Most Important Choices in Stalker 2

After an excruciatingly long time, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2: Heart of Chornobyl has finally been released, bringing players back to The Zone, and introducing it to newcomers. S.T.A.L.K.E.R has always featured a vast number of missions and jobs as a part of its gameplay, available throughout The Zone to help players survive its brutality.

The series has always given players an incredible amount of freedom, allowing them to do almost whatever they want, and make any choice they desire. Of course, S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 continues this, with a handful of decisions for players to make, in either the main missions or side missions. Some are important to help with upcoming missions, some can save the player’s time and frustration, while others can be critical to the main story. Some choices can even dictate what ending a player receives, making these decisions deeply important.

Spoilers ahead for S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl!

6 Shoot Or Knock Out Solder

An Early Choice That Can Determine A Future Mission

• Found during the Behind Seven Seals mission
• A smaller decision that can determine the ease of an upcoming mission

In the early missions, there are already a couple of choices for players to make. One of the more notable choices is whether to spare or kill Solder during the Behind Seven Seals mission.

The choice doesn’t have an immediate effect but can influence how a later mission will play out. Keeping Solder alive can save some frustration in the later The Hornet’s Nest mission, being the better option as both choices don’t influence anything else.

5 Show The Unusual PDA

A Choice That Can Make Future Interactions Easier

• Found during the Back to Slag Heap mission
• A smaller choice that can help with future missions

The decision to show the unusual PDA isn’t as important of a choice to the point it drastically affects the story, but can be a helpful aspect for missions later down the line. During the Back to Slag Heap mission, the player will receive a choice to show the unusual PDA to Colonel Korshunov and Doctor Dalin or to keep it hidden.

Deciding to show the unusual PDA will grant the player the Ward Badge, which can help in future missions. Players will also get the Combatant, a unique gun. Choosing not to show the unusual PDA will force players to complete the mission, A Heavy Burden. There are additional choices involving showing the unusual PDA in this mission; the game has players decide if they want to show the unusual PDA to Scar, but both choices play out relatively the same, unlocking the previously mentioned mission, and some dialogue differences.

4 Kill Shah, Roosevelt, Or Varan

One Of The First Tricky Choices Players Will Encounter

• Found during the Deal with the Devil and/or King of the Hill mission
• One of the first big choices that can have difficult outcomes

The Zone is not a friendly place, and some of the choices in S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 reflect this clearly. One of the earliest decisions that will have players wondering about what to do involves Varan, and his request to either kill Roosevelt or Shah or pay 20,000 coupons. For returning players of the franchise, this decision might be even more difficult, or easy depending on their faction allegiance, as Roosevelt belongs to Duty, while Shah is from Freedom.

Killing either has consequences, as Roosevelt’s death makes a peaceful encounter impossible in a future mission where he can also be found, but killing Shah has players lose access to the Brood. However, there is another option; the death of Varan. Killing Varan saves extra hassle, as he betrays the player no matter the choice. If deciding on this option, be careful as there are quite a lot of enemies to take out.

3 Eternal Spring Or Life Is For The Living

An Important Choice That Can Influence The Ending

• Found during the Subtle Matter mission
• A choice that can give players the Spark ending

As the first S.T.A.L.K.E.R game in over a decade, it was ambiguous whether the previous protagonists would make a return to The Zone. Some of this ambiguity came to a close with the Spark faction, in which players find Scar, the playable character of S.T.A.L.K.E.R: Clear Sky.

Being featured prominently in the story of S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, Scar and his new faction have an ending to the game that is unique to them. A crucial point in achieving this ending is during the Subtle Matter mission, in which the player will have to decide between two choices: ‘Life is for the living’, or ‘Eternal Spring’. Answering ‘Eternal Spring’ will push players into the Spark ending, whereas choosing ‘Life is for the living’ will allow players to pursue any of the other endings.

2 I’m Not Your Enemy Or Escape

A Choice That Can Allow A Specific Ending

• Found during the Dangerous Liaisons mission
• A choice that can give players the Ward ending

S.T.A.L.K.E.R has always put a huge emphasis on its factions, with S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2 introducing new additions to the franchise. It should come as no surprise then that one of these new factions, the Ward, has a unique ending.

During the late-game mission, Dangerous Liaisons, the player will be presented with a choice by Korshunov, whether they decide they are not an enemy of the Ward, or if they want to escape the situation they are in. Choosing the former will lock players into the ending for the Ward, while the latter option will allow players to pursue any other endings they have in mind.

1 Lower The Gun Or Fire

A Choice That Will Decide The Ending Of The Game

• Found during The Last Wish mission
• A crucial decision that can give players the Strelok or Kaymanov ending.

Out of all the returning characters in S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2, the most expected was Strelok, featured in every game in the series so far. As one of the central figures of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R franchise, it would only be natural for him to have an ending relating to him in S.T.A.L.K.E.R 2.

However, the choice that allows players to pursue his ending can also lock players into the Kaymanov ending. When meeting with Kaymanov in The Last Wish mission, choosing to shoot him will lock players into the Strelok ending, whereas deciding to lower the gun will allow players to achieve Kaymanov’s ending.