Progression in STALKER 2 is entirely centered around finding and upgrading quality pieces of gear, so you'd be forgiven for thinking most of the equipment in the early game is mediocre and will need to be replaced quickly. However, that's actually not the case, as I came to find out once I found three excellent pieces of kit early that ended up carrying me for over 30 hours of my ongoing 40+ hour playthrough.
All three of these items — a rifle, suit of armor, and artifact — can easily be collected in the opening hours of the game, and you don't even have to put yourself in much danger to get them. Make no mistake, this is gear you absolutely don't want to miss, and to make sure you don't, I've put together a quick guide below that shows where to get them and why they're so good. If you're interested in getting the best early game gear in STALKER 2, read on.
