What you need to know
Last week saw the highly-anticipated release of GSC Game World’s open-world survival shooter, STALKER 2, available on Xbox and PC. The game has been well received, quickly capturing positive reviews and achieving high sales figures. Yet, as with many new releases, it’s not without its challenges.
The primary trouble areas center around bugs affecting the AI simulation system, A-Life 2.0, along with quest glitches and performance issues. Players are also voicing concerns about certain gameplay balances. For instance, many feel that some mutant enemies have excessive health, making them particularly tough adversaries. Additionally, the cost of repairing gear strikes many players as disproportionately high compared to earnings, and the brevity of the day/night cycle hasn’t been welcomed by all. While GSC Game World is keen to address these feedback points, initial patches will concentrate on enhancing performance and resolving bugs.
With its recent launch, STALKER 2 has made quite an impression, climbing the Steam charts and selling over a million copies swiftly. Despite such a successful debut, the game does come with its issues.
Significant bugs are related to quest progression and the A-Life 2.0 AI system, and a notable lack of controller deadzones on Xbox, coupled with performance hiccups, are at the forefront. However, the balance of gameplay is another area receiving feedback. Players report that mutants seem overly robust, and the costs associated with weapon and armor repairs feel unjustifiably high. Additionally, the swift transition from day to night leaves some players feeling pressed for daylight hours to complete their tasks.
The first hotfix for STALKER 2 is slated for release this week, concentrating on major bug fixes, especially those impacting main story quests and general performance. Developer GSC Game World acknowledges these concerns and is also analyzing player feedback to fine-tune the gameplay experience in the future.
“The A-Life system is our top priority right now,” shared Mol1t, the studio’s community manager, on the official STALKER Discord server. “While we’re discussing other issues like mutant difficulty, day-night cycles, and economic balance, our immediate focus is on clear bugs, such as those affecting A-Life and quest progression. We’re carefully considering the community’s suggestions to avoid hasty adjustments.” Clearly, while gameplay balance tweaks are on their radar, they’re taking a backseat until the game achieves more stability.
Moreover, players have highlighted “visibility” issues due to the absence of binoculars, a feature appreciated in previous STALKER games for planning approaches. Mol1t indicated that this might be addressed in larger future patches, but not immediately.
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In terms of gameplay adjustments, I appreciate GSC’s cautious approach to balancing issues like mutant health. From my experience—and after putting in over 60 hours—enemies like bloodsuckers and poltergeists may seem tough initially, but they become manageable with the right weaponry. Adjustments in their armor or damage mitigation might make more sense than simply reducing health. As for repair costs, while tweaks might be beneficial, they shouldn’t diminish the decision-making element of whether to engage or evade combats, which is core to The Zone’s experience.
It’s a waiting game for substantial updates, but PC players are in luck as STALKER 2 mods are beginning to surface, many of which provide percentage-based gameplay balance tweaks. Some mods also help mitigate performance issues like stuttering and offer console command workarounds for quest bugs—all worth looking into while waiting for official patches.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now out for Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC, and it holds a highlight spot among this year’s top Xbox and PC games. Currently priced at $59.99, it’s available at a reduced rate from CDKeys, or you can enjoy it as part of Xbox Game Pass, PC Game Pass, and Xbox Game Pass Ultimate.
