S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: 40-hour nonlinear story, 4 endings, and other new details revealed

According to GSC, the storyline in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is nonlinear, and its development depends on the player's decisions, making the completion time indefinite; however, the main storyline takes approximately 40 hours.

The central storyline has four possible endings. Side quests also offer alternative ending options and impact the main plot. The full extent of narrative content cannot be seen through a single playthrough.

The gameplay promises to be hardcore, with players needing to survive without clear hints. Important elements include bandaging wounds to stop bleeding.

In S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, each monster has its own AI system, making them unpredictable. For example, wild dogs won't attack alone, but if they are in a group, they may attempt to hunt the player.

Each creature has its own behavior model (photo: Epic Games)

For the gameplay demonstration, a checkpoint save system was used, but the final version will have a classic anywhere save system.

The release will include special guides to help players improve their survival skills in the dangerous world, which is absent in the demo version.

The game will feature stealth with silent knife takedowns, weapon modifications (requiring finding special NPCs) and their characteristics, rare weapons (including sci-fi-like ones), and the ability to use the environment in combat.

No enemy in the game will survive a direct headshot (photo: Gamersky)

On Xbox consoles, developers aim for 60 frames per second in performance mode (with the option to choose quality mode), and system requirements for PC will be announced closer to the release, although GTX 1060 is planned to be kept as the minimum.

The premiere of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is expected in the first quarter of 2024 on PC (Steam, GOG, EGS, Microsoft Store), Xbox Series X, S, and Game Pass. The game is currently in the polishing stage, and the exact release date will be announced later.