Topic: S. T. A. L. K. E. R. 2 Discussion Thread

I am creating a thread to discuss Stalker 2. I’d love to hear people’s opinions on the game so far — spoiler-free, hopefully — and gauge everyone’s thoughts so far.

I’m only ten hours in but I have a lot of thoughts. First and foremost, I think the game is great. With that said, my biggest issue as of now is balancing. I’m not running into any bugs or glitches, but there are a few annoyances. For starters, I don’t like how you can be exploring an area and all of a sudden enemies spawn 20 meters in front or behind you. I understand the game wants to feel alive and have things seem natural, but they don’t come from anywhere other than being randomly spawned. Hopefully, the A-Live 2.0 will remedy this in some capacity.

The other thing I’m struggling with — and keep in mind this is my first Stalker game — is inventory management. I think this needs to be worked on. I have played my fair share of RPGs, so I understand encumbrance; but it’s nearly impossible to be prepared with necessary gear and equipment without going over the weight limit. I have your essentials: two weapons, vest and mask, and yet I’m already over-encumbered with only a few rounds of ammunition and health items. I understand planning for your excursions and traveling light, but there comes a point where you shouldn’t always feel at a disadvantage - not in terms enemies and environmental anatomies, but basic traversal.

The last thing that is pulling me back from truly being in love with this game (because it is absolutely fantastic) is that the game world is begging to be explored, and yet the game also does everything to keep you from doing so. Oftentimes, unless it’s a story driven mission, the risk is never worth the reward. You’ll encounter mutants and other dangerous creatures that will deplete your ammunition and health and stamina supplies, only to be met with nothing of substantial value. It’s as if the developers said, “Do you see this place? It looks amazing and you should explore it. But, we are going to make it incredibly difficult, and your reward will be a med-kit, or maybe nothing.”

From my perspective, it’s as if the early game doesn’t want you to progress, whether that’s due to a lack of currency (coupons), enemy AI that knows how to throw grenades like they are Tom Brady, or bloodsuckers that can kill you instantly in a few beginning side quests.

I do understand that it’s more about the journey rather than the end result, but it can feel jarring when you are wanting to discover everything the game has to offer but the game tries to prevent you from doing so in the most frustrating of ways. Sometimes, it feels as if the game wants you to rush past the very thing it wants you to look at. However; when you actually succeed in getting through a difficult sensation, the feeling of elation is wonderful. I do hear this is remedied further into the game (I just left the Lesser Zone) once you acquire better gear and weapons, but in the meantime it is frustrating, particularly with the balancing issues and weight management.

Aside from all of this, I think the game is incredible. It has interesting locations (again, that is drawing you in to explore), a non-linear narrative that can be approached in a multitude of ways. The dialogue choices actually have me thinking of my responses and the possible consequences down the road. The environmental story telling and atmosphere is unlike any game I’ve ever played. The gameplay itself is engrossing, with tactical gunplay and tense firefights. There is just so much to love about this game, but it is being held back by a few issues that I think will be solved in upcoming patches.