STALKER

As a game enthusiast, I stumbled upon an amusing quest hidden in the Rookie Village of Stalker 2 that you might overlook if you’re solely focused on mission completion. Here’s a fun little guide to help you track down and finish the Joke quest:

1. Head over to the Rookie Village and chat with some NPCs until you meet a guy named Alex.
2. Ask Alex about his joke, and he’ll tell you that he lost it.
3. Find and bring him the “Funny Picture” item from one of the abandoned buildings nearby.
4. Once you return the picture to Alex, he’ll share his joke with you, completing the quest!

If you can steer clear of conflicts with Pseudogiants whenever feasible, that would be ideal. But should you find yourself in a tight spot with no escape route except for a fight, we’ve prepared a guide to help you engage the creature successfully and emerge triumphant from the encounter.

In the main mission of “Ad Astra Per Aspera” within Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, players initially come across a mutated creature known as a Chimera. In this instance, battling the Chimera isn’t mandatory; instead, players should focus on escaping it and making their way to the Clear Sky base. Later in the game, either during open-world exploration or specific missions like “A Minor Incident” or “The Freedom Colosseum,” encounters with the Chimera become necessary, and defeating it will be required.

To date, it’s been confirmed that Stalker 2 will feature two expansion packs and a multiplayer mode for player versus player combat. Given the game’s strong performance, there’s a good chance we’ll see more content in the future. Although specific release dates for the DLCs haven’t been set yet, expect announcements to come soon, along with bug fixes and enhancements throughout 2025.

In the post-apocalyptic world of Stalker 2, I’ve learned that to get my hands on the Thunderberry Artifact, I need to venture into Electro Anomalous zones. Particularly, I should check out the Reloading Point in the Cement Factory area south of its base and the Electric Field in the Garbage region, which is southeast of the Slag Heap base. It’s a bit of a trek, but the Thunderberry Artifact could be worth the hunt!

In the game Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, situated at the westernmost part of the Yantar Region, is the Scientist Bunker. This bunker lies to the north of the Yantar Dam’s entrance, which can be opened only after deciphering codes hidden on vehicles marked with an eye symbol. Upon arrival at the site, you’ll encounter a compound where a bunker stands in the center, surrounded by containers along its perimeter.