S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl

Yes, yes, yes. This is just my dream game all in one. Hunkering down under a broken overpass with bright red stormy skies, the 'Emission' being anxiously announced over your radio, a scream in the distance, the worry that you won't be alone under the overpass... Honestly from the beginning this game had issues, yes. You will have the odd frustration but the thing is, we were frustrated with games all the way back through our nostalgia lenses, I remember being fuming with certain games as a kid but still loved whatever game I was playing. This game has had me wondering whether I should play a comfort game because damn, this game is tough on veteran, but that's the only way I want to experience this atmospheric, desolate yet beautiful landscape. This is one of the most immersive games I've played, and I do plan on the next playthrough being in immersive mode (no HUD) I've turned the HUD off a few times and jeeeeeeezus... this game dude. Now I'm not saying every system will run this smoothly, remember it's Unreal 5 and it shows. A true next gen-game? I mean eh, not particularly. But the combination of art style, weather effects, subtle design choices, soundscape and incredibly moody yet unintrusive music, this game hits all the right spots. Welcome to the Zone, Stalker.