Khizar Mundia 
It is common for PC gamers to want mods and Stalker 2 fans are no different, but which are the best ones?
Stalker 2 landed with a thud. The long wait for its release, exacerbated by global conflict, kept fans on edge for years. When it finally arrived, its PC version was dragged down by performance issues. Players found some decent settings options to boost the FPS but some players long for more ways to customize the game.
Though the technical issues will be ironed out with time, some actual gameplay elements have proven unpopular. Thankfully, fans have already made many mods for Stalker 2 to personalize the game experience. Not all players have time to experiment and try out all mods so here’s a list of the best Stalker 2 mods that players can look to for a customized experience.
The best Stalker 2 mods
The best Stalker 2 mods tweak certain aspects of its gameplay loop, and can rearrange things to make for a more casual-friendly experience. This gives players the option of adjusting some of the game’s pain points such as the carrying limit and day duration. At the moment, this list only includes the best gameplay-focused mods, but there are options for audio and video changes, as well as some more lighthearted additions to the game.
Axxii’s Stealth Mod
While Stalker 2 requires players to survive the countless mutants and bandits it isn’t always possible to kill them head-on. Furthermore, even if players crouch and hide behind bushes, the enemies easily discover them. In a world of Ubisoft-style light stealth elements, Stalker 2 commendably keeps the player visible to enemies, even if they crouch in medium-height grass.
Still, some users expect that mechanic to be present in their game. Axxii’s Stealth Mod fixes this. If players are behind fog or it’s raining, the enemies will have a harder time spotting the player.
Adjustable Carry Weight
Stalker 2 is a survival game and like other games in the genre, the game has an inventory management mechanic. There is a limit on how much weight the player can carry, something that many players absolutely hate. The Adjustable Carry Weight mod comes in handy for players who hate being over-encumbered while dungeon diving.
The mod allows players to change how much weight they can carry. This can be highly beneficial if the player wants to hold on to important items without dropping anything while exploring the in-game world.
Grok’s Balanced Difficulty
A common complaint players have is that Stalker 2 is too difficult. This is especially the case if players are new to the series. Grok’s Balanced Difficulty mod allows players to tweak the game’s difficulty according to their play style.
For instance, players can modify the amount of damage enemies take from higher-level weapons. Furthermore, players can also customize their armor and weapons to become more durable.
Reduced Melee Jump Stamina Costs
Jumping in the game and using melee attacks both drain the player’s stamina. This can make the game challenging if the player doesn’t focus on their cardio to increase stamina.
The Reduced Melee Jump Stamina Costs mod helps players by reducing the stamina drain. This makes the game less difficult for FPS players who don’t want to find their inner Elden Ring completionist and get good. It doesn’t make the game too easy though, and brings it more in line with other shooters.
Longer Sprinting
There is no shame in running away from enemies when the fight overwhelms the player. Sometimes a player will meet a foe that is too tough and there will be no choice but to retreat. Running away might help save the player but running drains stamina and if the stamina runs out, players won’t be able to run. Furthermore, tougher enemies in Stalker 2 have more durable stamina and don’t get tired like the player.
This is where the Longer Sprinting mod can become useful. Players can enable the mod to slow the stamina drain, making escapes easier. This is also handy for traveling the game’s huge open world.
Jake’s Longer Days
The most dangerous part of Stalker 2 is when the sun goes down and all the enemies come prowling at night time. The foes even turn more vicious and players, especially newer ones, might find traveling in The Zone impossible.
The Jake’s Longer Days mod can be used to make the sunlight stay around longer. The mod doesn’t change the ratio of day and night. Hence, increasing the day hours also increases the night hours but players still get more time to explore the world.
Reduced Repair Cost
The most valuable commodity in Stalker 2 is any weapon the player has on-hand. The guns must be in optimal working condition, otherwise a normally manageable enemy can become deadly. The issue with that is repairing weapons is an expensive ordeal.
Since money is also an important part of the game and can be put to better use, the Reduced Repair Cost mod can come in handy. This mod, as the name suggests, makes repairing weapons cheaper. This way, players can focus on what’s truly important; taking down enemies.
Reasonable Weapon Degradation
A reality of Stalker 2 is that firing a weapon results in wear and tear that can eventually result in it breaking down. Naturally, those breakdowns only ever happen at the worst possible time. There are options to repair weapons but they aren’t common and are also on the expensive side.
The Reasonable Weapon Degradation mod slows down the degradation of weapons but doesn’t change the rate so drastically that players will feel a profound difference. This mod is best for players who don’t want to worry too much about their weapons breaking down in the middle of a fight.
No (or reduced) Weight For Ammo, Nades, Meds, and Food
Players who like to travel with a store of ammo, food, and medical supplies will definitely want to use the No (or reduced) Weight For Ammo, Nades, Meds, and Food mod. This sets all consumable items’ weight to zero. This significantly increases the amount of space in the inventory for weapons, armor, and other items.
This mod works best for players who want to travel the world while plundering loot and also want to make sure they have the necessities when they need them. Many other sandbox-style games like Skyrim take this sort of approach, setting the weight of items like gold to zero. The Zone has loads of treasure to find, so overachievers can commonly grab too much and become over-encumbered.
Grok’s Modular Mutants Health
The first thing players will notice when they encounter mutants in Stalker 2 is how strong they are. At times, it feels like regardless of what is done to harm them their health just doesn’t drop to zero. This can change with the help of Grok’s Modular Mutants Health mod.
This mod allows players to modify the health of mutants. They can decrease their health to make the fight easy or if they want a challenge, their health can also be increased. Regardless of which option the players take, this mod is very useful in customizing the mutants according to the player’s game style.
