Summary
- The highly anticipated STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has gone gold, confirming its release after a lengthy development time.
- The game's realism and immersive atmosphere are emphasized in the new trailer, along with pre-order bonuses like usable in-game items.
- Players can explore a vast open-world full of dangers and choices in Chernobyl's Exclusion Zone when STALKER 2 releases on November 20, 2024.
Fans patiently waiting for the release of STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl won't have to wait much longer, as the game has finally gone gold, signaling the final stretch before its release. The November 20, 2024 release date of STALKER 2 will mark the end of a lengthy development saga for the game, marked by multiple delays.
The original STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl game from 2007 took inspiration from classic Soviet-era science fiction stories, setting the game in the "Exclusion Zone" surrounding the Ukrainian city of Chernobyl, which was depopulated by a nuclear reactor meltdown in 1986. Featuring realistic gunplay, challenging survival mechanics, and a tense, apocalyptic atmosphere, STALKER became a beloved classic among shooter fans, and arguably one of the earliest modern open-world survival games. Unfortunately for fans eager to see a sequel, STALKER 2's development path has been a long, bumpy road, marked by delays, the dissolution and reformation of developer GSC Game World itself, and the outbreak of war between Ukraine and Russia. The saga was even the subject of a documentary film called War Game: The Making of STALKER 2, focused on the series' history and the effects of the war on staff at GSC Game World.
That road, however, has reached a turning point. GSC Game World announced via the game's official channels that STALKER 2 has "gone gold." The term "gone gold" is game industry parlance for when a game in development is officially considered ready for release, with gold-colored physical "master discs" printed and sent to distributors for duplication and delivery to stores. Thus, players can expect to see a release-ready game on PC and Xbox Series consoles on November 20, 2024, nearly 15 years after the very first announcement of a STALKER sequel in 2010. The announcement also included a brief new trailer for the game.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl Goes Gold, Details Pre-Order Bonuses
The trailer itself mainly consists of brief snippets of footage from STALKER 2 emphasizing the game's tense atmosphere, set against a slowly rising heartbeat. Between this and other released bits of info about STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl features, it's fairly clear that GSC Game World is looking to emphasize the sense of realism and immersion that drew players to the original series. GSC Game World also confirmed that players who pre-order the game will receive some bonus items for use in-game.
The STALKER 2 pre-order bonuses seem to have some utility for players early in their Zone adventure. The "Veteran" rifle will have customized attachments and a built-in radiation meter, while the "Tourist" suit has optimized storage for items. Some bonuses contribute to the atmosphere of a game set in Chernobyl, like the "Stalker" backpack with a special "Early Bird" squad patch, or the unlocking of additional guitar tunes and stories to listen to when resting at a campfire.
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OpenCritic Reviews
- Top Critic Avg: 75 /100 Critics Rec: 64%
- Released
- November 20, 2024
- ESRB
- Mature 17+ / Blood and Gore, Intense Violence, Strong Language, Use of Alcohol and Tobacco
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- Publisher(s)
- GSC Game World
WHERE TO PLAY
Chornobyl Exclusion Zone has changed dramatically after the second massive explosion in the year 2006. Violent mutants, deadly anomalies, and warring factions have made the Zone a very tough place to survive.
Nevertheless, artifacts of unbelievable value attracted many people called S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, who entered the Zone for their own risk, striving to make a fortune out of it or even to find the Truth concealed in the Heart of Chornobyl.
EPIC NONLINEAR STORY IN SEAMLESS OPEN WORLD
Take over a role of the lone stalker and explore photorealistic seamless open world in a 64-km² radioactive zone with a variety of environments that reveal post-apocalyptic atmosphere from different angles. Make your way through the Zone to define your destiny as you choose your paths within highly branching epic story.
VARIETY OF ENEMIES AND HUNDREDS OF WEAPON COMBINATIONS
Meet members of different factions deciding who of them worth your friendship and who deserve a bullet. Engage intense gunfights with a variety of enemies that follow different tactics trying to outsmart you. Choose your preferable firearms from 30+ types of weapons with numerous modifications that allow creating hundreds of distinctive lethal combinations.
LEGENDARY MUTANTS WITH DIFFERENT BEHAVIOUR MODELS
Prepare to encounter horrifying mutated creatures that will try to slaughter you following different behaviour model. Each mutant may appear in different subtypes which makes their behaviour less predictible. Truly extreme danger represent regions with lairs with numerous mutants hunting in large groups.
ARTIFACTS OF INCREDIBLE VALUE AND UNFORGIVING ANOMALIES
The most valuable artifacts and secrets of the Zone are hidden in the most dangerous places. Beware of the hazardous anomalies and unique devastating arch-anomalies as you hunt for highly valuable artifacts scattered around the Zone. Will you dare to unveil the mysteries of the Zone that took lives of many others before you?
GOOD HUNTING, STALKER!
- Engine
- Unreal Engine 5
- Franchise
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
- Platform(s)
- PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X, Xbox Series S, PC
- Genre(s)
- First-Person Shooter, Open-World, Post-Apocalyptic, Survival
