S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a shooting adventure game where you explore a fictional rendition of the Chornobyl exclusion zone to kill mutated monsters. Alongside the fast-paced and precise shooting, there's a surprisingly likeable cast of characters to pass the time around the campfire sharing stories. While it sounds similar to other shooting games like Halo or Doom, it sets itself apart by the vast and detailed open world and branching, non-linear narrative.

You play a lone STALKER (Scavengers, Trespassers, Adventurers, Loners, Killers, Explorers and Robbers), a treasure hunter who enters the deadly area of land devastated by numerous incidents and explosions, in search of fortune and glory. As you explore, you encounter various factions of troops who you can choose to befriend or destroy. Lurking in the shadows are horrific mutated beings who appear and disappear at will, guarding the hidden treasures. It's up to you where you go, how you play, and what risks you're willing to take.

Combat is fast-paced and requires precise timing and aiming. Different monsters have different behaviours and abilities, forcing you to prepare for encounters carefully. You learn how to use the environment to your advantage; by using the columns of old buildings for cover or avoiding a large group of hostiles in a wide open area. With over 30 different weapons to choose from, you have the freedom to experiment and find what selection of weapons works best for you.

Alongside the fighting, there are times when you can explore the vast, often strange, beauty of the 64km² map and can also interact with the characters you meet, sharing tales over campfires and guitar tunes, deepening the sense of immersion and the relationships you form.

The result is a game that offers a far greater degree of player freedom than other shooting games through a branching narrative that follows your actions, unique character interactions, and a vast and varied map. Created by a Ukrainian game studio, the game was initially slated to release in 2012 but was cancelled, reemerging years later before being delayed again due to Russia's invasion of the country, resulting in many of the developers fleeing or joining the armed forces.

It's the latest in the STALKER series, all of which have similar game mechanics but tell different stories.

• STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007) PC
• STALKER: Clear Sky (2008) PC
• STALKER: Call of Pripyat (2009) PC
• STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl (2023) PC, Xbox Series X|S