GSC Game World, the Ukraine-based gaming studio known for its STALKER series games has finally launched STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the latest installment in the iconic action-horror franchise. While the company had planned to launch the game back in 2022, development was put on hold as developers fought on the frontline after Russia invaded Ukraine.
Similar to its predecessor, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl takes place in a fictionalised version of ‘The Zone’, which refers to the contaminated and cordoned-off area surrounding Chornobyl. Full of hostile NPCs, different factions, zombies, anomalies and several mutated beasts lurking in broad daylight and nighttime, STALKER 2 is one of the best open-world action horror games to date.
The storyline puts gamers in the shoes of a new protagonist named Skf, whose home is set ablaze by an anomaly outside of the side, the character enters The Zone in search of a valuable piece of tech. Unlike most open-world shooting games, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl builds on existing gameplay elements, with navigation, combat and resource management being really hard to manage in the first few hours.
Also, unlike most games, where the day-night cycle only affects visibility, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl requires players to adjust their play style. However, since its launch, the gameplay has been plagued by various bugs and glitches, which are annoying but not game-breaking.
According to The Verge, the gunplay is responsive and on point, but some human NPCs often look in the opposite direction of where the threat is. However, GSC Game World is already promising a bunch of bug fixes and free content. Some upcoming quality-of-life changes include immersive survival mechanics like hunger, sleeping, bleeding, mod support alongside a multiplayer game mode, which the company says will be free.
Talking of hardware requirements, STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a fairly demanding game even on modern hardware. GSC Game World suggests a minimum of Intel Core i7-7700K or AMD Ryzen 5 1600X or newer CPU, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 6GB, AMD Radeon RX 580 8GB or Intel ARc A750 or a more powerful GPU and at least 160GB of available space.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is available on Steam. While the base version of the game can be purchased for Rs 3,299, the Deluxe and Ultimate Edition are selling for Rs 4,399 and Rs 5,999 respectively.
