STALKER 2’s Difficulty Is Giving Elden Ring a Run for Its Money as Mods to Make the Game Easier See Massive Downloads

GSC Game World cannot be given enough credit for bringing STALKER 2 to life, despite all the odds stacked against them for over a decade at this point. As a result of their hard work, they’ve delivered an experience that feels raw, atmospheric, and unmistakably STALKER-esque.

Perhaps it is a by-product of following the series’ traditions, however, that this game is arguably the hardest in the series. For veterans, this punishing design is just a natural evolution of the franchise’s philosophy. But for newcomers? Well, let’s just say you’re probably busy making rounds to NexusMods before braving The Zone.

STALKER 2’s Difficulty Has People Searching for Mods to Make the Game Easier

Seriously speaking, the difficulty in STALKER 2 is no joke, with Anomalies lurking around every corner, mutants ready to pounce on you at a moment’s notice, and even human enemies, honestly, feel as though they are using some sort of aim bot.

Now, yes, veterans of the series would tell you that it’s all part of The Zone’s chaotic charm, but it’s clear that everyone, including some of the veterans themselves, is simply not having a good time at the moment.

Consider what we found when we looked at the game’s NexusMods page, where downloads for mods to make the game easier are reaching the same number as all the countless community fixes for its performance.

From tweaking Mutant health and reducing weapon degradation to improving stamina reduction when Sprinting, you’ve already got pretty much all the ways players can mitigate some of the game’s sharper edges.

Call them cowards for not truly following GSC’s vision, but these mods—well, except for those just optimizing performance—are less about undermining the challenge and more about making the game approachable, putting aside the performance optimization part, of course.

Some people just want to soak in the game’s haunting atmosphere, explore The Zone’s apocalyptic beauty, and unravel its mysteries without feeling as though they can’t get any better at it, and though we don’t agree with this sentiment, it’s fine to “just feel the vibes.”

STALKER 2’s Harshness Isn’t a Bug, but a Feature and a Part of This Series’ Appeal

At its core, STALKER 2 stays unapologetically true to its roots, and for better or worse, there’s no reality where that wouldn’t have included its punishing difficulty. Maintaining the game’s identity is a deliberate decision, and we, for one, praise GSC for the bold choice.

This, of course, brings us to the age-old debate of whether games like this cater to a wider audience by softening the experience in some way. FromSoftware and its games, for instance, are no strangers to this discussion, yet they’ve thrived by continuing to stick to their vision.

When you put that into perspective, GSC is essentially following the same path, prioritizing authenticity over accessibility. So, for our money, STALKER 2 is a true showcase of the power of sticking to your guns and producing something that feels special in every way.

But with that said, what are your thoughts on this? Should the game ease up a little, or is its brutal difficulty part of the magic? Let us know in the comments below!