GSC Game World has released Stalker 2 Update 1.2, a mammoth patch that introduces "over 1700 fixes and improvements to all aspects of the game".
That might sound like a lot of fixes, but it's actually a slightly smaller number than those introduced in December's Update 1.1, which boasted more than 1800 improvements and tweaks.
Like that update, though, today's patch brings fixes for the game's rather controversial A-Life system, introducing more ways in which NPCs can interact with the world around them. You'll also find changes to balance, optimization, story elements, and much, much more.
With regards to A-Life, fixes include NPCs no longer being able to loot corpses' body armor and helmets, as well as characters not healing allies NPCs. A-Life NPCs will also no longer have access to quest locations, and the AI can't spawn corpses near the player anymore.
Amusingly, the stealth AI has been improved so that NPCs can no longer "end up behind the player" following a melee attack. So much for studying the blade, I suppose.
An absolute ton of story bugs have been fixed, including characters not spawning during the "Wishful Thinking" mission, as well as the Three Captains mission auto-completing shortly after being accepted.
It's well worth reading through the full patch notes for Stalker 2 Update 1.2, although you will probably want to grab a hot drink or something, because reading every single fix is going to take you quite a while.
Stalker 2 is the latest entry in GSC Game World's ambitious (but frequently janky) Stalker series. It's absolutely not the second entry, either.
The game once again sees you entering the Chornobyl Exclusion Zone in search of loot and fame. You'll meet various factions along the way, each of which has its own agenda, and you'll have to decide how to deal with these factions while also pursuing your own goals.
Stalker 2 is available right now for PC and Xbox Series X|S, and it's also available on PC Game Pass or Game Pass Ultimate. You can read our review of the open-world shooter here.
