XBX S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 - 21 November 2024 stalker

[Bender_]

Got this for PS5 last week. So far could be one of the better games I've played (barring constantly being broke and overencumbered).

However, for the life of me I just plain do not understand how to get the artifacts. I walked around with the detector out throwing bolts for it to beep like crazy just for nothing to happen and then eventually get caught in an anamoly then die. It's feels like such a stupidly shit mechanic.

 

[dwwaino]

Got this for PS5 last week. So far could be one of the better games I've played (barring constantly being broke and overencumbered).

However, for the life of me I just plain do not understand how to get the artifacts. I walked around with the detector out throwing bolts for it to beep like crazy just for nothing to happen and then eventually get caught in an anamoly then die. It's feels like such a stupidly shit mechanic.

How far are you in? Just because finding artifacts can be a pain as they can be in precarious spots and disappear when you get too close and don't find them and pick them up fast enough. However you will get better scanners throughout the game that makes it much easier because some even point in the direction and not just give you a beep.

I've just recently started a second play through myself and they've added so much since launch.

 

[Bender_]

How far are you in? Just because finding artifacts can be a pain as they can be in precarious spots and disappear when you get too close and don't find them and pick them up fast enough. However you will get better scanners throughout the game that makes it much easier because some even point in the direction and not just give you a beep.

I've just recently started a second play through myself and they've added so much since launch.

I'm at the Slag Heap in Garbage now, doing side missions and exploring. Still got the first scanner, hopefully these better ones make a huge difference coz it's almost at the point of spoiling the game - which is a shame because I'm loving almost every other aspect of it.

 

[dwwaino]

I'm at the Slag Heap in Garbage now, doing side missions and exploring. Still got the first scanner, hopefully these better ones make a huge difference coz it's almost at the point of spoiling the game - which is a shame because I'm loving almost every other aspect of it.

I can't remember exactly where the first scanner upgrade was but I'm sure it was by the time I got to Garbage. Can't remember if I bought it or if it was a reward from a side mission but it shouldn't be too long. In fact there are a few different scanners and they all behave a bit differently. One of my mates has just recently started his first play through and he too complained about the scanner and finding artifacts and I just told him not to worry about them until he gets a better scanner. The other reason is because so many artifacts cause radiation damage when equipped so they aren't even worth farming until you've got armour with lead pockets anyway.

 

[Bender_]

This f*cken game and NPC's blocking off doors and stairways that are the only entry/exit to continue playing the game is ridiculous.

 

[T2B_]

Might have to get back into playing this

Patch Notes — full list of updates｜S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl — Official website

Browse the complete patch notes archive for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Discover changes, fixes, and improvements from every patch, hotfix, and major update.

www.stalker2.com

Stalkers, welcome to Stories Untold, the free content update for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl.
Let’s go through everything new you can find in your playthrough, starting with

NEW STORIES​

Over five hours of gameplay have been added, depending on your pace. Discover the mysterious transmission that gives stalkers headaches, nosebleeds, and even hallucinations.

As the story unfolds, you can choose to help the stalkers and scientists figure out what’s going on. Make decisions, fight for what you believe in, search for answers, and more.
You can catch a PDA message anywhere on the map, with the biggest chance around the Burnt Forest. How you deal with it will shape the fates of stalkers you meet. This mission will become available after leaving the Zalissya region in the early stages of the game.
This new storyline brings to life 8 new missions, 7 new locations, 6 new characters, 3 new unique items, unique weapon, and more.

NEW LOCATIONS & NEW HUB​

Speaking of new locations, if you decide to explore untold stories, you are going to visit and explore new places. They are free to explore for everyone in the Zone, some locations that were previously occupied only by rusty metal or mutants are now used by stalkers. The storyline also might lead you to creating a new hub in the Burnt Forest region. The new place on the map will draw the stalker's attention, so you can expect the whole area to become more populated. But again, this outcome of the quest is not granted. You may choose to play another way.

NEW WEAPON​

The GP37V2 is a modified version of the GP37 rifle, crafted for the most tactically proficient players. It features a pre-installed suppressor and a low-magnification scope. The trigger group has been modified to support single and burst fire modes only.

The cost of failure is higher, but in the hands of a skillful operator, the GP37V2 can reward you with its precision and power. This thing you can get during the completion of the questline.

MASTER DIFFICULTY AND EXPEDITION MODE SIMPLIFICATION​

This change allows you to simplify the save system if you want to play on “Master” difficulty or any other difficulty with the “Expedition mode” enabled.

After starting the game (if Master difficulty or difficulty with Expedition mode enabled is selected), you can enable the Manual Save system in the settings menu. This option is enabled once and permanently (for the current playthrough) and allows you to save with:

- Quick Save (F5).

- Regular Manual Save via the menu.

If these saves are enabled, the player's progress status, which is displayed in the Pause menu, will change.

ADDITIONAL FIXES​

• Fixed an issue where multiple artifacts could spawn in one place.
• Optimized multiple mutant models.
• Fixed an issue where NPC could not find a way to the shelter during an Emission at the Cement Factory location.
• Fixed an issue where NPC could not find a way to the shelter during an Emission in Zalissya.
• Fixed an issue that could cause massive mutant hordes to spawn at the Plant location of the Garbage region.
• Adjusted dead zone settings for DualSense controller on PC.
• Fixed an issue where the player could obtain the Heart of Chornobyl artifact from the regular anomalies.

 

[Bender_]

After about 50 hours I returned this. Possibly some of the coolest gun combat in any game I played - awesome feel and shooting mechanics. And I love exploring and looting. Did not finish the story, in the end it's became a laborious grind and I found myself sighing and rolling my eyes constantly and just not enjoying it.

My gripes:

• Constantly being over encumbered when carrying f*ck all made this a grind of a game. Any game developer that makes ammo weighable in your inventory can f*ck right off. It would've been nice just to carry an extra gun to make the game-play more fun.
• In saying the gunplay was great, that was purely from my end. Somehow an enemy can drop you with 2 shots of their shitty sawn-off shotgun from 50m away yet they can take 5 shots from my tactical automatic upgraded shotgun from point-blank without flinching. From start to (when I) finish this never changed and was poor. Same principal creeping through the bush at night, 100m away an enemy without goggles somehow spots you and nails you with their poor gun. Far out.
• Game is broken as f*ck. One mission I spent 2 hours trying to complete after crashing multiple times, restarting it 5 times just to get past. Legit 4 separate occasions an NPC blocked a doorway or stairwell and I had to sleep or save and restart the game so they would move - and that didn't fix the problem every time either.
• Finishing a mission and having to walk 2km to the next mission point and/or safe house or fast travel point. Of the 50 hours I would've spent 20 of it just walking between parts. What a pain in the arse.
• Not being able to walk through a puddle without slowing down to a snails pace. Pathetic.
• The price to repair items was a bit silly. Just a really poor part of the game.
• Some things just not being explained at all. Like here's a sight for your gun. But you cant put that sight on your gun, despite it saying it's the sight for that exact model of gun. Why? We're not going to tell you. It could be coz you don't have the gun equipped, or it could be coz you can't do it in the inventory, or it could be that you haven't upgraded the gun to use a sight. Walk to a place where you can equip a gun - coz you can't do that in a camp to find out if it's reason 1... Or wanna know how to change ammos for your gun? Well you'll have to work that out yourself. How about using the grenade launcher? Better Google it. Get f*cked.

And you asking why I gave it 50 hours? I think this game had so much promise that it could've been really great and I kept holding on in the hope it would turn the corner. It didn't. A fantastic concept with so little polish in the end. Really disappointing.

 

[dwwaino]

Might have to get back into playing this

Patch Notes — full list of updates｜S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl — Official website

Browse the complete patch notes archive for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl. Discover changes, fixes, and improvements from every patch, hotfix, and major update.

www.stalker2.com

I'm just past the Noontide section of my first replay so this update was timely. Just about to head to the swamp though which is the part I hated the most and kind of putting it off in favour of exploring and finding more side content at the moment. Haven't uncovered the new questline yet. I'm definitely running into some new side missions and mini events that I don't think were in the game at launch that must have been added in a subsequent patch. One good thing is you don't get spotted from stupid distances anymore but enemy aim is still pretty nuts from range though it's definitely improved from when even shotguns were like sniper rifles from over 100m. A-Life is a big improvement too as enemies and patrols feel more organic. It's generally less buggy too and I definitely welcome the increased sell value of items as it was far too restrictive before without exploiting.

 

[Bender_]

Just about to head to the swamp though which is the part I hated the most and kind of putting it off in favour of exploring and finding more side content at the moment.

Has anyone said anything positive about this at all? Did the makers of this game take it into account how much a disappointing grind this part of the game was?

 

[dwwaino]

Has anyone said anything positive about this at all? Did the makers of this game take it into account how much a disappointing grind this part of the game was?

It's supposed to be a nostalgic trip down memory lane if you've played Clear Sky. The only part I truly disliked about it in this game is trying to get back and not being able to see shorelines through all the reeds while bogged down with stuff because I'm a loot goblin. The vibe is cool though. In Clear Sky the swamps are a bit more navigable but I think the idea now is that since Clear Sky Base is gone the area is meant to be hostile and oppressive.

 

[Bender_]

It's supposed to be a nostalgic trip down memory lane if you've played Clear Sky. The only part I truly disliked about it in this game is trying to get back and not being able to see shorelines through all the reeds while bogged down with stuff because I'm a loot goblin. The vibe is cool though. In Clear Sky the swamps are a bit more navigable but I think the idea now is that since Clear Sky Base is gone the area is meant to be hostile and oppressive.

It stinks.