The first thing that struck me in Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl – recently released on PlayStation 5 – wasn’t the claws of a mutated creature or a bandit’s hail of bullets, but the first-person shooter’s stunning visual presentation.

Incredibly atmospheric, brimming with absorbing details, and endlessly immersive, GSC Game World’s passion project immediately places you in a brutal, believable post-apocalyptic world capable of conjuring a lifetime of nightmares.

Of course, if you laced up the boots of the titular wasteland wanderer and braved the game’s unforgiving open-world when the Ukrainian developer released it on Xbox platforms and PC a year ago, you’re well aware of Stalker 2‘s adept ability to transport you to its fictional take on the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone – the tragic site of 1986’s Chernobyl nuclear power plant disaster.

That said, while its original release was technically advanced and artistically brilliant, it was also brought down by numerous bugs, graphical and performance glitches, and other annoyances that often made it more frustrating than fun.

Following 12 months of fixes, patches, and additional polish, however, most of those issues have been squashed like an irradiated insect, making the title’s PS5 launch leaps and bounds better than what some Xbox and PC players suffered through.

PlayStation 5-powered post-apocalypse

Given that the existing versions of the game also benefit from these same updates and improvements, it’s worth noting that Stalker 2 is now in a much better place regardless of what platform you’re playing on. Still, thanks to several PS5 – and, especially, PS5 Pro-specific upgrades and features – this latest trip to the Zone is easily the best yet.

For starters, the PS5 version offers both performance (targeting 2K resolution at 60 FPS) and quality modes (targeting 4K resolution at 30 FPS), while the PS5 Pro bumps the former even further, with performance aiming for 4K at 60 FPS. During my testing, playing primarily in performance mode on the PS5 Pro, I enjoyed a consistently fast, fluid experience. Both platforms also crank the immersion with a number of DualSense features, from adaptive trigger and haptic feedback support to clever integration of the controller’s built-in speaker and touchpad.

PS5 Pro players also enjoy some additional bells and whistles, including more realistic shadows, lighting, reflections, and volumetric effects that push the graphical presentation to the platform’s horsepower-pushing limits. More than mere back-of-the-box bullet points, these PS5 and PS5 Pro improvements combine to deliver tangible, experience-enhancing details and touches that truly make the forbidden Zone come to life…and death.

The DualSense delivers

Prominent displays of the PS5’s extra power, like the rumble of a patrolling helicopter being felt through the DualSense – even as the pilots’ communications crackle through the controller’s speaker – will immediately have you questioning how you played Stalker 2 without Sony’s proprietary tech in your hands.

It’s truly the best implementation of the DualSense I’ve experienced since Astro Bot pleased my palms last fall.

But it’s often far subtler moments, like unexpectedly wading into a radioactive puddle, that’ll have you scooping your jaw from the floor. First, you’ll likely spy the incredibly realistic reflections of the surrounding environment on the water, then notice your own shadow staring back at you.

Dare to delve further into the potentially deadly pool, and you’ll see it ripple in time with your every footstep. But your cautious movements aren’t the only ones stirring up the murky water, as hovering insects create tiny circles on its surface, while falling leaves cause a gentle lilting effect. Short of the DualSense spraying an actual mist in your face, I can’t imagine how such moments could be more tangible.

While the culmination of these lulling effects could almost fool you into thinking you’re playing a health spa simulator, the rampaging, mutated boar that’s about to skewer you with its splintered tusks will quickly snap you back to reality. Stalker 2 is as brutal as it is beautiful, so you’ll want to resist pausing too long to soak in its cinema-rivalling presentation.

Expectation-subverting shooter

While the game is generally billed as a first-person shooter, it’s focused as much on unforgiving, survival horror gameplay as it is clip-emptying action. In fact, its steep difficulty – even on its “normal” setting – makes other post-apocalyptic action games feel like a picnic.

On top of standard survival elements, such as scarce ammo and resources, limited inventory space, and the constant, foreboding sense that your next breath could be your last, Stalker 2 tasks you with managing a number of other hazards. In addition to monitoring your health and stamina, you’ll need to keep a close eye on thirst and hunger levels, as well as bleed damage following any encounter that’s gone south.

Of course, given that the game takes place in an open world that woke up on the wrong side of a nuclear disaster, there’s also the persistent threat of falling victim to radiation poisoning. But not to worry, as the rapid, tension-ratcheting ping of your radiation detector – frantically emitting from the DualSense – will let you know when you’re about to become the Zone’s next pile of ash. Whether or not you react to the warning fast enough to save your skin is another story.

Toss in the fact that the massive map’s absolutely brimming with all manner of mutated wildlife, human adversaries, and anomalies that can suddenly turn your seemingly normal surroundings into a death trap devoid of any scientific explanation, and, well, Stalker 2 will never be mistaken for another shooter that makes you feel like a world-saving space marine or super-soldier.

When a perfect storm of these aforementioned threats gets the best of you, the game can even feel a bit unfair and, if you haven’t saved in a minute, border on frustrating. On the plus side, a number of rewarding gameplay loops – from upgrading your weapons and gear to progressing the story and piecing together the Zone’s puzzle-like mysteries – should keep you engaged, even as the harsh world repeatedly throws you to the figurative – and sometimes literal – wolves.

But these elements, too, bring their own set of stressors. A strict durability system means weapons and gear can break down, while saddling yourself with too many items can lead to your Stalker becoming overencumbered. So even when you’re not under immediate threat, the game isn’t about to let you take a breather.

While Stalker 2 isn’t for the faint of heart, its refreshing mix of survival-focused first-person action and an incredibly atmospheric, nerve-fraying open-world allows it to stand out from the post-apocalyptic fragger pack. Its unique take on the genre is further elevated by the PS5’s ability to deliver the prettiest, most immersive version of the game yet. If its buggy launch last year kept you from breaching the borders of the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone, now’s a great time to strap on the gas mask and give it a go.

Should you play Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl PS5?

Play it if…