GSC Game World has released a substantial patch (1.2) for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, addressing approximately 1,700 bugs and enhancements. This significant update encompasses various game aspects, including balance adjustments, location refinements, quest fixes, crash resolution, performance improvements, and crucial A-Life 2.0 system upgrades.
Launched in November to positive Steam reviews and over 1 million sales, STALKER 2 represents a remarkable achievement for the Ukrainian studio, especially considering the challenging circumstances surrounding its development. However, the game's launch was marred by widely reported bugs, particularly concerning A-Life 2.0, a core system responsible for dynamic AI behavior and emergent gameplay. Following a previous patch (1.1), this update aims to rectify these issues.
Patch 1.2's extensive changelog highlights numerous fixes:
AI Enhancements: The patch focuses heavily on improving NPC and mutant AI behavior. This includes fixes for corpse looting, improved shooting accuracy, stealth mechanics, obstacle avoidance, and addressing specific issues with various mutant types (e.g., Chimera, Poltergeist, Pseudodog). Numerous animations and interactions have also been refined.
Balance Adjustments: Weapon balance, particularly pistols and silencers, has been tweaked. NPC armor and weaponry spawn rates have been adjusted, and radiation damage has been rebalanced. Economic adjustments have been made to certain repeatable missions.
Optimization and Crash Fixes: The patch tackles performance drops during boss fights and menu navigation, addresses memory leaks, and fixes over 100 instances of EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION crashes and other errors. Framerate locking has been added to menus and loading screens.
Under the Hood Improvements: Numerous behind-the-scenes improvements have been implemented, including improved flashlight shadows, refined NPC relationships, ammo type renaming, and smoother cutscene transitions. Controller support and save game functionality have also received attention.
Story and Quest Fixes: A massive number of fixes address issues across the main storyline and side missions. These fixes cover NPC spawning, quest progression, dialogue issues, and interactions with various characters and locations. Specific missions like Wishful Thinking, Down Below, Hot on the Trail, and many others have received extensive attention.
The Zone, Player Gear, and Guidance: Improvements have been made to interactive objects, anomaly behavior, player movement mechanics, and overall game settings. The user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) have also been refined, including improvements to the map, inventory, and upgrade menus. Numerous location-specific issues have been addressed.
Audio, Cutscenes, and Voiceover: Sound effects, music, and voiceovers have been improved and corrected, addressing desynchronization, missing audio, and other audio-related bugs. Cutscene issues and facial animations have also been refined.
This comprehensive patch represents a significant effort to enhance the STALKER 2 experience. The sheer number of fixes suggests a dedicated commitment from GSC Game World to improving their game.
