A Promising Game Hindered by Bugs and Issues

As night fell over the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, I found myself stealthily moving through the dense grass. My objective was to meet a contact, but traversing the “Zone,” with its eerie yet strangely captivating irradiated landscapes, was no easy task. I paused to consult my map, plotting out my route. Suddenly, a huge feral pig emerged from the shadows, charging at me with lethal force. I barely managed to recover, retaliate with a few shots, and patch myself up before a second pig blindsided me.

Just then, my game stumbled—a drop in framerate led to a crash. Reloading seemed futile as more pigs appeared out of thin air, and the game crashed once again. Frustrated but not surprised, I’ve frequently encountered these bugs and crashes in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. It’s unfortunate because when the game does function as intended, it offers a unique and challenging survival experience that demands quick thinking to stay alive.

Despite these setbacks, just being able to play S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 on my Xbox Series X feels like a small miracle.

### The Long Road to Stalker 2’s Release

The journey to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2’s release has been nothing short of tumultuous. The open-world FPS survival game was initially announced in 2010 for a 2012 launch. However, when GSC Game World folded in 2011, the original version of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 was canned the following year.

A resurgence in 2014 brought the rebirth of GSC Game World as they released the RTS sequel, Cossacks 3. Come 2018, they renewed their commitment to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2, flashing glimpses of hope at E3 2021 during Microsoft’s showcase. The future seemed promising.

Then, February 2022 turned everything upside down as Russia invaded Ukraine, where GSC Game World is based. This upheaval vastly disrupted the development process as developers fled the war or joined the resistance. Eventually, operations relocated to Prague, necessitating some casting changes due to losses and disappearances, postponing the December 2022 release to 2023 and then 2024. Initially planned for September, the release was finally successful on November 20.

I share this tale to highlight the achievement of GSC Game World in making S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 available on Xbox and PC today. It’s a testament to their resilience and dedication.

### Stalker 2: A Janky Yet Impressive Experience

However, let’s be frank—S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is currently a bit of a mess. On Xbox Series X/S, I’ve faced numerous issues ranging from flickering textures to abrupt crashes and even broken quests. Conversations with PC players reveal that while it fares better with a robust setup, performance issues still linger. Right now, the top mods are solely focused on improving the game’s stability.

And yet, despite everything, I find myself drawn back to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2. Hidden beneath the technical quirks is a gripping and engrossing survival game.

Engagements in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 are genuinely tense. When you hear gunfire in its hyper-realistic wasteland, you don’t charge toward it like in Fallout or Borderlands. You quickly find cover, sizing up what’s happening from safety. Vulnerability is the status quo here. Enemies are bullet sponges, mutants lethal, and resources—ammo and health items—sparingly scarce.

At one point, I was so scarce on ammo that I scavenged bullets from fallen enemies mid-battle just to stay in the fight. Crawling through mud in the dark, desperately clutching onto a few bullets while my character bled out, is an experience rare in the contemporary landscape of open-world games in 2024.

It’s regrettable that these immersive firefights often coincide with severe framerate drops, persistent quest markers, and even crashes. Thankfully, a Day 0 update has alleviated some issues.

### Is Stalker 2 Primed for Play, or Should You Wait?

Recommending S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 right now is tricky. It’s undoubtedly one of the most bug-ridden games I’ve encountered in ages. While GSC Game World is evidently determined to resolve these issues, the current state is underwhelming.

Regrettably, I couldn’t fully explore the game to deliver a complete review due to frequent technical hurdles that hindered progress before launch.

Despite the developers’ hardships, it’s essential to note that, particularly on Xbox, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 remains significantly dysfunctional.

If you’re willing to endure the bugs and are on the lookout for an open-world game that deviates from the typical RPG-lite formula, it’s worth exploring, especially since it’s available on Game Pass for PC and Xbox.

For everyone else, it might be wise to sit tight and observe how future patches and community mods enhance S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.