The GamePro review of
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl highlights significant technical and gameplay issues, resulting in a cautious purchase warning for the Xbox Series X version. Despite its ambitious scope as a 100-hour open-world survival shooter, the game suffers from numerous problems, including bugs, performance issues, and design flaws.
Key Takeaways:
- Technical Problems:
- Severe sound glitches disrupt the immersive survival experience.
- Persistent HUD issues, including flares and disappearances, impair navigation.
- Performance is inconsistent, with frame rate drops to unplayable levels in certain areas.
- Gameplay Issues:
- Buggy AI and spawning problems diminish the challenge, especially with enemies appearing abruptly or failing to interact correctly.
- Quest bugs often prevent progress in side and main missions.
- Numerous visual glitches, including clipping and graphical inconsistencies, undermine the atmosphere.
- General Critique:
- While the core gameplay and realistic survival mechanics occasionally shine, the game's unstable condition overshadows its potential.
- Preorder policies and the rushed delivery of review copies added to the concerns.
A
Day 1 patch was released late in the review phase, leaving some hope for improvements, but the game’s current state does not justify a recommendation. GamePro will revisit the game after further testing and a more thorough evaluation of the patch.
source