Ukrainian studio GSC Game World has released a major update for its game STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl, focused on improving AI, balance, and overall stability. The patch, which has become one of the most significant since the release, introduced a number of changes that should make the gameplay more dynamic and realistic.
Ukrainian studio GSC Game World has released a major update for its game STALKER 2: Heart of Chernobyl, focused on improving AI, balance, and overall stability. The patch, which has become one of the most significant since the release, introduced a number of changes that should make the gameplay more dynamic and realistic.
Previously announced additions to the game have begun to be gradually added to the game as part of the roadmap for the last quarter of this year. The first of these updates was patch 1.6, titled "Night Hunter", which adds night vision devices, 45-degree weapon aiming, and new NPC behavior at night.
AI and Combat System: The developers have significantly improved the behavior of enemies and anomalies. NPCs now use cover more effectively, and mutants such as the Chimera and Snork no longer get stuck or jump through objects. Also fixed the problem with the constant invisibility of bloodsuckers and the hanging of zombies in the air. Added the ability for NPCs to loot mutants, which makes the game world even more alive.
Balance and Equipment: Weapon and armor stats have been tweaked. In particular, the damage of the Predator shotgun has been increased, and the Veteran rifle has received an adjusted weight. A new unique weapon, Gonta's Dragoon, has been added. The health pool of boars and pseudo-giants has been changed, which will affect battles with them.
Fixes and Optimizations: The developers have paid attention to the stability of the game, fixing numerous bugs that caused crashes and freezes. CPU load and projectile performance have been optimized, which should positively affect overall performance.
New Features and Improvements: Important improvements to the user experience have been added: the ability to sort items in the player's stash, gamepad control settings, and the option to disable auto-tilt. New facial and hairstyle options for female characters have been added.
A full list of improvements can be found on the game's Steam page . GSC Game World has also released a trailer showcasing key gameplay changes.
The next updates will add the highest difficulty level, "Veteran," to the game, and update the player interface and the A-Life system, which is responsible for the behavior of NPCs within the "Zone."
