Immersive but Imperfect: Critics Weigh In on S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2
Today, 17:56
Full reviews for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl are now live, just ahead of its official release at 8:00 AM PST. The game's overall score is fluctuating but currently sits at 76 on Metacritic and 77 on OpenCritic, with only 62% of critics recommending it.
Despite its flaws, GSC Game World has delivered a solid, but not perfect—game. Critics praise its immersive atmosphere and intense firefights, but poor performance and numerous bugs mar the experience.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Review Scores:
- PC Gamer: 83/100;
- Game Rant: 9/10;
- TheGamer: 3/5;
- GameSpot: 8/10;
- Hardcore Gamer: 5/5;
- Dexerto: 3/5;
- IGN Spain: 9/10;
- GamesRadar+: 3/5;
- DualShockers: 7/10;
- XboxEra: 8.4/10.
What Critics Are Saying:
Just like in the old days, performance issues and bugs don't stop Stalker's mad, wonderful heart from shining through.
Overall, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is truly something special. It's not perfect, but it manages to succeed in some major areas that many other games fall short in. Its open world is one of the best I've been in for quite some time, but its morally gray choice-driven narrative is also something worth writing home about, with the immense amount of player power it offers.
Stalker 2, in its current state, has too much baggage to overlook.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is rough around the edges, but its propensity for creating emergent moments in a deadly and alluring world makes this trip back to the Zone a fraught and compelling experience.
It's incredibly buggy, but persevere and this survival FPS will reward you with intense shootouts and some wonderfully atmospheric free-roaming.
