S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has captivated players with its immersive world, as evidenced by 37 mentions of 'immersion' and a significant number of players having already spent over 25 hours in the game, with 81% of them being positive. The game's post-release reception shows 74% positive reviews out of 493 sampled. Despite some criticisms, the game's engaging gameplay and atmospheric graphics have contributed to its overall positive reception.
What it's about: Partez explorer la vaste Zone d'exclusion de Tchornobyl et ses ennemis redoutables, ses anomalies mortelles et ses puissants artefacts. Découvrez votre propre histoire épique en vous frayant un chemin jusqu'au cœur de Tchornobyl.
In-game
« My opinion is pretty epic game, 3 crashes in 440 hours of play, played thru on steam deck believe it or not as thats all i own. Little bit buggy here an there but yeah loved it. »👍 anonymous review · 440 h played8422« I played all the old Stalker games several times with and without mods and Stalker 2 is for me again 100% Stalker atmosphere. It still gives me goosbumps when you are alone in the Zone and its getting dark. I definetly recommand this game »👍 anonymous review · 130 h played5321« Good game, enjoyable, but I feel like I'm playing it in American Movie Mode, haven't heard many Eastern European accents and it kind of breaks the immersion »👍 anonymous review · 29 h played11« J'ai trouvé le jeu vraiment bon. Il est immersif avec une ambiance assez prenante, j'ai adoré explorer la zone. Il y a malgré tout quelques beug, mais largement moins qu'au début, le jeu reste parfaitement jouable. »👍 anonymous review · 132 h played« Plus de 400 heures de jeu, ça résume tout je pense . »👍 anonymous review · 540 h played« Une ambiance prenante et pesante, un gameplay aux petits oignons, des graphismes vraiment excellent ! Un urbex en monde ouvert, que du plaisir ! »👍 anonymous review · 108 h played
« Until a substantial amount of work is put into performance, don't bother. Beyond that, simple game-play, wack enemy AI, and an absolutely horrible implementation of lumen, makes this game a slog to even move in. »👎 anonymous review · 177 h played4211« terrible AI. repetitive gameplay. world that is impressive upon first glance but lifeless with closer inspection. so much potential unmet. »👎 anonymous review · 19 h played1« For the past two months, there has been a bug in the game that allows enemies, especially those with telepathic abilities, to shoot or throw objects through walls. Please fix this bug. »👎 anonymous review · 8 h played2« Si t'as pas une machine de guerre pour le faire tourner tu mourras surement d'une anomalie qui n'a pas encore chargé parce que ce jeu est opti avec le c*l. »👎 anonymous review · 16 h played« treeeeeeeeeeees loin de un anomaly (gamma) »👎 anonymous review · 6 h played« Excellent jeu. Demande un peu de temps pour être pris en main. Le manque de VF n'est pas dérangeant. »👍 anonymous review · 73 h played
In players' words
« My opinion is pretty epic game, 3 crashes in 440 hours of play, played thru on steam deck believe it or not as thats all i own. Little bit buggy here an there but yeah loved it. »👍 anonymous review · 440 h played8422« Until a substantial amount of work is put into performance, don't bother. Beyond that, simple game-play, wack enemy AI, and an absolutely horrible implementation of lumen, makes this game a slog to even move in. »👎 anonymous review · 177 h played4211« I played all the old Stalker games several times with and without mods and Stalker 2 is for me again 100% Stalker atmosphere. It still gives me goosbumps when you are alone in the Zone and its getting dark. I definetly recommand this game »👍 anonymous review · 130 h played5321« terrible AI. repetitive gameplay. world that is impressive upon first glance but lifeless with closer inspection. so much potential unmet. »👎 anonymous review · 19 h played1« Good game, enjoyable, but I feel like I'm playing it in American Movie Mode, haven't heard many Eastern European accents and it kind of breaks the immersion »👍 anonymous review · 29 h played11« For the past two months, there has been a bug in the game that allows enemies, especially those with telepathic abilities, to shoot or throw objects through walls. Please fix this bug. »👎 anonymous review · 8 h played2« J'ai trouvé le jeu vraiment bon. Il est immersif avec une ambiance assez prenante, j'ai adoré explorer la zone. Il y a malgré tout quelques beug, mais largement moins qu'au début, le jeu reste parfaitement jouable. »👍 anonymous review · 132 h played« Si t'as pas une machine de guerre pour le faire tourner tu mourras surement d'une anomalie qui n'a pas encore chargé parce que ce jeu est opti avec le c*l. »👎 anonymous review · 16 h played« Plus de 400 heures de jeu, ça résume tout je pense . »👍 anonymous review · 540 h played« treeeeeeeeeeees loin de un anomaly (gamma) »👎 anonymous review · 6 h played« Une ambiance prenante et pesante, un gameplay aux petits oignons, des graphismes vraiment excellent ! Un urbex en monde ouvert, que du plaisir ! »👍 anonymous review · 108 h played« Excellent jeu. Demande un peu de temps pour être pris en main. Le manque de VF n'est pas dérangeant. »👍 anonymous review · 73 h played
Anonymized excerpts from public Steam reviews — picked among those most voted "helpful" by the community.
What players say, by aspect
PositiveMixedNegative
Gameplay
70 % pos · n=114
Story / writing
78 % pos · n=41
Performance
9 % pos · n=34
Graphics / art
91 % pos · n=33
Stability / bugs
4 % pos · n=27
Content / longevity
23 % pos · n=13
Value for money
12 % pos · n=8
Interface / UX
0 % pos · n=6
Audio / music
75 % pos · n=4
Multiplayer
0 % pos · n=1
Detailed data (table)
Aspect
Mentions
Positive
Mixed
Negative
Gameplay
114
80
6
28
Story / writing
41
32
2
7
Performance
34
3
0
31
Graphics / art
33
30
0
3
Stability / bugs
27
1
1
25
Content / longevity
13
3
0
10
Value for money
8
1
0
7
Interface / UX
6
0
0
6
Audio / music
4
3
0
1
Multiplayer
1
0
1
0
Positive reviews by playtime
🎮 Players who like it have spent 65 h on median; those who dislike it: 38 h.
<2h
14 % (n=7)
2-10h
52 % (n=54)
10-25h
65 % (n=75)
>25h
81 % (n=357)
Fixed or still broken? Sentiment over time
📈 Up since launch (+13 pts) — updates have won players over
% of positive reviews per month (months with ≥ 15 sample reviews).
100% completion difficulty ("platinum")
1,4 %Demanding
of players have unlocked the rarest achievement — the upper bound of those who "100%'d" it. 58 achievements in total; the median achievement is unlocked by 18,9 % of players.
Les créateurs YouTube et les joueurs Steam convergent sur l'appréciation de l'histoire du jeu S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, avec une majorité de commentaires positifs. Cependant, ils divergent sur les aspects tels que les performances et les graphismes, où les joueurs Steam expriment plus de critiques négatives que les créateurs YouTube, qui ont une vision plus mitigée. Il est important de noter que le nombre de vidéos YouTube est limité, ce qui ne permet pas de tirer des conclusions statistiques définitives.
LIVEshartmancer_0075 viewers
· EN — STALKIN' my shih like a freakLIVE五徳ねんころ4 viewers
· JA — ご飯食べたからプリピャチ市へいく~LIVEbritishconrat4 viewers
· EN — Pain o ratLIVESeviRavari3 viewers
· EN — Finally Made It To Pripyat!
The gameplay is a strong aspect, with 80 positive mentions out of 114, indicating a high level of satisfaction among players.
The story has received 32 positive mentions out of 41, showcasing the game's ability to engage players in its narrative.
The graphics have been praised, with 30 positive mentions out of 33, demonstrating the game's visual appeal.
A significant number of players have spent a substantial amount of time playing, with 357 players having played for more than 25 hours, and 81% of them having a positive experience.
Weaknesses
Performance issues have been a significant problem, with 31 negative mentions out of 34, indicating that optimization is a major concern.
Bugs have also been a common complaint, with 25 negative mentions out of 27, highlighting the need for further polishing.
The user interface has been criticized, with 6 negative mentions out of 6, suggesting that it needs improvement.
The price has been a point of contention, with 7 negative mentions out of 8, indicating that some players feel it is not worth the cost.
Who is it for?
This game is suitable for fans of action, adventure, and RPG genres who are looking for an immersive experience and are willing to overlook some performance issues. Players who enjoy atmospheric games with engaging stories and gameplay will find S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl to be a compelling choice.
Is S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl worth it in 2026?
Mostly yes, if its flaws don't put you off: 80% of 134,885 Steam reviews are positive (player score 74/100). Most-praised strength: The gameplay is a strong aspect. Current price: 59,99€.
Verdict
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has received a mostly positive reception, with players praising its immersive world, engaging gameplay, and atmospheric graphics. While performance issues and bugs have been a concern, the game's strengths outweigh its weaknesses, making it a solid choice for fans of the genre. With some further polishing to address the technical issues, the game has the potential to become a classic in its genre.
Is this synthesis accurate?
Display this score
This game's player score, as a badge you can embed on your site or page.
💬 Discussion
A thought, a tip, a question? Drop a note (no account needed).