How to defeat invisible enemies in Stalker 2 – Tips to beat Bloodsuckers and Poltergeists

Radiation, starvation, and dehydration are the invisible killers in Stalker 2, but they aren’t the reason you clicked this article. Like many of us, you’re fed up with falling prey to the game’s invisible enemies. They come in two distinct types – Bloodsuckers and Poltergeists, and both are equally annoying to deal with. We’ve faced them enough times to develop a method of taking them out while playing Stalker 2: Heart of Chornobyl, and we’ll share our tips and strategies with you, so keep reading.

How to beat invisible enemies in Stalker 2

The game’s open world hides many threats, but it’s far more difficult when you can’t even see them before they strike. Both Bloodsuckers and Poltergeists are entirely invisible before striking, so fighting them can be an exercise in frustration. Here’s how to tackle each of them.

How to beat Bloodsuckers

Bloodsuckers appear more commonly of the two types. They look like deformed humanoids with distended tentacled mouths, like lampreys or leeches. Hence the name. They are fully invisible ambush predators until they appear for a brief moment to attack. We have a few tips on how to kill them:

• Watch for blurry movement: You will often see a type of motion blur when they move around the area in preparation for an attack. If you spot it, it’s well worth unloading a few shots in that direction. If there’s blood-spatter, that means you nailed it. 
• Turn up sound: Another way to determine where the Bloodsucker is located is to use sound cues. You can hear their footsteps while they’re invisible, especially if they walk through grass or a creaky floor. They also make a low growly noise, so you can use that to pinpoint their direction.
• Dodge and counter: Bloodsuckers’ attacks will be most obvious just before they strike. You can attempt to dodge it or tank one hit – then strike while they’re visible. Note that they always become visible after attacking – but only for a few seconds. After that, they turn invisible again.
• Use short-range high-damage weapons: Since you’ll often have to fire at Bloodsuckers from up close, it’s best to use something that is suited for that range. A shotgun or sawed-off are good options, since they’ll have to eat a lot of your pellets. Similarly, an SMG is a great option too, thanks to their high fire rate. 
• Heal up between attacks: Depending on the difficulty you play on, you may have to repeat the cycle a few times before you down the enemy. After the attack, a Bloodsucker will turn invisible and roam around again to ambush you. If you took a hit, you should have enough time to heal (if needed) before the next strike.

How to beat Poltergeists

Poltergeists are the more difficult of the two invisible types. They come in two different variants, Electric and Fire. They are near-constantly invisible, even when attacking, though they can appear as balls of electricity and fire for brief moments. Once killed, they revert to their corporeal form – a nasty-looking humanoid with no legs and a gaunt elongated face. The two variants share some similarities but warrant a different approach. Here’s what they have in common (in both tactics and attack patterns) before we go over their differences:

• Use a shotgun: Since they are nearly always invisible, we recommend opting for a weapon with spread, like a shotgun. That way, the spray pattern should chip away at the enemy if you target their general direction.
• Chuck a grenade: Due to their area damage, grenades are the perfect way to deal some decent damage to any Poltergeist. Of course, that is if you have one to spare and if there’s enough room to account for the blast.
• Stay on your toes: Both variants will attack you from range, so keep moving while dodging and jumping so that their attacks miss you.
• Watch for dust: Every time you manage to hit a Poltergeist, it will emit a small dust cloud – this indicates that they have been hit. Use this brief moment to damage them further if you can.
• Don’t forget to heal: Both Poltergeist variants can deal enough damage to get out of control, especially the Fire variant with its burn damage. Take any opportunity you can to use a Medkit to heal up while dealing with them.

Electric Poltergeist

• Watch for thrown objects: The Electric Poltergeist can telekinetically throw surrounding objects at you. While you will often be surprised by their first salvo, you can use this to your advantage. Aim for the general area where you see a levitating object.
• Don’t let the electric ball go through you: This is another of their attacks – they will show their ball form and try to slam into you. Dodge away to avoid it, as it can deal a decent chunk of damage.

Fire Poltergeist

• Don’t approach them: Unlike the previous variant, approaching the Fire version will set you ablaze. Try not to get too close and hit them from a distance as much as possible.
• Use an AR: Thanks to their fiery nature, these are at least easier to see when they’re not fully invisible. That makes them somewhat easier to hit with conventional weapons, like any assault rifle you might have. Even a decent SMG is good enough in a pinch.
• Avoid their burn effects: All Fire Poltergeist’s attacks inflict burn damage through its status effect, which can tick even while it’s not attacking you. That makes it doubly important to dodge their attacks.

With that, you should be fully equipped to deal with any invisible enemies in Stalker 2. For further help, read our helpful beginner’s tips and tricks, as well as what to do with any broken weapons you might have.