It took a lot of patience and waiting from the fans, but STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl It’s finally here. It is a direct sequel to the original STALKER trilogy released between 2007 and 2009 and which promises a totally new story in its hauntingly beautiful world. This time, players take on the role of Skif and must embark on a truly massive open world on a non-linear journey full of immense choices and consequences. Suffice it to say, STALKER 2 promises to be everything fans have wanted for so long.
However, for those who are new to the series, The fact that it’s a sequel might seem a little scary. Now that so many games are branching out into series or having spin-offs, it can be difficult to tell whether it’s necessary to play through the entire backlog of games before jumping to the latest entry. Fortunately, for those who are eager to see why STALKER 2 Positive reviews praise it so much that there’s a clear answer as to whether it’s important to play the original trilogy.
No need to play previous STALKER games
STALKER 2 is a standalone entry
Despite the “2“in name, players are not required to play the previous STALKER games before entering the long-awaited STALKER 2. GSC Game World, the developers of STALKER 2They even explained it in the game FAQ Page which is accessible to newcomers and dedicated fans alike. Of course, it understands that a considerable amount of time has passed between releases and that newcomers may not have had the opportunity to play the original three games. The FAQ page states:
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl – is an independent sequence of STALKER trilogy, so it could be a great start to [the player’s] travel within the STALKER universe.
The game is a completely independent experience – albeit with some ties to previous games – so Newcomers can jump on board and experience an all-new story with original characters and a new map to explore. Until STALKER 2 Multiple endings will make sense to those who have never played a game in the series before. So those who are excited to experience the best parts of STALKER 2 they can do this without feeling like they won’t know what’s going on.
Playing the previous STALKER games before 2 will help
This will help you understand the world
However, It is important to note that STALKER 2 is a direct sequel to the original STALKER trilogywhich includes – in order – Shadow of Chernobyl. Clear skyand Call of Pripyat. As a result, the STALKER The world-building and lore that was established throughout the original trilogy will appear in STALKER 2.
Players will feel more comfortable with the world of STALKER series and how it all works if they’ve played at least some of the original games.
Have some knowledge about it, the relationships between the different factions, the events that happened before STALKER 2and everything that has to do with the Zone will be useful to properly understand the sequence. GSC also states on the FAQ page that while players can enjoy STALKER 2 as an independent experience, “to maximize immersion“recommends playing the original trilogy first.
Players will feel more comfortable with the world of STALKER series and how it all works if they’ve played at least some of the original games. Unfortunately, the original games are all connected, so It’s important to play all three to get the full picture. Happily, STALKER It’s easier to play now than ever thanks to its plethora of ports.
You must play the previous STALKER games before 2
Players will get the most out of previous STALKER games
The entire original is absolutely worth playing STALKER games before entering STALKER 2. While it is absolutely true that the stories are largely self-contained, a significant part of the STALKER experience is the construction of the world and the atmosphere. Being able to go into the sequence with the necessary knowledge will greatly improve the overall experience and help make sense of the more complex aspects of the narrative.
Is there an order to play the STALKER games, so players must follow this if they want to play the trilogy. Each game in the trilogy will take players around 15 hours to beat if they stick to the main story. Of course, it’s a significant time investment just to be able to play a game, so it’s understandable that people would prefer to skip them and go straight to STALKER 2. This is a valid strategy, and those who do this will still have a lot of fun.
However, for those who have 45 to 75 hours available, the original STALKER The trilogy is absolutely fantastic and worth playing. These are tense survival horror games that only get better with each entry. They were revolutionary for their time and still hold up today. Now that it is more accessible than ever, we highly recommend that those who want the best STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl experience must check out the iconic original trilogy.
Source: Stalker2. with, GSC Game World/YouTube