I won’t sugarcoat it – STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl It’s a difficult game to play. The series is literally known for its flaws, and the latest installment is no exception. Even with a 130 GB patch on day one, STALKER 2 released with several broken core features (although GSC Game World is working on this).
But look beyond that infamous STALKER idiot, and you will find a truly challenging game at any difficulty level. You can only take a few shots and you’ll have to fire back with unparalleled precision to make them count. Mutants are fast and deadly, and terrifying anomalies wait around every corner. Despite all this, tutorials and explanations are minimal. So whether it’s your first time playing a STALKER game, or you just want to know what’s new in the sequel, here are ten mistakes you need to avoid.
10
Spending too much time looting in the tutorial
You can’t take this with you
STALKER 2 begins with a not-so-brief introductory sequence in which you can experience life in the Zone for the first time. There is a surprising amount of exploration to be done and items to be found during this sequence. You’ll definitely want to pick up some of this – think ammo, healing items, and any weapon better than your standard pistol – but don’t get too attached. You won’t be able to keep any of your loot after the tutorial endsthen it would be a waste of time.
There is an exploit that allows you to store some items. Near the third scanner you will find a blue safe where you can dump your inventory. You can then return to this location after starting the game to find some of the things you left behind. However, it doesn’t save much – This exploit will only allow you to keep broken weaponsand everything else will disappear.
9
Trying to fight everything and everyone
Restraint is a virtue
STALKER 2 It’s a survival game first and a first-person shooter second. That being said, the use of firearms is undeniably a big part of your identity, and you will participate in it often. But It is not absolutely necessary (and in fact not advisable) to try to fight every enemy you see. Even if you’re looting constantly, you’ll often find yourself low on resources and struggling to keep up. The more fights you get into, the more ammo and Medkits you will spend. You’ll find some in the enemies you face, but it often won’t be enough to keep up.
In general, It is better to look for alternatives in all situations before resorting to outright violence. Can you get away with a stealth approach? Is there a clear path for you to escape? Can you come back later? Always ask yourself these three key questions before facing the problem head on, and save your resources for the big, inevitable fights where you will definitely need them. You’ll be glad you did.
8
Attacking everyone in sight
Making friends
The opening hours of the STALKER 2 do a great job teaching that the Zone is a terrible place, that everyone in it is out to get you, and that if you trust any of them you’ll end up in a ditch. To some extent, it’s true: the Zone is dangerous in every way, and your fellow Stalkers will use you, lie to you, and, from time to time, try to kill you. But although the Zone itself is hostile, there are many friendly NPCs. In fact, you will make some friends during the gameas long as you play your cards right.
Otherwise, friendly NPCs may react negatively if you approach them with your weapon drawn. Press H to hide your weapon.
These NPCs are important allies, as they unlock various side quests and hideouts throughout the game. That being said, learning to differentiate between friendly and enemy NPCs is an important skill. Early in the game, it’s best to approach each situation with moderation and stealth, and wait for NPCs to react before attacking them.
7
Constantly running and shooting
Stealth is important
When you find yourself in hostile territory, you effectively have two options: run in guns blazing or sneak. While there is occasionally some value in the head-on approach, most of the time, you better use stealth. If you’ve ever played a stealth game before, you know what to do. Sneaking seems to be easier at night or when weather conditions create low visibility. You’ll want to pay close attention to enemy movement, positioning, and lines of sight to remain unnoticed.
You can find suppressors for your weapons, but enemies are on high alert, so they should only be used sparingly.
Naturally, the use of firearms should be out of the question during stealth sections. To this end, STALKER 2 has a hidden stealth removal mechanic. If you manage to sneak up behind an invisible enemy, simply attack them with an equipped knife to kill them instantly. More often, though, you’ll find yourself sneaking past large enemy groups as soon as the opportunity presents itself. Stealth takedowns are useful for taking out enemies with good vantage points, but they can’t do everything.
6
Not Looting Enough
Resource management
All over STALKER 2you will live and die based on the resources available. You will need a lot of things: ammo to shoot, Medkits to heal, bandages to stop bleeding, beer/vodka to dispel radiation, food to satisfy hunger, energy drinks to restore stamina, etc. Running out of any of these items and then finding yourself in the wrong situation could mean certain death. There are many stores in the game that sell most of these items, but they are few and far between, money is scarce, and they rarely have everything in stock.
There’s only one thing to do: you will have to loot like your life depends on it (because it kind of does). You must look for items everywhere: on bodies, in containers, even on the floor. Exploring landmarks on the way to or from an important mission objective is another great way to stock up on necessary items.
5
Too much loot
Overload can be deadly
On the other hand, there is a lot of loot. STALKER 2 has a weight system to track your inventory, and if you go past a certain point, it can become a problem. There is a small multicolored bar at the bottom of your inventory screen, with an arrow next to it. Once the arrow enters the yellow segment of the bar, your stamina will deplete more quickly and be restored more slowly. These effects will only get worse as your overall weight increases and the arrow enters the darker sections.
You can mitigate some of the effects of overload by drinking energy drinks to restore stamina, but this is a dangerous idea.
As a general rule, It’s best to leave most weapons you won’t use where they are. Sure, there is some value in selling them, but the chances of their carrying capacity accommodating more than one unusable weapon along with your active equipment are slim to none. But you won’t need them to repair parts and it’s better to earn money by completing some of the STALKER 2side missions. You will need as much of your carrying capacity as possible to carry all the Medkits and bandages.
4
Not repairing and upgrading weapons
Get in shape to fight
It always seems to happen at the worst time: you’ll be in the heat of battle, fending off hordes of angry mutants or sadistic Stalkers, when your favorite rifle suddenly jams. As you frantically try to reload, the enemy takes advantage of the brief respite in your covering fire, flanks you, and finishes you off. It’s a persistent problem you’ll encounter throughout the game – weapons and armor break over time and must be repaired periodically in a settlement.
In the same vein, you’ll want to make sure you’re consistently upgrading your gear as you go. Remember, there is absolutely no leveling system or perks STALKER 2So the only way to get stronger is to improve your loadout. This can be done by paying a Technician to upgrade existing parts, or by finding accessories around the world and equipping them by holding down T with the relevant weapon equipped.
3
Do not use doctors or sleep
Cheap cures
And while you’re in town repairing your weapons and stocking up on resources, don’t forget to visit the doctor. Almost every settlement has one, and while prices vary, visiting a doctor is consistently the cheapest way to heal between missions. Alternatively, you can sleep to restore your HP whenever you find an available bed in a settlement. Sleeping restores your HP and allows you to skip time if you want cover in the dark for a stealth mission or high visibility for an outpost attack. Plus, it’s free.
If you try to sleep but get a message saying you can’t, it’s usually because you’re being affected by a harmful status. Check your status bar (near the HP bar) and resolve any status effects and try again.
Of course, you can use Medkits to keep your HP topped up, but it’s best to save them for later. You will need all the Medkits you can get while you are in the fieldtherefore, using them to restore health during periods of inactivity seems wasteful. Whenever you find yourself in a settlement, even if you are at 80% HP, you should make a point of visiting the doctor. In fact, make a mental checklist: repair weapons, buy supplies, and visit the doctor before heading out on your next mission.
2
Bypassing your status bar
Status Effects and How to Cure Them
As you travel through the Zone, you’ll need to keep an eye on the bottom left corner of the screen. It’s not just where your HP and remaining consumables are displayed; It’s also the location of your status bar. There are five different status effects that you will typically see in STALKER 2: bleeding, hungry, radiation, overworked, and drunk (although the latter disappears over time). It’s important to understand what each of them means and how to get rid of them to survive.
For example, bleeding (red drop icon) will kill you faster than most mutants if you ignore it, but it can be quickly patched up with a bandage. Hunger (chicken drumstick icon) slows you down in combat, but it’s easy to fix – just eat something. Radiation (indicated by the wheel next to the HP bar) can be cured with alcohol – usually a bottle of vodka or several bottles of beer. The encumbrance (weight icon) can be simply dispelled by dropping some items, and the drunkenness (indicated by a tilted screen and blurred vision) disappears on its own.
1
Bypassing your anomaly detector
Don’t underestimate anomalies
Finally, we come to what is indisputably STALKER 2The coolest unique mechanic of: anomalies. These disturbances in the rules of reality are spread throughout the world and can take countless forms: floating bubbles, pools of acid, lightning, jets of fire, etc. You won’t always see them (some are decidedly sneakier than others), but you will always hear them. As soon as you come within range of an anomaly, you will hear a beep. That’s your detector, warning you to stay away.
Fortunately, most anomalies can be prevented or stopped once you learn how to deal with them. And this is a skill you will need to learn, because anomalies are often the source of powerful and valuable artifactswhich you will also need your detector to find. While you’re doing this, don’t forget to refresh your detector periodically throughout the process. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylso you can maintain a steady supply of artifacts and more easily avoid anomalies when things get tough.