Things To Do First In STALKER 2

Key Takeaways

• Learn early game tips like saving Gloomy to get good loot & resources.
• Stockpile medkits due to high damage threats to quickly heal.
• Visit Zalissya early to find traders, complete quests, and repair gear.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is the latest release in the long-tenured S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series. It is a first-person survival horror title set in the exclusion zone created after the explosion of the Chornobyl reactor. The game blends realistic and immersive shooter mechanics, with survival elements and a whole host of supernatural and mutated threats.

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a difficult game, as players must not only balance survival elements but also maintain weapons, navigate, and engage in plenty of varied combat. This means that, for new players to the series, especially, the game may feel overwhelming and slightly directionless. This is why it is very important that players learn some of their options for the first few hours of gameplay and what they should be doing first.

1 Save Gloomy

Access To A Stash

After finishing the prologue and waking up without their gear in the exclusion zone, players are introduced to Richter, who they can follow toward a nearby town. Players can then encounter and save Zhorik in a nearby house, who tells them to save his ally, Gloomy. This begins the quest, “Dangerous Visitors.”

Upon saving Gloomy, players will have experienced a decent amount of combat with human enemies, teaching them a bit about gunplay in the game. They also get a cash reward, as well as access to any loot in the building and the details of a stash found in the nearby cave. Looting this stash is good early loot and resources that make the beginning of the game easier.

2 Stockpile Medkits

Incredibly Useful Healing

S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 is a difficult game, even when playing on the standard difficulty. There are many threats in the zone, and most of them deal massive amounts of damage early on, especially when compared to the total player health. Some attacks from mutants or gunfire will hit for 50-75% of the health bar, and other actions, like falling from even a slight height, can be near fatal.

This is why players should ensure they are stocked up on medkits, in particular. These heal a massive amount of health and do so nearly instantly. After a short animation, players can restore their health and return from the brink of death. Of course, players need to have bandages to stop their bleeding, but no other health items compare to the massive healing that medkits offer. They can be purchased and found frequently throughout the zone, but players may find themselves getting through them quickly. Therefore, stockpiling is a good idea.

3 Travel To Zalissya

First Friendly Town

After finishing the prologue and potentially completing the early sidequest, “Dangerous Visitors,” players are then tasked with heading toward Zalissya. This is the first friendly town players will find and is easily navigated toward due to the blimp that hovers above the town. Here, players will find traders, quest givers, story-relevant NPCs, and a whole host of other utilities.

Getting to Zalissya is especially useful as early as possible simply due to how the game opens up after visiting the town. It is the first real step in the journey and is where players will continue the main quest as well as any side quests that can be located within the town. Zalissya is also safe from any of the threats of the zone, meaning it is nice for players to know where they can travel to if the zone proves too deadly in those first hours.

4 Speak To Traders

Sell Unwanted Items And Have Items Repaired

Zaliyssa is home to many NPCs, most notably a couple of traders that deal in various wares. There’s Hamster, who allows players to purchase armor, ammo, and guns. There is also Warlock, who allows players to repair and upgrade their guns and items. These are two crucial traders for players to get familiar with in the starting hours of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2.

Throughout the journey leading to Zaliyssa, players should ensure they collect any items and weapons to be sold, as long as they aren’t on red durability. Simply collecting everything and then selling it to the Zalissya traders will allow players to make a good amount of money from the surplus weapons that they collect. Players can then use that cash to stock up on more goods and repair their gear at Warlock.

5 Take Zalissya Side Quests

Good Early Money

There are a series of side quests in the zone, and the first ones that players will find are mainly located in Zalissya. These are fairly simple tasks that allow players to gain knowledge and familiarity with their surroundings, as well as earn a solid amount of money and potentially other items.

One of these quests comes from Warlock, the trader, and is a simple debt-collecting mission near Zalissya. This allows players to earn really quick money, as well as take down a few bandits for their gear. Another side quest is from Mityay, entitled, “The Poppy Field.” This allows players to travel a bit further out and loot many items along their way, culminating in a decision to sell the item they were tasked with requiring or return it to Mityay, either rewarding an AR416 if they choose to sell it or a cash reward if they return it to Mityay.

6 Locate Stashes

Useful Early Gear And Items

The zone in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has a plethora of stashes scattered all over, each containing a variety of items found in all sorts of places. Players must simply pay attention to the map to locate the stashes in the starting area and get some solid early loot.

Many of these stashes are great to go for while completing side quests, a few of them being located close to quest objectives. One is even found in a barn on the outskirts of Zalissya, an especially convenient stash to loot. Players, especially in the early game, should always be aware of these stash locations and loot them whenever they are nearby.