STALKER 2: The Price Goes Up Quest Guide

As a seasoned Stalker with years of trekking through the irradiated wilderness under my belt, let me guide you through this latest adventure. First things first, we gotta grab that key from Diode, then it’s time to make a choice – the Labyrinth or the Dig Site?

Living within The Zone can be challenging, particularly when you’re striving to earn enough funds to cover your destroyed flat’s expenses back on the Continent.

In STALKER 2, “The Price Goes Up” is your initial significant mission that leads you beyond the Zalissiya starter zone. This quest propels you towards the Garbage, a notoriously dangerous area overrun with bandits, which is one of the Zone’s worst nightmares.

In this locale, the primary structure is known as the Slag Heap – a fitting title for the domain controlled by a notorious figure named Nestor. It’s this individual whom you’ve been struggling with due to their illicit activity of stealing scanners.

Finding Diode

STALKER 2: The Price Goes Up Quest Guide

The first step in your journey into the Garbage region is to enter the Slag Heap.

You can choose your devil here: the northwestern approach is more radioactive, while the southeastern one has anomalies on the footpath.

If you come in from the southeast, you can fish out a unique AKM-74S.

After you gain access to the Slag Heap, proceed along the lengthy hall to your left, just past the bar. Continue straight until you reach the end, then make a right turn. You’ll find Diode seated at his desk.

Although Nestor is temporarily absent, since your recent companion is a skilled technician, it’s an ideal moment to repair your weapons and gear in preparation for resuming your journey.

Diode’s Workshop

STALKER 2: The Price Goes Up Quest Guide

The diode is instructing you to drop by an old workshop of his to retrieve a keycard. Since some robbers attacked him, he was forced to leave the place; however, he set up a scanner to create distortions and make a quick escape.

The workshop is southwest of the Slag Heap, but be careful when approaching it as plasma anomalies explode. Do not stay still if you want to live.

When the main entrance is locked, consider forcing open the planks at the ventilation opening instead, then climb or jump in.

It’s best to disable the scanner before you hunt for the keycard among the bandits. This way, you can examine their bodies more thoroughly without any interference from the scanner or potential anomalies.

Use the keycard to open the main door, and head back to the Slag Heap to give it to Diode.

Nestor’s Stash

The next step is to find Nestor’s secret stash, where he keeps records of his shady deeds.

Leave the Slag Heap mainframe and hit up the scaffolding on the left side.

Pause at the second level to grab a hidden cache in the corner, and continue ascending until you find the fallen crane.

Walk on the wreck until you reach the bus, then keep the cliff’s edge on your left as you go up.

As you approach the summit, veer right and pass by the blue and white bus. Then, make your way into the cave that lies ahead.

Exercise care in this region, as it’s prone to unusual occurrences involving acid. Be mindful to maintain your footing to prevent potential damage and costly repairs.

When you get to the end, press and hold the jump button while squatting to propel yourself over the cave levels. Then, keep jumping to ascend the beams, and look out for a ladder that leads to the surface when you spot it.

Climb the large crane overseeing the Zone and have a chat with your old buddy Richter, then slowly crawl across the gap to reach Nestor’s stash.

Be sure to grab the modified M860 shotgun from the stash too, since its magazine adapter holds more rounds and provides significantly quicker reloading speeds for you.

Please tread cautiously when descending from the crane. The direct path ahead, though seemingly safe, is extremely radioactive and could potentially be lethal within seconds, regardless of any protective gear like anti-rads that you may have on hand.

If you look to the right, the more friendly traffic sign marks a safe way out.

After following the tunnel further and encountering another marker, wiggle out and traverse along the framework to have a chat with Diode once more.

Diverging Paths

In this game, you currently have two options: one leads you to the maze-like vehicle complex located towards the northwest, while the other takes you to an excavation site situated to the east of the Slag Hill.

The two routes share a common pattern: you initially enter a zone, encounter adversaries who attack, followed by you firing back to escape.

The Labyrinth

Should you decide to venture into the Labyrinth, you’ll likely encounter a sizable gang of marauders who lie in wait for unsuspecting travelers, as well as a multitude of vermin.

In this situation, it seems incredibly challenging since you’re vastly outmatched by a larger group, but fortunately, there’s ample concealment that can help you navigate and make progress.

Continue advancing, utilize your gun to eliminate the vermin whenever bandits are searching, and this ordeal will come to an end more quickly than expected.

After subduing all the bandits, let’s scour their persons for any leads that might point us to Varan, a prominent local gang leader, who aspires to dethrone Nestor and seize control of the Slag Heap.

You can also pick up a free artifact from the trunk with the pile of broken scanners.

The Dig Site

Choosing this route means you’ll face only one enemy rather than a group, but be warned, it’s one of the most formidable mutants found within the game.

At the excavation site, there’s a being known as a Burer, a mutated humanoid with psychokinetic powers, whose immense health reserves would leave even the most hardened stalkers in tears.

The Thrower has the ability to hurl lightweight items towards you, disarm you by snatching your weapon, deliver seemingly unseen blows, and momentarily protect itself against incoming gunfire.

As a passionate gamer, I’d advise you to tread cautiously along the Labyrinth path, as vanquishing this formidable foe demands an abundance of patience and an even greater supply of ammo – resources that are scarce at the game’s outset. However, if you’re up for a thrilling challenge, feel free to explore other paths!

After the burial, assist the injured stalker within the cave (as that was what Tolik desired), and gather the pertinent information connecting Nestor’s scanner plan with Varan.

Now would be an excellent moment to gather ammo and medical supplies from the Slag Heap, since the upcoming mission demands a considerable amount of each.

2024-11-28 15:39