STALKER 2: HEART OF CHORNOBYL

Life's tough in the zone

- Phil Savage

The demo starts, and my health is already draining. Welcome to STALKER 2, I guess. This Gamescom, for the first time, GSC Game World's long awaited sequel is available to play - albeit just the smallest possible slice. But while the demo may be only 15 minutes long, it manages to pack in all the grim, dystopian misery a STALKER fan could want.

Case in point, my health. I'm unconscious in an irradiated field full of anomalies. But that isn't what's killing me off. No, my character finally opens his eyes, and I discover the culprit: a mutant dog that's been snacking on his leg. My character pulls out a gun. It jams. The dog lunges at his neck. My character struggles to hold it at bay, weakly kicking it away just far enough for it to land in a gravity anomaly.

Finally able to stand, I look around to find a stranger who's been silently watching this all unfold. He chucks me a bolt. Right, yes. The field is full of anomalies. Bolts are a STALKER classic - an invaluable tool for pinpointing any anomalies in your immediate area. If I throw a bolt at a gravity anomaly, it'll be briefly weakened, letting me pass.