Do You Need To Play The Other STALKER Games Before STALKER 2?

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It has taken fans a lot of patience and waiting, but is finally here. It is a direct sequel to the original trilogy that launched between 2007 and 2009 and promises a brand-new story in its hauntingly beautiful world. This time, players take on the role of Skif and must embark across a truly enormous open world on a non-linear journey full of immense choices and consequences. Suffice it to say, promises to be everything that fans have wanted for so long.

However, for those who are new to the series, the fact that it is a sequel may seem a little daunting. Now that so many games are branching out into series or have spin-offs, it can be hard to tell whether it's necessary to play through the entire backlog of games before jumping into the latest entry. Luckily, for those who are excited to see why positive reviews are praising it so much, there is a clear answer to whether it is important to play the original trilogy.

Despite the "" in the name, players aren't required to play the previous games before hopping into the long-anticipated GSC Game World, the developers of, have even explained on the game's FAQ page that it is accessible to newcomers as well as hardcore fans. It is clear that it understands that there has been a considerable amount of time between releases and that newcomers may not have had the chance to play the original three games. The FAQ page states:

— is an independent sequel to the trilogy, so it can be a great start of [the player's] journey within the universe.

The game is a completely standalone experience — albeit with some ties to the previous games — so newcomers can jump onboard and experience a brand-new story with original characters and a new map to explore. Even multiple endings will make sense to those who've never touched a game in the series before. So, those who are excited to experience the best parts of can do so without feeling like they won't know what's going on.

However,it is important to note that is a direct sequel to the