Having recently completed a thorough 100+ hour playthrough of GSC Game World's new open-world survival shooter STALKER 2, I'm happy to say it's exactly the kind of sequel I was hoping for — bigger, bolder, and supremely atmospheric, complete with immensely rewarding exploration and excellent modern gunplay. Even with the AI simulation system A-Life 2.0 broken right now, it shines as one of 2024's best games for Xbox and Windows PC...but it's still missing one feature I've been hoping for since first playing the original STALKER trilogy years ago: co-op multiplayer.
With how fun it is to roam The Zone and its dynamic open spaces solo, it stands to reason that it would be a blast to do it with buddies at your side in co-op, too. It's for that reason that many STALKER fans were hoping GSC would add it to STALKER 2, but ultimately, the developers chose not to, explaining that they feel exploring the dangerous and unpredictable setting alone is important for the STALKER experience.
