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

The return to the post-apocalyptic world of Chernobyl. Players can finally wander through a large open seamless world, containing iconic elements of the original trilogy such as the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant, the city of Pripyat, the village of Novichkov, as well as secret objects like the Duga radar antenna.

Heart of Chernobyl is a first-person shooter, survival, and sandbox game, with RPG and horror elements. The sequel preserved such a feature of the original as the atmosphere of gloom, despair, and constant danger in the abandoned territory.

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, there are more than 30 types of firearms: pistols and submachine guns, assault and combat rifles, machine guns, sniper rifles, and weapons based on new physical principles. The shooting model and technical specifications are chosen with an emphasis on realism. Weapons, consumables, and ammunition are of USSR/NATO standards.

The player can customize each "gun" on the go by attaching a scope, silencer, grenade launcher, etc., but changing the actual weapon can only be done by technicians without the fanaticism level of Escape from Tarkov. Thanks to upgrades, the arsenal can be tailored to one's play style.

Campfires now play an important role; near them, the player (and other NPCs) can rest and regain strength, but there are many fewer of them than before.

The events of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 take place in an alternate reality, in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone (CEZ). The area, which became deserted after the 1986 accident, was taken over by a group of scientists studying the hypothesis of the noosphere — the informational field of the Earth.

In the network of X-laboratories established in the CEZ, the existence of the noosphere was confirmed, work was underway on advanced weapons, the ability of living beings to generate directed psi-radiation was discovered, and biological and technical psi-radiators were created, zombifying all who approached them.

The goal was to penetrate the noosphere and subjugate it. For this purpose, Generators were built a kilometer from the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant blocks, and scientists united into a collective mind called "O-consciousness." However, on April 12, 2006, the experiment failed.

The energy of the noosphere surged into the CEZ (the first emission), altering physical laws, spawning anomalies and artifacts, as well as the mysterious "Monolith." The territory around the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant is covered by a high-intensity psi-field, which burns the brain of anyone who enters it. Over time, monsters appeared in the Zone: some mutated, while others had a man-made origin.

In an attempt to stop the spread of the infection pouring out of the Zone, the military surrounded it with barbed wire and minefields. Attempts by the authorities to understand what happened continued for the following years but inevitably ended in failure. Meanwhile, stalkers — daring illegal adventurers who secretly crept into the Zone — enjoyed greater success.

They brought out almost magical artifacts, told stories about anomalies, and shared tales of encounters with deadly mutants. The settlement of the Zone was largely aided by groups of stalkers, the largest among them being the ideologically driven "Duty" and "Freedom." The "Mercenaries" took on any job, while "Bandits" robbed newcomers at the borders of the Zone.

Over time, one of the stalkers known as Strelok or Marked One (the protagonist of S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl and one of the characters from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Clear Sky and S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Call of Pripyat) managed to uncover the background of the Zone's formation and learn about the "O-consciousness."

After making several forays in 2011-2012, Strelok becomes known as the "Brain Scorcher," breaks into Chernobyl, reveals the secret of the Monolith, and destroys the "O-consciousness." He shared this and other knowledge about survival in the Zone with the government, becoming a consultant at the newly established institute for the study of the Chernobyl anomalous zone (NII ChAZ).

Heart of Chernobyl offers over 60 km² for exploration: predominantly rugged terrain with patches of rural villages, factories, plants, military bases, and settlements; a large part of the cities of Pripyat and Chernobyl; and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant itself. The buildings are recreated in the characteristic architectural style of the USSR.

The open world includes altered locations from the first trilogy: the Outskirts, Swamps, the Wild Territory, the Dark Valley, the Radar, and the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant (blocks 1-4). Iconic points of interest are also present almost unchanged — the village of Novichkov, the church in the Swamps, the railway under Jupiter, the Brain Scorcher, and the Ferris wheel in Pripyat.

New locations in Heart of Chernobyl include: the Chemical Plant, the military town of Chernobyl-2 near the "Brain Scorcher," the unfinished blocks of the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant No. 5 and No. 6, and the Cooling Towers (located southeast of the main station), as well as new laboratories.

As you move from the Perimeter to the center of the Zone, the danger increases: deadly anomalies and mutants appear, and stalkers don exoskeletons. Exploring the world will take over 100 hours, as you'll have to run on foot; there is no transport in the Zone. Fast travel is available in a non-standard form.

After the events of "Shadows of Chernobyl," the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone has taken on a life of its own and changed externally. Tall grass is everywhere, with many shrubs and mighty trees with impressive crowns. In the Swamps, there are impenetrable thickets of reeds and an abundance of bulrushes. From above, the Zone resembles an ordinary dense green forest, with only the anomalous fields breaking the even green surface.

The events of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl begin 6-8 years after the ending of "Call of Pripyat" and continue the story of the first trilogy — newcomers are advised to complete it for a better understanding of what is happening.

Players can expect a large branching storyline lasting several dozen hours, with decisions that affect other characters in the game, quests, and even the Zone itself as a whole. Ona is a separate character, threatening all of humanity and finding protection among experienced stalkers. One of them, the Outsider, vowed to protect her from any threats, making him the main antagonist.

The main character of "Heart of Chernobyl" is a stalker nicknamed Scythian. He is no longer a novice but a seasoned veteran, yet who he is, what he aims for, and which side he fights on is unknown. Scythian is fully voiced in dialogues, which is a novelty in the narrative for the series. During the gameplay, the player will meet many new characters with developed backstories, as well as a couple of old acquaintances.

In Heart of Chernobyl, there will be familiar stalkers, bandits, Duty, Freedom, and Monolith (their ideological direction remains unchanged), as well as new factions. One of them is Varta.

Scythian is a free stalker, but to progress in the storyline, he will have to join one faction or another, and this choice will directly affect the ending. The player's choice will be influenced by the ideology pursued by each faction.

Among the familiar mutants are blind dogs, pseudo-giants, burers, and bloodsuckers. New mutants in "Heart of Chernobyl" willbe present but not shown. A novelty of the game is the regions with lairs where mutants live in large groups and aggressively hunt all outsiders.

Mutants have different behavior models, even considering subspecies and habitats. Their behavior is less predictable, and different tactics will be required for their extermination.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 features A-Life 2.0, a revamped concept of life simulation from the original. Thanks to it, the situation of factions and mutants is never static: they constantly fight for living space, migrate, capture new areas, or retreat under the pressure of competitors. And all this happens even without the player's involvement.

The main tasks in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chernobyl have changed little compared to the original trilogy:

The sequel is distinguished from the original by revamped gameplay mechanics that meet modern standards, affecting all aspects of the gameplay.

The head of the studio, Sergey Grigorovich, confirmed that a network mode is planned, but it will be added after the game's release. It is also known that by multiplayer, the creators mean classic competitive shootouts, not some kind of battle royale with loot boxes.