STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl transports players to the eerie “Zone of Alienation” that engulfs the ruined Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Here, danger lurks at every turn with supernatural anomalies, ferocious monsters, and all manner of mutated creatures waiting to pounce. As with any good post-apocalyptic world, the Zone teems with warring factions, each driven by unique motives and aspirations for what they seek to wrest from this treacherous land and its inhabitants.
In tackling hefty philosophical themes, the STALKER series delves into the complexity of human nature and the sacrifices people are prepared to make to fulfill their desires. Few factions in the STALKER universe can be deemed purely “good,” and Monolith is often painted as one of the most sinister.
Delving into the lore, we encounter The Group, a collection of Soviet scientists who seized the opportunity in 1986 to conduct clandestine experiments within the plant’s Exclusion Zone. This secluded locale was their playground for probing the Noosphere—an invisible energy field thought to influence human thoughts and emotions.
Following the USSR’s collapse, The Group persisted, uncovering breakthroughs that led to seven scientists banding together to form a hivemind known as the Common Consciousness. Through a merging process within stasis pods, these minds united into a disembodied force able to navigate and manipulate the Noosphere.
In 2006, an ill-fated intervention by the Common Consciousness led to another Chornobyl Disaster, which ripped open the Noosphere, generating bizarre Anomalies. The zone teemed with Stalkers hunting prized artifacts, regularly disrupting the Consciousness’s attempts to harness the resulting rift’s power.
To safeguard itself, the Common Consciousness birthed Monolith. This fanatical group believed in a sacred “Wish Granter” at the Zone’s core, committing themselves to its protection. The Consciousness exploited Monolith’s devotion, deploying the so-called “Brain Scorcher”—an antenna concocted to brainwash and conscript new converts from unsuspecting Stalkers venturing too near the Zone’s heart, swelling Monolith’s ranks with fervent defenders.
Yet even an entity like Monolith could not withstand the Zone’s harsh realities indefinitely. In the climactic moments of STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, the protagonist, Strelok, infiltrates the Chornobyl plant, rejecting the Consciousness’s plea to join them. He destroys the stasis pods holding the seven scientists, presumably obliterating the Common Consciousness and signaling the fall of Monolith as known to fans.
STALKER 2 revives this hauntingly historical sci-fi landscape, underscoring its integral place in gaming. The sequel promises a nonlinear adventure through a seamless open world, urging players to forge their destiny amid the Zone’s radioactive sprawl. Encounter diverse factions, decide whom to support or oppose, and engage in tactical battles, wielding a vast arsenal in a game shaped by the decisions you make throughout your journey.
The game is available on Xbox Series X and Series S, as well as Microsoft Windows, promising players an immersive experience powered by Unreal Engine 5.
