A year after its initial release, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl makes its way to PS5. Is this follow up to the cult classic worth your time? Or should this series have remained in quarantine for good?
Light In The Darkness
Before I go into detail on the game and my opinions, I think some important context is needed. Developers and Publishers GSC Game World are Ukrainian developers who have spent years creating this game whilst withstanding the horrific and barbaric invasion of their homeland from Russian forces, which continues to this day. To be able to create a game like this in scope and scale whilst quite literally fearing for their lives is nothing short of a miracle. I commend every single developer who has poured all their effort and time into this project under horrendous circumstances. The strength of the Ukrainian people will never cease to inspire me.
With that being said, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a solid FPS that doesn’t quite match its own ambition. That’s not to say, however, that the game is devoid of great elements, in particular its engaging and mysterious story. Like previous titles, the game is once again set in The Chornobyl Exclusion Zone- the site of the devastating real life catastrophe that occurred in 1986. Whilst the area is real, the events that take place in this zone are entirely fictionalised. Due to the disaster, anomalies litter the world as hazardous traps, whilst infected wildlife and creatures hide around every corner. Along with these supernatural and mutated enemies are the Stalkers- effectively various mercenary groups who risk their lives to enter the zone, in hopes of finding key resources or valuable items. It’s a great premise and backdrop for the events that follow in the story. If you can withstand the slog of it, it’s a blast!
The main plot revolves around Yevhen “Skif” Martynenko who is a Ukrainain Marine Corps veteran. Having returned from a deployment to an unspecified conflict, Skif awakens to find his apartment destroyed by an anomaly that has appeared outside the Zone. Desperate for answers and money for a new home, Skif is smuggled into the Zone by scientist Professor Hermann, along with a piece of technology known as the scanner which can help Skif locate further anomalies. This opening is fantastic and sets up what is at stake for the tale ahead. From here, Skif interacts with a variety of different factions and characters as the tone gradually gets darker and darker, morphing into full survival horror at times. If you have played a STALKER game before the themes in this story will resonate, with the main focus on the perils of discovering the truth and the dangers of the Zone itself.
It’s important that this story connected with me early on, since I have mentioned that it’s a very long tale. Along with the main missions are the vast amount of side quests and free form exploration, with a playthrough taking you anywhere from 40-60 hours to finish the main questline. It’s not for the faint hearted. What continued to draw me into this story was learning about the vast amount of side characters through their quests. Each character feels unique and alive in this dangerous world and whilst some quests may not reward great value in terms of loot or cash, they do reward you in rich story detail and character development. There are various choices in the game for you to make as Skif which can alter the story and the ending, there being four different unique endings at conclusion. If you are looking for a survival horror mystery, full of engaging characters, unique settings and enemies and a plethora of player choice, this game is for you.
Brutal, Methodical, But At A Cost
It’s been 14 years since the last main title in the S.T.A.L.K.E.R franchise was released and the developers have chosen to stick to the core gameplay loop from the past – for better and for worse. In many ways, this franchise inspired many of the survival mechanics and games you see today. Whether it is gear wear that degrades and causes malfunctions, radiation levels, inventory weight or maintaining your hunger, survival is at the forefront of everything S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 wants to achieve. The importance of what to pack in your inventory for missions is absolutely critical and strangely addictive. Make sure you bring enough ammo or healing items! Whilst not an actual RPG, the gear and loot systems are solid enough to satisfy fans of that genre, but be warned, it doesn’t hold your hand! Expect a lot of trial and error with these systems as you uncover the mechanics for yourself.
Unfortunately, the combat in this game is where some of the problems lie. Whilst the gunplay is solid and encounters can range from bombastic shootouts to tense pulsating individual fights, the problem is the enemy AI. The AI in this game is wildly inconsistent, ranging from laughably stupid, to what felt like being hunted by the Terminator. Expect to be gunned down with laser focus on multiple occasions. Mutant movement is deliberately erratic, making it challenging and highly irritating, so be prepared to be frustrated. At least there are vast amount of enemy types for you to aim your frustration at. The anomalies themselves add an interesting twist in the gameplay loop, having to dodge massive gales of swirling wind, fire spitting crevices and much more!
On a positive note, the gunplay particularly shines during the more psychological horror moments, making it truly feel like kill or be killed, and every bullet I fired really mattered. The importance of armour and upgrading the artifacts, which add perks to the armour, cannot be understated. However, some of the gameplay feels like a real relic of the past. The lack of fast travel will annoy some players, whilst wandering the Zone can feel boring and tedious. If you can see past the terrible AI, there is fun to be had, but it’s a war of attrition so don’t expect anything like COD or Battlefield!
A Year On: Some Progress
When S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl launched last year on PC and Xbox Series S/X, it’s safe to say it was in rough shape in visuals and technical performance. Now I am pleased to say that the PS5 version is in much better shape than the original launch but that’s not to say it’s all fixed. Some glaring issues remain. To start with the positives, this game looks downright gorgeous at times with stunning landscapes, haunting environments and horrifyingly detailed mutants and creatures. When this game is clicking on all cylinders it’s in large part due to the atmosphere, the visuals and the lighting which make it so daunting and so unsettling. NPC models also particularly look impressive, whilst cutscenes and character conversations help propel the immersion further.
From a technical standpoint, I encountered only one crash compared to the many that PC and Xbox players had to endure. Fortunately, stability stayed rock solid throughout my playthrough. Sadly, there are many visual glitches occurring which directly affect the visual presentation. Too often, an enemy corpse would clip through the wall or floor, completely taking me out of the moment that was occurring in the game. Lighting can also be inconsistent in some areas, along with some texture pop ins along the way. To their credit, the developers have clearly prioritised efforts to patch these problems and with more updates coming, I hope and expect for these to become less of an issue.
Conversely, the sound design knocks it out of the park, with only one slight issue. Every gunshot fired sounds wickedly delightful, especially if you manage to achieve a headshot, where the head cracks and pops violently and disgustingly! Whether it’s the Fleshes, Bloodsuckers, Poltergeists or other creatures, each mutant sounds positively horrific. Enough cannot be said about the overall sound design in this game because it’s magnificent! The PS5’s Tempest 3D Audio makes every rustle, growl or footstep feel right around the corner. It kept me on edge the whole time and unnerved me to my core. The one downside to the sound design is the uneven voice acting at times on display but it’s nothing too impeding. This is premier sound design and should be talked about for years to come.
Finally, the musical score perfectly complements the setting, tone and narrative in S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Yaroslav Odrin’s score is hauntingly beautiful and it stays true to the location and the developers’ roots. This authentic Ukrainian soundtrack attempts to recreate music from the country in the 80’s/90s time period and it’s wonderful. It builds such an atmospheric and underground feel that it’s hard to imagine the game without it. The whole tone and narrative would be altered dramatically without it, that’s how important a role this score plays throughout this game. A sombre, pensive and brooding, yet beautiful piece of music.
Verdict
When S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl clicks on all cylinders, the game is an atmospheric tour de force with a mysterious and unique story, haunting environments and enemy design and exhilarating gunplay. Add in industry leading sound design and a beautiful musical score and you’ve got the recipe for a great survival horror game. Unfortunately, erratic AI, some visual and performance issues, uneven voice work and a gruelling campaign length will put some players off. However, if you can look past these deficiencies you’ll fall in love with this truly unique game. I am in awe of how this game exists for developers in circumstances I cannot begin to fathom. Long live the Zone!
