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STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl plunges us into the eerie and hazardous “Zone of Alienation” surrounding the ill-fated Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. This desolate area is teeming with dangerous supernatural anomalies, grotesque monsters hungry for blood, and mutated creatures roaming unchecked. Like any great post-apocalyptic setting, STALKER 2’s Zone is also the battleground for various factions, each with its own agenda and vision for the Zone and its inhabitants.
The STALKER series delves into complex philosophical issues, often centered around themes of humanity and the lengths to which individuals will go to fulfill their desires. Rarely are there factions that can be labeled purely “good” in the universe of STALKER. The Monolith faction, in particular, is often viewed as one of the most malevolent groups.
In the lore of STALKER, intriguing elements like the “Group” and their experiments on the Noosphere play a significant role. Dating back to the 1986 Chornobyl Disaster, a collective of Soviet scientists, referred to mysteriously as “The Group,” chose the power plant’s Exclusion Zone as the perfect clandestine location for risky experimentation. These explorations focused on the Noosphere, an unseen energy field believed to influence human cognition and emotions.
Even after the Soviet Union fell in 1991, this group didn’t halt their studies. Their research culminated in a significant experiment where seven scientists decided to merge their consciousnesses into a single entity—a hivemind known as the Common Consciousness. Encased in special stasis pods, these scientists’ minds became a single, disembodied presence capable of navigating and impacting the Noosphere.
In 2006, an attempt by the Common Consciousness to manipulate the Noosphere precipitated a second disaster at Chornobyl. This catastrophic event unleashed a spatial rift within the Zone, spawning bizarre and reality-defying anomalies. As Stalkers flocked to this changed landscape in pursuit of precious artifacts, their activities regularly disrupted the Common Consciousness’s attempts to dominate the rift.
Faced with chaos, the Common Consciousness decided to create a devoted force to defend it and the rift. It did so by brainwashing a fervent faction called Monolith. These fanatics believed in a mythical “Wish Granter” at the Zone’s center, to which they assigned their vigilante protection. This allowed the Common Consciousness to convert the Monolith into its personal battalion, equipping them with a “Brain Scorcher”—a potent radio signal capable of luring in and indoctrinating unwary travelers as new soldiers.
However, nothing is eternal, especially within the treacherous confines of the Zone. By the conclusion of STALKER: Shadow of Chernobyl, the protagonist Strelok infiltrates the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant. Rejecting the C-Consciousness’s proposal to align with them, Strelok destroys the scientists’ stasis pods, effectively ending the C-Consciousness and, with it, Monolith’s formidable presence as fans had come to know it.
Chornobyl’s Exclusion Zone turned even more perilous after a massive 2006 blast. The Zone’s lethal mutants, deadly anomalies, and clashing factions make survival incredibly challenging. Even so, fortune-seekers known as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s continually brave these dangers for unimaginable treasures or elusive truths buried within the Zone’s heart. As a lone stalker in a seamless, 64-square-kilometer world, players can shape their destiny against this haunting backdrop, navigating branch-laden narratives and deciding their allies and foes among the factions. Featuring a huge arsenal of weapon choices and intense combat scenarios, STALKER 2 offers an enriching experience that keeps players strategizing and ducking for cover as they engage diverse enemies in a world that evolves with every decision. Available for Xbox Series X, Series S, and Microsoft Windows, STALKER 2 taps into the Unreal Engine 5 to deliver its epic tale, set to release in 2024.
