Stalker 2’s launch is only the beginning: I cannot wait to see how a long-held series tradition makes this game even better

Stalker games suffering from bugs is a tale as old as the series itself, to the point where it’s kind of a part of playing the games, at least on PC. Stalker 2 is no different. While the game has been created under especially rough circumstances due to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine turning the lives of the developers upside down, hope of a more stable game with smoother edges isn’t baseless. In fact, the game’s saviour could be a long-held tradition.

I’m speaking, of course, of community-made mods. I will first note that the development team has pulled together over the past few days to release patches that go a long way in fixing some of the bugs present (certainly many I saw during my Stalker 2 review). But, as is tradition, the tech-savvy fans have already got to work tweaking the inner workings of the Noosphere to make the whole experience work a little better.

Even today, just a day after launch,we’ve seen mods release with the goal of fixing technical problems. A day! That’s wild. One could almost say that an A-team of 30-something Europeans were expecting this to happen. It’s thanks to these folks that those of you out there who get really turned off by buggy video games can still hop into Stalker 2. That’s a good thing! It’s a game that absolutely shouldn’t be missed just cus of some flying bodies or a crash or two.

For those unaware of the history of Stalker mods, the community has often pulled up its sleeves to help with polish the state of the games. ZRP – or the Zone Replication Project – is one of the better known examples. A community-led effort to fix bugs in Stalker – Shadow of Chernobyl. It’s so popular and such a respected effort that it’s often recommended to folks on their first playthrough, such is its positive impact on the game. It stops crashes and random corrupted save files, it evens adds various quality of life features that makes the game a more palatable experience.

A lot of the focus right now is on bugs because, well, we’re currently seeing the launch of a new Stalker game. But it’s also worth giving flowers to other creatives in the Stalker mod space who I’m sure are going to return to their old ways for Stalker 2. Many out there hold fondness for the Autumn Aurora 2 mod, which overhauls the visuals, sound, and more. It’s also built on the aforementioned ZRP mod effort, so many grab these two and set themselves loose on the original Stalker.

I still have Stalker 2 – in its raw, base form – to play through. I’m not done with it yet. But after I’ve had my fill I know for a fact that the one thing that’ll take me back to the game in the coming months will be community-effort mods. Stuff that lessens the friction, as much as it can. I’m down for the wacky stuff too! There’ll be plenty of that, mark my words. Once the dirty work is done fixing bugs you can be certain the modders will start messing around with the game.

The Zone is a weird place, after all. Anomalies are everywhere. But once the mess is moved out of the way, you and I should be able to see the game for its beauty. Then, after that, who can say what’s in store!