S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PS5 is reminder that exclusivity deals can sometimes benefit those who wait. A year of extensive patches and a shift to the latest version of Unreal Engine 5 makes this PlayStation 5 release feel like soft relaunch that presents S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 in the best possible light (and the PC and Xbox versions have been updated to v1.07 too!). Hell, I loved it despite the flaws and part of me is simply amazed we ever got to this point when you consider some of the Ukrainian developers, GSC Game World, have worked for four years during an ongoing Russian invasion.

It is worth noting up front that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is an acquired taste. I love the series’ janky PC origins; the weird, horrifying, but intensely atmospheric Zone; and a gameplay loop that rewards preparation and mercilessly punishing thoughtlessness. It feels like a grounded survival-horror-FPS hybrid – mutants, anomalies, and artefacts aside – in which your improving gear and adapting your tactics dictate your success. Unlike so many RPG-infused genres, completing quests or killing everything in sight rewards no XP, no new character levels, and no points to invest in a skill-tree that miraculously boosts your abilities and chances of survival.



Instead, exploration and combat is driven by a need to scavenge better weapons and armour, excess loot to use as trade fodder, and rare artefacts that offer a mix of buffs and flaws. Firefights – with mutants or other S.T.A.L.K.E.R. – are always a high-risk activity, liable to consume more resources than they replenish, especially when you’re miles from a settlement with broken armour, jamming weapons, no ammunition, and no anti-rads. Even on the lowest difficulty, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl can feel gloriously brutal, with death arriving swiftly by radiation, anomaly, mutant, or ambush.



I’d argue the survival-horror elements dominate in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl as the combat is straightforward and dwindling supplies generates constant anxiety. Once you get a feel for the effective range of firearms, you can rely on devastating headshots to fell foes quickly and live in fear of the bleeding status most hits will cause. Aside from a few mutants with psychic attacks, most simply charge you and deal massive amounts of damage by claw or tooth, making a shotgun a must. In contrast, pockets of radiation, physic emissions, and physics-warping anomalies couldn’t care less for your load-out and will end your run quickly if you don’t use a scanner and watch your step.

I’d argue the survival-horror elements dominate in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl as the combat is straightforward and dwindling supplies generates constant anxiety.

Depending on your tastes, this might sound awful, but the Zone offers a predictable and consistent internal logic. With the ever expanding A-Life system controlling other factions and mutants, roads that connect settlements are often patrolled and offer the safest way to get around. Artefacts and pristine firearms always have the best trade value and should be prioritised when managing your limited weight allowance. Any journey that takes you out after dark or underground should only be tackled with a healthy stockpile of supplies and ideally back-up gear. In short, if you prepare your loadout, plan your route, and approach any threat with caution, you’ll come out intact – most of the time.



I’ve not even delved into the story up to this point but it’s surprisingly involved and lengthy, with numerous decision points that shift your standing with the major factions, and a significant mid-game event that throws the Zone into turmoil and ramps up the danger even further. Regardless of your choices, the protagonist Skif is easy to like and spends more time building bonds with individuals rather than committing to faction ideologies. He serves as a useful vessel to witness how the mysterious Zone can redeem some and corrupt others, and you get some say in his personality and fate.

Regardless of your choices, the protagonist Skif is easy to like and spends more time building bonds with individuals rather than committing to faction ideologies.

Despite S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s more cinematic ambitions – including unskippable cutscenes I only noticed when replaying it – the highlight remains simply getting lost in the dark corners of the Zone. You soak in the brooding and oppressive atmosphere, scrape by after messy firefights or mutant ambushes, flee through dark forests and tunnels to avoid combat, and experience an incredible sense of relief and satisfaction when running into a friendly patrol or spotting the distant lights of a settlement that’ll buy your loot, sell you supplies, and maybe improve your weapons and armour in preparation for the next daunting excursion.



I’ve used the word “atmospheric” a few times now and I mean it. The Zone can often feel empty and strangely serene – perfect for luring you into a false sense of security and amplifying the terror when something happens. The world can be beautiful and surreal, with unsettling ambience keeping you on edge and a fantastic but understated soundtrack. Audio is a particular highlight with loud reverberating gunshots, mutant roars that’ll up your heart rate, and the shouts and screams of humans. There is always a striking contrast between quiet exploration and loud encounters that makes each event feel all the more impactful and memorable.

Returning to my opening paragraph, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is not for everyone but, if you’re part of that niche audience, this PS5 release (and the release of patch 1.07 on other platforms) is what I wish I had experienced at launch. It also remains a breath of fresh air in an age where any friction is considered anathema by many developers. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has a suitably epic story and scripted scenes to string you along, sure, but the majority of the game plays out in a vibrant and deadly sandbox that that could occupy you for a hundred hours, rewarding and punishing player agency in equal measure, and generating no shortage of memorable moments that will stick with you.

PS5 Review code provided by GSC Game World