STALKER 2 update 1.5 is out now with new guns, better A-Life and mod support
STALKER 2 update 1.5 is out now, the patch, which has been branded as the ‘Guns and Looting Patch’, bringing new weapons, new gameplay features and official mod support.
Starting a the top, there are two new weapons included in the patch, with a new sniper rifle and a new pistol:
- Three-Line Rifle: A lightweight, bolt-action sniper rifle with impressive range and precision. Ideal for sharpshooters, this rifle has quickly become a favorite among veterans of the Zone. Encounter it early in your journey and test your aim against distant threats.
- Kora Pistol: A heavy-hitting, clunky pistol that sacrifices speed for raw power. Each shot from its limited magazine packs a punch, making it a must-have for stalkers who value impactful firepower. Seek out the rare Night Stalker variant, a unique Kora coveted by weapon collectors.
A further enhancement for patch 1.5 is Mutant Parts Trading. When you defeat bloodsuckers, fleshes, and other mutants, they now drop various parts like eyes, tusks and tentacles, which are apparently quite valuable and can be traded to NPCs for coupons. First you must visit Malachite to learn how to harvest them in a tradable condition, though.
Beyond that, patch 1.5 has a bunch of quality of life and system improvements:
- Further A-Life improvements:
- Life in the Zone is now simulated for all characters, not just those in the player’s view.
- Characters continue to live their lives and pursue their goals in the Zone until they meet their end.
- The player can meet the same stalkers after some time.
- Players may encounter more A-Life characters resting or interacting in various locations, adding to the world’s immersion.
- Characters will no longer respawn directly in front of the player. When the player clears the mutants’ lair, for example, those mutants won’t simply reappear moments later.
- A-Life Director will no longer respawn characters at the edge of visualization. Instead, respawn moved further away from the player, while maintaining the Zone’s population.
- Visualization range is slightly increased. Characters now appear in visualization range with relevant animations and equipped weapons. This reduces the “pop-in” effect and contributes to a more seamless character visualization.
- Life in the Zone is now simulated for all characters, not just those in the player’s view.
- New Electric Water Tornado anomaly.
- New vehicle models scattered across the terrain.
- Expanded stash window size for better inventory management.
- Distinct icons for each ammo type, making identification effortless.
- Reload renewal, allowing Skif to seamlessly resume interrupted reloads.
And finally, full and official mod support has arrived in the form of The Zone Kit. Available on the Epic Games Store, this allows players to reshape the Zone and tweak gameplay to their heart’s content. Mods can then be shared via mod.io and Steam Workshop.
It allows for:
- Modify or create new animations, weapons, mechanics, and anomalies.
- Adjust gameplay to suit your preferences, whether you’re seeking more challenge, less difficulty, or something entirely new.
- Share creations effortlessly via mod.io or Steam Workshop, depending on the platform.
- Future updates will add even more functionality to the Zone Kit, ensuring endless creative possibilities. This marks Phase One of the mod support launch, so stay tuned for future updates.
A very healthy update already, even in short, but the full patch notes high level patch notes for STALKER 2 Patch 1.5 are also available – more detailed and granular patch notes are available here.
Looking back on our STALKER 2 review, Miguel said, “STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is an immersive experience like no other. It’s a tense shooter, a gripping survival experience, an immersive explorable sandbox, and a stunning piece of art come to life despite the harrowing circumstances of the team behind it all.”
Source: Steam
