I loved Shadow of Chernobyl, but it was only a shadow of Oblivion lost. The amount of not delivered promises was more than any other in games. Huge open world, very intelligent AI and a decent vehicles (at the time it was really new, only ArmA 3 delivered it in a shooter) were one of the largest disappointments (world divided into small parts, AI was meh, and no vehicles at all).
Therefore I shall hold my horses before being hyped for Stalker 2. Especially since the other two stalker games were meh.
The technology and maybe their skill wasnt there at the time. They indeed wanted to make the game to end all games. The ultimate game. But it wasnt feasible at the time and in a reasonable timeframe. Stuff had to be cut, otherwise the game would never have come out. They were shooting for the moon, but the tech, manpower or money wasnt there. Its not a reason to be dissapointed. The trilogy is one of the crowning achievements in pc gaming. The other 2 games werent meh. Pripyat is a beacon of gamedesign in a sea of shit. Its so exceptional that when you look at it, nearly every complaint people have for modern open worlds is resolved in Call of Pripyat. From traversal to world layout, to activities.
The single greatest issue with this Stalker 2 here is its a multiplatform game. A game with gameplay designed for 2 sticks and four face buttons. With layers over layers of assists in every category. The simple fact that its a console game dooms it from the start