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Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl leaves several useful systems for you to work out: detector signals, artifact clues, cache marks, and when saving is possible. These tips explain how to read those tools and where to look for help in the PDA, without quest spoilers.
How do you get past anomalies?
Your anomaly detector is a proximity warning, not a map of a safe route. Its beeps become more frequent as you get closer to an anomaly. Throw a bolt ahead of you to trigger an anomaly and make the danger visible; some anomalies are briefly discharged after being hit, giving you a short window to move. That window lasts only a few seconds, so a bolt is a timing aid—not proof that the whole path is safe. Bolts become available after the prologue. GSC’s anomaly guide describes the mechanic.
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On keyboard, the guide lists key 6 or the radial menu for selecting a bolt. With a gamepad, open the radial menu and select it. Controls may differ if you have rebound them or use a different setup.
How do you find artifacts?
Artifact detectors differ in how precisely they tell you where to look. The Echo provides direction and distance cues through the frequency of its light flashes; the Veles shows an artifact’s exact location. Either detector reveals an artifact once you are close enough to collect it. Choose based on how much location detail you need, rather than assuming one is best in every situation. GSC explains the distinction in its artifact detector guide.
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You can use a detector at the same time as a bolt, knife, or gun. That lets you keep track of an artifact while staying ready to deal with nearby hazards.
Where can you find supplies?
Check marked caches and search bodies after fights. Caches can hold medicine, food, ammunition, and other loot. The official beginner guide says you can discover cache marks by picking up dead stalkers’ PDAs, so check newly collected PDAs and then use the map to find the marked locations. Ammunition can run short; looting enemy bodies is one way to replenish it. See GSC’s beginner’s guide.
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- Open the PDA map and look for cache marks.
- Search around the marked location carefully; the mark is a clue to a cache, not a guarantee that the surrounding area is safe.
- After a fight, check enemy bodies for ammunition and other useful supplies before moving on.
What can the PDA help you remember?
Use the PDA as an in-game reference when you lose track of an objective or need to revisit information you found. Its screens cover the map, discovered regions and locations, quest markers, caches and your own notes. It also keeps the mission log, collected documents and audio recordings, equipment upgrades, and training materials. GSC’s PDA guide lists these functions.
Why can’t you save during combat?
Manual saving is generally available, but the game can block it during combat or when story progression prohibits saving. The beginner guide also says the game autosaves at key points. Make a manual save during a safe pause when the option is available; do not assume an autosave has captured every risky stretch.
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Do older tips still work after patches?
Check which game version a technical tip describes. GSC’s Patch 1.2 notes include fixes and adjustments involving main-story quests, anomalies, artifacts, the HUD, and controls. A bug or exploit described for an earlier version may no longer behave the same way. Treat patch-specific claims as version-specific, rather than as dependable mechanics; the official Patch 1.2 notes document changes for that update.
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