It effortlessly entrusts you to find your way own way through its technically impressive recreation of Chornobyl.
It is one of the boldestXbox Series X gamesandPC gamesI have seen this generation.
Its a remarkably focused game, despite its huge open world.
On top of that, The Zone is a character in itself.
The writing here is truly impressive.
Loneliness of Chornobyl
That novel approach to storytelling echoes throughout the rest of the experience.
The Zone is a barren expanse full of not much, making it an incredibly isolating experience.
You cant just run in and spray your way to survival.
Instead, you have to precisely place shots and keep an eye on your surroundings.
Weapons are bulky and can jam at any moment creating a sense of panic.
Bandits wont always know where you are at.
So, they will organically guess where you might be.
That moment forced me to change my approach to combat.
But that lack of hand-holding is what kept me hooked as the encounters never felt scripted or formulaic.
Combat is fundamental toStalker 2and you cant really ignore it.
However, combat and these interactions with other people are also where I noticed the most bugs.
Some were small like the UI regularly not showing up.
Should I play Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl?
Protanopia, Deuteranopia, and Tritanopia are also available.
First reviewed October 2024.
