S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 has so much potential and a great foundation to build off of.

I'm on my 2nd playthrough and I'm taking my time exploring and getting a feel for the Zone. So far, I'm having lots of fun going on artifact runs, hauling loot to traders, and just trying to survive in the harsh world that is the Zone. Out of all the games in this series, S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2's map is by far my favorite above all. I appreciate how detailed the world is and also how there are no loading screens when crossing into another area. I feel that this is what GSC originally wanted to do when they made the OG trilogy, but couldn't due to tech limitations at the time. I can't help but think about the potential this game has within the modding scene. I would love to see stuff like Misery, Lost Alpha, Anomaly and G.A.M.M.A. within the next several years. Coming from Anomaly, the exploration in S2 gives me Anomaly vibes at times especially with features like needing a knife to loot from dead mutants and also sitting at campfires, playing a guitar. There are a few things that I think should be improved like AI and the spawn system, adding binoculars, better faction relations, and maybe a warfare system like in Clear Sky. But overall, I'm enjoying my 2nd playthrough of this game and I can't wait for the 2.0 update and Cost of Hope.