It's been a very long wait for the arrival of Stalker 2 on Xbox Game Pass, but we're in the final stretch now, which is very exciting indeed. The open world shooter is about a month away from launching, and today, a bunch of early previews have dropped - with the game sounding like a real treat to play.
We'll round up a bunch of these early impressions down below, so you can get a flavour of what's being said about the upcoming Game Pass title ahead of its November 2024 launch.
IGN
"When I wasn't taking stock of my paltry ammunition levels and hunger gauge, I was looking out at beautiful fields of red poppy flowers. When I wasn’t getting distracted by an interesting side quest I was doing my best to lure the mutants into an anomaly trap. And while it was over just when it felt like it was getting extra good, it had still left its impression. The impression that the team at GSC Game World has created something special with STALKER 2."
Eurogamer
"In an age of clockwork soulslikes and heavily curated experiences like God of War: Ragnarök, the flexibility and adaptability of Stalker's 2 irradiated sandbox is refreshing and intriguing. If it continues to expand and elaborate upon that across the whole of its exclusion Zone, then GSC Game World might just have something special on their hands."
VGC
"We’re keen to have the final game in our hands, after what was an impressive few hours. It’s hard to imagine most studios making even a decent game in these circumstances, but for GSC Game World to emerge from the literal rubble of their home city, with something so promising, is incredibly inspiring."
Windows Central
"Make no mistake, Stalker 2 is a game-of-the-year contender, and I feel immensely privileged to have been able to bring you this glimpse of a rare game that looks set to not only do justice to a legendary predecessor but take its franchise to all-new heights in the process."
GameSpot
"Stalker 2 perfectly balances the desire to discover what's hidden out there, like a field full of whispering poppies, with the unnerving knowledge that the Zone is also full of things that can and likely will kill you. Though it can sometimes feel like a throwback to older games, especially in elements like its combat, it's that feeling that also helps make Stalker 2 both frightening and compelling."
A good few months ago now, we previewed Stalker 2 here at Pure Xbox, and we were similarly impressed by what we played. For a good look at that, check out the link down below - and you can go hands on with this Xbox Game Pass title on November 20th.