Summary
Gaming giant Microsoft has several exciting titles coming to Xbox Game Pass in the coming year, and the company’s gaming head Phil Spencer believes the anticipatedSTALKER 2: Heart of Chornobylis a shoo-in for Game of the Year. Spencer has been talking at length about Xbox’s roadmap, which includes Microsoft’s plans for Play Anywhere, a plethora of expansions on the horizon, and the impressive line-up of holiday releases to keep Xbox gamers engaged this Christmas, includingSTALKER 2’s long-awaited debut.
Existing as the fourth game in theSTALKERfranchise,Heart of Chornobylis the first entry in the series sinceCall of Pripyat15 years ago. The independent sequel was originally planned to be released in 2012 but was canceled at the last minute. After resurfacing in 2018 with a new 2022 release date, the game’s development was further hindered due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Ahead of its late November launch,STALKER 2has provided the final PC system requirementsthat players should follow for the best experience, and fans can’t wait to lock in.
In an interview with Game File, Spencer touched onSTALKER 2’s long development history, calling it “remarkable” that the game is finally shipping. After over ten years in development,STALKER 2finally went goldat the start of November, putting the game’s litany of delays in the rearview mirror, and the boss also noted how the shooter’s quality had progressed. “The quality has really come a long way, and I’m proud that we got to partner to get that game done,” Spencer shared, and he also gave a surprising prediction that hypes the sequel’s qualities and proves its popularity. “I think it’s going to be on some people’s lists of their favorite game of the year,” Spencer teased.
Phil Spencer Names STALKER 2 as a Shoo-in for Game of the Year
Gamescom was held back in August, where Spencer got a hands-on preview of the title himself and was clearly impressed by the gameplay. With three months in between Gamescom andSTALKER 2’s release, the developer has likely added several polishing touches, which should fortify its day-one quality.STALKER 2has a handful of intriguing featuresthat loyal fans will dive into at launch, including a non-linear story, a blend of immersive sim and survival horror genres, and a possible post-launch multiplayer mode that players anticipate.
STALKER 2joins a healthy list of varied titles arriving on Xbox Game Pass in November, includingGoat Simulator: Remastered,Microsoft Flight Simulator 2024, andNine Sols. As for its Game of the Year hype, the shooter will be competing against some heavy contenders, includingFinal Fantasy 7 Rebirth,Metaphor: ReFantazio, andSilent Hill 2.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl
Chornobyl Exclusion Zone has changed dramatically after the second massive explosion in year 2006. Violent mutants, deadly anomalies, warring factions have made the Zone a very tough place to survive. Nevertheless, artifacts of unbelievable value attracted many people called S.T.A.L.K.E.R.s, who entered the Zone for their own risk striving to make a fortune out of it or even to find the Truth concealed in the Heart of Chornobyl.EPIC NONLINEAR STORY IN SEAMLESS OPEN WORLDTake over a role of the lone stalker and explore photorealistic seamless open world in a 64-km² radioactive zone with a variety of environments that reveal post-apocalyptic atmosphere from different angles. Make your way through the Zone to define your destiny as you choose your paths within highly branching epic story.VARIETY OF ENEMIES AND HUNDREDS OF WEAPON COMBINATIONSMeet members of different factions deciding who of them worth your friendship and who deserve a bullet. Engage intense gunfights with a variety of enemies that follow different tactics trying to outsmart you. Choose your preferable firearms from 30+ types of weapons with numerous modifications that allow creating hundreds of distinctive lethal combinations.
