Post-apocalyptic open-world shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl from GSC Game World is closer to release than ever, and several Western portals shared their impressions of their personal acquaintance with the pre-release version of the game.
Image source: GSC GAME WORLD
The journalists had a chance to play the initial section for about two to three hours and get a feel for the open world. The gameplay was not allowed to be recorded, so the materials contain only frames (videos and screenshots) provided by GSC itself.
Those who have played agree that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is extremely difficult. At least at first, you will have to die often: the hero is quite frail, shooting is almost always deliberately awkward, and the enemies are distinguished by their accuracy.
At the same time, the gameplay of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 stands out for its ruthlessness: a character can die even after a won battle if the player inadvertently forgets to bandage bleeding wounds.
The authors of preliminary reviews appreciated this approach, noting that during the game you begin to behave more cautiously – akin to a real stalker. For example, try to aim for the head or lure monsters into anomalies.
Journalists also praised the graphics – at times the game resembles a picturesque walking simulator. In some cases, this beauty is deadly: a local poppy field, for example, threatens to plunge the protagonist into eternal sleep.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be released on November 20 on PC (Steam, GOG, EGS, Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X and S, and Game Pass. The pre-release version suffered from bugs, but GSC assures that the game will be more stable at launch.