Despite Mixed Reviews, Stalker 2 Breaks Series Records and Thrives on Steam

After what has genuinely felt like an eternity, Stalker 2 has finally landed, marking its official release. It’s been a challenging journey for GSC Game World, the developers, who faced a global pandemic and even had to relocate from their home in Ukraine due to the ongoing invasion by Russia. The fact that they managed to release a mostly functional game is nothing short of miraculous, and that’s something Steam players are certainly appreciating.

Since its launch yesterday, Stalker 2 has rocketed up the Steam charts, quickly becoming one of the platform’s most-played games. According to SteamDB, it peaked at a substantial 113,587 concurrent players, making it one of 2024’s most impressive launches. We might even see those numbers climb as the weekend approaches.

These figures are significantly higher than any previous Stalker installments, which is expected given their age. If the newest entry, Heart of Chornobyl, had performed similarly to its predecessors, it would have been quite a letdown.

In our review, Connor Makar gave Stalker 2 a solid four stars, describing it as “an excellent work of struggle and loneliness, even if it is plagued by bugs.” This sentiment echoes across various reviews, though some were a bit harsher, leading to a 77 average score on OpenCritic.

Despite the criticism and technical issues noted by many players, the user reviews on Steam tell a more positive story. With over 81% of them being favorable, the game has earned a “Very Positive” rating overall. It seems folks are having a good time with it, even as they anticipate the upcoming mods that will address missing features and some initial bug fixes.

Whether you’re ready to dive into the Zone now or plan to wait for a few patches and mods before getting engrossed, our Stalker 2 guides will be your trusted sidekick. Knowing how to boost your carry capacity, understanding what artifacts are, and navigating anomalies will be crucial. Plus, you’ll want to get a handle on repairing your frequently jamming weapons and upgrading them for better performance.