I saw a few people mark down STALKER 2 in the game’s earliest reviews because it’s ‘too difficult’. As a relatively casual gamer, I’m playing on STALKER 2’s easiest difficulty, and in almost 50 hours, I’ve died plenty – so it’s tough, but it’s an enjoyable kind of challenge.
That’s too much for some. In the last couple of days, dozens of mods have surfaced on platforms like Nexus Mods, many of which are aimed at making the game easier by scrapping some ‘troublesome’ features or toning down the difficulty of some more suffocating enemies.
It’s not the way The Zone is meant to be explored.
Giving In
STALKER 2 isn’t supposed to be a cakewalk. You’re plunged into a near-post-apocalyptic environment overflowing with elemental anomalies and mutants out for your blood. Every two minutes, you’re hunkering down amidst a brutal gunfight between factions, and even trying to track down a stash or a hidden backpack could lead to an untimely death.
But that’s how it was designed – it doesn’t hold your hand too much, and that’s how fans like it.
On Nexus, STALKER 2 mods have already been downloaded more than 350,000 times.
At the time of writing, the game’s fifth most popular mod turns down the difficulty of Bloodsuckers and Poltergeists, some of the more finicky enemies in the game. As you explore The Zone, you’ll regularly brush up against both, but Bloodsuckers are much more common.
The next mod down the line removes weapon and outfit durability, which means you’ll never need to pay to repair your weapons in STALKER 2. It can admittedly get very expensive as you work your way through the game, but it’s also easy enough to earn money, so that shouldn’t be a problem for a gamer willing to try.
Elsewhere, you’ve got mods like:
- Low Mutant Health
- No Weight for Resources
- Longer Sprinting
- Unlimited Carry Weight
If you spend a few minutes downloading STALKER 2 mods on Nexus, you’ll end up with a game that looks and runs a little better, but it’ll also likely be much easier – and that’s going to ruin the point of the game.
Do you think STALKER 2 is too tough? Let us know on the Insider Gaming forum.
For more Insider Gaming coverage, check out the news that the Fallout 76 Ghoul update is almost here
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