GSC Game World has released a lengthy gameplay video for Stalker 2, showing off survival horror action in a swampy part of the open-world game. There’s a lot to see, from giant phantom dogs to nightmare rats to a monster that lures people in with its gentle tones before committing less savory acts, but the big takeaway is how immersive GSC wants to make the world.

All of this is in addition to the little tasks you have to do to stay alive – fighting hunger, dealing with extremes, treating serious injuries with an old little Band-Aid, the usual stalker stuff.

GSC started with exploration. One of the first points the team mentions in the video is how progression works. You don’t get special weapons and upgrades just for completing the story. If you want to improve your skills as a Stalker, you’ll have to work for it, and that means straying from the story path and looking for challenging fights or people in need. Some areas that were off-limits in Shadow of Chornobyl can be fully explored in Heart of Chornobyl, provided you have the stomach to deal with what you find in them.

How you approach these situations determines how the story unfolds. GSC was admittedly a bit vague on this point, but did say that you won’t see everything Stalker 2 has to offer in one playthrough. Quests, locations, and interactions with other people change depending on your choices, though the team didn’t say whether they have serious impact on how Stalker 2’s wider story unfolds or just small implications. Shadow of Chornobyl had several “false” endings you could get depending on actions at key moments, so presumably Stalker 2 will handle these in a similar way.

We don’t have to wait long to know for sure, as the Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl release date is fast approaching. The long-awaited sequel will be released on November 20, 2024 for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X|S.