From the depths of cancellation to emerging as one of the most successful games in the franchise, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has had a long journey since releasing last year for Xbox Series X/S and PC. It’s finally coming to PS5 on November 20th, but it’s far from the same game as last year. What’s changed, and if you’re new to the franchise, what makes it worth playing? Join us as we dive into everything you should know before buying.
What is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 and Why Should You Care?
As the latest title in the cult classic S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s very existence has been tumultuous, to say the least. Announced in 2010, cancelled in 2012 (with the developer dissolving in 2011), revived in 2018, first gameplay in 2021, and numerous delays to follow due to real-life tragedy – yet the developer persevered and finally released Heart of Chornobyl in 2025.
So why should you care about it? Because the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series is a post-apocalyptic sandbox experience of unpredictability, where an ordinary quest could break down into countless unforgettable encounters. It’s realistic and punishing, but discovering new things, be it Mutants devouring human corpses, Anomalies warping the very fabric of reality, or just the gorgeous radiation-soaked landscape of the Exclusion Zone.
Walk Through the Zone
How does a typical day in the Zone unfold? Well, that’s up to you. After selecting which armor, weapons, and items are needed, you’ll venture out and explore. There are quests to track and different vendors to interact with. Other S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s roam the Zone, who can either be friendly or hostile. Avoiding radiation sickness is as important as managing your hunger and getting enough sleep. Maybe you’ll get lucky and find some Artifacts that you can sell. Then again, you may also run into…
Anomalous Behavior
Imagine walking around and suddenly being thrown back, losing a hefty amount of health in the process. If you weren’t paying attention, the shiny spheres that were responsible may have escaped notice. These are one of several Anomalies present through the Zone – unexplained phenomena with different effects. Acid pools, electric orbs, fire jets – these are the most obvious ones, but even seemingly harmless things like bubbles could burst and poison you. You’ll learn to identify each Anomaly, perhaps throwing some bolts around to sense their presence or disrupt them, and maybe even use them against any hostiles.
Factions
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has plenty of threats. Bandits wander around, eager to start trouble; Loners are other S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, which gives more leeway in dealing with them; various military groups like the Corps, Duty, and Freedom; and more. Several factions differ wildly in terms of ideals, so depending on who you side with, there will be different outcomes (and consequences).
Mutants
You’ll also have to contend with Mutants – monstrosities with different abilities and a unified desire to see you dead. There are the Bloodsuckers, capable of turning invisible and inflicting bleed; Poltergeists, also invisible and who throw environmental objects; mutated versions of boars, rodents, and dogs; and perhaps most terrifying, the Bayun, who can mimic human sounds. Dealing with them can become a huge hassle, but it’s yet another component to surviving in the Zone.
Weapons, New and Old
Thankfully, there’s an extensive range of weapons available to help with that. AKs, ARs, sniper rifles, pistols, SMGs, gauss guns, shotguns, explosives – take your pick, with tons of mods available to tune their performance. New weapons have also been added since launch, including the unique Honta’s “Dahunka”, the Night Stalker pistol, the Three Line Rifle, and the Kora 1911 pistol.
NVGs and Stealth Improvements
The Night Stalker isn’t the only tool for facilitating stealthier players. The latest update also added four types of Night Vision Goggles, allowing you to prowl through the darkness. Couple that with the fact that enemy AI has been improved – meaning fewer chances of being detected immediately – and it makes a stealthier approach far more viable than at launch.
The Zone’s Size
64 square kilometers. 20 different regions. A seamless interconnected map that’s almost completely open from the outset, limited only by your survival skills (and smarts). The Zone is a world unto itself, seemingly existing outside of normal space, with its own ecosystem and ecology. Knowing that balance and how various elements play off of each other is the key to survival, as is understanding arguably the biggest appeal of the series: A-Life.
A-Life 2.0
A-Life has been a staple of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. since Shadow of Chornobyl and contributed hugely to their replay value. It essentially simulates all AI in the Zone independent of the player, though the system further breaks down into everything that you see in proximity versus whatever is happening in the background. With S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, GSC Game World took it to the next level with A-Life 2.0, a system where “countless events and encounters” would happen. There’s only one problem: It didn’t work at launch, to the point where players found the marketing to be highly misleading.
Fortunately, through multiplayer updates, the development team has fully implemented A-Life 2.0. Hostile NPCs will actually initiate battles to capture more territory and fend off mutants, and there’s far more variety in the types of groups encountered. It all contributes to making the Zone feel more alive and interesting.
Upcoming Features
Even with all these features for day one PS5 players, what about those who come after? Fortunately, GSC Game World has an ongoing roadmap with further updates to the UI, new missions, and an extended day/night cycle. Some of those are live now, including Master Difficulty, Expedition Mode (where you can only save at certain points), and much more.
Multiple Endings and Playtime
As you’ve probably guessed from the existence of multiple factions, there are different endings to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s story. We won’t spoil any of them, but reaching them will require about 36 hours for the story alone on average, according to HowLongToBeat. Pursuing side activities bumps that up to about 70 hours, while completing everything could mean over 130 hours of gameplay. Whatever your commitment level may be, it’s a long, arduous journey.
Performance Improvements Since Launch
The first day of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s launch was all over the place in terms of performance, even with a massive day-one patch. Things have improved significantly ever since – heck, the September update fixed numerous freezes and crashes while offering further optimizations. Few ports survive first impact with a new console, though, but at the very least, you shouldn’t see anywhere near as many stutters and drops as launch day.
DualSense Support
As with every former Xbox console exclusive coming to PS5, the question is: What exclusive features can you look forward to? Tempest 3D Audio for directional sounds is great, but DualSense is the main draw with haptic feedback and adaptive trigger support, right down to different trigger resistance depending on the weapon (and their wear and tear). However, the highlight is probably the touchpad for gestures, including playing the guitar – perfect for adding to campfire conversations.
PS5 Pro support
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 offers two modes on the base PS5 – 4K/30 FPS in Quality and 2K/60 FPS in Performance, though it’s aiming for 4K/60 FPS in the latter by launch. However, PS5 Pro players will see improved visuals, as revealed to Tech Radar Gaming by technical producer Yevhenii Kulyk. The shadow quality, VFX shading quality, and volumetrics, including clouds and lighting, have been tweaked. But that’s not all, as the official features trailer confirmed improvements to global illumination, reflections and shadow resolution as well.
Standard, Deluxe and Ultimate Editions
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has three editions to choose from. The Standard retails for $60 and includes only the base game, while the Deluxe Edition is for $80 and includes a bonus side quest, a digital artbook and soundtrack app, and the Deluxe Weapons and Suit Pack (which packs six weapons and three suits). The Ultimate Edition includes everything in the Deluxe Edition but also adds four more weapons and an Exoskeleton alongside the Season Pass for two upcoming story expansions. All this for $109.99.
