The Needle in a Haystack mission gives players several options to progress in Stalker 2, but some are much more advisable than others.

STALKER 2’s solid gunplay picks up a lot of the slack in its combat’s faults. Whipping around a decked-out assault rifle with a nice red dot sight to make headshots easy, or pumping shells into a mutant from a fully modded shotgun and slowing its charge with their impact had me looking forward to those high-stakes, kill-or-be-killed situations.

Heart of Chornobyl, one of the most haunting survival horror games I have ever played and unlike anything else in the genre. The game’s chilling sound design, incredible storytelling, and demanding combat come together to deliver on that central premise.

In the harsh and unforgiving world of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl (stylised as S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2), it might seem like the sensible option to pick up absolutely everything you come across. In one of the more interesting nuances of the game’s systems, you’re actually better off leaving broken weapons behind.

Heart of Chornobyl is desperate to kill you, and it will often succeed. Some deaths are inglorious: a bandit may shoot you when your back is turned, or a pack of wild dogs will decide to make you their lunch.

Credit: GSC Game World Welcome to the Zone, the radioactive wilderness of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl. It's a wonderful place ripe for exploration. But it also kinda sucks that it desperately wants to kill you.

Stalker 2 expands The Zone to a massive scope with horrors around every corner. If you're a new Stalker or experienced pro, here's how long this game lasts.The Latest Tech News, Delivered to Your Inbo