Very early STALKER 2: Heart of ChornobylIn the main quest, players will find an unusual PDA. This device contains important information, and even if Skif can’t fully understand it at first, he can decide whether to show or hide it from a series of NPCs during the quest.Back to the scum pile.” This is where the factional conflict at the heart of STALKER 2 begins to reach a critical point: both the authoritarian Ward and the Spark researchers want access to the PDA’s data and are willing to do everything possible to achieve this.
That being said, the final decision is up to Skif (and the player) to determine who can see what is on the PDA. They can first choose to show it to the Ward captain Korshunov or refuse it, and then do the same to the Spark leaders Scar and Star. Finally, he can show PDA to Strider, leader of the related Noontide faction, although there is less variation in results. Here it is what each phase of the PDA’s unusual decision in “Back to the slag heap” affects.
What happens if you show PDA to Korshunov?
Pros and cons of helping the ward
If Skif decides to show PDA to Wing Captain Korshunov, he will naturally be grateful. Regardless of Skif’s interactions with Ward thus far (i.e. whether he gave Squint’s sensors to Richter or Zotov), he will receive a Ward badge as thanks for all your good work. The badge effectively marks Skif as a friend of the Ward and will make his progression through certain story missions (including the next one) significantly easier by putting him behind closed doors. The Ward Badge will also unlock new dialogue options in random encounters with Ward Scouts, which can help avoid confrontations.
In addition to the ward badge, Skif will also receive a unique weapon, the Combatant, from Korshunov. This is an assault rifle with a high rate of fire and decent accuracy, but low damage and penetration. It’s not the best rifle Skif can find in the game, but it’s very good and may be better than what the player is using at this early stage. However, it will quickly be overshadowed by the caliber of weapons Skif may encounter later. It’s also sold for a handy 3,785 coupons if you don’t need it.
That being said, choosing to show unusual PDA to Korshunov will affect Scar and Star’s reaction (see below), regardless of whether Skif decides to share the PDA with them as well. However, this shouldn’t have any long-term effects on your relationship with Spark or these two characters. Players can still continue working with Spark if they wish.
Skif will then move on to the next main quest, the identity of which depends on your decision here. note that Showing the PDA to Korshunov unlocks the next main mission,”Hot on the trail,” immediatelybut here’s an extra step needed if Skif decides not to share the contents of the PDA with Korshunov, regardless of whether he decides to show it to Scar and Star.
Refusing to show PDA to Korshunov requires Skif to complete the side quest”A heavy burden” before moving on to “Hot on the trail“deliver some cargo to Wild Island to get along with Noontide. It’s not an impossible mission, but it’s more work; this work rewards an additional 1,350 coupons, however.
What happens if you show unusual PDA to Scar & Star?
Pros and cons of siding with Spark
Again, Scar and Star’s reception of Skif’s decision here will depend on whether he chose to show PDA to Korshunov earlier. (This step cannot be skipped; Skif must have a confrontation with Korshunov anyway.) If he shared this with Korshunov first, Scar and Star will have a hostile reaction. The conflict between Ward and Spark is persistent throughout the game and manifests itself again here.
However, Scar and Star’s threats don’t lead to any negative action anyway. They’re just warning Skif of more serious consequences if he continues to help Ward. They will not attack him immediately or turn against him later just for this choice, which seems to have little to no impact on the faction’s reputation.
If Skif chooses not to show PDA to Scar and Star, he will have to get to the Savage Island alone, starting the side quest.A heavy burden.” As a result, this decision can be considered much less impactful than the one with Korshunov. Players can choose whatever they want here.
What happens if you show unusual PDA to Strider?
Pros and cons of siding with Strider
During “Hot on the trail“Skif will have what appears to be a decision between showing unusual PDA to Strider. They may say:”The attackers had this PDA” or “Your men did it.” However, this is not a real choice: regardless of what the player chooses to say here, Skif will show the PDA to Strider anyway. It is necessary to advance the main quest.
You must show unusual PDA to everyone
Plenty of time to decide
Ultimately, players must show unusual PDA to Korshunov and Scar (and for Strider, but they don’t have much of a choice in the matter). Showing PDA to Korshunov is obviously the more important choice of the two, as it has a direct impact on the immediate rewards and the next mission. Scar and Star’s choice matters less, but from a story perspective, it’s better to show them that too. Skif needs all the help he can get right now. He can also keep his options open.
That being said, the rewards provided by Korshunov (especially the Ward Badge) are well worth drawing the ire of Scar and Star. The Ward Badge can help Skif get out of a number of sticky situations, including the entire “Heavy Burden“sidequest. Its usefulness doesn’t end there, as Skif can use it to get out of various conflict encounters, as well as to enter the front doors of various Ward bases throughout the game.
Remember, this has almost no impact on the faction’s reputation. Earning the ward badge does not mean permanently siding with the ward; it just means getting the seal of approval. He may choose to use this for his own purposes, however nefariously anti-Ward they may be. For these reasons, showing the PDA to everyone (or at least Korshunov) results in the smoothest experience ever. STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl.