S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl has a sizeable game update that promises to finally get the game’s A-Life system working as intended. For those just joining us – perhaps because you only popped into existence the second you entered my field of view – A-Life is developer GSC Game World’s noughties-era buzzword for the pervasive simulation of NPCs throughout the open world, leading to unpredictable interactions and conflicts and the general sense that things are happening without your input.