Stalker 2: Should You Give Ward Sensors To Richter Or Captain Zotov?

There are different factions inhabiting the world of Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and there comes a time when players will have to side with one over the other. Players will have to make the first one of these choices near the start of the game by either giving the Ward Sensors to Richter or Captain Zotov. Depending on the player’s choice, their progression will change, and they’ll either side with the Ward or the free-willed Stalkers.

Differences Giving The Ward Sensors To Richter Or Captain Zotov

At the end of the “Needle In A Haystack” mission, players will get the Ward Sensors from Squint and need to decide whether to give them to Richter or Captain Zotov in Stalker 2. Choosing one over the other will change the gameplay experience for the next few missions, including Behind Seven Seals‘ main mission. This choice will essentially let players either side with the Ward faction or the Stalkers.

The sections below explore each choice in detail and how exactly it will impact the story of Stalker 2 for the next couple of hours, helping players make the best choice for their playthrough.

What Happens When Players Give The Ward Sensors To Captain Zotov?

Here are the next few hours of gameplay changes players can expect after giving the Ward Sensors to Captain Zotov in Stalker 2.

• Earn 1,350 Coupons from Captain Zotov after handing in the sensors.
• Players can directly head to the Sphere and enter through the IPSF outpost; Zotov’s contact will open the door for the player. Here, players have a choice to adopt a stealthy approach to locate Solder or go in guns blazing.
• Exit the Lesser Zone via the Western Checkpoint that leads into the Chemical Plant region.
• Meet up with Colonel Korshunov, the leader of the Ward faction, and eliminate Chornozem’s thugs during the “Answers Come At A Price” mission.
• Colonel Korshunov and the Ward faction overall view Skiff more favorably.

What Happens When Players Give The Ward Sensors To Richter?

Here are the next few hours of gameplay changes players can expect after giving the Ward Sensors to Richter in Stalker 2.

• Earn 2,024 Coupons from Richter after handing in the sensors.
• Richter will first send Skiff to the Abandoned Communication Hub to gather intel on how to enter the Sphere.
• After looting IPSF soldiers’ bodies and fighting off a Poltergeist (optional), players will get a note from a dead soldier with the code 2765.
• To enter the Sphere, players instead travel through a tunnel underneath it through the Acid Anomaly to access the security door and enter the Sphere.
• Exit the Lesser Zone via the Northern Checkpoint that leads into the Garbage region.
• Meet up with Star, the leader of the Spark faction, and infiltrate the nearby laboratory during the “Answers Come At A Price” mission.
• Scar and other members of the Spark faction overall view Skiff more favorably.

Which Choice Is Better — Zotov Or Richter?

The Sphere is highly guarded and full of enemy soldiers who can be difficult to deal with, even in rookie difficulty. So, keeping all gameplay and progression changes into account, giving the sensor to either Richter or Captain Zotov comes with its own benefits. Plus, both choices lead to more or less the same point in the story.

• If you want a stealthier back door entrance into the Sphere, with exceptions to a few gunfights, and don’t mind doing an extra mission to get in quietly, giving the to sensor Richter is a better option.
• On the other hand, if you want to directly head towards the Sphere to confront Solder, manage to sneak in quietly through the main door, and handle the soldiers guarding it if detected, giving a sensor to Captain Zotov is a better option.

Systems

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Released

November 20, 2024

Engine

Unreal Engine 5

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ESRB

M For Mature 17+ Due To Intense Violence, Blood, Use Of Drugs And Alcohol, Language, Crude Humor

OpenCritic Rating

Fair

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