GSC Game World releases massive patch 1.2 for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl, addressing over 1700 bugs and improvements. This substantial update significantly impacts various game aspects, including AI, balance, optimization, story, and the much-criticized A-Life 2.0 system.
Released in November to positive Steam reviews and over 1 million sales, STALKER 2's success is remarkable given the challenging circumstances surrounding its development. However, the game launched with notable bugs, particularly concerning A-Life 2.0, a core feature aiming for immersive, emergent gameplay through dynamic AI. Patch 1.1 offered initial fixes, and patch 1.2 represents a major step forward.
Key improvements in patch 1.2 include:
AI Enhancements: Numerous fixes address NPC behavior, including corpse looting, weapon selection, accuracy, stealth detection, and obstacle avoidance. Mutant AI has also received significant attention, resolving issues with pathfinding, attacks, and abilities. The Controller mutant even gains a new roar ability.
Balance Adjustments: The patch rebalances weapons, particularly pistols and silencers, and adjusts NPC armor and weaponry spawn rates. Radiation damage and the Weird Water artifact's effect have also been tweaked.
Optimization and Crash Fixes: Over 100 crashes related to EXCEPTION_ACCESS_VIOLATION and other memory leaks have been resolved. Performance improvements target FPS drops during boss fights and menu navigation.
Story and Quest Fixes: Hundreds of fixes address issues across the main storyline and side missions, impacting NPC behavior, quest progression, and objective completion. Specific fixes include resolving issues with key characters like Col. Korshunov, Scar, and Gaffer, ensuring smooth quest progression.
Other Improvements: The update includes numerous fixes for the game's environment, player gear, guidance systems, audio, cutscenes, and localization. Visual improvements and level design tweaks enhance the overall experience. New features include added keybindings for the Journal and Notes, Razer Chroma and Synapse integration, and improved parkour animations.
The complete patch notes detailing each individual fix are extensive and can be found on Steam. This patch signifies GSC Game World's commitment to improving STALKER 2 and delivering the immersive experience players anticipated.
