Despite being somewhat clunky,Stalker 2: Heart Of Chornobylis a fine example ofcross-genre gaming. It has elements of FPS, survival horror, immersive sims, and RPGs. It’s huge and expansive. Exploring all of Stalker 2’s nooks and crannies will take you dozens of hours — perhaps over a hundred.
Part of what makes it such a huge and open-ended game is the wealth of side quests available to you. You might want to leave the main storyline for later while you get these missions done, because the rewards will be great. Here are the most enjoyable side quests in the game.
8Warlock’s Debtor
Quest Giver: Warlock
One of the earliest side quests you should get squared away is Warlock’s Debtor. This mission will act as your introduction to Warlock, the friendly bartender in Zalissya. If you make the right decisions, it will also lead to you gettinga powerful early-game weapon.
This quest also lets you make your first major morality decision: do you kill Warlock’s debtor, or help him against the big bad Bandits bullying him? As with many quests in Stalker 2, the choice is yours. If you’re ruthless enough, you may have your cake and eat it too.
7The Lost Boys
Quest Giver: Lens
Being a side quest, the Lost Boys obviously isn’t necessary to complete Stalker 2. However, it’s crucial to forming an understanding of the game’s emotional core. The people in the zone may be hard-hearted, but they still have morals and care about each other (unless they’re Bandits, who care for nothing but coupons).
The side quest involves you searching for a missing group of diggers on a Zalissyan technician’s behalf, withsome horrifying discoveriesalong the way. It’ll also be your first brush with the eerie Monolith faction.
6Dangerous Visitors
Quest Giver: Zhorik
You’ll unlock the Dangerous Visitors side quest soon after the game’s prologue, and it’s recommended that you complete it because it serves as aperfect vertical sliceof Stalker 2 gameplay. It shows how the game’s encounters and exploration build upon themselves.
Once you rescue Zhorik from some Bandits, he’ll ask you to help his friend Gloomy at a different location. Once you help out the grumpy Gloomy, he’ll tell you about a cave where he has items stashed away. All you really get out of it is some Cossacks vodka, but it does show how richly written the game is.
5An Errand From Warlock
You need coupons in Stalker 2, and you need them fast. Most side quests net you only a moderate amount, with the exclusive items being the main draw. However, the Zalissyan bartender Warlock has a side quest that allows you topick and choosehow many coupons you want to make.
This is an umbrella side quest, because there are three possible things you can do. You can find a Whirlwind artifact, defeat some Bandits, or exterminate some dogs. The harder your chosen mission, the more coupons you’ll get.
4Vitya Sheepskin
Quest Giver: None
Strictly speaking, this isn’t a side quest. It won’t show up in your journal, and it doesn’t count towards the game’s completion. However, it’s likely the first encounter you’ll get once you leave the Lesser Zone and head towards Garbage, and it is a self-contained story in itself.
A group of Bandits will be torturing a lone stalker to make him spill the beans about where he keeps his stash. They’ll agree to split the loot with you if you find the stash for them. This is a lie: they’ll betray you the moment you hand it over. This serves as a harsh reminder that these NPCs aren’t all nice guys.
3In The Name Of Science
Quest Giver: Shcherba
A late-game side quest, In The Name Of Science has you journeying all over the Zone and reflecting on your time spent in the game while stacking coupons. The side quest is activated based on a timed decision, although you can still get it back after refusing.
One of the decisions you make in the middle can extend this side quest to almost double its length, illustrating how organic the possibilities are in Stalker 2. If you’re eager to finish the game, you can end it early and still earn a respectable reward.
2Piece Of Cake
Quest Giver: Squint
Some side quests in Stalker 2 are built right into the main missions, and Piece Of Cake is one of them. You’ll find an NPC named Squint as part of theNeedle In A Haystackstory mission; the right dialogue choices will unlock this side quest where you have to help him find an artifact.
The amusing part is that you’ll most likely have picked up the artifact Squint needs already before even unlocking this side quest. This mission is a piece of cake, indeed: it’s almost over before it begins.
1The Poppy Field
Quest Giver: Mityay
Forget all about the rewards for a minute. Don’t think about coupons, exclusive weapons, or obscure artifacts.The Poppy Fieldis a side mission that you need to take in on a visual and narrative level, because it’s simply one of the most gorgeous and breathtaking areas in video games.
The Poppy Field is deadly: it can make you drowsy, it can make you hallucinate. But despite all that, the stalkers who met their end here — and many did — died in peace. Just stock up on energy drinks — both in the game and in real life — so you can make it out of here and continue the story.
