Anomalies are the bread and butter of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylsetting, the most unique aspect of its gameplay. Caused by radiation emitted throughout the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, the anomalies comprise a series of unusual events: strange weather phenomena, things that appear out of nowhere, or violations of the laws of physics. They oscillate between funny and disturbing, but without fail, all anomalies can be deadly.
Those familiar with the first STALKER the games will no doubt recognize several of the anomalies seen in the sequel. However, STALKER 2 it also introduces several new types of anomalies that you need to watch out for. Happily, every anomaly has a solution. Here’s how to deal with them.
Every anomaly in STALKER 2 and how to defeat/avoid them
Trampoline
Trampolines are the oldest and probably the most common anomaly you will find in STALKER 2. They look like glowing spheres, usually suspended a short distance from the ground. If you walk into one, it will push you back, cutting off a good portion of your HP. Trampolines can be stopped by throwing bolts at them or simply avoided.
Fruit punch
Fruit Punch is the cute name given to the bright green pools of acid that appear everywhere. STALKER 2map. If you trip over them, they’ll deal damage while you’re there; leave and the damage will cease. There’s no stopping Fruit Punchso just walk around him, jump over him or heal him.
Staying near Fruit Punch for too long can cause its radiation meter to increasewhich can become a problem over time. Make sure you have an alcoholic drink (preferably vodka) available in your inventory – to neutralize the radiation, of course.
Whirlwind and Vortex
Whirlwinds and vortices are easily recognized – they resemble real-life dust devils, lifting small piles of leaves in a spiraling whirlwind. Enter one of them, and you will be momentarily trapped as the wind swirls around you. Whirligigs and Vortexes deal a lot of damage and can be stopped with lightning. Most of the time though it’s easier to keep an eye on them and try not to directly run into one.
Lightning Ball
These floating orbs of pure electricity are unlike most other anomalies in that they move, albeit along a set path. With ball lightning, you’ll just need good timing – wait until it passes to make your way.
Shards of glass
You’ll likely hear a Glass Shards anomaly before you see it. They appear as clusters of sharp pieces of glass hanging in the air and emit a faint but distinct sound, not unlike the tone you get when dragging a wet finger along the rim of a crystal glass. If you try to pass one you will start to bleedwhich doesn’t do much damage in the short term, but can lead to a large decrease in HP over time. Again, the only way to avoid these anomalies is to work around them.
Burners and Comets
Burners are some of the easiest anomalies to recognize, appearing as small jets of fire rising from the ground. When you walk up to them, they will spout upwards in a jet of fire. Again, just try to avoid them when you encounter them.
Comets look like larger versions of Burners at first glance, but they are significantly more dangerous because the jets of fire they create will follow you like a guided missile. If someone starts targeting you, pick a direction and run as fast as you can; they are very slow and it should be easy to get out of range.
Electro
Electroanomalies work exactly like burners, except they deal damage with electricity instead of fire. You’ll just have to get around them.
Bubbles
These anomalies appear as large clusters of floating bubbles that float towards the player. When hit by a weapon or lightning, a larger bubble will explode into smaller bubbles that deal poison damage. Keep your distance and keep shooting arrows at them until they disappear completely.
Flashbang
Flashbangs descend upon you suddenly in a blinding flash of light. You only have a few seconds to escape before they explodedealing damage relative to your proximity to the explosion. When you see one, turn in the other direction and start running.
Bulba
The Bulba anomaly manifests as a large, oscillating bubble, usually hovering over a body of water. Get within range of it and it will start sucking you in, dealing damage all the way (and possibly dragging you through the irradiated water). The only cure is start running away from it; If you enter the bubble you will die instantly. However, you’ll usually be able to escape before this happens – usually.
And those are all the anomalies you’re likely to see during your journey through the Zone. Although dangerous, learning to navigate the anomalies is also a necessity as they are often located near valuable artifacts. Therefore, understanding how to recognize, identify and deal with them is an important part of the process. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.