In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, there is a very large open world with too little content to encourage gamers to wander through the expanses of the Zone. But if you want to explore the locations and see the local sights, we advise you to carefully study this guide, in which we have collected a huge number of secrets and Easter eggs. With it, you will find it much more interesting to explore the open world. But this is far from the entire list of interesting places and references. If you found a cool Easter egg, but it is not in our guide, please leave your feedback in the comments. We will definitely add it to the list.
Many of you remember Sidorovich's signature phrase: You might as well collect tin cans. So, the developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 decided to play with this phrase as an Easter egg. Head to Sidorovich's bunker, which is located behind the Rookie Village. Open the cabinet to find a pile of rusty tin cans there. Also, behind the merchant, there will be boxes with empty cans.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, there are several types of food that can be used to satisfy hunger and restore health. Most often, you will find regular bread in the Zone of Alienation, which cannot boast of good efficiency. But few people know that you can find another type of bread in the game — fresh bread. You can get it once. To do this, you need to go to the bakery at the Rostok base (Freedom's corner). Talk to Kirpich. After that, players will have to honestly stand in line and receive the coveted loaf. It perfectly restores health and hunger.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, you can find a reference to Dark Souls in the form of the famous bonfire where the main character regained strength. It stands out from other bonfires because charred bones lie in it, and a sword will be stuck into the ground. You can find this place in the southeast of the Scorched Forest region. The bonfire is located near the riverbank.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, you can find the very wall that was in the main menu of Shadow of Chernobyl. The developers even added a bonfire opposite so you can indulge in nostalgia. The place is located at the very edge of the northwest part of the Cooling Towers location.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, there are burning railroad tracks, which are a reference to the famous movie Back to the Future 3. In it, the main characters had to put a car on the rails to accelerate it to a certain speed with the help of a train. Ultimately, when the car went to the future, the rails caught fire. This location is in the northeast of the Cooling Towers location.
Near the unfinished pipe at the Cooling Towers location, you can see unusual containers and stalkers guarding them. Approach the containers and enter the code: 2777 into the lock. The sealed shutters will open, and crowds of zombies will rush out. We advise you to stock up on plenty of ammo and medkits before exploring this Easter egg.
In the Swamps location, you can find a small area cluttered with steel safes. One of them is locked with a key, which is in another safe. To find the key, you need to open all the safes. There are quite a few of them, so be prepared for an engaging time.
In the west of the Chemical Plant region, you can find a small shelter made from a construction trailer. Its walls will be covered with paranoid writings. Enter inside and break the box by the wall with a question mark. Then approach the "Turn around" sign on the window and turn around. Kill the uninvited guests. Apparently, the owner of the hut was luring stalkers into a trap and robbing their corpses.
In the southwest part of the Zaton region, you can find the wreckage of two wooden boats with several dead bodies, including humans and monsters. Next to one of the boats, there is a corpse with a mutational growth protruding from its chest in the form of a chestburster. This is a direct reference to the infamous scene with the xenomorph embryo from the original 1979 Alien movie, where the small creature bursts out of an astronaut's chest while the rest of the crew watches in horror.
In the Pripyat region, there is a vantage point on the top floor of the Polissya Hotel, where a sniper rifle M70 is lying on the table. This is a reference to one of the most memorable missions in Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare called One Shot, One Kill. In it, Lieutenant Price and Captain MacMillan must covertly eliminate their target, Imran Zakhaev, from the same vantage point that can be found in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
If you watched the HBO miniseries based on the real events that occurred in Chernobyl in 1986, you surely remember how local residents, after the explosion of the fourth reactor, went onto the bridge to watch the incident. This bridge is now known as the Bridge of Death because many of the residents who stood on it and observed the nuclear disaster were exposed to excessive levels of radiation, which led to their deaths. The bridge can be found in the Yanov region. Unfortunately, you cannot go onto it, as the radiation levels in this area are very high.
Gamers familiar with the project DayZ from Bohemia Interactive can find an interesting reference in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 at the Malachite base. Climb the stairs next to the bar and take a close look at the map. You will see the map of the Soviet Republic of Chernarus, which is the primary territory where the events of the multiplayer game DayZ take place. Notably, the image was taken from the 2018 version of the project.
Not many know about the 1951 film Distant Drums, but almost every gamer or movie buff has heard the iconic Wilhelm scream at least once in their life. Many directors add it to their projects. For example, it is present in the franchises Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Kill Bill, The Lord of the Rings, and so on. This sound effect has been added by the developers in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.
Head to the Tornado anomaly zone located in the northwest part of the Yanov region. You will hear the Wilhelm scream from an NPC being consumed by the anomaly. After this, the corpse will land right at your feet for you to search.
Energy drinks are an integral part of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. The can variant with the inscription Non Stop debuted in the Lost Alpha mod for the first game. The sequel's developers didn't overlook the creativity of fans and added a special version of the Non Stop energy drink with the signature Limited Edition. You can find it at the top of a metal tower in the Quarry, located in the northwest part of the Red Forest region. The can will have the game's logo and cover printed on it. A similar drink was sold by GSC Game World in real life as part of a promotional campaign.
In the HBO series Chernobyl, there was a very vivid scene where the special role of firefighters in eliminating the initial consequences of the explosion of the fourth reactor is clearly demonstrated. Many rescuers were dressed in standard gear that could not prevent radiation penetration. This tragic oversight led to the death of most of the rescue team.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, you can find part of the firefighters' clothing. To do this, you must descend into the basement of Industrial Hospital No. 126 in the Pripyat region.
Before the release of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, the developers collaborated with MSI to create a themed GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super graphics card. If you weren't lucky enough to get one for your collection, you will always have the opportunity to enjoy the virtual version of the card. You just need to head to the computer room of the NIIChAZA and inspect one of the tables.
On some computers and grocery scales, there are stickers with kittens. This is not just a decorative element but a real integrated advertisement of a Ukrainian bank. And you thought the developers would only make money from selling energy drinks?
In the Rostok region, you can find the graffiti Йди своэю дорогою, сталкер, which can be translated as "Go your own way, stalker." This is a reference to a Duty member who would say this phrase to the main character, Marked One, every three seconds in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. By the way, this graffiti is located in the same place where the character stood in the first game.
Amoeba is a canceled plant-anomaly that was originally created for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl. Later, fans added it to modifications like Lost Alpha. Since modders and enthusiasts were directly involved in the development of the sequel, the mysterious plant successfully returned to the expanses of the Zone. You will find it in the northwest part of the Wild Island region.
In the real Pripyat, there is an interesting exhibit called the Death Grip. This is a radioactive grab bucket used for clearing debris near the fourth reactor of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Despite the heavy contamination, many tourists not only take photos with the grab but also climb inside the bucket. Over the past 20 years, the Death Grip has not only gained cult status among stalkers but continues to attract attention.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, you can visit the exhibit without the risk of radiation sickness. You just need to head to the northwest of the Jupiter region. The Death Grip is located near the edge of the map.
In the Malachite Research Center, you can see mouse pads with the Cossacks 3 logo on the computer desks. This is a reference to the game developed by GSC Game World in 2016.
Near the Brain Scorcher location on the eastern side, there is a hidden stash. Follow the fence and climb up the ladder. On the right side, you will find a door with a code lock. The exact same stash was in S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and the passwords for the locked panel are the same: 1287975. Inside, you will find the dried corpse of Petya Kirpich, weapons, and supplies.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, there is a real Easter egg, just like in Fallout 2. In the southern part of the Rostok location, there is a semi-destroyed building that you can freely enter. Go up to the third floor to find a basket with Easter eggs and an icon. Now you know the location of the most important secret of the Zone.
In the southeast part of the Rostok region in the Chistogalovka location, there is a house that contains a recreation of the famous painting by Cassius Coolidge, Dogs Playing Poker.
In the Rookie Village of the Cordon region, there is a technician who has an early prototype of the Gauss Rifle in a closed room. You can see it through a small gap. For a more detailed inspection, you need to exit the house and look into the room through the window.
The corpse of Gordon Freeman has previously appeared in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. It could be found in the starting location of Shadow of Chernobyl. In the sequel, he appears as a skeleton in the tunnel behind the scientists' helicopter at the Rostok base. Next to him, you will find his signature glasses and crowbar.
In the very corner of the Swamps region to the northeast, you can discover the Whomping Willow from the Harry Potter films. There, you will also see the car that the young wizards flew to Hogwarts in the second part of the film franchise.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, you can find a real hovercraft. Head to the hangar located in the upper right corner of the Zaton region. Unfortunately, you cannot ride the hovercraft.
The ISU-152 is a Soviet tank from the Great Patriotic War. It was used for clearing debris and making holes under the fourth reactor during the Chernobyl disaster. After successfully completing its tasks, the vehicle was left in the Exclusion Zone due to the enormous amount of absorbed radiation. This tank can also be found in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Head to the western part of the Cooling Tower region. There, among other abandoned equipment, stands the famous ISU-152.
At the very edge of the Cooling Tower region, you can find a refrigerator on the shore, containing a skeleton. Head east to the very end of the location. This is a reference to the film Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, in which the adventurous archaeologist hid in a refrigerator during a nuclear explosion.
Near the main entrance to the NIICHAVO, there is a truck parking lot. It is located on the right side of the gate. Approach it to hear a reference to the first part of Metal Gear Solid from the soldiers' conversation.
In the late 2000s, a meme with Dr. Popov circulated on the internet, advising to treat diseases with the power of the earth. For this, you were supposed to use a cucumber in an unconventional way. Most likely, one of the stalkers decided to try the miracle recipe on themselves. To capture the evidence, you need to go to the toilet near the Yanov station.
On the southern border of the Radar location, there is a small abandoned shop. There you will find a reference to Dr. Livesey from the Soviet animated film Treasure Island. Specifically, the scene where he says: The word "rum" and the word "death" mean the same to you.
At the very edge of the southwestern part of the Burnt Forest region, there is a lone house. Enter it and examine the table opposite the stove. Next to the bottle of vodka, there will be an amulet from the video game The Witcher.
Head to the Cooling Tower location. You need to climb to the very top of the cooling tower. Walk across the wooden bridge to the iron ledge. Jump down. You will hear the bird's cry from Assassin's Creed. Don't worry, the anomaly below will save your hero from death.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, you can find the place depicted on the promo art of the first part. Head to the center of the Small Zone region. On the left side of Zalesye on an elevation, you can find a fence with an arch and an icon.
If you sneak up on the monster from behind, you can hear it mumbling something in an unknown language.
If a controller notices an NPC-stalker, it will make a gesture with its hands and affect the target with a psi-field. First, the person will fall to the ground and start writhing in pain. After that, they will stand up and turn into a zombie. Their walk will change, and their health will increase.
Sometimes the electro anomaly can spawn near abandoned equipment and electrical appliances. Because of this, car headlights may start to glow and the engine may start. Transformers and power lines will also start working. You can notice these open-world features in rainy weather.
In the game world, there are many clock assets that show the same time: 1:23. This is not just a decision by the artists but a meaningful Easter egg. The explosion of the fourth reactor at Chernobyl occurred at 01:23:47 on April 26, 1986.
If you come to the bridge over the water intake for cooling the Chernobyl reactors and look down, you will see swimming Giant Catfish. They once became a landmark of the Chernobyl Zone. You can walk around the bridge and go down to the shore to appreciate the fish models and their mutational changes.
Sometimes, while walking through the Zone, you may notice an inexplicable effect with ripples, noise, and audio interference. Initially, many players mistakenly thought this was a result of psi influence, but in reality, it is the effect of the territorial anomaly Time Machine. Entering the restricted area, the anomaly's actions slow down time. The visual and audio artifacts show the gamer that this is a game design concept, not a technical issue — with a drop in frame rate.
In the release version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl, an interesting bug appeared, which later became a meme: a weapon stuck in the textures. The developers of the sequel added this technical oversight as an Easter egg. To find the weapon, you need to head to the eastern part of the Cordon region. There you will find a large tunnel. Walk straight along the left wall and turn into the nearest passage. Behind the boxes, there will be an Easter egg with the weapon.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, there are several toys from the TUBBZ series with a gas mask on their heads. You can find one of these in one of the buildings in Pripyat. Walk down the long corridor and turn into the bathroom.
In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, you can find several dangerous-looking dolls. For example, one will have a gun in its hands, and another — a sharpened scythe. These are references to the Child's Play movie. You will find one of them on an abandoned ship in Zaton.
In the underground of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, you can find an interesting reference to the second part of Half-life. In one of the chapters of the game from Valve, there is a small scene where a burnt corpse sits in front of a TV. This is a kind of hint at the zombification of the population by propaganda. The developers of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 added exactly the same scene but with a slight change: A cat is lying on the dead body's arms.
In one of the storyline locations, you can come across a corpse buried in the ground, holding a shoe with a flower inside. This is a clear reference to the popular animated film WALL-E.