STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Grab your Geiger counter, take a swig of vodka and head back into the mutant-packed Zone, as this long-awaited open-world sequel finally hits Microsoft's Game Pass

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A full-on sequel to 2007's survival shooter STALKER has been a long time coming, not least because the game's Kyiv-based developer was forced to relocate to Prague after the Russian invasion.

A lot has changed in those 17 years; and while Heart of Chornobyl (which uses the Ukrainian spelling) is packed with gorgeously bleak scenery and motion-captured cinematics worthy of a AAA title in 2024, it keeps the original's blend of hardcore shooting, immersive sim role-playing and survival horror almost fully intact.