Over 10 years after the release of the last part, Stalker 2 is very popular with readers. We round up all the info on the survival sequel with open world.
Stalker is back! After many years of alternating rumours and reports of the project ending and rebooting, Stalker 2 was finally officially revealed with a first trailer in the summer of 2020.
Today, the survival shooter in the Chernobyl exclusion zone is high on the shooter wish list of many fans. We therefore summarise for you what is known so far about Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl.
Everything you should know about Stalker 2
Release: When will Stalker 2 be released?
Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl is scheduled for release on April 28, 2022. This was announced at E3 2021. So fans of the shooter series won’t have to wait too much longer before they can return to the irradiated Pripyat.
On Release in Xbox Game Pass: Stalker 2 will be included in Xbox Game Pass right at its release on 28 April 2022. Subscribers to the Microsoft service will not have to pay the full price for the game.
Platforms: What is Stalker 2 playable on?
Stalker 2 will be available for PC and Xbox Series X and S at release. Other platforms are to follow later, so Heart of Chernobyl will also be released for Playstation 5 at a later date and is not Xbox-exclusive.
Story: What is Stalker 2 about?
The storyline: It is certain that in Stalker 2 we are once again transported to the contaminated exclusion zone around the former Chernobyl nuclear power plant near the abandoned city of Pripyat. There, the laws of nature have been partially suspended and the animal world has been severely mutated by radioactivity. In this dilapidated and hostile environment, the titular Stalkers are active as soldiers of fortune in search of valuable artefacts.
The Protagonist: We take on the role of the new protagonist Skif, whose actions, according to the developer, “are meant to herald a new chapter in the history of the Zone”. Little is known about the specific story, but Skif seems to be in a hurry to get to the highly dangerous centre of the exclusion zone. What exactly he is looking for is unclear.
Mutants and Experiments: The first trailer also provides hints of gruesome experiments with mutants, apparently bred inside an old reactor. So whether Skif is merely out for riches or chasing a grand conspiracy remains to be seen.
Decisions influence the plot: What we do know, however, is that Stalker 2 is supposed to offer a self-contained and non-linear story that is influenced by the player’s decisions and can lead to several endings.
Trailer: Is there gameplay for Stalker 2 yet?
There are currently three trailers and a behind-the-scenes video for Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl. The first teaser was released in July 2020 and captures the mood of the game world. A gameplay teaser followed at the beginning of 2021 to show us how Stalker 2 should play. A little later, a developer diary followed in May, which presented detailed character and weapon models.
However, the first “real” gameplay trailer of E3 2021 was probably the most exciting: In almost five minutes, we get to see the atmospheric game world, shootouts with human opponents, dangers through anomalies and the high level of detail of the game.
We have included all four videos for Stalker: Heart of Chernobyl for you as follows:
Gameplay trailer from E3 2021
Developer diary shows characters and weapon models
Gameplay teaser shows how Stalker 2 should play
First teaser trailer introduces game world and atmosphere
Gameplay: How does Stalker 2 play?
Open World and First Person Perspective: For the gameplay of Heart of Chernobyl, the developers promise to “stay true to the strengths of the series”. This means: We explore the zone from the first-person perspective and make our own way through the single-player story. Where we go and how we proceed is up to us – thanks to Open World, the freedom of play should be even greater than in the predecessors.
Fights, factions and quests: As in the past, the programme includes battles against mutants, bandits and other enemies, inventory and resource management and interaction with NPCs from various factions who want to sell us side quests.
Survival elements and treasure hunting: Of course, there is also a good portion of survival in Stalker 2: The deeper we advance into the zone, the greater the danger and the better our equipment should be, which we get from loot or traders. In addition, the hunt for artefacts probably plays an important role again – these valuable objects are created by anomalies in the zone and are considered the most valuable resource in the Stalker series.
What do screenshots of Stalker 2 show?
Besides the trailers and videos for Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl, there are already some screenshots you can look at. They show quite a bit of the game world and atmosphere and should get you in the mood for what awaits you in radioactively contaminated Prypyat.
Open World: What does the game world of Stalker 2 offer?
Open World without loading times: Stalker 2 is supposed to get by completely without loading times and presents us with the irradiated zone as a seamless and freely accessible open world. The developers even promise “one of the largest game worlds ever”!
This is what the game world looks like: So far, we have seen the typical end-time mix of dark forests, dilapidated ruins of blocks of houses, Soviet-era factories, streets full of wrecked cars and, of course, the Ferris wheel of Prypyat is back. Fans of the series even recognise the old farm from the first Stalker in the trailer, which apparently serves as a camp again:
Environmental hazards: The developers say of the game world: “The scenery changes quickly, the landscapes themselves are menacing, and there’s an omnipresent sense of inevitable danger.” Those who have played the old Stalker parts will also have a rough idea of these dangers: Bandits or other Stalker clans, mutated dogs, fluctuations in gravity or sudden electrical storms already kept us on our toes in the predecessors.
NPCs with their own daily routines: By the way, the NPCs in Stalker 2 are supposed to follow their own daily routines independently of our actions and thus make the world more believable and more alive. So it’s quite possible that conflicts will break out between factions or mutants will overrun a camp without us even noticing it.
What can we expect from graphics & technology?
Raytracing, 4K and 120 FPS: In the in-engine videos, Stalker 2 definitely cuts a very good first figure and convinces especially with its grandiose lighting atmosphere. For the game version on Xbox Series X, the developers already promise ray tracing support, 4K UHD and up to 120 FPS. The PC version is to receive mod support directly at launch, but otherwise no concrete technical features for the PC are known yet.
Unreal Engine 5 as the basis: During the announcement, the developers from GSC Gameworld merely stated that the Unreal Engine from Epic would be used for Stalker 2. Since the announcement was made in July 2020, it was assumed that the Unreal Engine 4 was meant.
But this is not the case! Because after Epic sent out a tweet saying that many games based on the Unreal Engine had been announced in recent months, GSC Gameworld responded with a tweet of their own, rather surprisingly revealing that Stalker 2 is already an Unreal Engine 5 title:
Hey @UnrealEngine,
Feel free to mention we're running on UE5 🤝 https://t.co/GLXdLM5YoV— S.T.A.L.K.E.R. OFFICIAL (@stalker_thegame) August 11, 2021
Stalker 2 therefore runs in Unreal Engine 5, and motion capture technology is used for the impressive visuals of heads and faces. Photogrammetry is also used to create the most realistic environmental textures possible. We explain exactly what the technology is all about here:
What are your hopes and expectations for Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl? Let us know in the comments.
