The Zone is a nightmare. Honestly, trying to grab every single trophy while a Bloodsucker is trying to turn your throat into a juice box is basically a second job. If you’re hunting for a stalker 2 achievement guide, you probably already realized that GSC Game World didn't make this list for the faint of heart. There are 58 achievements in total, and some of them are so specific they feel like a prank.
Look, you can’t just run and gun your way to a Platinum or 1,000 Gamerscore here. The game is massive, buggy in that "classic Stalker" way, and has multiple endings that will force you to manage your saves like a paranoid accountant.
The Missable Stuff You’ll Probably Regret Missing
Most people assume they can just clean up the map after the credits roll. Wrong. S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has hard points of no return. If you go too far into the main story, specifically missions like Subtle Matter or Dangerous Liaisons, you’re going to lock yourself out of huge chunks of the Zone.
Take the Stalker’s Smarts achievement. It’s early on during "The Side Hustle." Most players just walk into the warehouse like the quest says. Don’t do that. You’re supposed to find a way to get the parts without sneaking in. Basically, you find a high spot or a ladder nearby, peek through a window, and shoot some explosives next to the parts box so it falls down. If you just follow the map marker, you lose the achievement. Simple as that.
Then there’s the ending-related stuff. You’ve got four major paths:
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- Brave New World: The Ward ending (siding with Korshunov).
- Today Never Ends: The Spark ending (Scar’s path).
- She Will Never Be Free: Strelok’s ending.
- Project Y: Kaimanov’s plan.
Pro tip: Make a hard save before you enter the pod in Subtle Matter. This is the fork in the road. If you don't, you're looking at a full 60-hour replay just to click a different dialogue option.
Combat Feats That Are Actually Harder Than the Bosses
Some of these combat achievements are just mean. Loner Shooter asks you to headshot an enemy from 75 meters without using a scope. No "scope-peeking" allowed. Honestly, the spread in this game is so wild that this is 90% luck. Your best bet? Find a stationary Zombie. They don't move much. Mark the spot on your map to confirm the 75-meter distance, then just pray to the RNG gods while hip-firing or using the iron sights.
And don't get me started on Keeping Your Hands Steady. You have to get a headshot through an obstacle while being "intoxicated."
- Find a fence or a thin wooden wall.
- Chug enough Vodka to make your screen look like a kaleidoscope.
- Shoot a guy through the wood.
It's absurd. If you’re struggling, try using the Weird Water arch-artifact if you've found it—it keeps the intoxication effect going longer so you aren't rushing while your character is swaying like a willow tree in a storm.
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The "Checklist" Grind
You’re going to be spending a lot of time looking at the floor. Miracle Hoarder and Curiouser and Curiouser! require you to collect every single artifact and arch-artifact. This isn't just "find them once." You need the whole set. Some only spawn in specific high-tier anomalies, so keep that scanner out.
Zone’s Deadliest Predator is another one that trips people up. You have to kill one of every mutant. Most are easy—Dogs, Flesh, Boars. But the Rat (Rodent) is surprisingly easy to miss because they're small and often die to anomalies before you even see them. If you see a swarm, use a grenade launcher to pop Wiped Out at the same time. Efficiency, right?
The Weird and The Wonderful
Some achievements are just... weirdly domestic.
- On the Go: Just eat bread and sausage at the same time. It’s the Zone’s favorite sandwich.
- Goss: Sit at a campfire with some stalkers and just listen. No shooting, no looting. Just vibes.
- Tit for Tat: This one is actually tricky. You have to buy and sell items in a single transaction so the total cost is exactly zero coupons. It’s a math puzzle. Try swapping a specific amount of ammo for a loaf of bread or a bandage until the numbers match perfectly.
Navigating the Point of No Return
Whatever you do, don't rush the SIRCAA section. There’s a lot of loot and blueprints there that are gone forever once the story moves forward. Specifically, the Saiga D-12 Rebalanced Stock blueprints are tucked away in the sewers under the Polissya Hotel. If you miss those, you aren't getting Flash Royal (collecting all gear enhancement flash drives).
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If you’re going for the 100%, keep an eye on your PDA. Check the "Notes" section constantly to ensure you aren't missing lore documents for Between the Lines. The Zone doesn't give second chances, and neither does the achievement list.
Essential Completionist Tactics
- Save Often: Not just quicksaves. Keep a "Master Save" at the start of every major region.
- The "Bingo" Method: To get the Bingo achievement, you need to be bleeding, tired, hungry, drunk, irradiated, and under psi-influence all at once. Find a psi-hotspot, eat some old food, drink a bottle of vodka, and stand in a puddle of radiation. It’s a bad day for your character, but a gold trophy for you.
- Coupon Farming: For Coupons to Burn (spending 1,000,000), don't worry about it until the endgame. You'll naturally get rich selling high-tier artifacts. Then, just buy and resell expensive suits to the same merchant until the achievement pops.
The real challenge isn't the mutants; it's the persistence. You'll get frustrated. You'll probably die to a stray grenade while trying to shoot it mid-air for Catching Up. But when you finally see that "The Four Winds" notification (unlocking the whole map) pop up, it feels worth it. Sorta.
To stay on track, start by clearing out the Lesser Zone entirely before heading to Zalissya. Knock out the easy ones like On the Go and Tit for Tat immediately so you can focus on the long-term grinds like weapon enhancements and artifact hunting as the difficulty ramps up.