Most people think of big retailer sales events like Prime Day as some of the best times to snag gaming accessories and hardware for less, but what a lot of people don't realize is that tons of games are heavily discounted while they're running, too. Things are no different with this year's sale, with one particular deal — a markdown for STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl that lowers its price to just $23.40 at Amazon — standing out as one of the event's best.
Not only is that a full 61% off the regular $60 MSRP and the lowest price I've ever seen the game fall to, but STALKER 2 itself is one of 2024's top Xbox and PC titles and the best FPS game I played last year as well. Indeed, if there's one Prime Day game deal to pull the trigger on, it's this one.
A long-awaited sequel that's only gotten better
There are plenty of sweet game deals to take advantage of this Amazon Prime Day, but if you're an Xbox Series X|S player and you're up for playing a new shooter title, I'd argue you're not going to find a better one than this discount on STALKER 2. As I said before, it's an incredible deal on an incredible game, making it a stellar pickup while "Prime Week" is still ongoing.
For the unaware, STALKER 2 is GSC Game World's long-awaited sequel to its original trilogy of STALKER games from the late 2000s — famous for weaving tense FPS combat, RPG progression, and horror elements together in a remarkably dynamic open-world setting. It's a culmination of years of tireless work from the Ukrainian studio amid Russia's ongoing invasion, and finally launched on Xbox and PC in late November after multiple delays.
STALKER 2 challenges you to survive in a fictional version of the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone formed in the wake of the infamous 1986 disaster. Decades later, "The Zone" is filled with bizarre mutated creatures and pockets of supernatural phenomena called anomalies, from which "stalker" explorers retrieve unique, almost otherworldly treasures. Stalkers have also formed multiple factions in The Zone with distinct and often conflicting goals, leading to hostilities.
- DEAL: Xbox Game Pass Ultimate 1-month memberships are $10.89 at CDKeys, giving you access to Microsoft's service for an amazing discount
The game is set 10 years after the older titles, and puts you in the boots of Skif — a stalker that heads into The Zone after a mysterious artifact from it crashes through the roof of his home and sets it ablaze. As you investigate and try to figure out what exactly happened and why, you'll encounter The Zone's various factions and will have opportunities to help or hurt their causes.
In many ways, STALKER 2 is a survival game; ammo can be scarce, eating, sleeping, wound care, and radiation are all constant concerns to manage, and unpredictable NPC and mutant movements mean you never know what to expect each time you venture forth. The open world of The Zone itself is also rife with interesting secrets and rewarding loot to find, greatly rewarding the keen-eyed.
As I wrote in my review of the game, "STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl stands tall as one of the most captivating open-world shooters I've ever played" — and it's only gotten better with consistent updates over time that have fixed most of the game's major issues. Notably, the latest Patch 1.5 update greatly expanded NPC "A-Life" functionality, ensuring that their movements and behaviors around the map are more persistent and dynamic.
All in all, it's fantastic, and this Prime Day deal on the Xbox version is the best one I've ever seen. Note that the PC version on Steam is down to just $34.69 at CDKeys, too; you also have the option of playing on both Xbox and PC through Xbox Game Pass, which you should keep in mind with Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscriptions selling for $10.89/month at CDKeys (they're usually $20).
And hey, don't worry if you're on PS5. GSC Game World has announced that a PS5 version of STALKER 2 is coming later this year; you probably won't get it for a discount this good, but you'll still finally be able to play it soon.
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