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Everything you need to know about Stalker 2, its genre, and whether it’s a survival horror game or an open-world survival sandbox.
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, the highly anticipated sequel to the cult-classic survival game, is just a few days away from its release. However, despite the game being only days away from launch, there’s still plenty that’s not known about it. Following a rather tumultuous development cycle, Stalker 2 will finally come out on November 20, 2024.
With the original Stalker being released more than two decades ago, the genre of Stalker 2 is still a mystery. Although the game does look a lot like 4A Games’ Metro series, Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl isn’t a survival horror game.
Instead, it’s an open-world survival sandbox, akin to games like Far Cry, Cyberpunk 2077, Dying Light, etc. Furthermore, the sequel also employs elements of the “immersive-sim” genre, similar to Arkane Studios’ Prey (2017). Here’s everything you need to know about Stalker 2, its genre, gameplay, and more.
Is Stalker 2 an Open-World Game?
Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an open-world survival game, like Dying Light or Metro Exodus. Although the game does have some light survival-horror elements, it’s not inherently “horror-centric.” Similarly to its predecessor, Stalker: Shadow of Chernobyl, the primary goal of Stalker 2 is to deliver a seamless open-world experience combined with an immersive post-apocalyptic story and survival-focused gameplay.
There are also some immersive-sim elements in Stalker 2, particualrly when it comes to quests, and exploration. Although the game does look and play a lot like Fallout, especially Fallout 3 and 4, it’s not an RPG.
The story of Stalker 2 takes place right after the 2007 original. The sequel is still set within the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone from the original Stalker, albeit with some major changes. Instead of being divided into sections, the Zone is presented as a seamless open-world. Similarly to the original Stalker game, the sequel is in a first-person perspective. The sequel also sees the return of the classic survival mechanics from the original game—such as hunger, sleeping, radiation effects, etc.
Stalker 2 Release Date and Platforms
Stalker 2 is scheduled to be released on November 20, 2024. The original Stalker game was a PC exclusive title, which was ported to consoles at a later date. However, the upcoming sequel is releasing simultaneously on PC and consoles, albeit with some caveats. Stalker 2 will be released as an Xbox console exclusive. Stalker 2 is currently available to pre-order on Xbox Series X/S, and PC (via Steam and Epic Games Store). Furthermore, the game is also coming to Xbox Game Pass on release.
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