Step cautiously into the hauntingly immersive world of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, where every decision could mean the difference between survival and a swift demise. Before you venture into the irradiated ruins and deadly anomalies of the Zone, arm yourself with essential beginner tips-from managing scarce resources and mastering stealth to exploiting the environment against foes. Ready to navigate this unforgiving open world like a seasoned stalker? Here are five crucial tips to get you started on PC and Xbox, ensuring your first steps in the Zone are as smart as they are bold.
Here are the beginners tips you need to know before stepping off on your first adventure into the Zone in STALKER 2.
Save scumming can be dangerous
Save scumming in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl can be dangerous and detrimental to the experience. The game only allows three playable slots with a maximum of 50 discrete save files per slot, forcing players to overwrite older saves, and it does not let you annotate saves, making it hard to keep track of progress. More importantly, save scumming removes the tension and realism of the game, as you cannot reload after mistakes in real life, and relying on it can diminish the challenge and immersion that STALKER 2 is designed to deliver.
STALKER 2 only includes three playable game slots. But in all three of these slots, I’ve only been given the ability to save 50 discrete saved game files on PC. Any more than that, and I’ve had to overwrite an existing save.
Furthermore, the game doesn’t allow you to annotate or otherwise indicate what you’re up to when creating a save file. All you get to jog your memory later on is a stock image from the region of the Zone that you were standing in when the file was created, alongside the time and the date that it was first saved out or last overwritten. That’s fine, if just a little bit inconvenient.
However, when combined with a built-in autosave feature, there is every likelihood of inadvertently saving over a file that you desperately need to revert to in order to move the game forward in your preferred manner. It’s up to you the player to keep careful tabs on your save files, and not overwrite them recklessly.
When you sit down for a session, take note of the save file that you create at the very beginning of the night. Be aware of the ones you create going forward. You just might need them in working order a few hours later when you realize you’ve inadvertently messed something up.
Know you’re being watched
In Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, always remember that you are never truly alone in the Zone-enemies and hostile factions are constantly on the lookout, making stealth and awareness essential. The AI is highly perceptive, so use cover effectively and stay mobile to avoid detection. Enemies can spot you even when you think you’re hidden, so be cautious when sneaking or attempting stealth kills. Keep an eye on your surroundings, use leaning mechanics to check corners, and be ready to retreat if overwhelmed, as staying alive often means knowing when you’re being watched and acting accordingly.
STALKER 2 has multiple endings – four, say the press materials, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more than that. With past iterations of the STALKER franchise, the number of times you die when playing from a given save slot can directly impact the endings that are available to you, and I have a suspicion that that’s the case here as well.
The game is long, with the potential for a hundred or more hours of total gameplay including sidequests and more. So if getting the “best” ending isn’t a big deal for you, then go nuts out there and have fun. Just know that you can’t really undo the impact of that death (or several deaths, depending on where you ended up) on your final score in a given save slot.
Travel light
When starting out in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, it’s crucial to travel light. Carry only the essentials such as a pistol, a knife, a detector, a handful of medkits, bandages, some water, and energy drinks for the journey back. Avoid overloading your inventory with unnecessary weapons or supplies; typically, more than three guns are excessive. This approach allows for greater mobility and stamina management, making it easier to explore the hazardous Zone, hunt for loot, and scavenge from fallen enemies. Stash extra supplies for later use and rely on scavenged ammunition and weapons until you can upgrade your gear. Keeping your load minimal helps you react quickly to threats and navigate anomalies more effectively.
STALKER 2 is a game about taking long expeditions through an unforgiving landscape, but the environment itself provides a surprising amount of sustenance to keep you topped up along the way. If you’re heading off in a new direction, where the loot will be fresh, don’t worry all that much about having a six-pack of energy drinks and a dozen loose sausages rattling around in your pockets. Maybe half that number, at most, plus some vodka to deal with radiation is enough to get you through, alongside scavenging.
Keeping your weight down is important, because you won’t be gaining any levels in this game. It’s not an RPG, so you can’t dump a few points in strength to up your carrying capacity. Instead, you’ll need to be able to carry around lots of sellable loot – specifically rifles and shotguns, a half-dozen or more at a time – in order to earn enough money to buy other necessities and repair your favorite gear. So the fewer cans of condensed milk on your person, the more firearms you can lug back to camp.
Finally, don’t waste your time lugging around broken guns, marked with a red icon in the inventory menus. Vendors won’t buy them, and unless they’re especially rare you’re better off buying a new gun than repairing an old one.
Prioritize repairing your gear
In STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, prioritizing the repair of your gear is crucial for survival in the harsh Zone. Weapons and armor degrade with use and damage, leading to reduced effectiveness-guns become prone to jamming and armor loses its protective value. To keep your equipment in top condition, you need to find a technician, marked by a wrench icon on your map, typically located in settlements like Zalissya. Repairing gear requires spending in-game currency (coupons), and the cost depends on the item’s value and damage level. Regular maintenance ensures your weapons perform reliably in combat and your armor provides necessary protection, significantly increasing your chances of surviving encounters with mutants and hostile humans.
Traipsing around in knee-deep river water and stumbling into anomalies – like for instance, a floating field of glass shards, or a nasty gust of phantasmal wind that can throw you for a loop – is a sure-fire way to damage your health. But while you can apply a bandage, the clothes on your back aren’t so easily mended. Even your guns will begin to show wear and tear inside the inventory screen, where you can track the degradation of your gear in real time. That’s right, the game world doesn’t pause when you open up the menus, so check your surroundings before you bust out that PDA.
Speaking from experience, once you’ve burned through say 10% of your suit’s available durability, you’re going to be looking at thousands of coupons in repairs. If you turn on your heel right then, and get home with less than 20% of damage done, you might be able to keep your costs below 10,000 depending on what you’re wearing. Go any further than that – especially with the game’s more exotic, mid- and late-game armor and weapons – and you’ll be looking at a very hefty butcher’s bill indeed. Plan your finances, such as they are, accordingly, lest you get caught out of doors with broken or damaged equipment or, worse yet, a shell case caught stovepiped in the receiver of your previously trusty AK.
Bring a shotgun
When heading into the dangerous world of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, bringing a shotgun is a smart choice for beginners. Shotguns are highly effective at close range, especially against mutants like Bloodsuckers, which can appear suddenly and attack in melee. Having a shotgun allows you to quickly deal with these threats, particularly when you can trap them against a wall or in tight spaces for a powerful blast. This weapon is also useful for conserving ammo, as it can take down enemies efficiently without the need for many shots. Upgrading and maintaining your shotgun early on can greatly improve your survivability in the unpredictable Zone.
Semi- and fully-automatic weapons are fun and all, what with all the mode selector switches and attachments and scopes and stuff. But there is no substitute for a cheap, easy-to-repair smoothbore shotgun and a dozen rounds of 20-gauge slug rounds. Bring 50 or so buckshot just to be on the safe side, and make sure to get in close. Staggering one enemy and then pecking away at another is sometimes the only way to make it out of a STALKER 2 gunfight alive.
What are the top five beginner tips to survive in STALKER 2’s harsh Zone
Here are the top five beginner tips to survive in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl’s harsh Zone:
-
Use the Environment to Your Advantage
Always be cautious-if something looks dangerous, it probably is. Use anomalies strategically by luring enemies into them to avoid direct combat and conserve ammo. This tactic works well against mutants and less intelligent foes. -
Manage Ammo and Weapons Efficiently
Ammo is scarce, so avoid spraying bullets unnecessarily. Switch firing modes to conserve ammo and always unload weapons you find to collect spare rounds. Prioritize economical weapons like the AK-74U and shotguns early on, as their ammo is more common in the Zone. -
Repair Gear Early and Often
Weapons and armor degrade with use, reducing their effectiveness. Repair your gear as soon as possible to avoid costly repairs later and to ensure your equipment is reliable in combat. -
Listen to Your Geiger Counter and Surroundings
Your Geiger counter warns of nearby radioactive hotspots-heed its signals to avoid contamination. Also, trust your ears: footsteps, howls, and artifact detector beeps can alert you to nearby threats or anomalies, giving you time to react. -
Avoid Unnecessary Combat and Save Resources
Not every fight is worth it. Many enemies drop little to no loot, so sneak past when possible or use stealth kills to conserve ammo. Use bandages to stop bleeding effects promptly and retreat if overwhelmed. Learning when to fight and when to flee is key to survival.
Following these tips will help you navigate the Zone’s dangers more effectively and increase your chances of survival in STALKER 2.
How can I use anomalies to my advantage in combat situations
In STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, you can use anomalies to your advantage in combat by strategically luring enemies into these hazardous environmental traps, causing them damage without expending your own ammo. Anomalies emit deadly effects like radiation, electricity, or gravitational distortions that can severely weaken or kill foes caught inside them. By provoking enemies to chase or fight you near an anomaly, you can let the anomaly inflict damage over time, effectively turning the environment into a weapon. This tactic is especially useful against mutants and less intelligent enemies who can be baited into these zones. Additionally, understanding the types of anomalies and their effects allows you to combine them with your weapons or tactics for maximum impact, such as triggering chain reactions or exploiting enemy weaknesses.
