In the early stages of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, you won’t have a wide variety of weapons at your disposal, but one standout is the Viper-5, which is essentially a unique version of the MP5 submachine gun. You’ll often come across these in abundance among your enemies, particularly in the Lesser Zone, and there will be plenty of ammunition for it as well.
In the course of your explorations within “Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl”, you will eventually explore the sophisticated labs situated in SIRCAA’s eastern sector, deep within the Zone. Over multiple assignments, one of which is titled “The Forge of Progress”, you’ll delve into the facility’s lower levels and uncover hidden truths that the Association has worked hard to keep concealed.
Recently, I’ve begun exploring the world of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, a game I’ve been eagerly waiting for all year, given my fondness for contemporary extraction titles and its significant impact on shaping this genre. Despite some rough edges, it’s been an enjoyable journey so far, evoking memories of another extraction game that, in my opinion, doesn’t receive enough recognition, and was among my top favorites during the beta testing phase in 2023.
A newly introduced modification for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl now enables characters to scale taller ledges than the original game offers. This seemingly minor adjustment significantly enhances the movement within STALKER 2, thereby significantly influencing both exploration and combat experiences.
Following its debut, GSC Game World’s STALKER 2 has been steadily progressing, as the developer has been consistently providing updates for the game, similar to their approach with the original STALKER. Despite a somewhat divided critical response, fans have reacted extremely favorably to STALKER 2, with sales surpassing one million units on its first day and maintaining a spot among Steam’s top 5 best-selling games. Accompanying the game’s release was a substantial Day 1 patch, followed by a significant 1.0 Patch 1, and only a day later, another update, 1.0 Patch 2.
Friction is important in video games. The act of playing them is not always meant to be fun, instead asking you to master a range of mechanics, systems, and ideas to earn the full experience. Sometimes it can be nice to slip into something deliberately forgiving, but mostly, I’m all for games that kick my butt if I refuse to play by its rules.