Finally, STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl is finally upon us. First announced 14 years ago, resurrected in 2018, then delayed from 2022 to the end of this year due to Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, the release of the hardcore open-world FPS has been a long time coming. And as I write this on launch day – just minutes away from the release of the Xbox and Windows PC exclusive – its review embargo is lifted, resulting in dozens of reviews being posted reviews on the web.

At the time of writing, STALKER 2 has an overall “generally favorable” rating of around 77/100 on the aggregation site. Metacriticwith an average of 76/100 based on 44 Windows PC reviews and an average of 79/100 based on 12 Xbox Series X|S reviews. Most reviews give it a score between 80 and 90, but there are many reviews in the 70s and even into the 60s. Here is a summary of the quotes and scores that show the range of opinions:

• Inveterate gamer (100/100): “Stalker 2 is nothing short of a miracle. Developed by Ukrainian studio GSC Game World for seven years in the midst of a pandemic and war – among many other challenges – Stalker 2 is a work of love and the best kind of sequel While many long-running franchises have strayed from their roots in an (often misguided) attempt to appeal to as many players as possible, Stalker 2 knows its target audience well and delivers exactly that. the type of game we were hoping for.”
• Rant of the game (90/100): “Overall, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is truly something special. It’s not perfect, but it manages to succeed in some major areas that many other games fail in. Its open world is one of the best I’ve played in quite a while, but its morally gray and choice-driven narrative is also worth writing about, with the immense amount of player power it offers, the combat of Stalker 2 is challenging and exciting, and there is almost never a dull moment when players explore the Zone. As long as players can overcome some of its flaws that are arguably overshadowed by its best features, they will find it a memorable and interesting experience. in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl.
• PC gamer (83/100): “Just like old times, performance issues and bugs don’t stop the crazy and wonderful heart of Stalker from shining through.”
• VG247 (80/100): “Making games is hard no matter what, and the fact that the team was able to put together a package like this that is so serious, so passionate in its revisitation of a world enshrined in history of PC gaming, is beyond impressive. It’s an admirable feat that I hope isn’t lost on the general public who don’t know much about games outside of their playing time. Stalker 2 to fans of the series Stalker, obviously, and to anyone who loves open-world FPS games and distinct sci-fi. The good news is that it’s available on Game Pass, so you can pay less than full price and try it.
• The player (60/100): “Overall, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a perfectly average open-world survival shooter. It’s an interesting setting with well-realized characters, but it’s held back by less satisfying gunplay and a good ordinary game. “It’s enough” exploration I wouldn’t recommend it to everyone But if you’re a fan of games like Fallout: New Vegas, or if you enjoyed the old Stalker games, then this one. -this deserves to be follow up.
• VGC (40/100): “Stalker 2 could be a great game in a few years, but what’s presented at launch is a technical mess that doesn’t capitalize on its best ideas. Compelling side stories and a brilliant setting do the heavy lifting, but at launch Stalker 2 is not an adventure we highly recommend embarking on.”

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STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl — Launch Trailer – YouTube

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