tastefully and rarely presented itself as anything less than an enhancement of the atmosphere or an encounter.”
  • humor
    454 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The humor in the game is a mixed bag, with many players finding joy in the unintentional comedic moments caused by bugs and glitches, such as ragdoll physics and absurd AI behavior. While some quests and character interactions provide genuine laughs, others fall flat, leading to a sense of frustration rather than amusement. Overall, the game's blend of dark humor and quirky charm, alongside its technical jank, creates a unique experience that resonates with fans of the series, though it may not appeal to everyone.

    • “The game blends eerie quiet with moments of intense fear and even dark humor.”
    • “The writing captures the grim, nihilistic tone of the series while still offering moments of dark humor and camaraderie around campfires.”
    • “It's a lovable buggy mess where half the bugs are weird or funny.”
    • “The campfire jokes are terrible and unfunny.”
    • “Not funny after the fifth time!”
    • “And the AI is terrible; 50m from you, every enemy spawns and then auto-aggro. It's not funny, but there is hope after a year. I think it's like Cyberpunk; they will fix it.”
  • grinding
    442 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The grinding aspect of the game has received significant criticism, with many players finding it tedious and frustrating. Common complaints include excessive travel distances, bullet sponge enemies, and a cumbersome inventory management system that detracts from the overall experience. While some players appreciate the survival elements and the need for resource management, the repetitive nature of quests and the grind for upgrades and repairs often lead to a sense of monotony, especially in the late game.

    • “No grinding for XP, grinding challenges/daily or FOMO: just play and immerse in this big world with beautiful graphics and audio design.”
    • “Good game after you get back from work, not very grindy, just plug and play with a good storyline and nice gunplay.”
    • “There's no leveling up in Stalker, no tedious and overly complex crafting, you don't unlock crazy abilities, nothing like that.”
    • “The hours I spent grinding through this game after launch were grueling, full of bugs, frustration, and disappointment.”
    • “I’ve finished the game once and I’ve done 2 additional runs and I just cannot bring myself to continue them because the game gets boring and tedious after the halfway point, the fact that 90% of combat encounters in endgame are monolith and only monolith seems like a bad plan.”
    • “The game expects you to travel huge distances and often do fetch missions trekking back and forth and it becomes super tedious, you need to stock up on a lot of energy drinks which contribute to your weight draining the stamina more.”
  • emotional
    213 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The emotional aspect of the game has elicited a wide range of responses from players, with many expressing deep attachment to its narrative and characters, often drawing parallels to their experiences with previous titles in the series. While some players found the story to be a heartfelt and engaging journey filled with moral dilemmas and emotional depth, others were disappointed by technical issues and perceived flaws in character development that detracted from their emotional investment. Overall, the game has been described as both a nostalgic return to form and a heartbreaking letdown, reflecting the complex feelings of long-time fans.

    • “This game elicits a strong emotional response from me, similarly to Skyrim.”
    • “The storytelling is top-notch—emotional, unpredictable, and layered.”
    • “The emotional weight of the story resonates strongly, making every decision feel impactful.”
    • “The world is lifeless, no factions you can join, no faction wars, boring story, and the zone doesn't even feel like the zone.”
    • “Very boring story, lifeless world and poor progression.”
    • “Boring story, boring quest, they fail to suck you into the world or main character.”
  • replayability
    203 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The reviews highlight a mixed perception of replayability in the game, with many players noting the presence of multiple endings and branching storylines that encourage exploration and varied playthroughs. While some users express concerns about the game's current state affecting replay value, others are optimistic about future updates and modding potential that could enhance the experience. Overall, the game is seen as having significant replayability due to its expansive world, player choices, and ongoing development.

    • “Stalker Anomaly Gamma looks better, plays better, and is actually engaging and fun to play with tons more replayability as well.”
    • “With multiple endings, Stalker 2 offers a level of replayability that ensures you’ll keep coming back to uncover every secret the zone holds.”
    • “The story unfolds in a non-linear fashion, allowing players to influence the outcome based on their choices, which adds a layer of replayability.”
    • “However, there's no replayability.”
    • “The game feels incomplete; they totally screwed up some of the characters, the story does not make much sense, and there is no replay value at all.”
    • “Not having a faction system practically downgrades the game to a former husk of itself and makes it a dead, linear, open-world survival shooter with zero replayability.”
  • monetization
    118 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    The monetization aspect of the game has drawn significant criticism, with many reviewers labeling it a "cash grab" due to the presence of microtransactions and the perception that the game was released in an unfinished state to capitalize on nostalgia. While some players appreciate the absence of aggressive monetization practices, others feel that the game's pricing and marketing strategies exploit the franchise's legacy without delivering a polished experience. Overall, the sentiment is mixed, with a strong undercurrent of disappointment regarding the game's monetization approach and its impact on gameplay quality.

    • “There are no microtransactions and, despite some bugs, the quality of your work is almost unseen these days.”
    • “No silly microtransactions, no gimmicks, just good, honest gameplay.”
    • “Deeply atmospheric and unspoiled by modern monetization practices.”
    • “I am partially convinced this game was just a cash grab.”
    • “Releasing it in this state feels like a cash grab to hit the holiday season, leaving players as beta testers for a $60-$110 product.”
    • “It feels more like a cash grab, exploiting the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise.”
  • character development
    27 mentions Positive Neutral Negative

    Character development in the game has received mixed reviews, with some players appreciating the depth and integration of character arcs into the main story, while others criticize the lack of meaningful development for many NPCs and factions. Although the character design and graphics are praised for their realism and attention to detail, several reviewers feel that the narrative fails to provide sufficient context or growth for key characters, leading to a disjointed experience. Overall, while there are standout moments of character development, many players express a desire for more consistent and engaging storytelling throughout the game.

    • “I have done four individual playthroughs and gotten all four endings, so I was able to see all unique cutscenes, paths, and character developments for major characters in all the different factions.”
    • “I think the main story was well written and the character development made sense and worked well into the main story.”
    • “Playing this game reminds me of when Skyrim came out; far from perfect, bugs, crashes, but a believable atmosphere, story, and character development.”
    • “Kinda wish there had been more periodic missions alongside NPCs so there could be more character development.”
    • “Also not much character development, especially early game; they just throw a ton of people and factions at you and expect you to know who they are after a few fetch quests. It's a little weird.”
    • “There is basically no enjoyable character development; the only exception for me was Strider and Dalin. Most of the main questline feels like a walking simulator.”
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25h Median play time
42h Average play time
7-60h Spent by most gamers
*Based on 621 analyzed playthroughs
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Frequently Asked Questions

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a open world role playing shooter game with horror theme.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is available on Xbox Series X|S, PC, PlayStation 5, Windows and others.

On average players spend around 42 hours playing S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was released on June 10, 2021.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl was developed by GSC Game World.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has received mostly positive reviews from players. Most players liked this game for its story but disliked it for its optimization.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a single player game with multiplayer support.

Similar games include S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat, Into the Radius 2, The Forever Winter, Dying Light 2 Stay Human: Reloaded Edition and others.