The week I spent in Chornobyl in Stalker 2’s pre-release review period is a demented blur in my memory at this point. I remember: gunfire randomly muting itself, multiple main quests that failed to progress until I ran about two kilometres away from them, bloodsuckers that required approximately 46,000 rounds to kill, and enemy corpses becoming nightmarish, distended and levitating things.
Despite it all, I loved it. Stalker 2 had the bones of something beautiful, just as soon as GSC could get around to, you know, finishing making it.
If that time hasn’t arrived, I think it’s fast-approaching. On August 20, almost two years after the base game’s release, Stalker 2 will get its first expansion, Cost of Hope.
This is the first of two planned story DLCs for the game, this one focusing on the Zone’s Duty (who think the Zone is scary and we should shoot it), and Freedom (who think the Zone is wondrous and we should share it) factions. “Explore uncharted locations, encounter unexpected allies and enemies, discover powerful weapons, and experience a gripping new story,” goes the blurb.