The Ram-2 is easily one of the most powerful shotguns in the game and even ranks among the best overall guns in the game due to its well-balanced stats. The Ram-2 has a unique pump-action firing mechanism and two barrels, enabling players to fire off two shots at a time.

Not that a lot of post-apocalyptic first-person shooters are, but STALKER 2: Heart of Chornobyl is especially not for the faint of heart. It’s built to generate the kind of friction that goes a long way in creating a challenging and punishing game that’s also captivating.

There are plenty of great weapons to get your hands on in the early game of Stalker 2. Here’s our guide to the best.

You don't need to have played past Stalker games to dive into Heart of Chornobyl, but newcomers to The Zone – an irradiated land of impossibilities in Ukraine – will find themselves tested by its brutality. That goes double for protagonist Skif, whose first foray into The Zone results in him being ambushed and left for dead.

Players who prefer to utilize sniper rifles in STALKER 2 should know how each of them stacks up against the rest.