S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Reviews
Check out S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Review Scores from trusted Critics below. With 34 reviews on CriticDB, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has a score of:
Discover the vast Chornobyl Exclusion Zone full of dangerous enemies, deadly anomalies and powerful artifacts. Unveil your own epic story as you make your way to the Heart of Chornobyl. Make your choices wisely, as they will determine your fate in the end. PC version reviewed. Review copy provided by company for testing purposes.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a wonderful game to play and will have you on the edge of your seat. That being said, if you don’t enjoy some light survival elements and more simulation based shooting. This one probably isn’t for you, but if it is your cup of tea… you will lose hours to it.
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An alluring and uncompromising open-world survival shooter held back by poor optimization and an absence of AI interactions.
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Stalker 2‘s bugs and issues are numerous and severe, but it stands as a testament to how great the game buried underneath them is that it still manages to shine.
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After years of waiting, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl finally invites you to the Chernobyl Zone again. The vastness and raw beauty of this world dwarfs most other open worlds, but the sequel also suffers from errors and technical shortcomings.
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In many ways it’s incredible that STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl is here today at all. The latest entry in the STALKER series and the direct sequel to 2009’s STALKER Call of Pripiat, it was originally slated for release way back in 2012.
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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.
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Underneath the technical problems that plague STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a unique greatness. It emerges as a refreshingly brutal shooter that strives to hook you with its incredible atmosphere and leave you invested by the end of this long, arduous journey.
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STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl had a tough development cycle, marked by financial challenges, multiple suspensions, and a global crisis that shook its very foundations. Originally announced in 2010, the game faced setbacks from company dissolutions and massive layoffs to the devastating impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. After all this, it’s remarkable that we even have the game in front of us today.
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Stalker 2 is a punishing survival FPS that can be extremely rewarding for those who take the time to get comfortable in its playground. A few technical issues aside, there's not much else out there like this.
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Fans of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R franchise expect uncompromising action and are largely immune to the series’ rough edges. For them, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 delivers, adding a vast open world filled with danger and discovery. The release day patch fixed many big issues, but the game still needs serious additional polish. Some casual shooter fans might be put off by S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2’s difficulty and opacity, but players who have patiently waited for S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 will be pleased.
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There’s a wonderful game tucked away underneath S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 impenetrable surface. When riding high on the ability to go 15 minutes without dying and surviving back-to-back enemy encounters, it works as developer GSC Game World likely intended. At a time when gamers are more willing than ever to play games that challenge them to be more deliberate about their actions, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will undoubtedly find its audience for years to come as its predecessor did. For fans of the source material — there’s an added layer of artful frustration that mirrors the nihilistic world set forth by the authors.
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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is one of the most haunting and atmospheric survival games of this generation. Small bugs and AI issues here and there mean that it is a little rough around the edges but the game’s world, atmosphere, and combat are breathtaking. Stalker 2 holds nothing back and forces you to play by its rules and is all the more refreshing because of it.
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In this in-depth review of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, we’ll explore how GSC Game World’s latest offering builds upon its legendary predecessor while carving its own path in the survival horror genre. After a 15-year wait that left fans hungry for more, this ambitious sequel arrives with the weight of expectations on its shoulders—and largely delivers on its promises. From its stunning Unreal Engine 5 visuals to its uncompromising survival mechanics, we’ll examine how STALKER 2 bal...
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While performance woes hinder it, STALKER 2 is a fiercely unique and immersive survival game. It asks the player to put in the work and struggle against its harsh systems that may turn many off. However, if you’re willing to persevere through its systems and technical issues, there is a special experience waiting to be found within the enchanting Zone.
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If you want to know if this modern Stalker entry captures the essence of the past titles, then check out our S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 Heart of Chornobyl Review
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You already know if you'll like GSC's newest entry in the series. If you like Call of Pripyat, you'll like this. If you didn't, Heart of Chornobyl rarely hides any true improvements to the formula. It's exactly what fans expect, albeit with a fancy, oftentimes gorgeous, new lick of paint and some modern sensibilities, but it's Stalker through and through - for better and for worse.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (Which we’ll be calling Stalker 2 for the sake of our fingers) has some big lead shoes to fill, given it’s been 15 years since its highly revered predecessor, S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat released. Yet while the sequel brings back the grimdark designs fans loved, it does get snowed under by its shortcomings.
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Believe me when I say you will be blown away by the depth and detail in STALKER 2. The sheer level of attention and painstaking effort poured into the creation of STALKER 2 by GSC Game World is nothing short of utterly incredible, and I am so happy that this game was finally delivered after all these years.
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“Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl crumbles under the weight of its own ambition.”
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Although this may not be a perfect game, it must be honestly said that no one ever expected this from Stalker. The atmosphere, harshness, and unforgettable adventures in the Zone matter - and Stalker 2 has more than enough of that.
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Stalker 2 could be a great game in a few years, but what's presented at launch is a technical mess that doesn't capitalise on its best ideas. Compelling side stories and a brilliant setting do a lot of the heavy lifting, but at launch Stalker 2 isn't an adventure we'd fully recommend embarking on.
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Since I began my journey into the Zone, my relationship with Stalker 2 has been a bit of a roller coaster. My first ten or so hours with the game were largely riddled with immersion-breaking bugs, unconvincing vocal performances, and occasional moments of panic as Stalker 2 threw way too many things at me at once. However, while some of these issues persisted, the deeper I ventured into the game, the more I settled into its sporadic awkwardness, and the more I began to appreciate its unique experience. At the end of it all, I've concluded that Stalker 2 is...
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An inspired mix of first person shooter, role-playing game, and survival horror that offers up one of the most compelling, and interactive, open world environments this generation.
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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is rough around the edges, but its propensity for creating emergent moments in a deadly and alluring world makes this trip back to the Zone a fraught and compelling experience
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Honestly, if I wasn’t so enamoured with this gorgeous world, I’d be scoring this lower. Similarly, if there was just more to do and richer systems in place to engage with, it’d be higher. I think that those out there who love the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. franchise will feel at home in this game, as the world is stunning, the sense of loneliness and isolation permeates everything, and the combat against the human factions is intense.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is everything fans of the franchise could have ever dreamed of. Twelve years after the last entry GSC Game World has overcome adversity and created something special. It will not be for everyone, but it is on Game Pass on Cloud, Console, and PC, so why not give it a go. The Zone is calling and I cannot wait to answer it once again.
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This visually modern sequel stays astonishingly faithful to the original trilogy, often to a fault. Stalker fans will feel right at home in the Zone, but it’ll be appropriately alien for newcomers.
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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.
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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl masterfully combines multiple genres to deliver an unmissable and entirely unique open world horror experience. Touting unparalleled emergent gameplay, stellar atmosphere, a captivating story, and gorgeous visuals, this is easily one of the best games available on Xbox Series X/S, even with the technical issues that hamper it.
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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an undoubtedly remarkable achievement in atmospheric game design. This post-apocalyptic experience offers an unmatched dynamic open world that is bound to satisfy long-time fans of the series. However, the extremely poor technical hiccups and hardcore yet niche nature of the game prevents it from getting a full recommendation. This is not a game for casuals.
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Like any other Eastern European over the age of thirty, I grew up hearing all manner of wild stories about the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, some more believable than others. From nightmarish descriptions of the effects of radiation poisoning on the human body to urban legends and crude jokes about monsters and mutated wildlife in The Zone, Chernobyl routinely popped up in conversations. Both as a cautionary tale about the potential dangers of nuclear power and as an overly-embellished post-apocalyptic hellscape haunted by all manner of paranormal entities.
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You play as Skif, who is drawn to the Zone because it practically requested his presence by mysteriously destroying his house with an Artifact, a fist-sized, anomalous object that has lost its reality-warping powers precisely because it is now located outside the Zone. Seeking a way to restore the Artifact's power, Skif ultimately begins the life of a Stalker, a title given to eclectic loners who broadly seek personal enrichment via the Zone's mysteries, whether that be monetarily or spiritually. In the STALKER universe, the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone suffered a second disaster in 2006, mutating all life within and manifesting...
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