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

"In many ways, Stalker 2 succeeds in being a bold modernisation of GSC Game World’s classic survival shooter packaged and prettied up for today’s audience. That said, it’s a sequel that also manages to stay true to its in-depth PC …"

"S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is one of the greatest disappointments of 2024. A technical mess combined with poor gameplay and a very hard to follow story."

"STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a worthy successor of the original in every regard, good and bad. The vision is the same: an uncompromising game that will often frustrate you, but also offers a unique experience that can hardly …"

"If you&s;re looking for a game where "taking a walk" potentially means encountering psychic anomalies, mutants, hungry folks, and stalkers who probably want your last can of beans, then S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is your game. It&s;s like extreme camping where you …"

"STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a unique experience in post-apocalyptic games. Unfortunately, it all falls flat due to a myriad of bugs and technical issues. We are hopeful, as beneath the radiation lies a game with enormous potential, but …"

"Stalker 2, in its current state, has too much baggage to overlook"

"For anyone drawn to open-world shooters, survival games, or atmospheric horror, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is an absolute must-play. It&s;s tense, beautiful, and deeply immersive, with a world that feels alive and unpredictable. Challenge, exploration, and narrative are balanced with skill, delivering …"

"Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a perfectly average open-world survival shooter. It’s an interesting setting with well-realized characters, but it’s held back by unsatisfying gunplay and a run-of-the-mill sense of exploration. I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone. But if …"

"Full of anomalies in more ways than one, Stalker 2 is a mess of bugs and jank that nonetheless stays faithful to the open world survival shooter of yesteryear."

"STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl stands tall as one of the most captivating open-world shooters I&s;ve ever played, with palpable atmosphere and deeply rewarding exploration that kept me glued to my seat along with addictively intense and dynamic action that …"

"STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a game you love despite its flaws, not for being perfect. The superb atmosphere, immersion, gameplay, game world and audiovisual setting collide with technical flaws that shouldn&s;t have happened on the day of release, …"

"We go out, we come back. We hope. Sometimes, someone turns on a radio. Sometimes, someone tells a joke. Sometimes, someone dies. This is life in The Zone. Happiness is when a friend plays a song on a guitar. Enjoy …"

"One of the most beloved games is finally back, not without some flaws but full of content capable of gluing us to the monitor for weeks to come. A fantastic, alive open world, populated by credible NPCs who will accompany …"

"Like the Chornobyl Zone since the terrible accident at its nuclear power plant in 1986, STALKER 2 seems to be stuck in a time bubble that ignores current industry standards."

"As it stands now, STALKER 2 is fun and has a lot of potential, but it would be unfair to call it good. You can easily sink 100 hours into it without noticing, especially if you have a deep love …"

"Stalker 2 is nothing short of a miracle. Developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World over the course of seven years amid a pandemic and a war -- among many other challenges -- Stalker 2 is a labor of love …"

"Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl crumbles under the weight of its own ambition."

""While Stalker 2 holds its head up high in delivering a game that is unlike so many others we see recently. It&s;s one major similarity is bugs and performance issues. A fine shooter, with a unique world, and fantastic moments …"

"Stalker 2 is brutal, unforgiving, and not for the faint-hearted. While its storyline is poised for new players, its gameplay feels the opposite, providing a hardcore experience for anyone looking to dive into the Zone. Nevertheless, Stalker 2 is the …"

"S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a wonderful game to play and will have you on the edge of your seat. That being said, if you don&s;t enjoy some light survival elements and more simulation based shooting. This one probably …"

"Stalker 2 could be a great game in a few years, but what&s;s presented at launch is a technical mess that doesn&s;t capitalise on its best ideas. Compelling side stories and a brilliant setting do a lot of the heavy …"

"After spending 55 hours in the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, I have no qualms recommending STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl to post-apocalyptic enthusiasts."

"Just like in the old days, performance issues and bugs don&s;t stop Stalker&s;s mad, wonderful heart from shining through."

"S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is an independent game, in the truest meaning of the term, and, beyond the hook of its mysteries, you may be drawn to it by virtue of being tired of other things."

"Ambitious and engrossing open-world immersive sim."

"Fans of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R franchise expect uncompromising action and are largely immune to the series’ rough edges. For them, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 delivers, adding a vast open world filled with danger and discovery. The release day patch fixed many big issues, …"

"STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is actually a difficult title to evaluate. We can&s;t base ourselves on everything that the GSC Gaming World team members have been through to add points to the analysis or feel sorry for them. But …"

"Fortunately, the extraordinary artistic inspiration of STALKER 2 Heart of Chornobyl makes up for most of these flaws and paints a still quite captivating picture that is worth getting lost in."

"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"

"While STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl features a beautifully-crafted rendition of the Zone and its odds characters, a collection of small flaws and annoyances holds it back from being a truly great game."

"Fortunately, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is still on its path to greatness. It&s;s just going to need a little more love to get it to its destination. I just hope the rest of the journey is a bit faster …"

"What might once have been intended as a rebuke to open-world excess is instead a cautionary tale, an argument for all the little carrot-on-a-stick elements that make a game like this feel like more what it is: a wasteland."

"STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PS5 combines hardware-specific features, sonic ambience, and enhanced NPC behaviour to create a gameworld laced with immersive, emergent brilliance."

"It’s a miracle that we’re even playing Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl right now, yet GSC Game World has crafted a world so packed with detail and excitement that you’ll yearn to explore its mysteries from the moment you step …"