S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl does not have a standard tutorial before throwing players into danger. Instead, it approaches the game with a form of trial by fire. Players will have explanations appear on-screen, explaining what things are and how to use mechanics, but only as they become relevant in the moment.
Something less obvious comes in the form of a bar beneath the compass. Sometimes this bar will be blue, sometimes it will be red, and players may not fully understand what it all means. Players can even disable this bar all together in order to make the game even more terrifying.
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Red Bar Below Compass In STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Players may have noticed a little bar that appears below their compass in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, and since there is no tutorial surrounding this GUI mechanic, a lot of players may find themselves scratching their heads at what it means. The compass has many features, with this being known as the Threat Indicator.
The player will notice this bar fills up with a blue line as they move around, as they are making noise when they do so. While players stand still, it can start to empty, making this a good time to open their inventory to sort through their items. Should this bar, at any moment in the game, turn red, it means the player is actively in combat. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a very ominous game with many different kinds of enemies, and it will establish just how dangerous the world can be early on.
During the mission, There and Back Again, players will drop from a grate, where their Threat Indicator will turn red for the first time as an enemy will charge at them from beyond the darkness. Players will also encounter an enemy with the ability to turn invisible after collecting an Artifact. This helps set the tone for just how atmospheric and dangerous the game will be. Players are able to disable this feature by heading to Settings, clicking on the UI tab, and setting the Threat Indicator option to Disabled.
Players will see small red triangles beneath their compass appear when they are being attacked by hostile human enemies. These will turn to gray exes to indicate where their bodies are after they have been killed. This helps players know where they will be shot at from, and where to loot once combat resolves — removing the gray exes in the process.
How To Make Time Pass In Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl has a dynamic day and night cycle and allows players to manually skip to a preferred time by sleeping.
Compass Turning Yellow in STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Players may expect a fight to break out when their compass suddenly starts to glow yellow, but this is not the case. This feature merely means the player has entered a search area. Players should still keep an eye on their compass while it glows yellow, as the Threat Indicator will help let them know if an enemy has spotted them while they are busy searching. The game has an incredible focus on sound, with small twig snaps, rolling objects, and other small touches. This makes it a very immersive game that many S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Fans will appreciate.
Players might always be on edge, thinking what they heard might be an enemy trying to sneak up on them, but so long as the bar is not red, they are not actively being targeted by any enemies.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
- Released
- November 20, 2024
WHERE TO PLAY
- Developer(s)
- GSC Game World
- 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
