Modder ‘Cazanu’ has released a pretty cool mod for STALKER 2 that will make its firefights feel more like those of F.E.A.R. or Crysis. The mod pushes the game’s smoke and spark particles to extreme values, giving it a more cinematic feel.
Going into slightly more details, the Cinematic FX Mod increases the amount of smoke, sparks, dust, and debris. This isn’t meant to be a realistic mod. Instead, it tries to replicate some of the action movies we got in the ’90s.
To showcase these new particle effects, the modder shared these two GIFs. These will give you a pretty good idea of what you can expect from it.
As you can see, the firefights now feel closer to those we had in the first FEAR game. Monolith used extreme smoke and spark effects during the game’s firefights. They weren’t realistic, but they were cool as hell. And that’s exactly what this mod brings to STALKER 2.
This also reminded me of a similar mod we got for the first Crysis. When it came out, a modder shared a particles FX mod that added lots of sparks to the game. That was one of the best mods I used for Crysis. Here’s a video from it.
You can go ahead and download this Cinematic FX Mod from here.
Speaking of STALKER 2, you may also want to try these mods for it. In theory, they should be compatible with this latest version. A really cool mod is this one, which adds a Parkour-like climbing system to the game. Then we have this mod that allows you to fast-travel anywhere on the map.
In December 2024, we shared a mod that let you loot all mutants in STALKER 2. This was a feature from the older STALKER games that was missing at launch. Luckily, GSC GameWorld added it later through an update. So now, you don’t need the mod anymore. Still, it shows how modders were able to bring back features that fans missed.
There is also a mod that aims to deliver the ultimate freeplay experience. The mod basically removes the main quest and keeps every side quest intact. Players will now start with basic gear and a single goal: survive. There is no story to follow here. Players will start in the zone, and they will forge their own path.
Another great mod you should try is this one that turns Achievements back on. Normally, the game blocks Achievements if you’re using mods. But with this mod, Achievements will work even when mods are active. So you can still unlock them while enjoying your favorite mods.
You can also download a mod that will remove the inventory carry/weight limit. I’m not a fan of this last mod, but hey, some of you may like it. There is also this mod that adds realistic death animations. Another cool mod is this one, which adds a cool Blood VFX System to the game. And then we have this mod that can further improve the game’s graphics. Among other things, it can also enable GTAO. So, if you want to improve STALKER 2’s graphics, you should give it a go.
Finally, there is a mod that adds a crafting system to the game. By using it, you will be able to craft a lot of different items. This mod offers a fresh take on collecting and using items in the game. This is something that the devs should implement via a new update. At least in my opinion.
Have fun!
John is the founder and Editor in Chief at DSOGaming. He is a PC gaming fan and highly supports the modding and indie communities. Before creating DSOGaming, John worked on numerous gaming websites. While he is a die-hard PC gamer, his gaming roots can be found on consoles. John loved – and still does – the 16-bit consoles, and considers SNES to be one of the best consoles. Still, the PC platform won him over consoles. That was mainly due to 3DFX and its iconic dedicated 3D accelerator graphics card, Voodoo 2. John has also written a higher degree thesis on the “The Evolution of PC graphics cards.”
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