Should you help or kill Squint in STALKER 2?
Nov. 20, 2024Is it better to help Squint escape in Stalker 2 or kill him to get the sensors?
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Choosing to help or kill Squint in STALKER 2 is an important decision in the early Needle in a Haystack mission, affecting how you get your hands on the crucial sensors and, more importantly, who you can give them to after. There are actually three options for dealing with Squint in Heart of Chornobyl, with Squint ending up dead in two of them, though when exactly he dies rules out one of the sensor recipients. Since it’s not as simple of a choice as it seems, we’ve gone through all the outcomes so that you can decide whether you want to help Squint escape or kill him in STALKER 2.
OurSTALKER 2 There and Back Again walkthroughwill have go you this far, hopefully. So let’s take a look at what’s next.
Should you kill Squint in STALKER 2
You can attack Squint almost as soon as you meet him in STALKER 2, butthis is not a good option as it will limit who you cangive the Ward Sensors to in STALKER 2afterwardsas you’ll only be able to return them to Captain Zotov. Additionally, you also miss out on the Piece of Cake side quest, which leads you to an artifact. It’s far better to go along with his escape plan (for now) until you can at least get something out of him, for the Zone is a harsh place inSTALKER 2.
Choosing to help Squint in STALKER 2 with his escape plan will have you heading off to a cave to find an artifact he says he can use to get away. This starts a side mission called Piece of Cake, where you’ll have to find a cave entrance inside a house, which is here on the map:
Be careful in the cave as you’ll get attacked by an invisible bloodsucker when you enter, so be ready for a fight. Once it’s dead, move through the cave, being sure to search several bodies you’ll find along the way for healing items and ammo.
The artifact can be found in the part of the cave full of acid pools and gas. Use your detector to locate it, by finding where the bleeps are fastest. It appears to be a little fiddly and the artifact might only appear when you’re more or less right on top of it. For me it was here, right by the exit out of the acid area:
Once you have the Mold artifact you can head back to Squint. The only thing he can give you as a reward for getting it are the Ward sensors, admitting that he doesn’t even know what they are.
There is a third option that’s actually the best depending on your attitude to simulated betrayal and murder… thought so. If you get the artifact for Squint and then say you’re keeping it, he will attack you and you can kill him with no repercussions. Collect the Ward Sensors, the artifact you retrieved, and all his other gear, making this the best option - for you at least.
This is far from the only time you’ll have to decide someone’s fate and this mission thread will eventually lead you to deciding if you shouldshoot or knock out Solder in STALKER 2.© GamesRadar+. Not to be reproduced without permission
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I’m GamesRadar’s Managing Editor for guides, which means I runGamesRadar’s guides and tips content. I also write reviews, previews and features, largely about horror, action adventure, FPS and open world games. I previously worked on Kotaku, and the Official PlayStation Magazine and website.
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