Should You Shoot Or Knock Out Solder in Stalker 2?

Should You Shoot Or Knock Out Solder in Stalker 2?

As a seasoned Stalker 2 player with countless hours spent traversing the Zone, I find myself often grappling with moral dilemmas that the game presents. The decision to shoot or knock out Solder is one such conundrum that has left me pondering for days.


In the tale of “Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl“, Solder appears to assume the role typically reserved for the antagonist. A significant portion of the initial gameplay revolves around hunting him down. Yet, surprisingly, players encounter Solder early in their journey, allowing them to challenge him about his actions, be it his alleged betrayal of Skiff at the outset or otherwise.

Following a short conflict, you’ll face a decisive moment where you must choose between taking Solder’s life or sparing it. Although the consequences of your decision may not show up right away, they play a significant role in shaping the narrative as events unfold.

Should You Shoot Solder or Knock Him Out in Stalker 2?

In Stalker 2, I’ll face off with Solder at the culmination of the main mission, “Behind Seven Seals.” This showdown comes after I’ve been asking about Solder around Zalissya, found Squint, and collected the Ward Sensors. A crucial decision awaits: whether to give those sensors to Captain Zotov or Richter before I infiltrate the Sphere.

Regardless of your past decisions, you’ll eventually find yourself facing off against Solder, requiring you to decide whether to fire at him or subdue him instead. This decision must be made swiftly as it comes with a time limit. While shooting Solder may appear as the immediate solution given his initial deceit, remember that he clarified his role is simply to mark map anomalies. The mix-up in intel at the start might not have been deliberate on his part.

In this situation, it’s left to the players to decide whether they trust his words and show mercy, or choose a different path. Here are the potential outcomes, divided into non-spoiler and spoiler versions, regarding what happens if you shoot or knock out Solder in Stalker 2.

Shoot or Knock Out Solder (Non-Spoiler Version)

Shoot Solder
  • After killing Solder, players can loot his body.
  • He won’t appear in a mid-game mission to assist Skiff, making it even harder to complete it.
  • Players will see his soul in a mid-game main mission, which leads to one of the endings for Stalker 2.
Knock Out Solder
  • Players can’t loot Solder’s body after knocking him out.
  • Solder will show up during a mid-game mission and assist Skiff, allowing him to complete it easily.

Spoilers for the missions leading to the ending of
Stalker 2
are below.

Shoot or Knock Out Solder (Spoiler Version)

Shoot Solder
  • Killing Solder allows players to loot his body and find a PDA device with a brief message.
  • Solder will not show up to assist players during the “Hornet’s Nest” main mission to disable the PSI Emitter.
  • Players will see his soul in the “Through The Valley Of The Shadow Of Death” main mission, which leads to the Spark faction ending.
Knock Out Solder
  • Players can’t loot Solder’s body after knocking him out.
  • Solder will help Skiff cut power to the PSI Emitter during the “Hornet’s Nest,” making it much easier to complete the mission.

Instead of knocking Solder out, it might be more effective to consider subduing him in Stalker 2. While it’s true that Solder didn’t intentionally mislead Skiff and has a significant role later on, the choice ultimately lies with the players. Some dedicated fans might prefer to explore both scenarios through multiple playthroughs.

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2024-11-27 04:36