CORRECTION: The early-access period starts is October 22nd, not Oct 21st.
Like the 2008 original, developer GSC Game World's long-awaited sequel is a punishing affair, because life is difficult and fleeting in the Zone--the irradiated area around Chornobyl filled with deadly, physics-defying anomalies, mutants, and various people who will kill you for just about any reason.
Having played three hours of Stalker 2 that covered the beginning of the game and its opening few missions, Phil Hornshaw found that his return to the Zone felt harrowing and invigorating in equal measure.