Stalker 2 dev is happy with its Steam reviews, but wants to work hard to bring that number higher: '89% is also good—no! 89% starts from 8, and you want to start from 9'

GamesFPSStalker 2Stalker 2 dev is happy with its Steam reviews, but wants to work hard to bring that number higher: ‘89% is also good—no! 89% starts from 8, and you want to start from 9’When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Here’s how it works.

(Image credit: GSC Game World)

Stalker 2 endings - Grif wearing a balaclava

Stalker 2 really is a monumental achievement when you take into consideration, well, everything. Even though its devsjust didn’t have another delay in them, our own Stalker 2 appreciator Joshua Wolens found its bugs a charming harkening to the original, rather than an insurmountable obstacle, in hisStalker 2 review.

During atalk with IGNat a recent BAFTA event, GSC Game World CEO Ievgen Grygorovych says that, all things considered, he’s pleased that the game is being received so well: “It’s not [the] perfect that we wanted, but it’s a game with soul.”

At the time of writing, Stalker 2 has an 84% positive rating on Steam, which is genuinely outrightimpressivefor something with a heap of technical issues strapped to it. Traditionally, players aren’t so tolerant of hitches, and would sooner see a buggy game thrown to the wolves than lauded—but it seems the classic taste of ‘eurojank’ has gone down well. It’s tradition, after all.

While Grygorovych later notes that he “expected to have much less success than we had from the audience”, he still hungers for more. “For a creative person, we want to get an achievement, like we did a game that 90% of people loved, not 85%, not 83%, not 86%. We want 90%. ‘But 89% is also good’—no! 89% starts from eight and you want to start from nine. I spent six years [on it].

“We know that the game was released in a state that we would like to make it better … it was impossible to make more than we were making.”

Like a magician pulling back a curtain on a Lovecraftian horror we’d only seen the first tendril of, Grygorovych reveals, astoundingly, that most of the bugs haven’t even surfaced yet: “We as a developer, we see more problems in the game than the players usually face. So many players didn’t face 99% of the bugs inside our game.

“Because we saw much more, we were much more stressed. It was impossible to say how many people would face this problem, or how many people would face problems we haven’t faced yet and we don’t know about. It’s a very stressful moment.”

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals

While I’m sure 99% is an exaggeration, I’m equally sure that Stalker 2’s devs were wildly, terribly aware of the game’s issues—I, too, would release a sigh of relief at the fact that it all went better than expected. And yet, “still we want it [to be] better.” If that’s not an inspirational level of commitment, to push through perhaps the mostliteral definition of the words ‘development hell’without invoking the actual underworld, I’m not sure what is. I can only wish the developers the best of luck in polishing the game to its intended sheen.

More about fpsTeam Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KThe most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’LatestSquare Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fansSee more latest►

More about fps

Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40KThe most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’

A valuable TF2 hat shimmers in the moonlight.

Team Fortress 2 just had the single biggest trade in its history, with ‘the absolute best hat you can get’ going for around $40K

FBC: Firebreak

The most important tool in Remedy’s new co-op FPS is the shower: ‘Saving water is essential’

LatestSquare Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fansSee more latest►

Latest

Square Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fans

Final Fantasy 7 Rebirth PC

Square Enix launches new anti-harassment policy to protect its employees and partners from abusive fans

See more latest►

Most PopularElden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anythingIf you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 offAMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fabI tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bayFinal Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their altsTikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ itMSI intros cheaper ‘back connect’ Project Zero Intel motherboards for super-clean PC builds you might actually be able to affordThermaltake’s new 2000 W PSU is too powerful to be sold in the USA and comes with four PCIe 5.0 GPU power connectorsAMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortageThis Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardwareHarrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

Most Popular

Elden Ring: Nightreign is getting a closed network test, and I’m totally not fuming because PC players aren’t invited to the party, or anything

If you’re a content creator and gamer looking for a CPU upgrade, this Ryzen 9 9900X deal will get you $90 off

AMD is now reportedly making all-American Ryzen 9000 CPU dies at TSMC’s Arizona fab

I tried a sim racing rig that generates ‘wind’ at CES 2025 and it’s claimed to help keep VR nausea at bay

Final Fantasy 14 communities panic as it turns out change to blacklisting, meant to help reduce stalking, also lets players use mods to track their alts

TikTok’s time in the US may be ticking to a close as it makes a last stand in the Supreme Court, though Trump now says he ‘opposes banning’ it

MSI intros cheaper ‘back connect’ Project Zero Intel motherboards for super-clean PC builds you might actually be able to afford

Thermaltake’s new 2000 W PSU is too powerful to be sold in the USA and comes with four PCIe 5.0 GPU power connectors

AMD accuses Intel’s Arrow Lake of being a ‘horrible’ product and implies a lack of options for consumers has caused the Ryzen 7 9800X3D shortage

This Jinx-inspired gaming PC is my favorite of CES 2025 and I’m head over heels for the hardware

Harrowing report alleges years of horrific abuse at Brandoville Studios, an Indonesian support studio that worked on Assassin’s Creed Shadows and The Last of Us Remake

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review4Ikea Utespelare desk review5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

HARDWARE BUYING GUIDESLATEST GAME REVIEWS

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

A bunch of the best Steam Deck accessories on a blue background.

1Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

Best Steam Deck accessories in Australia for 2025: Our favorite docks, powerbanks and gamepads

2Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

Best graphics card for laptops: the mobile GPUs I’d want in my next gaming laptop

3Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

Best mini PCs in 2025: The compact computers I love the most

4Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

Best 14-inch gaming laptop: The top compact gaming laptops I’ve held in these hands

5Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

Best Mini-ITX motherboards in 2025: My pick from all the mini mobo marvels I’ve tested

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here review

1Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

Thank Goodness You’re Here! review: An anarchic treasure trove of jokes and skits

2Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

Shiren the Wanderer: The Mystery Dungeon of Serpentcoil Island review—like juggling chainsaws on horseback

3WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

WD Black SN850X 8 TB NVMe SSD review

4Ikea Utespelare desk review

Ikea Utespelare desk review

5Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

Asus ROG Harpe Ace Mini wireless mouse review

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals#

The biggest gaming news, reviews and hardware deals