S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl may one day be a great game, but right now it's simply not ready for launch. Poor performance, myriad bugs and numerous under-baked and imbalanced design elements terminally wound the experience. My review: youtu.be/BRCLRAJkqjg?... - ThreadSky

skillup.bsky.social • 96 days ago

S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl may one day be a great game, but right now it's simply not ready for launch. Poor performance, myriad bugs and numerous under-baked and imbalanced design elements terminally wound the experience. My review: https://youtu.be/BRCLRAJkqjg?si=LWhqPveaQeeapkAl

Comments

levdergon.bsky.social•94 days ago

The complaints on performance and bugs are valid, but I have to say that your complaints over the inventory system and being over encumbered are not. You went in expecting it to be like Fallout where you can carry 20+ weapons, but it isn't like that in STALKER's case.

levdergon.bsky.social•94 days ago

Need to be strategic on what you carry and what you deem is best to take with you and what needs to be abandoned. Also always carry 2 primary guns and 1 sidearm and maybe 2 other weapons you plan to store or sell later. Also no need to carry a bakery's worth of bread or every single ammunition.

shalix.bsky.social•96 days ago

I watched the video before you posted it here. But I have to say, considering the number of setbacks the studio has faced, I am astounded they even got as far as they did with it. I hope it gets enough traction for a redemption story down the line Cyberpunk style. It's great to see you post here :)

ellowills.bsky.social•96 days ago

They have faced terrible setbacks, but the other stalker games were the same. Full of bugs and unoptimized.

ellowills.bsky.social•96 days ago

Games released in 2008 & 2009

j1nxf1nd3r.bsky.social•95 days ago

Your review was heartbreaking to watch. Im debating on waiting vs giving a try. I loved the original.

thebeardedscotsman.bsky.social•95 days ago

I'm guessing you played a pre-release build, because I'm playing on a Xbox series X and I haven't seen any bugs or glitches at all and I'm 7hrs in (obviously after the day one patch)

greennoisegc.bsky.social•95 days ago

I’m also playing on XSX, and I’ve only experienced very minor bugs in the handful of hours I’ve played. Things like getting stuck in the lean pose or the radial menu not playing ball. Having a great time overall so far.

oddy94.bsky.social•89 days ago

the removal of NTFs really left a gaping hole there /s

hymeir.bsky.social•96 days ago

You almost forgot to post the review on Bluesky didn’t you 👀

xskips.bsky.social•96 days ago

Seems like the day one patch has changed a lot of stuff, but it's still really broken.

It's a shame that they've given review codes out for a build of the game that differs so much from the ones people will play, leading to poor reviews.

I'll check it out on gamepass just to see for myself lol

cathoderayzone.bsky.social•95 days ago

I bought it to support the studio and will wait for some patches to drop before playing.

lafaussegauche.bsky.social•90 days ago

30 hours in and having a blast. This is the successor to the first trilogy we all been waiting for. It is a game that will be relevant in the next 20 years. This sort of games are so rare. Yes right now it is bugged and unoptimized, but if you're a fan of the series, you can see beyond that.

becky.posts.games•95 days ago

Definitely rough around the edges, but so far it's delivering exactly the kind of experience I wanted it to. I remember playing Shadow of Chernobyl and in some ways it was even worse than this. Hopeful it'll get plenty of updates, the real magic happens when mod support comes out.

dexdearborn.bsky.social•95 days ago

This is unfortunate. Stalker 2 was one of my more anticipated games. Hopefully they iron out the bugs and balance.

jim-the-player.bsky.social•81 days ago

Become a patient gamer - buy well-patched games, at a lower price.
Or look into Stalker Gamma if you haven't already. Very captivating, albeit complex game.

misterbump.bsky.social•94 days ago

I can only assume there was a big patch since the review code, because you make it sound like CP2077 launch and it's nowhere near as bad as that - I'd say it's considerably better than any Bethesda launch in fact. Also, I haven't had any issues with weight or weapon breaking....

dantedominion.bsky.social•95 days ago

I absolutely understand the setbacks they've had, but damn was I really hoping for a solid launch for them instead of another big game release mired with problems. I hope that they prioritize and start pumping out more patches first and then work on improving game features/mechanics I'm due time.

hondojarrus.bsky.social•96 days ago

Awesome review, as always.

And man, 💯 to your comments regarding "encumbrance" in general. The most essential mods I find myself installing on games in general are weight/encumbrance and, less often, fast travel.

nuttydepressor.bsky.social•96 days ago

Nah, part of the experience. I'm actually a little more excited now

vanjii.bsky.social•96 days ago

Considering the circumstances understandable

ducttapejake.bsky.social•96 days ago

I'm still going to give it a go using Gamepass, if only to get the player numbers up for any metrics Xbox may be tracking.
But also a lot of this sounds eerily similar to Stalker 1 at release lol.

shanaptic.bsky.social•95 days ago

I’m torn, on one hand I want to buy it and support them, on the other I just don’t buy games day 1 anymore. The best decision of my gaming hobby was letting myself fall behind so I get the play the best version of everything. Just starting cyberpunk and can’t imagine if I’d played it in the earlier.

barblehurgy.bsky.social•96 days ago

A rare game I want to support simply due to the story of the studio. It definitely helps to hear that there's something underneath the bugs here.

gamespersecond.bsky.social•96 days ago

I really wanted to love this game, but I'd much rather wait and play it when it's reached finished status

jcdenton205.bsky.social•96 days ago

another day another game released very buggy and unfinished

mgriesemer.bsky.social•96 days ago

Have you had the chance to play after the day 1 patch? The digital foundry guys said it improved traversal stability… obviously that’s 1 of 100 things you mentioned in the video but was just curious.

ojosflojos.bsky.social•96 days ago

Considering the state of the studio and it's devs, it's a miracle that the game's even out; will try it out later this day

gazmanclown.bsky.social•95 days ago

So glad I watched your review as it was downloading on steam . I refunded it before it had finished . Decided to boot gamepass up to find something to play , noticed it was on there, so downloaded it for free 😂. I owe you a beer sir .

hyp3rstrike.bsky.social•96 days ago

Glad I waited for the reviews.

hopeitgoeswell.bsky.social•95 days ago

Do it like me, pirate and then see if u think its worth to buy

distante1.bsky.social•93 days ago

The game is sold DRM-Free on GOG and will receive updates with patches. Developers deserve support (at least wait for a discount)

hopeitgoeswell.bsky.social•93 days ago

The ai system they marketed is simply missing, they removed all mentions of it on steam and performance is just not there

I like to try games before i buy them, specially 60$ ones

distante1.bsky.social•93 days ago

They rewrote the slogans because the average user doesn't know what A Life is, but the AI has problems with the current build. This does not mean that patches will not fix the situation

https://www.pcgamer.com/games/fps/stalker-2-devs-reassure-players-yes-a-life-2-0-is-in-the-game-no-its-not-working-right-and-yes-fixes-are-on-the-way/

hyp3rstrike.bsky.social•93 days ago

I ended up buying it and my rig struggles with it lol.

djnashurd.bsky.social•96 days ago

This sounds like the true STALKER 1 experience, bugs and all

mynameisnurf.bsky.social•96 days ago

As a massive STALKER simp, your review scared me to death this morning and I almost refunded it to wait.

Have to say after putting around 3 hours in so far I have loved every second of it. No major hiccups. Running pretty well on my rig (could be better). Gorgeous and overall very fun.

mcsquared789.bsky.social•96 days ago

Apparently a few patches for it has come out after the review

justpicksomething.bsky.social•95 days ago

Really makes you wonder why they bothered to release it in this state.

Even if they fix the issues, the lack of hype leading into it kinda preludes it from having a Cyberpunk-like comeback story.

webby.hunts.monster•96 days ago

V happy to skill up posting on here again, welcome in friend

sacdawgg.bsky.social•96 days ago

Great review as always. I will keep my eyes open on the bug and performance fixes. I have never played a Stalker game before but it seems like it is right up my alley.

natels.bsky.social•96 days ago

it seems like there were some huge patches that came out before the full release. Excited to try it out on gamepass.

diancecht.bsky.social•95 days ago

You can fully understand why Stalker 2 isn't living up to its full potential given the horrendous situation & conditions the devs are working under, I can't fathom what they are going through day by day.

xxoddjobxx.bsky.social•95 days ago

Shouldn’t have released it until it was fully ready

terryhb.bsky.social•96 days ago

It's a damn shame since I was rooting a lot for these devs. I understand they're not in the most optimal circumstances considering the war, and I do feel for them.

I hope things turn around.

doktorkazz.bsky.social•95 days ago

Does it have Cyberpunk 2077 potential?

actionkestrel.bsky.social•95 days ago

What a shit year for games

maxiprince.bsky.social•96 days ago

So much for Phil Spencer calling the game a Game of the year contender then.

ultimabass.com•96 days ago

This is a game that got delayed multiple times and had a long development cycle to; very disheartening. :(

transmentalme.bsky.social•95 days ago

So basically every other S.T.A.L.K.E.R game, perfect. Can't wait to dive in tonight.

bayouboi.bsky.social•95 days ago

Remember that the game was developed during a global pandemic and an armed invasion in which GSC lost some of their developers.

I’m having a great time playing and I’m more than willing to give them some leeway after all they’ve been through.

Also the way you describe the difficulty is expected.

spidgeon.bsky.social•94 days ago

Seems like the release version was definitely not the same version that you reviewed. While the frame rate isn't great I haven't encountered nearly as many of the issues you have.

jtgames.bsky.social•96 days ago

It is amazing they released it even in it's current state. Hoping the initial sales will at least help devs help their families in a war torn country. I look forward to seeing a documentary on this games development at some point. *Wink wink* @secondwind.bsky.social or @noclipvideo.bsky.social

sil3nthunt3r.bsky.social•96 days ago

I hope the developer is able to fix a lot of the performance issues and bugs, this game had such a storied development

enigmaindex.bsky.social•96 days ago

Yo shillup thanks for the book recommendation

lonelyknightess.bsky.social•96 days ago

The comments are wild. As a STALKER fangirl, STALKER fans can be absolutely obnoxious.

coalabr14.bsky.social•96 days ago

It must have been such a challenge to ship a game under the circumstances

highkingofgondor.bsky.social•95 days ago

Kinda figured it’d release buggy. Definitely a game to get after several patches, several months later

dashman420.bsky.social•95 days ago

I played about 2hrs on my series x so far had a few glitches and performance issues but honestly given that it was being developed in a literal warzone I'm cool with it, in time it will get better.

jack-burton.bsky.social•95 days ago

Did you play with the day 1 patch?

squallthegoat.bsky.social•96 days ago

Given the times that we live in and the utter messes we so often get at launch, all the Xbox timed exclusives will feel like beta tests for the coming PS5 version. 😅 but yeah it’s sad to hear, that team really deserved more!

thawhid.co.uk•96 days ago

It's a testament to their talent that we got what we got considering what's happening. Part of me wants to buy it now to support but think it'll be a 'at a later date' sort of thing

johnboyeee.bsky.social•96 days ago

Any word on Xbox performance? Played through to the title card and didn’t seem too bad, but I’m not fully in the true open world yet.

a-s-d-666.bsky.social•95 days ago

getting it on the 28th (payday) regardless, this is my sorta jam. also looks like your CPU issues were due to Nvidia driver problems, i run an AMD card and i'm getting consistent reports across the board it's running better on AMD hardware - looking forward to giving this a shot :)

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