GSC Game World has released a significant patch (1.2) for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, addressing approximately 1,700 bugs and enhancements. This substantial update encompasses various game aspects, including balance adjustments, location refinements, quest fixes, crash resolution, performance improvements, and crucial A-Life 2.0 system enhancements.
Following a successful November launch boasting positive Steam reviews and over 1 million sales, STALKER 2 faced well-documented issues, primarily concerning the A-Life 2.0 system. This system, a hallmark of the original STALKER, dynamically simulates life within the game world, impacting AI behavior and emergent gameplay. While initially touted as a revolutionary feature, its malfunctioning launch prompted GSC to address the problems. Patch 1.1 offered initial fixes, and Patch 1.2 represents a major step forward.
Key improvements in Patch 1.2 include:
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AI Enhancements: Numerous fixes to NPC behavior, including corpse looting, combat accuracy, stealth mechanics, and mutant AI. Specific fixes address issues with various mutant types (Chimera, Poltergeist, Pseudodog, etc.) and their interactions with the environment and player. The Controller mutant now has a roar ability. Many issues related to NPC pathfinding, getting stuck, and inappropriate spawning have been resolved.
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Balance Adjustments: Tweaks to weapon balance, particularly pistols and silencers. NPC armor and weapon spawn rates have been rebalanced. Radiation damage has been adjusted, and trading options expanded.
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Optimization and Crash Fixes: Significant performance improvements, including FPS boosts during boss fights and menu navigation. Over 100 crash instances (EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION and others) have been resolved, along with memory leaks. Framerate locking has been added to menus and loading screens.
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Under-the-Hood Improvements: Fixes to various game mechanics, including flashlight shadows, NPC relationships, ammo naming, quest logic, cutscene transitions, and save backups. Aim assist has been improved for controllers.
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Story and Quest Fixes: Hundreds of fixes to main storyline and side missions, addressing issues with NPC spawning, quest progression, dialogue, and interactions. Specific missions like Wishful Thinking, Three Captains, Visions of Truth, and many others have received extensive attention.
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The Zone Improvements: Fixes to interactive objects, artifact spawning, anomaly behavior, and level design across multiple locations. Visual and lighting improvements have also been implemented.
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Player Gear and State Fixes: Fixes to player animations, interactions with anomalies, and gear management. Issues with grenades, reload animations, and suit upgrades have been addressed.
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Player Guidance and Game Settings: Improvements to map tooltips, HUD elements, gamepad controls, and keybindings. Razer Chroma and Synapse integration has been added.
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Audio, Cutscenes, and Voiceover: Fixes to cutscene animations, voiceover synchronization, and sound effects across various locations and anomalies. New music has been added.
This patch represents a considerable effort to improve STALKER 2's overall experience. While some issues may remain, Patch 1.2 demonstrates GSC Game World's commitment to delivering a polished and enjoyable game. The full patch notes are extensive and detail each individual fix.
