S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has received the first ratings from the specialized press. The game has 76 points out of 100 on Metacritic (PC version), 82 points for Xbox Series X/S and 77 points for OpenCritic, where only 62% of critics recommend the game for purchase.
While journalists generally recognize the uniqueness of the project, there is no consensus in their assessments: for some, it is an exciting adventure in a post-apocalyptic world, for others, it is a game that is too raw and has numerous technical problems.
Critics especially praised the game’s atmosphere and open world — an incredibly detailed 64-square-kilometer Zone with dynamic weather, day and night cycles, and unique anomalies. The Verge describes «dark purple sky of solid clouds» and «giant rusty mechanisms that create an eerie silhouette». GameRant emphasizes, that «every little noise makes you turn your head and aim through the sights».
The combat system was also highly praised — more refined than in previous installments, but just as uncompromising. Critics also praise the survival mechanics and the interaction of different game systems: from clashes between warring factions to mutant hunting.
However, the technical state of the game has caused serious criticism. In Rock Paper Shotgun notedthat it is «the most hacked FPS» in recent years, The Verge characterized the game as «a glorious and beautiful pain in the ass». Critics have complained about numerous bugs — from innocuous animation issues to serious crashes that can prevent you from completing quests.
They also note problems with AI enemies that can ignore threats or appear out of nowhere, and performance drops even on powerful systems. PCGamer He adds The game’s designers have said that some game mechanics, such as expensive equipment repairs and a limited fast travel system, can be annoying for players.
Some of the reviews:
A journalist from PCGamer summarizes:
«It’s a great game, and definitely my personal game of the year, but there’s a caveat — S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. to the bone, and that means bad things too».
For Ukrainians, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl will be available on PC and Xbox Series X|S at 18:00. The developers promise to fix most of the technical issues through future updates.