Yesterday it was announced that STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl has been delayed to early 2024, and while that’s disappointing, GSC Game World has dropped a new trailer to tide fans over. This is probably the largest chunk of real gameplay we’ve seen to date – no cutscenes or polished-up beauty shots, just guns a-blazing, freaky mutants, and dogs getting sucked into anomalies. You can check out the new STALKER 2 trailer for yourself, below.

　　Now, the elephant in the room – no, this footage does not look as good as some of the early STALKER 2 teaser trailers that were labeled as in-game footage. If those early trailers were indeed gameplay, they were likely taken from a very-highly-polished vertical slice of the game. It probably was never particularly realistic to expect that a full, ambitious open-world title from an indie studio would look that good. One also has to keep in mind that developer GSC Game World has been making this game partially from a warzone following the Russian invasion of Ukraine. As if that wasn’t enough, they’ve also been targeted by Russian-backed hackers.

　　So, the fact that STALKER 2 seems to be close to actually coming out is something of a miracle. Also, setting aside the usual Internet hyperbole, the game still looks quite good (on the same level as other open-world horror games like Dying Light 2) and seems to capture the atmosphere and action the series is known for quite well. Don't worry, this game is still going to kick your ass.

　　A short playable demo of STALKER 2 is also available on the Gamescom show floor, and hands-on reports, like this one from PC Gamer, are positive. The demo reportedly gives players a lot of freedom, while presenting you with some serious challenges, including anomalies, mutant dogs, and emissions (intimidating lightning storms that turn the world into an inhospitable hellscape). It sounds like the latter will be particularly intense this time around.

　　STALKER 2 launches on PC and Xbox Series X/S in the first quarter of 2024. What do you think about this latest look at the game? Still excited to return to the Zone?