Ukrainian developer GSC Game World has released a major STALKER 2 patch, updating the game to version 1.7. The new version introduces the long-awaited 'turf wars' between factions, powered by the A-Life System, which was initially lacking and is now being restored to its original vision one patch at a time.
Now, factions can expand their control over new territories but may also lose control of their own lands if they fail to defend them. Various points of interest, checkpoints, and locations (but not hubs, to avoid disrupting missions) are contested by different NPCs and mutants, who also seek to defend their lairs and territories from their hostile neighbors, the titular Stalkers. Other AI improvements have made stealth in STALKER 2 more realistic and less frustrating, because NPCs won't easily spot players who successfully hide in reeds or tall grass, and even when they do, they'll be less accurate when shooting at bushes. On the other hand, human and creature NPCs have learned the art of tactical retreat if the fight isn't going their way, and they are also smarter when it comes to choosing the distance when fighting.
Update 1.7 also introduces a new Master difficulty level, which can only be selected at the beginning of the game, and Expedition mode, which limits autosaves to when exiting camp and during specific missions, and locks players out of manual saving, except for saving to exit the game. Both are designed to increase the tension players feel while roaming the Zone.
STALKER 2's new patch features new anomalies, a rework of the stamina and sprint system (another source of frustration in the launch version of the game, in my opinion, as noted in my review), an update to inventory and equipment stats, some improvements to the controller experience, and a new light rain weather scenario. The full changelog also lists a ton of bug fixes.
The game is currently 30% off on Steam. The PlayStation 5 version is set to launch in just two days.
About the author: With over two decades of experience in gaming journalism, Alessio Palumbo has led the gaming vertical at Wccftech since August 2015. He started working at a young age for Italian websites like Everyeye.it, Gamestar.it, Nextgame.it, and Multiplayer.it before kickstarting the indie English-language publication Worlds Factory as its founder and Editor in Chief. In the last decade, he has coordinated the overall output of Wccftech's gaming section, managed PR relations, assigned reviews, produced daily news coverage, edited gaming content as needed, and delivered game reviews. Arguably, his trademark content is the long series of exclusive developer interviews that have been cited by Wikipedia and by the biggest news media and gaming publications. His passion for technology also makes him knowledgeable when it comes to gaming hardware and tech. His favorite genres include RPGs, MMORPGs, and action/adventure games.
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