Patch 1.4 is here for S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and it means some serious changes for our beloved Zone. The devs released this update, making the Zone ever-more deadlier and immersive, hoping for a smooth, bug-free experience.
So what is new? Gun fights have been spiced up. Combat was made more dynamic and, let’s face it, harder. If you thought mutants were a pain before, now hordes will eat your dead bodies as if it’s an all-you-can-eat buffet. Somehow, being next aside from their menu? Tough luck, rookie.
And the night sky? Shooting stars! Because what else says “post-apocalyptic hellscape” than a dash of cosmic beauty before the bloodsucker gets to work?
Few gameplay improvements and bug fixes, alongside some minor quality-of-life changes, join the patch. The full list is on the Steam blog (linked on the tweet). But you can tell the big themes: The Zone is shifting east, and you better keep up.
And what about the reaction? Because the replies are the mess! Some are excited like xgame001, who is just glad now he can fully upgrade his Bata’yag (whatever that is). Others? Not so much. Ian Jones just called it outright worse than Cyberpunk, as it took him a solid 300 hours to complete it because of how broken it was. Ouch.
Now on to the loot-for-mutants debate. BSquuuaaad is pleading for mutant drops; others are glad the game is still under active development. And let’s not forget the one who wants zombies speaking Russian and with Putin’s face. Yes, that’s a legitimate tweet.
Performance issues remain a pain. Moodzilax and others are grumbling about optimization, with one player even going so far as to say the postpatch Xbox controller aiming has gotten worse. Not great.
But hey, the devs are listening. Tatertot and Navi_Aenarion spread good vibes appreciating the devs’ effort. And honestly, that’s kind of sweet.
So what next? No multiplayer news, yet there are some mutant skinning-and-new-weapons-waiting-for fans. Meanwhile, Zone is a bit meaner, prettier, and far less predictable.
Happy hunting, stalkers. Try not to die.
