From the first steps into the Zone, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PS5 feels like a trip into the bleak heart of a post-apocalyptic myth. The world is unforgiving, unpredictable, and full of tangible tension – anomalies crackle in the air, mutants lurk in the shadows, and the risk of every expedition keeps the stakes high. This isn’t just a shooter; it’s a survival sim wrapped in horror, where every scan, every artifact, and every misstep can turn deadly. A year after launching on Xbox and PC, PS5 players can finally dive in.
The narrative doesn’t pander. Instead of clearly laid-out cutscenes or obvious plot arcs, the story seeps through environmental details, fragmented dialogues, and the player’s own discoveries. The Zone’s lore is richly layered, but sometimes side-quests lack the same depth, making certain missions feel like padding rather than meaningful threads in the overarching tapestry. Characters feel realistic and conflicted, but not all of them leave a lasting impression – some remain background players in a world that aggressively demands attention on its own terms.
Gameplay on PS5 underscores the unforgiving nature of the Zone. Every outing requires careful preparation: managing hunger, radiation exposure, stamina, and limited inventory space. Combat can feel weighty and deliberate, in part because the gunplay lacks the kind of razor-sharp precision you might expect in games that are primarily shooters. Enemies are clever at times, flanking or retreating, but there are moments when their behavior feels off or inconsistent. These uneven interactions heighten the tension, but they also occasionally break immersion.
Visually, the PS5 version shines in wide-open areas – sweeping industrial landscapes, ominous skies, and creeping mists feel hauntingly alive. There are moments of real beauty, but inside buildings or less-used interiors, the fidelity drops: some textures feel soft, and certain assets don’t match the grandeur of outdoor vistas. Performance has certainly improved since the Xbox launch, but small frame rate dips still appear in busier or more chaotic zones, which can undermine the sense of flow in an otherwise immersive world.
The audio design is a standout strength. Haptics and adaptive triggers on the DualSense reinforce every step, every anomaly activation, and every trigger pull. It’s easy to feel the trembling of danger through the controller. The ambient soundscape – distant roars, static crackles, the hum of radiation – builds a constant, oppressive mood, helped in part by excellent Tempest 3D support.. Voice work is solid, and the Ukrainian voice track provides a deeper emotional resonance, tethering the player more intimately to the Zone’s grim roots.
That said, small technical issues remain. Animation glitches, AI quirks, and small quest bugs still crop up. While patches have smoothed out several problems over the past year, some rough edges linger. These issues don’t derail the experience entirely, but they remind the player that the game is still wrestling with the ambition of its design, and we’re hoping these will be addressed now that the game is out on all major platforms.
In the end, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl on PS5 is a raw, haunting journey. Its atmosphere is dense, its challenges real, and its world a compelling meditation on risk and survival. For those willing to accept its rough parts, it delivers a deeply rewarding, uniquely dangerous adventure. But if you want polish over peril, or fast-paced action without consequence, this game may demand more patience than you bargained for. Either way, it was worth the wait for PS5 players.
Score: 8.0/10
Press Play Media 