The side missions in "Stalker 2: Heart of Chernobyl" are very important special missions in the game, and the role of side missions is to obtain some relatively good rewards. You will mainly enter new outposts. Side quests are encountered while standing, but some can also be found in the open world.
What is the use of the Heart of Chernobyl side mission in STALKER 2
In the game, if you only focus on the main plot, it will take about 30 to 40 hours to complete. However, if you do this, you'll miss out on a lot of backstory, and the game will become much more difficult. This is mainly because side quests and other mechanics in the world can provide you with important rewards, such as better weapons and armor.
You'll primarily encounter side quests when entering new outposts, but some can also be found in the open world. It is recommended to participate in these missions if possible and try to collect all the cache points on the map, as these usually contain some nice rewards.