STALKER 2: How to deal with anomalies?

As you travel through the Zone, you'll encounter all sorts of anomalies, strange phenomena that can cause your character to die if they interact with them. On this guide page for STALKER 2, you will read about all possible paranormal phenomena and learn how to watch out for them.

• Types of anomalies in STALKER 2
• How to deal with anomalies?

Types of anomalies in STALKER 2

Certain anomalies in STALKER 2 are encountered at the very beginning of the game. There are quite a lot of them, although you can handle most of the anomalies simply by avoiding them.

1. Suction anomaly - it sucks in everything that is close to it, dealing massive damage.
2. Fire anomaly - looks like a geyser of fire. It doesn't cause significant damage, but staying in its range will cause you to take continuous damage.
3. Electrical anomaly - creates an electric field around itself. Entering it will cause a large amount of damage.
4. Air anomaly - the final paranormal phenomenon that pulls the player inside, preventing them from moving. It looks like someone got stuck in the middle of a tornado. It deals high damage.
5. Acid anomaly - you will notice green spots of acid on the ground. Entering it will cause damage. They are not big, but it's still worth being careful around them.
6. Gas anomaly - it's a green cloud that poisons you if you get too close.
7. Sharp glass anomaly - barely visible. When you notice levitating small particles of glass, it's this anomaly. Entering it will apply the bleeding status.
8. Bubble anomaly - as the name suggests, it is a large bubble that explodes if you enter it, shoot it or throw a bolt at it. If you are close to it after the explosion, you will notice many more smaller bubbles. This anomaly poisons your character.
9. Levitation anomaly - this is one of the safer anomalies. Entering it will cause you to start rising slightly above the ground. It does not cause damage.
10. Flash anomaly - there are also anomalies in the game that are barely visible. When you approach them, there will be a huge flash and explosion. They are usually located next to each other. Throwing a bolt at it can trigger a chain reaction.

In addition to this, there are also arch anomalies, which are rarer, but more dangerous than the common ones:

1. Bulba - a large bubble located in the Lesser Zone, east of Zalissya. When it is "breathing", when it draws in air, it also sucks in everything in the immediate vicinity - including Skif. Simply being pulled into the arch anomaly will cause your character's health to decrease. You can read more about this on the What is Bulba? page.

1. Poppy Field - a field of red flowers that is as beautiful as it is deadly. The longer the player stays in it, the more drowsy they become, and their screen starts to darken. Ultimately, Skif may lose consciousness and then die. Energy drinks will keep you moving around this field for much longer.

How to deal with anomalies?

After completing the introductory mission, you will wake up among a large number of anomalies. The nearby NPC will throw a bolt at you. You can use it to deal with these phenomena. You don't have to worry that you'll ever run out of them - their quantity is unlimited.

What you need to do when you see an anomaly is to avoid it and not get close to it, or throw a bolt at it to activate it and quickly run past it. Anomalies come in various forms, some look like pulsating auras, others like clouds of green smoke, and others take the form of bubbles or puddles of acid. Luckily, every time you get close to one, your scanner will start to make a louder sound the closer you are to it.

Of course, not all anomalies work like this. For example, the fire phenomenon will shoot out a stream of fire and will cause damage for a longer time as soon as you approach. The pool of acid won't disappear if you throw a bolt at it. It is important to approach each of them slightly differently, and it is best not to approach them at all if it is not necessary, or if you are not looking for artifacts.