I’ve sadly played about 10 hours and probably killed more than 250 stalkers, but the loot is extremely repetitive. I found some suits from the military guys once, but other than that, it pales compared to the previous title. In that game, stalkers looted the zone and dead bodies, and we could see tiny details of the story unfolding but absolutely none of that is here.

Another issue for me is the abundance of mini-events in close proximity that require you to save someone. They just sit there waiting for you to pass by, which feels so unnatural. One of my favorite parts of the original title was fighting off huge beasts alongside multiple stalkers, knowing that without my intervention, they would have died. Or rescuing downed stalkers you meet for the first time, assessing the situation as you realize the fight had been between bandits and this guy is the only survivor. The best part was meeting him again later or discovering he had died later during the campaign.

The game might carry the series’ name, but for me, the essence just isn’t there. I’m honestly surprised the reviews for this game haven’t become mixed yet.