S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PS5 – 15 Key Details

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After a troubled development and initial release on Xbox and PC last year, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has become a surprisingly successful game. It’s launching on PS5 November 20th, but with significant changes from the original version. If you’re unfamiliar with the series, or just curious about what’s different, we’ll cover everything you need to know before you buy.

What is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and Why Should You Care?

The newest installment in the beloved S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, has had a very difficult development. First announced in 2010, the game was cancelled in 2012 after the development studio temporarily closed. It was later revived in 2018, and after a gameplay reveal in 2021 and several delays—including those caused by real-world events—the developers finally released Heart of Chornobyl in 2025.

Why is the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series worth your time? Because it’s a uniquely unpredictable, open-world adventure set after a disaster. Even a simple task can lead to amazing and memorable experiences. It’s a challenging and realistic game, and you’ll constantly discover new things – from terrifying mutants and reality-bending anomalies to the beautiful, yet dangerous, landscapes of the Zone.

Walk Through the Zone

What does a day look like in the Zone? That’s entirely up to you! You’ll start by choosing your gear – armor, weapons, and supplies – and then head out to explore. You can take on quests, trade with different merchants, and encounter other people wandering the Zone – some helpful, others dangerous. Staying healthy is key, so you’ll need to watch out for radiation, make sure you eat, and get enough rest. If you’re lucky, you might even discover valuable Artifacts to sell. But be warned, you never know what you might run into…

Anomalous Behavior

Picture this: you’re exploring, and suddenly get knocked back, taking significant damage. The cause? Probably one of the Zone’s Anomalies – strange, unexplained phenomena with various effects. You might not even notice them at first. These Anomalies range from obvious dangers like acid pools and electrical bursts to more subtle threats, like bubbles that can release poison. As you explore, you’ll learn to recognize each one, using tools to detect or disable them, and even turn them against your enemies.

Factions

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is filled with dangers, including bandits who are always looking for a fight. You’ll also encounter other stalkers, military groups like the Corps, Duty, and Freedom, and more. These different factions have very different beliefs, and your choices about which ones to support will lead to unique outcomes and consequences.

Mutants

The Zone is also filled with dangerous Mutants – creatures with unique powers who all want to kill you. You’ll face enemies like Bloodsuckers, which can turn invisible and cause bleeding, and Poltergeists, also invisible, that hurl objects around. There are also mutated animals like boars, rats, and dogs, and the truly frightening Bayun, which can imitate human voices. While dealing with these creatures will be challenging, it’s just another part of trying to survive.

Weapons, New and Old

Luckily, you’ll have a huge selection of weapons to choose from. Everything from assault rifles and sniper rifles to pistols, SMGs, shotguns, and even powerful gauss guns and explosives is available, and you can customize them with tons of modifications to improve their performance. Since the game launched, we’ve also added new weapons like Honta’s special “Dahunka,” the Night Stalker pistol, the Three Line Rifle, and the Kora 1911 pistol.

NVGs and Stealth Improvements

Players who prefer a stealthy approach now have more options than just the Night Stalker. The recent update introduced four different types of Night Vision Goggles, letting you move around more easily in the dark. Combined with improvements to enemy AI – making it harder for them to spot you right away – a stealthy playstyle is now much more effective than it was when the game first launched.

The Zone’s Size

Explore a vast world of 64 square kilometers, divided into 20 unique regions. The map is largely open for exploration right from the start, with your ability to survive and use your wits being the only real limits. This Zone feels like a world of its own, separate from reality, complete with its own plants, animals, and natural systems. Understanding how everything connects and interacts is crucial to staying alive, and it’s also the heart of what makes this series so engaging – the dynamic A-Life system.

A-Life 2.0

The dynamic ‘A-Life’ system has been a key feature of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games since the first installment, Shadow of Chornobyl, greatly increasing how often players want to replay the game. It works by simulating the behavior of all creatures and characters in the game world, even when the player isn’t directly involved. This simulation differentiates between what’s happening nearby and what’s occurring in the distance. With S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the developers, GSC Game World, aimed to improve this with ‘A-Life 2.0,’ promising a world filled with ‘countless events and encounters.’ However, the system didn’t function as intended at launch, leading many players to feel the pre-release marketing was inaccurate.

The game now features a fully updated A-Life system thanks to recent improvements. This means hostile characters will actively fight for territory and defend against mutants, and you’ll encounter a wider range of different groups. These changes make the game world feel much more dynamic and engaging.

Upcoming Features

As a huge fan, I was already blown away by everything you get when you start playing on PS5. But the developers, GSC Game World, aren’t stopping there! They’ve got a whole plan for the future, promising even more improvements to how things look and work, plus new missions and a more realistic day and night system. And the best part? Some of that stuff is already here! I’m really enjoying the new Master Difficulty, and Expedition Mode is a fantastic challenge – it really makes you think about your saves! There’s a ton more too, which is awesome.

Multiple Endings and Playtime

With several different groups to side with in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the game has multiple possible endings. While we won’t reveal them, completing the main story will take around 36 hours on average, according to HowLongToBeat. If you explore side quests, expect to spend about 70 hours, and aiming for 100% completion could take over 130 hours. No matter how much you play, be prepared for a lengthy and challenging experience.

Performance Improvements Since Launch

The initial release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 had a lot of performance issues, even after a large day-one update. However, things have gotten much better since then – the September update specifically addressed many freezes, crashes, and overall performance. While it’s common for new games to struggle on consoles at launch, you should experience far fewer stutters and slowdowns now compared to the first day.

DualSense Support

Now that this game, previously only available on Xbox, is coming to PS5, players are curious about what new features they can expect. While the console’s 3D audio is a nice addition, the biggest improvements come from the DualSense controller. It offers immersive experiences through haptic feedback and adaptive triggers that even change resistance based on the weapon being used – and how worn it is. But the most exciting feature is likely the touchpad, which allows for gestures – like strumming a guitar, which is ideal for enhancing moments around a campfire.

PS5 Pro support

On PlayStation 5, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will offer a choice between two graphics modes: a higher-quality mode at 4K resolution and 30 frames per second, and a performance mode at 2K resolution and 60 frames per second (with a goal of reaching 4K/60 FPS at launch). Players with the upgraded PS5 Pro will experience even better visuals. According to technical producer Yevhenii Kulyk, the game has been optimized for PS5 Pro, improving things like shadows, visual effects, clouds, and lighting. The official trailer also showed enhancements to global illumination, reflections, and shadow detail.

Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate Editions

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is available in three editions. The Standard Edition costs $60 and includes just the core game. For $80, the Deluxe Edition adds a bonus quest, a digital artbook and soundtrack, plus a pack of six weapons and three suits. If you want everything, the Ultimate Edition is $109.99 and includes all the Deluxe content, plus four more weapons, an Exoskeleton, and a Season Pass for two future story expansions.

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2025-11-19 20:13