What you need to know
- Ahead of STALKER 2's scheduled release on Xbox Series X|S and PC on November 20, developer GSC Game World has released a lengthy gameplay showcase of the open world survival shooter.
- The deep dive is over 30 minutes long, and shows tons of new gameplay as well as interviews from four of GSC Game World's lead developers. You can watch it via the embed below.
- The new video comes a few weeks after STALKER 2 was delayed in late July, as the team at GSC felt more development time was needed to polish the game before release.
- Preorders for STALKER 2 are live now, and they're discounted at CDKeys (links to where you can buy them are at the end of this article). Notably, STALKER 2 will be available day one on Xbox Game Pass, so you'll be able to play it that way if you're a subscriber.
Ahead of the upcoming November 20, 2024 release of STALKER 2 on Xbox Series X|S, Windows PC, and Xbox Game Pass, developer GSC Game World has shared a new deep dive video that goes over the Xbox console exclusive's world and its gameplay in great detail. Notably, this deep dive comes after STALKER 2 was delayed in late July for polishing, and is the closer look that was promised at the time.
The showcase — you can watch the full thing here or via the embed below — is just under 36 minutes long, and features tons of new gameplay footage and information as well as several interviews with four of STALKER 2's developers: GSC Game World CEO and game director Ievgen Grygorovych, creative director Mariia Grygorovych, level art team lead Dzmitry Anoshka, and cinematic lead Ingwar Dovgoteles. There's also a full walkthrough of an early quest in the Swamps area in which the player has to disable beacons emitting deadly radiation.
The ultimate takeaway from the deep dive is that with STALKER 2, GSC has focused on recapturing what players loved about STALKER's take on the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone in the original trilogy of games while expanding on it with more freedom, features, and dynamism. The sequel's iteration of The Zone will have 20 regions in total, with each built with appearances in past games, real-world photogrammetry, or both in mind. Compared to their design in previous entries, however, returning locations are more open than ever before, giving players the opportunity to explore entirely new areas within them.
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Freedom is at the core of STALKER 2's design ethos, with the developers noting that The Zone has "almost no barriers" and is rich with opportunities for players to roleplay as the stalker they want to be. Whether you focus on progressing the main story or go off to adventure as you see fit, the game will support your choices and playstyle with plenty of diverse encounters to experience, hidden loot caches to find, side quests to complete, and more. The studio has also explained that the world will be very dynamic, with free-roaming stalkers and factions interacting with players in different ways and some outcomes becoming unavailable in a playthrough depending on your choices or external factors.
Surprisingly, factions may even break up or fragment into splinter groups, which has the potential to dramatically change the power structure within The Zone. It's also been said that stalkers in different factions will behave in unique ways, which will likely make them far more distinct than they were in the original games; for example, free "Loner" stalkers will be far more likely to keep to themselves or travel in small groups, while disciplined troops under the banner of the Duty faction will adhere to strict daily schedules and frequently utilize military tactics.
The gameplay of STALKER 2 appears to lean more towards simulation than arcade, with what was shown of its grounded movement and gunplay reminding me quite a bit of Metro Exodus. I'm not sure I'd call it realistic — STALKER never has been, really — but combat is lethal, with individual rounds dealing high damage to both enemies and the player. Between firefights or scraps with deadly mutants (combat against the returning Pseudodog, Flesh, and Controller was shown, as was a new "Bayun" feline that lures players in with audible imitations of stalkers calling for aid), you'll need to balance survival elements like hunger and fatigue and avoid the dangerous supernatural "anomaly" phenomena that litter The Zone's landscape.
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Like the classic STALKER trilogy, STALKER 2 seems to emphasize scavenging for food, medical supplies, and ammunition, and while it wasn't in the deep dive, I wouldn't be surprised if ammo was scarce to some degree like it was in the original titles. GSC noted that it's made an effort to ensure mistakes and poor decisions have somewhat lasting consequences, encouraging players to consider their movement, positioning, and moment-to-moment decision-making carefully. What won't be scarce, though, are weapon choices, with 35 different firearms confirmed — each with a wide variety of compatible attachments.
It was also revealed that STALKER 2's story will feature three full hours of mo-capped cutscenes, with over 43 cinematics in total. These will accompany some of the biggest moments in the narrative, and will help players get to know many of the game's major characters better as they progress. The showcase then concluded with the developers talking about some of the challenges they've faced creating the game as a Ukrainian studio, working to realize the growing ambition of their vision amidst Russia's war of aggression against and invasion of their homeland that began in 2022.
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Analysis: STALKER 2 is looking fantastic
As a huge fan of the original STALKER games, I've been looking forward to a deep dive like this for a while now, and now that we've finally gotten one, I've gotta say: STALKER 2 is looking fantastic. The shooting and UI seems a bit more arcadey than I'd like, and I was hoping to get a look at the confirmed "A-Life 2.0" system that will dictate how stalker NPCs move around The Zone and interact with each other, but overall, I'm very happy with almost everything I saw and heard.
What GSC Game World has managed to craft in the face of overwhelming odds is nothing short of amazing, and I can't wait to get my hands on the full game later this year. For more on what it's like to play it, don't miss our STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl hands-on preview from my colleague Zachary Boddy, who had the chance to play it when they went to Summer Games Fest 2024 and the Xbox Games Showcase 2024.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is coming to Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC via Steam and the Microsoft Store on November 20, and looks to be one of this year's best Xbox games and best PC games. It has a $59.99 MSRP, but notably, you can preorder it with a significant discount at CDKeys right now. On day one, you'll also be able to play it through Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
