Stalker 2 guide – 3 early game tips for Game Pass’ new survival game

This week, players on Xbox and PC finally had a chance to dive into the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl achievements on Xbox Series X|S and PC. Despite its hefty list of bugs, GSC Game World’s open-world survival shooter is excellent and certainly a contender for our list of the best Game Pass games. If you’re a new player to The Zone, here are a few handy Stalker 2 survival tips that will help you keep alive.

• Stalker 2 is a new hardcore survival game from Ukrainian developer GSC Game World
• Xbox Game Pass Tiers: Ultimate and PC
• Platforms: Xbox Series X|S and PC

Stalker 2 is tough, and it’s recommended that you play on its normal or hard difficulties (Stalker or Veteran). Once the prologue is finished and you’re sent out into The Zone to explore it as you please, you’re thrust into a world looking for any opportunity to bring your life to a premature end.
In the early hours, carefully managing your inventory between necessary items and sellable junk, dodging everything trying to take a chunk out of you, and surviving the deadly Emissions is a challenge, so we’re here to help.

I died many times while working on our Stalker 2 review, but my sacrifice means I have acquired some wisdom to share with you fine folks that should help you avoid a similar fate.

Here are our three Stalker 2 tips for all of you Xbox Game Pass players out in the irradiated zone!

Sell to fellow Stalkers

One of Stalker 2’s biggest challenges is inventory management. Repairs aren’t cheap in The Zone, and due to its digital nature, the in-game Credit currency can’t be found when out exploring, so finding bits and bobs to sell is necessary. Guns and armor are heavy, but they also sell well at vendors, and deciding if you should lug your haul back to a camp or stay light on your feet to explore just a little bit more of the world is a tough decision.

For me, I’ve found that only picking up fully repaired weapons and any armor I come across is the best balance, forsaking big money hauls for more time out in the field. Instead, I suggest picking up all food, med kits, ammo, drinks, and the like as you travel. You can stack tons of these items on you before becoming encumbered, and it’s not that big of a deal to drop a bunch on the floor if you do come across something shiny and heavy along the way.

When operating this way, it’s always best to approach any friendly NPCs you find on your travels and sell your junk to them. While you can trade with almost all stalkers, groups generally have a single ‘boss’ to speak to. Either way, any friendly you can trade with will have 700 Credits on them to buy your supplies, which isn’t much in the late game, but early on, it’s a handy bit of pocket money that can help keep you searching for something more awesome for longer.

Turn off your flashlight

This is one I didn’t learn until many hours into my playthrough, but your flashlight will get you hounded by an unwanted enemy. Your travels will send you to all kinds of dark and dank places, requiring your flashlight if you want to see past your gun barrel. The only issue is, anything lurking in the shadows or around a corner will know you’re coming, taking away your element of surprise — it would be quite the surprise for you if you had no light and the critter dived at your face from the darkness, mind.

Anytime a flashlight isn’t necessary, you should have it switched off, especially when traversing outside during the night. It acts as a beacon for any enemies in the vicinity, allowing them to quickly spot you from a fair distance away. When stealthily attempting to sneak past a group, the last thing you want is for your flashlight to wave around like a disco ball of doom. The RB button is your friend, use it!

Route planning might just save your life

There is nothing in Stalker 2 that will kill you faster than being caught out in an Emission. Any incoming storm of death will get an announcement just before the sky turns red, and then you have a few minutes of grace to find a good hidey-hole to crawl into while you wait for it to pass. The last thing you want to do is be stuck in the middle of nowhere when the announcement comes.

I recommend moving from point of interest to point of interest as you travel to your target location, that way you know you’re never a few hundred meters from potential safety. It also goes without saying, but don’t let your inventory be so full that you’re just walking across The Zone — nobody waddles away from an Emission.