Stalker 2 Review

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is finally arriving. After several shiftings of the release dates and unsuccessful development starts, stalker 2 will bring players to The Zone. The series is famous for its morbid atmosphere, gruesome monsters, and challenging combat. Despite such harsh welcoming, more and more people are getting interested in the series. Fans keep creating mods, and the players hold their breath in anticipation of the sequel that was originally announced back in 2010.

The Stalker series masterfully combines engaging gameplay, dangerous setting, and friendly atmosphere of human outposts amid the dangerous landscapes. Despite being technically flawed, the original Stalker trilogy set the high bar for the genre, and the sequel promises to be even better.

Story of STALKER 2

The setting of Stalker was inspired by the Russian novel “Roadside Picnic” and the film Stalker. These creations gave the original game anomalies, a dangerous exclusion zone, and stalkers – brave trespassers and bounty hunters.

The original Stalker trilogy takes place in 2006, after the second explosion in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone. Dangerous scientific experiments and unstable technologies brought another disaster. However, it did not stop people from venturing to The Zone. Acronym S.T.A.L.K.E.R. stands for “Scavengers, Trespasser, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers, and Robbers.” In the sequel, we will play a new stalker with the codename Skif. We saw that nickname on the PDA in the stalker 2 trailer. The choices you will make during the story will influence short-term consequences and global outcomes.

What is new in season 2 Stalker?

Maps in the original Stalker games were not exactly open world. They were scalable, but they consisted of several chunks and access points between them. You had to wait in a loading screen before jumping into the next area. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will officially be a seamless open-world game with no loading screens between the locations.

One of the famous Stalker features was the A-life system. It simulated activities for stalkers, bandits, and monsters that inhabited The Zone. In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the system will be upgraded. A-Life 2.0 will bring more immersion and life in the dangerous world of The Zone.

Modding will be present too. The developers want to make the process of the creation of the mods as easy as possible. Definitely, season 2 stalker promises to be good for the modding community.

The new protagonist, Skif, will start a new great chapter in the history of The Zone. Beside him, there will be plenty of novelties. We may expect new mutants, areas, new uses for artifacts, and female stalkers.

Stalker 2 Gameplay

Besides the Stalker release date, the trailer showed the actual gameplay. Stalker 2 seems to live up to the expectations: the trailer showed exploration in the open space, shooting in the tight corridors and underground facilities. In the core, Stalker 2 gameplay is a combination of the first-person action, surviving, and exploring. We may expect new anomalies, mutants, and encounters in the Zone.

Apart from the actual gunplay and anomalies visual effects, the trailer demonstrated the plot hooks that will lead Skif deeper into the Zone in the pursuit of a mysterious man. The antagonist claims that he will protect the Zone no matter what. Therefore, we may expect a dramatic story that will accompany the tense gameplay.

Confirmed Platforms

The game is confirmed for Pc, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a next-generation game by all means. The most anticipated platforms are PC and Xbox Series X. The game will be available in the Xbox Game Pass from day one. There is no indication that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 will be released on new consoles. Still, it may be possible that the game will be only a temporary Xbox exclusive. The game may visit PlayStation 5 eventually. By the way, stalker 2 202 may be the year when it comes to Sony’s platform. However, there is no confirmation nor refutation for it.

System Requirements

Stalker 2 promises to be a qualitative game that will show the next-gen effects. Still, the PC users may expect compromising system requirements. Still, if you want to gain the maximum experience, it would be wise to upgrade to a high-end PC.

Minimal Requirements

• CPU: i5-4460/AMD Athlon 64 x2
• RAM: 8 GB
• GPU: GeForce GTX 980/AMD Radeon HD 5550
• Storage: 13 GB (SSD Recommended)

Recommended Requirements

• CPU: i5-680/Ryzen 3 3200G
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU: GeForce GTX 1070 Ti/GTX 370
• Storage 100GB (SSD Recommended)

When can I play Stalker 2 game?

The developers officially announced the Stalker 2 release date to be April 28, 2022. The pre-orders for the game are open now. You may pre-order the game in two variants – digital and retail. A pre-ordered version will have extended campfire content, exclusive weapon and armor skins, and the “early bird” multiplayer badge. As for the Stalker 2 system requirements, they remain the same.

Digital and retail versions of the game have variations as well. The digital version comes in standard, deluxe, and ultimate editions. Deluxe and Ultimate editions have additional bonuses such as the artbook, story expansions, and access to the season pass.

The retail version of the game has standard, limited, collector’s, and ultimate editions. These versions of the game, besides the digital expansions, go with physical bonuses such as a stalker’s backpack, a thematic keychain, and faction patches.

Final Words

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a long-anticipated game. A unique blend of the desperate atmosphere, captivating story, and challenging gameplay made fans count days before the release of the sequel. The original stalker 2 announced that it is coming to release back in 2010. However, there was not much news about the game, but there was a lot about the troubles that surrounded the development.

However, right now, stalker 2 is not the possibility but an upcoming hit. The game is real, it is in development, and it will meet the next-generation requirements. A new chapter in The Zone is not only an awesome adventure with the new heroes. It may be compared with a homecoming after the long departure. The fans waited long; they should wait a bit longer. However, in the end, it will be more than payoff.