The “All That Remains” quest in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl is a seemingly routine mission to find an artifact for officer Varda. But, as often happens in the Zone, this simple expedition turns into a moral dilemma: should the find be handed over to the military or the scientists? Or should he pocket it himself? We’ll explore all the options, including the best-case scenario, which allows you to both keep the artifact and receive coupons.
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How to start the “All That Remains” quest in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2?
The mission becomes available after you resolve the conflict between Varda and the stalkers in Zalissie—this will open the western pontoon gate to the Chemical Plant. To activate the quest, you must first side with Varda: during the “Needle in a Haystack” mission, give the alarm sensors from Kosoy to Captain Zotov. Upon reaching the Chemical Plant, you’ll receive a radio call from Lieutenant Mateus. Agree to help, and he’ll ask you to find an artifact in the nearby chemical tanks.
Important: the quest will automatically fail if you delay completing it. So, after receiving the task, it’s best to head south immediately.
Step-by-step mission walkthrough and artifact search
Path to the chemical tanks and clearing out the snorks
Head south to the chemical tanks. Enter the area through the guardhouse by the main gate, where you’ll be attacked by a pseudodog. These creatures have a nasty habit: they create psychic clones that confuse you and quickly consume your ammunition. The main dog doesn’t disappear when hit—locate it and quickly dispatch it with a shotgun.
Follow the marker until you find an opening in the floor beneath the anomaly—it’s in the middle of the cisterns on the left. A group of snorks awaits you below. Throw grenades at them or shoot them with a shotgun, then descend into the dungeon. Incidentally, if you dig around in this area, you can find the “Liquid Rock” artifact—it provides maximum protection against radiation and chemicals and is worth a whopping 60,000 coupons. It’s not related to the quest, but you definitely shouldn’t miss out on such a lucrative prize.
Where can I find the PDA pistol and the Soul artifact?
In the dungeon, you’ll find the body of a dead soldier and a cache of loot. Take the PDA—it’ll come in handy later. Nearby, you’ll find a pistol with a silencer and an extended magazine. Go through the nearby doorway to return to the surface. After exiting, you’ll find a ramp. Climb onto the lid of the nearby cistern, jump over the broken fence, and retrieve the “Soul” artifact.
Which is better to give the artifact to, Mateus or Zaretsky?
If you return to Mateus through the main gate, you’ll meet Professor Zaretsky, an ecologist who wants to study the artifact. There are several possible paths from here:
Want to get the maximum reward?
Here’s how:
Don’t give the artifact to Zaretsky.
Agree to fulfill his research request: pick up the body of a fallen Ward soldier from the dungeon and throw it into the anomaly at the exit.
You’ll receive 2,000 coupons.
Return to Zaretsky to receive your reward.
Go to Mateus and give him the fallen soldier’s PDA. You’ll receive another 1,400 coupons.
You’ll eventually keep the Soul artifact and collect the reward from both sides.
Soul artifact properties and coupon reward amount
The Soul appears as a thin glass or crystal sphere. Stalker tales abound about this artifact—it supposedly makes its owner significantly more resilient. This is no exaggeration: the Soul provides a moderate bonus to stamina. However, there is a downside: a moderate radiation penalty. So wearing it without radiation protection is a bit of a stretch.
The coupon reward depends on the difficulty level: the higher the difficulty, the fewer coupons you’ll receive. Keep in mind that patch 1.0.2 fixed some bugs with this mission, such as the inability to complete the Chemical Plant mission. So if something goes wrong, make sure you have the latest version of the game installed.
