Navigating the tumultuous landscape of STALKER 2’s Zone is no simple feat. This open-world survival shooter wraps you in constant danger, with hazards capable of bringing your adventure to an abrupt end in mere seconds. Beyond the ominous groups of heavily armed NPC stalkers and the intimidating supernatural anomalies, the real threats prowling these lands are the mutants. These menacing creatures — transformed humans, mutated wildlife, or hybrids of the two — are perpetual hunters, chasing stalkers, other mutants, and anything unlucky enough to cross their paths.
STALKER 2 boasts 16 different mutant types. They range from horrifying human-like monsters radiated into madness to fierce animals altered by mysterious natural forces. Tackling these monsters demands more than brute force; well-thought-out strategies and the right gear can tilt the odds in your favor. As someone who’s logged over 70 hours into the STALKER 2 universe, I’ve gleaned plenty of insights on dispatching these creatures, making the daunting task just a bit easier. Below, you’ll find my detailed guide, featuring tailored advice for each mutant, including preferred weapons and tactics.
### STALKER 2: Mastering the Art of Rat Elimination
Encountering rats early in the game may not feel like a dire threat as they’re individually weak. However, these pests make up for what they lack individually by swarming en masse, quickly overwhelming unprepared stalkers. Relying on firearms is a waste of precious ammo against these packs. Instead, listen for their telltale chittering, find a vantage point on nearby crates or pipes, and deploy grenades to obliterate them efficiently. A second grenade might be needed for any stubborn leftovers.
### STALKER 2: Battling Rodents
Rodents, essentially oversized hopping rats, aren’t much of a threat on their own. Usually, they come at you in groups of six to ten, attempting to nip at you with a coordinated attack. Their low health makes them vulnerable to pistol shots, eliminating the need to use heavier ammunition. If you need a breather, climbing up high will scatter them temporarily, giving you space to reload or heal. Once grounded, they’re defenseless against your firepower.
### STALKER 2: Taking Down Blind Dogs
Blind dogs, unlike the smaller rodents, pose a greater threat due to their speed. Packs will charge at you, looking to surround and attack from all angles. Their aggressive barking alerts you to their presence, allowing you precious moments to prepare and counter with backpedaling gunfire. Quick, successive shots from pistols or SMGs work best, but keep an eye out for ways to separate individuals from the pack or lure them into nearby anomalies.
### STALKER 2: Dispatching Fleshes
Fleshes are grotesque, mutated swine with leg-like protrusions, embodying a challenging foe with their durability and group tactics. They echo the attack style of blind dogs but with the potential to leap great distances. Maintaining a safe distance while targeting them is crucial. Utilize a strategic dance of dodging and shooting to land successful hits, and always keep their leap in mind, ready to sidestep at a moment’s notice.
### STALKER 2: Neutralizing Mutant Boars
These formidable boars may remind you of regular feral pigs, but they’re far from ordinary and are incredibly aggressive. Their charging tactic demands quick reflexes to avoid getting bowled over, which invites follow-up attacks. Here, shotguns shine, but the key is predicting their movements. Using environmental obstacles effectively can provide temporary safety and a chance to recover or plan your next attack.
### STALKER 2: Confronting the Invisible Bloodsucker
Bloodsuckers are perhaps the most unsettling of STALKER’s mutant lineup. Their ability to turn invisible, coupled with brute strength and speed, makes them particularly lethal. Keeping an eye out for the foolproof hints of their cloak shimmer is essential. A streamlined plan with shotguns, capitalizing on their charge moments, can stave them off successfully. Always have an escape route in mind if things seem to unravel.
### STALKER 2: Dealing with Poltergeists
These elusive entities pose a unique challenge with their telekinetic prop assaults. Identifying their presence as a moving ball of electricity, they test both your awareness and aim. Closing the gap between you two, while zigzagging to avoid impending floating projectiles, is the strategy here. Ensure you’re close enough to counter their defenses effectively with the right choice of weaponry.
### STALKER 2: Tackling Zombies
Former stalkers turned zombies add a new dimension, wielding some remnants of human intelligence. Only headshots ensure they’re down for good, requiring precision and patience. Engage these undead in areas where you can control the fight, avoiding wide-open spaces where you’re exposed to multiple attacks.
### STALKER 2: Overcoming Controllers
Controllers are formidable adversaries, attacking with psi-waves that leave you vulnerable to illusions and attacks from nearby mutants. Combatting their psi-forces involves using cover to break line-of-sight and countering with grenades or well-placed headshots. Equip psi-blockers to mitigate their effects and stay focused under duress.
### STALKER 2: Outsmarting Burers
Buried in mystery and danger, burers maneuver with a mix of telekinesis and brute force. Their ability to control the battlefield with thrown objects and energy shields requires sharp reflexes and strategic cover use. Employ headshots when vulnerable and avoid allowing them access to environmental weapons, ensuring you remain one step ahead.
### STALKER 2: Handling Snorks
With their acrobatic prowess, snorks are formidable foes that require a dynamic response. Execute hit-and-run tactics with bursts of rifle or shotgun fire, moving strategically to avoid their leaps. Staying on the move is crucial to surviving their attacks while whittling down their numbers slowly but surely.
### STALKER 2: Surviving Psy-Dogs
Psy-dogs bring an element of mysticism with their illusory attacks, demanding that you discern the true threat from mirages. Escaping to allies is often the best course, but when standing your ground is necessary, close-range assaults with a shotgun after identifying the real pst-dog is the way to go.
### STALKER 2: Battling Cats (Bayun)
The stealthy cats, or bayun, leverage psychological tricks to lure you into their domains. Similar to blind dogs in attack style but far more damaging, combating these cunning creatures requires careful movement and foresight. Secure open spaces to increase your dodgeability while lining up your shots with precision.
### STALKER 2: Conquering Mutated Deer
The mutated deer are rare, feral combatants capable of summoning lesser mutants to intensify encounters. Ignore the summoned creatures, aiming directly at the deer itself to minimize prolonged skirmishes. Shotguns and slug ammunition will serve you well in these encounters, bringing these mysterious beings to heel swiftly.
### STALKER 2: Engaging Chimeras
As one of The Zone’s most daunting threats, the chimera’s mix of deadly speed and immense strength sets it apart as a formidable opponent. If retreat isn’t viable, employ the nimbleness of your character to dodge its strategic leaping attacks. Utilizing shotguns with high-impact rounds maximizes your damage output, with careful movement key to survival.
### STALKER 2: Facing Pseudogiants
Pseudogiants stand as colossally challenging adversaries, building their monstrous offense on relentless charging and ground-pounding. Exploit cover thoroughly, avoiding their charge while delivering well-timed RPG or shotgun blasts. Recognize environmental advantages, turning their size into a drawback whenever possible for triumph.
STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is now playing on Xbox Series X|S and Windows PC and has quickly become one of the standout games this year. While it’s priced at $59.99, savvy gamers can grab it cheaper through CDKeys, or indulge in its immersive dangerous world via Xbox Game Pass.
