Stalker 2's Expedition update brings A-Life improvements, harder difficulty options, and worsens bandits' eyesight

The Zone giveth, the Zone taketh away

I started a caller Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl tally this past weekend, and similar astir of my decisions, I present look backmost connected it with symptom and regret. Had I waited conscionable a mates much days, I could person begun anew with the roaming FPS's caller Expedition update, which is retired present and spans everything from trouble modes and inventory tweaks to force behaviour reworks and yet much upgrades to its A-Life simulation system.

Expedition, a.k.a. Update 1.7, is elaborate successful afloat implicit connected Steam. I see Stalker 2’s Zone to beryllium brutish capable that I apt won’t beryllium braving its caller Master difficulty, though the Expedition modifier – which tin beryllium applied connected caller games astatine little difficulties – sounds interesting. It limits your saves and forces you to bent retired with guitar-strumming chap stalkers astatine camps successful bid to grounds your progress, a twist that brings backmost (mostly) fond memories of Fallout 4’s Hardcore mode. Though successful a wide oversight, you can’t screen Stalker 2’s representation successful improvised bedrolls conscionable to make a web of sleep-operated savepoints.

Meanwhile! GSC Game World, successful their ongoing quest to physique a nine of persistently simulated gopniks, has refined however their A-Life strategy handles faction territories. The Zone’s assorted militias tin present cede crushed if they suffer the incorrect fights successful the incorrect places, and mutants – who person lairs of their ain – volition get progressive successful these borderline wars arsenic well. Outdoor gunfights whitethorn also, to punctuation the spot notes, "feel just astatine last", arsenic baddies volition nary longer person cleanable show done bushes, gangly grass, and reeds. Sneakier Skifs can, thus, fell successful the veg to evade oregon ambush passing goons – a marked improvement for Stalker 2’s different constricted stealth play.

Other highlights see an Immersion Mode that instantly switches disconnected the HUD, a mates of caller (if comparatively non-murderous) anomalies to stumble into, and a airy rejigging of the inventory surface that adds immoderate other item to point stats and presumption effects. I besides bask however knocking backmost vigor drinks similar an embittered Twitch streamer volition present induce an aim-ruining tremor; possibly it’s those wellness freaks astatine GSC Game World encouraging you to portion h2o instead. There’s a clump of bug fixes and insignificant show optimisations too.

I’d accidental there’s capable present to restart my restarted playthrough, thankfully and annoyingly, though successful my bosom of hearts I was ne'er successful the wait-for-updates campy to statesman with. I recovered Stalker 2 an enthralling wandering sim from the off, truthful heavy with eerie, post-apocalyptic ambiance that you could scope retired and propulsion handfuls of radioactive muck from it. And that’s a hard happening to propulsion off, particularly erstwhile your state is being invaded by a dictatorial petrostate, oregon idiosyncratic is trying to pinch your chopper models.