STALKER 2, like every other game in the series, features ‘Artifacts’. These small but mighty items can alter your character in fantastic ways, applying a buff that can get you through a tricky situation or give you an edge in combat, but they sometimes come with huge downsides.
In this guide, I will explain how to use Artifacts in STALKER 2, breaking down what they are and how they work.
How To Find Artifacts in STALKER 2
Artifacts are everywhere in The Zone. Most often, you’ll find Artifacts lingering in an area heavily populated by anomalies, but they can just as easily sit in a container or a box somewhere. It pays to probe every corner because you never know where or when you’ll stumble on a powerful Artifact.
To find artifacts in STALKER 2, you’ll want to equip your ‘Gilka’ scanner when you believe an Artifact is nearby. By doing this, you’ll be giving yourself a visual representation of how close you are to that Artifact, but bear in mind that you’ll probably need to be searching amongst anomalies, so watch your step!
As the light on your scanner flashes faster, you’ll know you’re moving closer to the Artifact. When the light turns solid, look around your immediate area to see that an Artifact has appeared and is floating there, waiting to be collected. Simply move towards it and scoop it up to secure it.
What Do Artifacts Do In STALKER 2?
Artifacts can do anything, but they’re mostly designed to apply a handy buff (and sometimes pesky debuff) to your player character.
For instance, one Artifact might give you a carry weight boost while applying a weakness to radiation damage. Another Artifact might reduce fall damage while at the same time making you more susceptible to electric-based damage.
Some of the best Artifacts in STALKER 2 apply a positive effect while having no negatives to speak of, which makes them very valuable and well worth carrying.
How to Use Artifacts in STALKER 2
If you’ve found an Artifact in STALKER 2, you can equip it in a relevant slot on the inventory screen. Beneath your ‘outfit’, you’ll see a series of boxes that should be empty if you’ve never equipped an Artifact. Simply slot one of your Artifacts into a box to start soaking up the benefits – and disadvantages.
Each outfit will typically have a different number of base slots, but visiting a technician will allow you to upgrade that slot count. If an outfit only has two open slots, you can only run two Artifacts in parallel, but by paying a few thousand Coupons to a technician, you can take that count to three or four open slots.
Most commonly, you’ll be using Artifacts as a way to make money. They fetch a high price at traders all across The Zone, and they’re effectively infinite in their count in the world, so you can hunt them down to no end and use them to generate a lot of Coupons. Finding and selling Artifacts is one of the best ways to make money in STALKER 2.
For more STALKER 2 guides, check out how to upgrade weapons in STALKER 2
