Stored game record
S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl - Cost of Hope
The fragile peace between Duty and Freedom stands on the brink of collapse. The heartlands of the Zone, forbidden for decades, now call to stalkers. New dangers - or perhaps wonders - begin to emerge. Prepare to embark on a new expedition into the Zone in this massive nonlinear expansion, where dozens of hours of gameplay, unforgettable stories, and twisted characters await. A new chapter of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. saga begins - shaped by your choices and actions in a journey you must survive, endure, and explore. A chance to learn the Сost of Hope is upon us, stalkers.
- GSC Game World
Platform scores
| Platform | Metascore | Userscore |
|---|---|---|
| PC | 84 | 8.2 |
| PlayStation 5 | Not stored | 9.4 |
| Xbox Series X | Not stored | 8.5 |
What players said
Praise
- El juego es asombroso muy bonito, luego de la nueva actualización ya con el parche 2.0. El juego arregló muchos problemas de rendimiento y el juego no se cae. Es muy estable gráficamente también mejoró y se los recomiendo muchísimo también los invito a que se compran en la expansión
- Better than a core game in all aspects, story, thrills. Definitely worth it.
- Good game! .
Criticism
- That's the first game of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series which I couldn't finish. Too boring and too buggy even for S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
- Another problem game, bots rating up broken unfinished games? The highly tested fun game industry of the past is really dead, no?
- GSC didn't fix any of S2's issues related to gameplay or the amount of side content in the base game, and now they've released a DLC with even less side content than the second half of the base game. I'm not even talking about comparing it to the amount of side content in CoP or in any other major expansions from studios like CDPR. Instead, they focused on making another CoD/Metro-like main questline, which itself is pretty good, and there's a visible increase in quality compared to the base game. But that doesn't justify the insane lack of side content, the boring exploration that rewards you with the same two medkits and one bandage 95% of the time, or the fact that the expansion doesn't add any new armor or gameplay features, CS and CoP added a whole bunch of gameplay additons compared to the previous game (weapon/armor modification, faction war, achievements that affect a world around you, new items and consumables, long side storylines, detectors for artifacts huntng, etc), CoH adds NOTHING. The factio
Stored video
Open stored video in a new tabhttps://cdn.jwplayer.com/players/vMGsTVo8.html
What critics said
Praise
- STALKER 2: Cost of Hope is an excellent expansion thanks to its engaging story centered around beloved factions, deeper worldbuilding, and some of the most memorable missions in the game. It could easily stand on its own as a shorter spin-off. Its substantial amount of content gets off to a somewhat slow start, but then builds steadily toward a grand finale. It’s just a shame that it ultimately has no more significant impact on the world itself. If you’ve been hesitant about another trip to the Zone, though, it’s never been in better shape.
- STALKER 2: Cost of Hope DLC is an excellent story expansion that delivers a new route for Skif to either contain/destroy or explore the Zone. The introduction to the two new major factions feels impactful, and the main characters from each of these factions are likeable. Not only does this DLC expand on the Story, but also on the Zone itself. You get to explore two new regions in the Zone, including the long-awaited CNPP. There are new weapons, new secrets, and new Artifacts to help you in this new chapter of the story. On top of this new content, Update 2.0 makes the whole game even better with the engine rework.
- Cost of Hope works because it understands that S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 did not simply need more land, but places, encounters and choices that make exploration meaningful again. Iron Forest, the Chornobyl Nuclear Power Plant and the Space Bubble succeed where the base game could sometimes feel too spread out. Duty and Freedom bring back one of the series’ defining conflicts, even if the characters remain weaker than the ideas they represent. The bestiary plays it safe, but stronger mission design and denser spaces make up for it. Update 2.0 improves the whole experience, but it should remain separate from the DLC’s value.