S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl Review

GSC Game World is back with their famous franchise, S.T.A.L.K.E.R., as their latest release takes it to new heights in terms of graphical fidelity and scope. After being in development for seven years — and going through many hardships that stood in their way — the title is officially out. But did the team bite off more than they could chew?

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl (Heart of Chornobyl henceforth) is the latest entry, which is set to be the biggest in the franchise. You take control of Skif, a Stalker who enters the Zone with a unique artefact. Issues unfold, and what was supposed to be one of the biggest payouts the protagonist sees goes awry. And it leads him into a wild hunt across the deadly area to face all manner of anomalies.

The narrative starts you off pretty much immediately, with a cutscene and little-to-no explanation on what your goal or purpose is. Those familiar with the franchise might feel at home straight away, but newcomers will find themselves lost... only for a little while. A bit of research and informative NPCs take you a long way to understanding the Zone, even if you've never delved into its nigh-post-apocalyptic scenarios before.

Getting into the game, it's actually pretty easy to immerse yourself in the narrative — Heart of Chornobyl isn't an RPG, and in a sense, I feel it's all the better for it. Instead of having your own bespoke character, you play as Skif, though you have no idea what his motives for coming to the zone are; same as every other Stalker, he's after money, but the mystery of his desperation keeps you engaged in the "why" of it all.

Truth be told, the story experience helps the most to move the plot forward, and it feels very similar to another radioactive title readers might be familiar with: Fallout 4. You essentially go on a wild goose chase across a dangerous landscape to find someone, and it works as a great plot motivator to take you from settlement to settlement without feeling forced.

Though the progression can feel a tad contrived and a bit A-to-B in some aspects, I enjoyed the way GSC Game World introduces newcomers to the Zone. Characters speak a lot about the morals and hardships of being a Stalker, and it gets you into the mindset of one, making you question who you can and can't trust. The constant reminder of the Zone's culture puts you in a dog-eat-dog world that encourages you to give in to their ideologies, as many quests will give you the opportunity to take the moral or Stalker route.

My favourite part is that there is a clear difference in the routes you can take in terms of the side quests. Deciding to keep a specific item or selling it to another person who wasn't the original quest giver will net you better rewards, or you might find yourself being given the opportunity (strangely frequently) to keep weapons of others for yourself. The selfish "Stalker" route gives you stronger gear, though it won't earn you any friends, and it all evolves into the ultimate culmination of four possible endings.

This merciless world ties into the gameplay as well — Heart of Chornobyl seeks to create a unique mixture of open-world and survival horror that has been criminally underexplored, and it works wonderfully. Whether you're fully kitted out and prepared to fight every foe, human or mutant who dares come your way, or you're struggling by with few Coupons (the currency in the Zone), there's a sense of danger that doesn't get old and is consistently immersive.

Spread throughout the Zone are anomalies that you'll have to face. World traversal isn't straightforward, as taking odd paths can lead into unwanted encounters with bandits or mutants. Travelling absent-mindedly is a great way to lead yourself into an anomaly and take a fair chunk of life. Carrying too much (I see you, greedy Stalkers) and reducing your mobility could lead into getting trapped outside with an Emission (a deadly anomaly that can only be survived by finding shelter) and perishing. Every decision feels close to life or death, and it keeps you on your toes to ensure you aren't auto-piloting.

I've always believed that survival horrors are the soulslikes of the shooter genre, and Heart of Chornobyl fits that bill (though far less punishingly as one would expect from the typical hard-as-nails soulslike). To go on successful expeditions (your quests and exploration ventures), you'll tussle with a limited inventory system, hunger, exhaustion, radiation, and your own life. The planning process feels enjoyable, as how much you take is equivalent to how much you can bring back, so you're rewarded for taking riskier plays (like having fewer bullets, taking fewer weapons, not enough food items) with getting more Coupons, but contrariwise, you might find yourself on the other end of a fight you cannot finish favourably.

The cherry on top of this all is Heart of Chornobyl's combat system. Gunplay is immersive, and it takes the cake for my favourite shooting experience I've had thus far: headshots and weapons feel impactful, as getting a proper hit to an enemy's head is lethal whereas body shots feel inconsequential. Though it sounds punishing, the impact behind each shot, paired with the limited ammo availability, made me feel exhilarated coming out the other side of an encounter, as enemies dish as much damage as you deal — one wrong moment of reload, one poorly-timed weapon change, and it's back to the loading screen with you.

I found myself wishing I could fight more often, as encounters feel like moment-to-moment decision-making that keeps you engaged. Enemies can lose sight of you if you position yourself intelligently enough (though, sometimes it was a stretch to call the artificial intelligence "intelligent" by any account), so moving around and repositioning yourself is an effective strategy if you're sneaky enough. Best of all is the capability to shoot between small gaps in the environment, giving you an amazing advantage over your foes and showing off the detailed world that the team has built, which felt almost tailor-made for engaging gun fights.

The same, unfortunately, cannot be said for the mutant counterparts; these foes, instead, felt like damage sponges that could tank several shotgun hits without relenting. Whether it's boars (or Fleshes, though I called them "gorgeous" because... well. Suffice to say it was ironic) or Bloodsuckers, their life bars felt discouraging to fight against, and it became an endurance battle of having more healing items than your opponent has health to come out the other side.

However, it plays into a bit of a ludonarrative tie-in. The more you learn about the world, the easier it is to traverse everything from gunfights to anomalies. It plays into the feeling of needing to know to survive the brutality of the world (with a hilarious death counter reminding you of your previous failures), as knowledge becomes a primary resource for survival above bullets themselves. Knowing the map can save you from the hazards, be it a gunfight, a mutant encounter, or even the ever-present threat of an Emission.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl plays into a unique mix of genres that works surprisingly well, and it's a wonder that we haven't seen more of these throughout the years. The survival elements paired with open-world gameplay and a narrative work wonders, and it very much feels like Fallout 5 if it were to focus on survival over RPG.