Summary
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylsees players take to the radioactive area known as The Zone to recover special supernatural artifacts and investigate the anomalies present there. The Zone itself is populated with its fair share of dangers, from armed militia groups and cut-throat bandits tohighly irradiated and horrifying mutants. The game is unforgiving and brutal, so it helps to have the right weaponry at hand when traversing The Zone.
Shotguns are the ideal weapon for clearing many of the game’s close-quarters segments. The Zone is filled withthe ruins of old villages and industrial areas, so there will be plenty of up-close-and-personal encounters with the various kinds of mutants throughout. Fortunately, the game provides a wide range of different shotguns to deal with these close-range encounters, and many of them possess some of the highest damage outputs in the game. Whether players are looking for a solid pump-action backup or a military-grade semi-auto destroyer, there is bound to be a shotgun suitable for any given situation.
1.94 KG
12"/70
Magazine Size
2
TheBoomstickis a basic double-barrel shotgun thatcan be found very early on in the game. Many low-level enemies will have this weapon, so make sure not to get too close to them when engaging in a firefight.
With poor reliability and a limited range, the Boomstick is best suited as a backup weapon for very close-quarters gun battles. With upgrades, the Boomstick can be enhanced in several ways, but ultimately there are many better choices of shotgun throughout the game.
3.14 KG
TheToz-34is a hunting shotgun with slightly better range and accuracy than the Boomstick. Much like the Boomstick, it suffers from poor penetration and a limited 2-shot magazine capacity, but it is certainly the better of the early-game shotguns.
The Toz-34 is best used for taking down mutants since they are morelikely to charge the player and attackthem from close range. In this area, the Toz-34 excels and makes for the ideal mutant defense gun.
4.4 KG
8
TheSPSA-14is a powerful combat shotgun based on the legendary SPAS-12. With a magazine capacity of 8 rounds and a semi-automatic firing mode, the SPSA-14 can unleash total carnage against both human and mutant enemies alike.
The SPSA-14 is also designed to accommodatea variety of ammo types including slug and expanding dart shells. Overall, this shotgun is a reliable choice that can help carry players through most of the game, particularly with attachments and upgrades applied to it.
3.2 KG
6
TheM860 Crackeris a powerful pump-action police shotgun, ideal for close-quarters combat and fighting off rabid mutants. It is relatively lightweight considering the power it packs, which is always an important factor inSTALKER 2.
The M860 also has a unique variant called theM860 Monolith, though it isonly available to players who have theDeluxe EditionDLC. ForDeluxe Editionusers, the Monolith variant can be found west of the Detention Center, near the Northern Checkpoint by the river at the bottom of the Garbage region.
3.76 KG
TheSaiga D-12is a very strong semi-automatic shotgun and is one of the best weapons in the game when it comes to taking down mutants. Though it can suffer from high recoil when firing off consecutive shots, this can beminimized through upgrades and attachments.
The Saiga D-12 deals a huge amount of damage with each shot and has very high penetration and accuracy compared with most other shotguns. A unique variant, theMagarch D-12, is available to Ultimate Edition players and comes with a sight and foregrip to help with accuracy and recoil.
3.5 KG
14
TheRam-2is easily one of the most powerful shotguns in the game and even ranks among thebest overall guns in the gamedue to its well-balanced stats. The Ram-2 has a unique pump-action firing mechanism and two barrels, enabling players to fire off two shots at a time.
While it might not be as fast as the semi-auto shotguns, this pump-action mechanism helps a lot when facing mutants, as it acts to re-center the weapon and prevent increased recoil. The Ram-2 is also one of the most valuable weapons in the game, selling for up to 27,550 coupons. Overall, it makes a perfect backup weapon for snipers, or when heading into highly radioactive areas dense with mutant enemies.
