STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl was released on PlayStation 5 on November 20, 2025, a full year after it dropped on Xbox and PC platforms. It arrives on PlayStation 5 along with all the upgrades and enhancements that have been applied over the last twelve months, which means players flying the blue banner are getting a ‘better product’ than when the game first launched in 2024.
I’ve been toying with STALKER 2 since it dropped on PlayStation 5, getting to grips all over again with one of my top games of 2024. In my first STALKER 2 review, I said, ‘I cannot dredge up a single reason why you shouldn’t invest in STALKER 2,’ but is that still true after a year of evolution and the game launching on a new platform?
To find out, read on and explore my full STALKER 2 PS5 review.
Is STALKER 2 Worth It On PS5?
STALKER 2 had a fair few issues when it was released in 2024. It needed some serious upkeep, and in the weeks that followed the launch, GSC Game World applied many fixes and patches to address the game’s biggest concerns. It stabilized, and hundreds of thousands of people poured into the game over the next year or so.
Today, STALKER 2 isn’t too much of a different beast, but enough has been done for it to finally feel much more polished. The game’s unique elements, like the ‘A-Life’ AI engine that was promised ahead of launch, still aren’t where they should be, but it’s a sight better than it was when it dropped on Xbox and PC in November 2024.
If you’re unfamiliar, STALKER 2 throws players into a harrowing, harsh post-apocalyptic environment called The Zone. It’s worth stressing that the rest of the world is mostly fine, it’s just The Zone that’s post-apocalyptic. This irradiated, mutant-infested space surrounds Chornobyl, the ill-fated nuclear power plant found in Ukraine.
In STALKER 2, players must contend with the threats of The Zone, both human-based and mutated, to uncover shocking revelations, align with or dispute against factions, and resolve the protagonist’s story and reason for being there in the first place.
It’s a pretty challenging game, and at times, it has been compared to the likes of Escape from Tarkov and Fallout, which is mostly accurate. Imagine if Fallout were set in Russia and you’re basically there.
STALKER 2 represents hours of gaming wrapped up in an attractive package. There’s a solid story there that takes players across a massive, mixed map, presenting them with plenty of weapons, outfits, and equipment items to get to grips with.
It’s worth the investment to secure a copy on PlayStation 5, but let’s go a little deeper.
STALKER 2 is Better Than Ever
I’ve already sunk many hours into STALKER 2 on PlayStation 5, and I can attest to it being better than ever. My first review in 2024 was glowing, but the PS5 release takes things to the next level. It’s a marvel of a thing to come back to a game an entire year later and be presented with almost a different version, and the comparisons are pretty easily made.
The overall optimization of STALKER 2 has been improved; it runs better and smoothly, and there are fewer bugs throughout. New quests, UI elements, customization options, and details have been added over the last year, and some nice-to-have features like an ‘immersive mode’ are now present.
Even on the PS5 Slim, not even a PS5 Pro, the game looks phenomenal. The vistas in this game are something special to behold, and the weather effects, physics, and sound engine are all on point. This game has one of the best dynamic weather engines I’ve ever seen in a game, and it lacks much of a backing soundtrack, so the ambience immerses you to the max when you’re walking around The Zone.
The game’s difficulty balancing can be a little skewed at times, but it’s plenty forgiving if you play on a lower difficulty.
My favorite thing in STALKER 2 has to be the combat. Whether you’re fighting the game’s more fearsome mutants or the many human enemies that roam The Zone, you’re in for a treat. Combat is versatile and pretty dynamic, and everything from stealth to all-out guns blazing feels viable.
Talking about roaming The Zone, you’ll also have a great time digging through all the nooks and crannies of this game. It’s packed with secrets, collectables, side missions, and ad-hoc objectives that pop up as you probe the wider map. The world-building is phenomenal, and the atmosphere created in some environments is to die for… Literally.
We should also be getting some kind of expansion in the future, too, so if you get it, you’ll have more to look forward to down the line. GSC Game World is not finished with STALKER 2 by any means.
Verdict: 4 – Great
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl represents many hours of entertaining (if a little morbid at times) gameplay for anyone fond of the post-apocalyptic settings found in the likes of Fallout and Metro. It’s a stunning game that might present some issues at times, but GSC Game World has worked hard to optimise it over the last year or so.
It remains one of my favorite games in the genre, and I’d take a third playthrough in a shot, especially if GSC ever implements a more major update or some kind of expansion.
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl
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