The post-apocalyptic world of Stalker 2 is filled with many difficult decisions, and every choice you make will change your journey in its own way. One of the first moments you face is during the main quest, A Needle in a Haystack. In this quest, you will come across Squint, who is hiding in a windmill.
You are given the option of helping or killing him. Killing him will help you progress to a quicker story while assisting Squint will unlock a side quest with some rewards. This is a crucial decision because your decisions will affect your future interactions. This guide will explain the outcomes of both decisions and what you should do.
What Happens When You Help Squint?
If you decide to help Squint, select the dialogue options: What’s your escape plan? After that, select the prompt: and I’ll get your artifact. This will begin a side mission called Piece of Cake, where you have to find a special artifact in a nearby cave. Once the quest starts, the cave location will be marked on your map.
The location will take you to a farm with a hidden cave entrance inside one of the buildings. There, you are likely to face threats like deadly Bloodsucker and acid anomalies, so be ready. You can sneak through the Bloodsucker, but if you want to fight, bring enough ammo and healing supplies.
Once you have cleared the area, use your artifact detector to navigate the acid anomalies. Locate the Mold artifact by following the detector’s signal. Once you have it, return to Squint at the windmill. You can either give him the artifact for the Ward Sensors or kill him to keep it for yourself.
What Happens When You Kill Squint?
click to enlargeIf you are uninterested in this side quest, confront Squint and select the Attack dialogue option. This will result in a quick fight. The fight will be one-sided as he lacks powerful weapons, and you can kill him easily. After eliminating him, you can loot his body to acquire the Ward Sensors.
After taking him down, you cannot unlock the Piece of Cake mission. You will be free to progress through the quest and hand over Ward Sensors to either Richter or Captain Zotov. Remember, you will not face any setback for executing Squint, but an additional side quest adds more depth to the story.
Which Choice Is Better?
Both choices have pros and cons, but it is generally better to help Squint. If you complete his side quest, you will gain Ward Sensors without shedding blood. Also, if future interaction with Squint is possible, you might earn his favor.
If you wish to keep the Mold artifact, you can also kill Squint after his quest to retrieve the item. Ultimately, the decision depends entirely on your approach and how much you want to help others throughout the journey.