First S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Impressions: Immersive Atmosphere, Tough Combat, and Minor Bugs

Initial details about S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl have started surfacing online, as some players who received early physical copies are sharing their experiences.

One source of insights is a player named Jan ek, who posted an unboxing video of the Day One Edition. According to him, the console version looks great (though not quite like the trailers), offering 30 FPS in quality mode and 55-60 FPS in performance mode. While optimization occasionally falters, the game reportedly runs far better than the Silent Hill 2 remake in performance mode on PS5.

Jan ek praised the game's rich atmosphere, smooth controls, and hardcore gameplay—even on easy difficulty. No major bugs were found, and enemy AI is on par with earlier entries in the series. However, he criticized the lack of dynamic shadows when using the flashlight.

The reviewer speculates the game will receive scores of 8-9 from critics, with early reviews likely arriving today or tomorrow.

Reddit user OrfeasDourvas, another player with an early physical copy, added:

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 launches on November 20 for PC and Xbox Series X/S. You can check the system requirements here.