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S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl | Review Thread

The fact that this game is a 74 on metacritic is crazy. The game is broken and has serious problems that impact the playability. This is at best a 5/10. It doesn't matter how good the idea is if it's executed poorly. This just shows the shoddy state of game journalism. 7/10 is for average games with competent performance not for broken messes. If you're fan and want to support the devs, thats fine. However, lets call a spade a spade. Despite the context of the development cycle, this release is unacceptable

Edited: not a microsoft product.
 
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acm2000

Member
The fact that this game is a 74 on metacritic is crazy. The game is broken and has serious problems that impact the playability. This is at best a 5/10. It doesn't matter how good the idea is if it's executed poorly. This just shows the shoddy state of game journalism. 7/10 is for average games with competent performance not for broken messes. If you're fan and want to support the devs, thats fine. However, lets call a spade a spade. Despite the context of the development cycle, this release is unacceptable. Microsoft should have eaten the cost and delayed the game.

Microsoft, is a joke for this and this is why they will not regain the relevance they once had in the gaming industry. I'm not saying if it were be delayed, it'd be 10/10. However, there should be a minimum expected level of polish when buying a microsoft product but, they consistently toss out junk. Redfall, State of Decay, Halo MCC, Stalker 2, etc are some of the many potential good games that were rushed out to the detriment of consumers.
nice try but this isnt a microsoft product
 

N30RYU

Member
My friend loved the launch trailer... donwloaded it on gamepass and drop it after 2 hours 'cause his word "isn't nearly fluid"
 

Rosoboy19

Member
Sorry but this is awful on XSX. Even with VRR, there's hitching and stutters. And whilst the 30fps mode is more stable. The controls feel off. There's no deadzone adjustment and its set far too aggressively. Which results in occasional drift with the slightest of movement. But even over looking that, the actual movement of the cross hairs feels off. Fidelity is actually not so bad, but it runs/feels horrible.

I'm out. This is shit in its current state.
It would be hilarious if the Series S was somehow the best running version of the game.
 

Bry0

Member
I have read all the bullet points in OP and sounds like game is great, just alot of bugs and jank. MC isn't horrible either.

But this thread is shitting on this game alot.

Who's played the game? Enlighten me what's going on here
System warz. It’s a timed Xbox console exclusive, thus we get the worst(best) of gaf.
 
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The Cockatrice

I'm retarded?
hSKxeZC.png




Oh My God Wow GIF
Weird Al What GIF by First We Feast
 

acm2000

Member
Well, I take it back. I thought they were acquired by Microsoft as this game is on Gamepass.
sorry to disappoint your narrative but MS just gave them money so they could actually get the game out given whats going on for them and in return they got exclusivity for a while (12 months? who knows if they even have the man power currently to port it)

couple hours in and no bugs so far on series x bar a few pop in glitches, its kicking me in the tits tho thats for sure :LOL:
 
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M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
M1chl M1chl this avatar bet is so close!

Basically currently I’ve won but if it flicks up a point it’s a draw.

A month of this avatar could await you soon:

SY8DNN9.png
Will do so with honor, lets wait until tomorrow, I am currently really busy to check the progress of reviews
 

clarky

Gold Member
I have read all the bullet points in OP and sounds like game is great, just alot of bugs and jank. MC isn't horrible either.

But this thread is shitting on this game alot.

Who's played the game? Enlighten me what's going on here
Played around 3 hours. The atmosphere is incredible but its full of the expected jank. If you liked the other games youll like this.

7/10 so far could be a 9 without the bugs
 
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Zug

Member
I only played the first hour or so, but as a fan of the first 3 games, I can say that they really respected the legacy of the franchise, the atmosphere is the same so it feels like home, and the gameplay has not been dumbed down for "modern audience".
On a 5800x3D / 4070ti it runs okay-ish at DLSS quality 4k max settings but I'll have to tone that down most likely.
This is a game that will likely benefit a lot from patches, and most likely modding (I hope it'll be a thing !)

We're back in the zone boys !
 
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Assburger.

Neo Member
Holy balls this game is quite a mess. The atmosphere is wonderful of course, but the bugs and constant performance issues drag the whole experience, it's like getting a nice bj but every 30 seconds you get a staggering bite on the nuts that kind of makes you wish you were doing something else instead, and it's not a "love bite" mind you, it's a "i have muscles spasms bite", and my love is not strong enough to deal with a bleeding sack.

I'm gonna wait for a few patches 'cause i ain't got enough nostalgia brain damage to deal with this shite bruh.
 

amigastar

Member
After 3 hours in… STALKER is back in full force, the Atmosphere, the gameplay, everything is here 😍😍.
Good to hear, I've only played for an hour but i like what i see and performance has been good too on PC with an RTX 4070 and DLSS and all that good stuff.
 

kevboard

Member
so... it plays like absolute shit on controller.
gonna have to download it on PC I guess.

once again developers who don't know that axial deadzones are objectively bad, devs that don't know that it's important to have deadzone settings, and devs that think the turn speed of a turtle is fast enough.

also, the left stick is badly mapped as well. while sprinting it's almost impossible to move straight forward. the moment you go off center even a nanometer, you'll sprint diagonally.

no button mapping of course either 😑
 
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phant0m

Member
Holy balls this game is quite a mess. The atmosphere is wonderful of course, but the bugs and constant performance issues drag the whole experience, it's like getting a nice bj but every 30 seconds you get a staggering bite on the nuts that kind of makes you wish you were doing something else instead, and it's not a "love bite" mind you, it's a "i have muscles spasms bite", and my love is not strong enough to deal with a bleeding sack.

I'm gonna wait for a few patches 'cause i ain't got enough nostalgia brain damage to deal with this shite bruh.
So, exactly like STALKER: SoC when it came out lol
 

phant0m

Member
I have read all the bullet points in OP and sounds like game is great, just alot of bugs and jank. MC isn't horrible either.

But this thread is shitting on this game alot.

Who's played the game? Enlighten me what's going on here
Not specific to STALKER, GAF has shat on *everything* the last 6 months, save Stellar Blade I guess?

Veilguard? Trash
PS5 Pro? Trash
SW Outlaws? Trash
Your TV? Trash
Horizon/Aloy? Trash
SH2 Remake? Definitely gonna be Trash (oops)
Games that haven’t released yet? Trash
 

delishcaek

Member
It launching in a broken state was to be expected after the previews... It's a shame really but also kinda on brand. Stalker back in the day launched in a much worse state, though.

Anyway Call of Pripyat is one of my favorite games so I am looking forward to eventually playing this one someday... I also waited 2 years for Cyberpunk.
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Holy balls this game is quite a mess. The atmosphere is wonderful of course, but the bugs and constant performance issues drag the whole experience, it's like getting a nice bj but every 30 seconds you get a staggering bite on the nuts that kind of makes you wish you were doing something else instead, and it's not a "love bite" mind you, it's a "i have muscles spasms bite", and my love is not strong enough to deal with a bleeding sack.

I'm gonna wait for a few patches 'cause i ain't got enough nostalgia brain damage to deal with this shite bruh.
Suspicious Kelsey Grammer GIF by Paramount+
 

Heisenberg007

Gold Journalism
Not specific to STALKER, GAF has shat on *everything* the last 6 months, save Stellar Blade I guess?

Veilguard? Trash
PS5 Pro? Trash
SW Outlaws? Trash
Your TV? Trash
Horizon/Aloy? Trash
SH2 Remake? Definitely gonna be Trash (oops)
Games that haven’t released yet? Trash
Yeah, this is true.

And not just GAF. I think the Internet chatter as a whole has become quite negative about games. More often than not, they have to eat crow but come back in full negativity force the next time anyway.

It seems enjoyment has become secondary to criticism. While some things are objectively bad and can/should be criticized, pre-emptive pessimism has been quite awful in the last year or two.
 
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