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https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-HERO.jpeg?ar=16%3A9&fit=crop&crop=top&auto=format&w=1440&q=80 1440w" src="https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-HERO.jpeg?ar=16%3A9&fit=crop&crop=top&auto=format&w=1440&q=80"/></div><div class="nutshell_nutshell__UxfHW nutshell"></div><div class="ratings_review-rating__GiuQm undefined"><div class="ratings_rating__not-full__KCaXq"><span class="ratings_rating__on__fcPxo"><svg viewBox="0 0 24 24"><defs><linearGradient id="nocyh4taq2p"><stop offset="50%" class="ratings_rating-on-stop__QctxR"></stop><stop offset="50%" class="ratings_rating-off-stop__ZMrvK" stop-opacity="1"></stop></linearGradient></defs><path class="ratings_star__tS6_8" d="M12 17.27l6.18 3.728-1.636-7.03L22 9.244l-7.19-.618-2.81-6.627L9.19 8.625 2 9.243l5.454 4.726-1.635 7.029L12 17.27z" fill="url(#nocyh4taq2p)"></path><rect x="0" y="0" width="24" height="24" fill="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)"></rect></svg></span><span class="ratings_rating__on__fcPxo"><svg 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4.726-1.635 7.029L12 17.27z" fill="url(#k2j5233rbi)"></path><rect x="0" y="0" width="24" height="24" fill="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0)"></rect></svg></span></div></div><hr class="article_hero-underline__zk7to"/><div class="authorDate_author__a0WHZ" data-test="author"><span class="authorDate_author__prefix__qkQQE">by </span><a class="authorDate_author__name__1Xkpl" href="/author/matt-kamen/" aria-label="Author page link" data-test="author-name">Matt Kamen</a><span> | </span><div class="authorDate_author__date__VfIhT" data-test="author-date"><span class="authorDate_author__modifiedAt__5g4fD">Published on</span><time dateTime="2024-11-22T15:46:43.000+00:00">22nd November 2024 at 3.46pm</time></div></div><div class="article_article-content__3auQJ false"><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p><strong>Platforms:</strong> Xbox Series X|S, PC</p> </span><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p><em>S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2</em> <em>will</em> be a good game. Possibly even a great one, especially for those who like their post-apocalyptic, sci-fi tinged survival outings to be tough-as-nails, demanding harsh resource management, and forcing difficult choices on them at every turn.</p> </span><div class="inlineImage_image-container__aklxu block-item" data-test="inline-image-container"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mO8/B8AAqsB1DKTUZgAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 100vw,(max-width: 992px) 66vw,50vw" srcSet="https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-1.jpg?auto=format&w=384&q=80 384w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-1.jpg?auto=format&w=480&q=80 480w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-1.jpg?auto=format&w=768&q=80 768w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-1.jpg?auto=format&w=992&q=80 992w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-1.jpg?auto=format&w=1200&q=80 1200w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-1.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80 1440w" src="https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-1.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80"/><div class="inlineImage_image-caption__lpyPW">CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 82</div></div><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p>Unfortunately, at launch, it is not that good, possibly great game that it could, and hopefully will one day be. It's an incredibly buggy excursion into The Zone, the nuclear wasteland first established way back in 2007's <em>S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl</em>, one where the challenges to your continued survival aren't so much the mutated creatures or heavily armed rivals, but rather the litany of glitches that sometimes make progress impossible.</p> </span><div class="pullQuote_pullquote__ynq1g" data-test="pullquote"><div class="pullQuote_pullquote__icon__JGpkh"><span></span></div><div class="pullQuote_pullquote__content__gRuai"> <blockquote> <p>When <em>S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2</em> is at its best (read: working), it does a magnificent job of drawing players into its horrific yet beautiful world.</p> </blockquote> </div></div><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p>We're talking early, game-breaking bugs, too. "Walk too close to a wall and get stuck in place" bugs. "Thing you need to pick up to proceed in the <em>tutorial</em> doesn't spawn" bugs. "Guns won't reload even when you have ammo" bugs. It's immensely frustrating at almost every turn, and often requires liberal reloading of saves to get past the glut of errors. Mercifully, autosaves are frequent and manual saves can be made at almost any point.</p> </span><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p>The challenge of mechanically playing the game are all on top of how wilfully, intentionally demanding it is. Even on lower difficulties, enemies are typically bullet sponges in a world where bullets are rationed. One of the very first monsters you'll encounter can turn invisible, with only the very faintest hint of spatial distortion around it as it zig-zags towards you to slash you to pieces. You can frequently be blindsided by foes, if not killed outright, without ever knowing where the attack came from. Oh, and then there are the psychic monstrosities that can turn your grey matter to mush and the reality-warping abnormalities that can tear the environment to pieces.</p> </span><div class="inlineImage_image-container__aklxu block-item" data-test="inline-image-container"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" data-nimg="fill" style="position:absolute;height:100%;width:100%;left:0;top:0;right:0;bottom:0;color:transparent;background-size:cover;background-position:50% 50%;background-repeat:no-repeat;background-image:url("data:image/svg+xml;charset=utf-8,%3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' %3E%3Cfilter id='b' color-interpolation-filters='sRGB'%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3CfeColorMatrix values='1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 100 -1' result='s'/%3E%3CfeFlood x='0' y='0' width='100%25' height='100%25'/%3E%3CfeComposite operator='out' in='s'/%3E%3CfeComposite in2='SourceGraphic'/%3E%3CfeGaussianBlur stdDeviation='20'/%3E%3C/filter%3E%3Cimage width='100%25' height='100%25' x='0' y='0' preserveAspectRatio='none' style='filter: url(%23b);' href='data:image/png;base64,iVBORw0KGgoAAAANSUhEUgAAAAEAAAABCAQAAAC1HAwCAAAAC0lEQVR42mO8/B8AAqsB1DKTUZgAAAAASUVORK5CYII='/%3E%3C/svg%3E")" sizes="(max-width: 767px) 100vw,(max-width: 992px) 66vw,50vw" srcSet="https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-2.jpg?auto=format&w=384&q=80 384w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-2.jpg?auto=format&w=480&q=80 480w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-2.jpg?auto=format&w=768&q=80 768w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-2.jpg?auto=format&w=992&q=80 992w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-2.jpg?auto=format&w=1200&q=80 1200w, https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-2.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80 1440w" src="https://images.bauerhosting.com/empire/2024/11/STALKER-2-BODY-2.jpg?auto=format&w=1440&q=80"/></div><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p>That challenge <em>is</em> part of the appeal though, at least for survival fans. As protagonist Skif, you're left for dead after an early excursion into The Zone, with only a meagre pistol to defend yourself, and having to overcome everything from radiation exposure to hunger. It makes every small victory feel hard earned, even if that victory is simply finding a med kit or bandage before bleeding out. Even as you progress, gaining more powerful weapons or more durable armour, you never feel like a titan as you might in something like <em><a href="https://www.empireonline.com/gaming/reviews/fallout-4-review/" target="_blank">Fallout</a></em>.</p> </span><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p>And, when <em>S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2</em> is at its best (read: working), it does a magnificent job of drawing players into its horrific yet beautiful world. Not only is The Zone a vast and richly detailed open world to explore (at your peril – the environment itself often wants you dead), but it's filled with multi-layered plots and quests upon quests that flesh out the setting and the rival factions battling for control over it. Every decision you make over who to align with or who to betray splinters outcomes into endless fractals which (again, one day) make for endless replayability.</p> </span><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p>But then you run into more bugs – quests that won't complete, NPCs who aren't visible, irradiated horrors that <em>won't</em> attack or show themselves but are still detected as nearby so you can't save. It feels as though there's always <em>something</em> pulling you out of the game, and while earlier <em>S.T.A.L.K.E.R.</em> games were renowned for their janky nature, this is at another level.</p> </span><div class="block-item"><div class="lazyLoad"></div></div><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p>Yet there has to be some forgiveness for the state of <em>S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2</em> at present. Developer GSC Game World is based in Ukraine, and you may have heard of a few goings on there in recent years that would explain a troubled development – not least of which is a good chunk of the studio relocating to Prague for their own safety.</p> </span><span class="content_content__i0P3p" data-test="content"> <p>A host of patches and fixes are already promised for <em>S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2</em> – six months from launch, this may be the phenomenal sci-fi survival horror it shows numerous signs of being. Unfortunately, it's far too buggy to be considered great at present, even by the most masochistic survival game fan.</p> </span></div><div class="verdict_verdict__740B2"></div><div class="disclaimer_disclaimer__Os2Y_" data-test="disclaimer">Just so you know, we may receive a commission or other compensation from the links on this website - <a href="/about-us/" aria-label="Action link">read why you should trust us</a></div><div id="bibblio-related-content"></div></article></main><footer class="footer_footer__jF3T9"><ul class="footer__links"><li data-test="Legal Info"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/legal-info/">Legal Info</a></li><li data-test="Privacy Policy"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://www.bauerdatapromise.co.uk/">Privacy Policy</a></li><li data-test="Your Ad Choices"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://static.bauercdn.com/cookiePolicy/policy.html">Your Ad Choices</a></li><li data-test="Subscription Complaints"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/complaints-procedure">Subscription Complaints</a></li><li data-test="Complaints"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://www.bauerlegal.co.uk/editorial-complaints-policy">Complaints</a></li><li data-test="Subscribe to Empire"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://www.greatmagazines.co.uk/empire-magazine?utm_medium=referral&utm_source=empireonline.com&utm_content=footersub&utm_campaign=bau_empire">Subscribe to Empire</a></li><li data-test="API"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/tmdb-api/">API</a></li><li data-test="About Us"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://www.empireonline.com/about-us/">About Us</a></li><li data-test="Speak Up"><a rel="noopener nofollow" target="" href="https://www.bauerlegal.co.uk/speak-up">Speak Up</a></li><li data-test="privacy-settings" id="eu-consent-ui"><a class="empty-link" href="/">Privacy Settings</a></li><li data-test="do-not-sell-my-information" id="us-consent-ui"><a class="empty-link" href="/">Do not sell my information</a></li></ul><div class="social_social-icons__DI2IJ"><ul><li data-test="social-icon-facebook"><a href="//www.facebook.com/empiremagazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Facebook"><img alt="Facebook" loading="lazy" width="20" height="20" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" srcSet="/assets/facebook.svg 1x, /assets/facebook.svg 2x" src="/assets/facebook.svg"/></a></li><li data-test="social-icon-twitter"><a href="//twitter.com/empiremagazine" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Twitter"><img alt="Twitter" loading="lazy" width="20" height="20" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" srcSet="/assets/twitter.svg 1x, /assets/twitter.svg 2x" src="/assets/twitter.svg"/></a></li><li data-test="social-icon-pinterest"><a href="//www.pinterest.com/empiremagazine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" aria-label="Pinterest"><img alt="Pinterest" loading="lazy" width="20" height="20" decoding="async" data-nimg="1" style="color:transparent" srcSet="/assets/pinterest.svg 1x, /assets/pinterest.svg 2x" src="/assets/pinterest.svg"/></a></li></ul></div><div class="footer__banner"><p>© 1962-2024 Bauer Media Group</p><p>Bauer Consumer Media Ltd, Company number 01176085; Bauer Radio Limited, Company number: 1394141; Registered office: Media House, Peterborough Business Park, Lynch Wood, Peterborough PE2 6EA and H Bauer Publishing, Company number: LP003328; Registered office: The Lantern, 75 Hampstead Road, London NW1 2PL</p><p>All registered in England and Wales. 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Chornobyl","subtitle":"","isAdvertorial":false,"isWordpressSite":true,"sourceUrl":"","sourceText":"","seo":{"__typename":"Seo","index":"index","follow":"follow"},"author":{"__typename":"Author","id":"227837","fullname":"Matt Kamen","furl":"matt-kamen","urlOverride":null,"published":{"__typename":"Published","state":"published"}},"author_custom":"","categories":[{"__typename":"Category","id":"20","name":"Reviews","furl":"reviews","parent":{"__typename":"Category","id":"19","name":"Games","furl":"gaming"}}],"sponsor":null,"_layout":[{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"**Platforms:** Xbox Series X|S, PC","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"_S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2_ _will_ be a good game. Possibly even a great one, especially for those who like their post-apocalyptic, sci-fi tinged survival outings to be tough-as-nails, demanding harsh resource management, and forcing difficult choices on them at every turn.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":null,"items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":{"__typename":"Image","fileName":"STALKER-2-BODY-1.jpg","path":"empire/2024/11","width":1600,"height":900},"title":"CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 82","caption":"CREATOR: gd-jpeg v1.0 (using IJG JPEG v62), quality = 82","altText":null,"credits":"","price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":[],"type":"images"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"Unfortunately, at launch, it is not that good, possibly great game that it could, and hopefully will one day be. It's an incredibly buggy excursion into The Zone, the nuclear wasteland first established way back in 2007's _S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chornobyl_, one where the challenges to your continued survival aren't so much the mutated creatures or heavily armed rivals, but rather the litany of glitches that sometimes make progress impossible.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"\u003e When _S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2_ is at its best (read: working), it does a magnificent job of drawing players into its horrific yet beautiful world.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"pullQuotes"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"We're talking early, game-breaking bugs, too. \"Walk too close to a wall and get stuck in place\" bugs. \"Thing you need to pick up to proceed in the _tutorial_ doesn't spawn\" bugs. \"Guns won't reload even when you have ammo\" bugs. It's immensely frustrating at almost every turn, and often requires liberal reloading of saves to get past the glut of errors. Mercifully, autosaves are frequent and manual saves can be made at almost any point.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"The challenge of mechanically playing the game are all on top of how wilfully, intentionally demanding it is. Even on lower difficulties, enemies are typically bullet sponges in a world where bullets are rationed. One of the very first monsters you'll encounter can turn invisible, with only the very faintest hint of spatial distortion around it as it zig-zags towards you to slash you to pieces. You can frequently be blindsided by foes, if not killed outright, without ever knowing where the attack came from. Oh, and then there are the psychic monstrosities that can turn your grey matter to mush and the reality-warping abnormalities that can tear the environment to pieces.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":null,"items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":{"__typename":"Image","fileName":"STALKER-2-BODY-2.jpg","path":"empire/2024/11","width":1600,"height":900},"title":"STALKER-2-BODY-2","caption":"","altText":null,"credits":"","price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":[],"type":"images"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"That challenge _is_ part of the appeal though, at least for survival fans. As protagonist Skif, you're left for dead after an early excursion into The Zone, with only a meagre pistol to defend yourself, and having to overcome everything from radiation exposure to hunger. It makes every small victory feel hard earned, even if that victory is simply finding a med kit or bandage before bleeding out. Even as you progress, gaining more powerful weapons or more durable armour, you never feel like a titan as you might in something like _:a[Fallout]{href='https://www.empireonline.com/gaming/reviews/fallout-4-review/' target='_blank' rel='noreferrer noopener'}_.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"And, when _S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2_ is at its best (read: working), it does a magnificent job of drawing players into its horrific yet beautiful world. Not only is The Zone a vast and richly detailed open world to explore (at your peril – the environment itself often wants you dead), but it's filled with multi-layered plots and quests upon quests that flesh out the setting and the rival factions battling for control over it. Every decision you make over who to align with or who to betray splinters outcomes into endless fractals which (again, one day) make for endless replayability.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"But then you run into more bugs – quests that won't complete, NPCs who aren't visible, irradiated horrors that _won't_ attack or show themselves but are still detected as nearby so you can't save. It feels as though there's always _something_ pulling you out of the game, and while earlier _S.T.A.L.K.E.R._ games were renowned for their janky nature, this is at another level.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf5leG0NNag","items":null,"url":"https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xf5leG0NNag","provider":"youtube","image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"embeds"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"Yet there has to be some forgiveness for the state of _S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2_ at present. Developer GSC Game World is based in Ukraine, and you may have heard of a few goings on there in recent years that would explain a troubled development – not least of which is a good chunk of the studio relocating to Prague for their own safety.","items":null,"url":null,"provider":null,"image":null,"title":null,"caption":null,"altText":null,"credits":null,"price":null,"amazonId":null,"amazonAward":null,"description":null,"actionLink":null,"actionText":null,"coverImage":null,"template":null,"images":null},"handles":null,"type":"content"},{"__typename":"LayoutItem","content":{"__typename":"Content","text":"A host of patches and fixes are already promised for _S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2_ – six months from launch, this may be the phenomenal sci-fi survival horror it shows numerous signs of being. 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