The post-apocalyptic setting has become insanely popular for film, video games and TV in recent years. Tales of hardship, of humanity on the brink of extinction, fighting all the odds and then some, in a world that is so familiar yet so foreign at the same time. Some of the most popular tales from this genre are The Walking Dead, World War Z, 28 Days Later, and I Am Legend. Though these stories were ones that started with small cult followings until they exploded into popularity somewhere down the line. This is where the Metro series is different; because you see, the series already had a fanbase of hundreds of thousands before the first of Artyom's tales in the Russian metro tunnels was even finished.
In 2005 Russian author Dimitry Glukhovsky released his much anticipated novel Metro 2033, after having started as a series of short stories online, the author dedicated his time to create a full blown story and the first Metro novel is the result of that. Gaining not just a fanbase in eastern Europe, but also internationally and catching the eye of 4A Games & THQ. 5 years later and a video game adaptation of the novel was released as an FPS Survival Horror hybrid; despite the problems Metro 2033 had back in 2010, it was a brilliant showcase of a post apocalyptic world and a great example of how to adapt existing material into a video game.
Now just 4 years later, Deep Silver is taking us back to the Metro to explore post-apocalyptic Ruissia again, but this time with new features and a new engine...but is it better than the original version?
In 2013 a nuclear war devastated the world, targeting Russia in particular. The planet became irradiated and uninhabitable, plunged into a permanent nuclear winter. Survivors of the attacks went underground, to live in the country's metro tunnels. Those who didn't make it, mutated and now roam the surface.
20 years later you play as Artyom, a man who was born just before the bombs fell and as a result has little recollection of what the outside world ever looked like. When a ranger by the name of Hunter contacts Artyom and tells him that his station is under threat from a paranormal force known as the Dark Ones, it becomes Artyom's mission to travel across Russia using its underground network of train tunnels to unite stations in an attempt to help save his station from this force.
In 2005 Russian author Dimitry Glukhovsky released his much anticipated novel Metro 2033, after having started as a series of short stories online, the author dedicated his time to create a full blown story and the first Metro novel is the result of that. Gaining not just a fanbase in eastern Europe, but also internationally and catching the eye of 4A Games & THQ. 5 years later and a video game adaptation of the novel was released as an FPS Survival Horror hybrid; despite the problems Metro 2033 had back in 2010, it was a brilliant showcase of a post apocalyptic world and a great example of how to adapt existing material into a video game.
Now just 4 years later, Deep Silver is taking us back to the Metro to explore post-apocalyptic Ruissia again, but this time with new features and a new engine...but is it better than the original version?
In 2013 a nuclear war devastated the world, targeting Russia in particular. The planet became irradiated and uninhabitable, plunged into a permanent nuclear winter. Survivors of the attacks went underground, to live in the country's metro tunnels. Those who didn't make it, mutated and now roam the surface.
20 years later you play as Artyom, a man who was born just before the bombs fell and as a result has little recollection of what the outside world ever looked like. When a ranger by the name of Hunter contacts Artyom and tells him that his station is under threat from a paranormal force known as the Dark Ones, it becomes Artyom's mission to travel across Russia using its underground network of train tunnels to unite stations in an attempt to help save his station from this force.
Metro's narrative is tight and convincing for the most part. The world is one of the most convincing and interesting scenarios of dealing with an apocalypse that I have ever seen. It reminds of slums in third world countries, with makeshift houses made out of cardboard and bits of wood littering. Forcing a population of 5000 to live in small, cramped, and unsanitary conditions. Factions form, politicians try to settle unrest between warring stations, and the military keeps stations safe from both mutants and other humans. However, the quality of Artyom's story fluctuates on a minutes to minute basis. Whilst the uniting stations and exploration of the world is entirely convincing and well told; the paranormal elements become nonsensical and at times a little silly. As the story progresses it becomes more and more engrossed in the paranormal, and by the end of the game you are left with an underwhelming ending that leaves you asking more questions than you started with.
Metro 2033's gameplay can vary depending on what gameplay setting you choose. In the Redux re-release you have the option between 'Spartan' and 'Survival' gameplay types. Survival is the original Metro 2033 experience, supplies are extremely scarce and stealth is a more viable option than combat in almost every scenario. Spartan however more closely resembles the gameplay of sequel Metro: Last Light. A heavier focus on combat and more frequent and plentiful resources; you'll still be scavenging and running thin on supplies but nowhere near as much as you would on survival.
You have a standard selection of assault rifles, shotguns, and pistols to choose from, some resembling real world weapons and some being unique to the Metro universe such as the ones you have to pump to build pressure to fire rounds. Weapons can be customised at vendors in stations to add attachments such as stocks and silencers, but these come at a cost...military grade ammunition. The currency in the Metro universe is bullets, pre-war bullets at that. More powerful than your post war equivalent and also shinier. This currency can also replace your standard ammunition if necessary, allowing you to have more powerful weapons...but your wallet will also feel the impact.
The biggest problem I faced with Metro's gameplay is its slow movement speed. Artyom moves slower than an arthritic geriatric. It feels like you are trudging through tar with every step you take, to the point that it almost becomes a joke how slow you move. This coupled with the latter half of the game where the narrative begins to restrict the speed of the missions actually caused me some breathing problems. Breathing problems you ask? You see when you travel to the surface in Metro you are required to wear a gas mask and collect air filters which only last short periods of time, this management of how long you have to breathe is a very tense and well implemented mechanic, making the surface missions of Metro an absolute delight. However towards the end of the game there are four missions that require you to use your gas mask nearly all the time with ever decreasing quantities of filters available to you. Combine this with a sudden hand-holding due to the narrative, causing you to be unable to progress through the mission until characters are done talking to each other or to you, all whilst depleting your air supply makes the game incredibly frustrating at times as I somewhat regularly ran out of air during conversations and as a result died.
This is actually the only time I have ever been frustrated that a game wanted to tell its story to me...because it hindered the gameplay and actually caused it to impede me from progressing because I would die! It's not hard to get around this problem however its all about being able to judge how long you can live without air, using the gas mask for a few seconds then almost suffocating yourself again until the non-skippable, stationary conversations are over, then allowing you to run around like a madman attempting to find filters before you die.
Metro 2033's gameplay can vary depending on what gameplay setting you choose. In the Redux re-release you have the option between 'Spartan' and 'Survival' gameplay types. Survival is the original Metro 2033 experience, supplies are extremely scarce and stealth is a more viable option than combat in almost every scenario. Spartan however more closely resembles the gameplay of sequel Metro: Last Light. A heavier focus on combat and more frequent and plentiful resources; you'll still be scavenging and running thin on supplies but nowhere near as much as you would on survival.
You have a standard selection of assault rifles, shotguns, and pistols to choose from, some resembling real world weapons and some being unique to the Metro universe such as the ones you have to pump to build pressure to fire rounds. Weapons can be customised at vendors in stations to add attachments such as stocks and silencers, but these come at a cost...military grade ammunition. The currency in the Metro universe is bullets, pre-war bullets at that. More powerful than your post war equivalent and also shinier. This currency can also replace your standard ammunition if necessary, allowing you to have more powerful weapons...but your wallet will also feel the impact.
The biggest problem I faced with Metro's gameplay is its slow movement speed. Artyom moves slower than an arthritic geriatric. It feels like you are trudging through tar with every step you take, to the point that it almost becomes a joke how slow you move. This coupled with the latter half of the game where the narrative begins to restrict the speed of the missions actually caused me some breathing problems. Breathing problems you ask? You see when you travel to the surface in Metro you are required to wear a gas mask and collect air filters which only last short periods of time, this management of how long you have to breathe is a very tense and well implemented mechanic, making the surface missions of Metro an absolute delight. However towards the end of the game there are four missions that require you to use your gas mask nearly all the time with ever decreasing quantities of filters available to you. Combine this with a sudden hand-holding due to the narrative, causing you to be unable to progress through the mission until characters are done talking to each other or to you, all whilst depleting your air supply makes the game incredibly frustrating at times as I somewhat regularly ran out of air during conversations and as a result died.
This is actually the only time I have ever been frustrated that a game wanted to tell its story to me...because it hindered the gameplay and actually caused it to impede me from progressing because I would die! It's not hard to get around this problem however its all about being able to judge how long you can live without air, using the gas mask for a few seconds then almost suffocating yourself again until the non-skippable, stationary conversations are over, then allowing you to run around like a madman attempting to find filters before you die.
Metro 2033 Redux is a good looking game. The engine upgrade has done wonders for environment detail and textures. However, some may argue that is has caused some environments, the surface in particular, to lose some of its charm. In the 2010 original, the surface was a bleak and brown landscape that looked threatening and toxic. In this version however it just looks like Russia has had a particularly bad snowstorm. It doesn't look bad, but it instead creates a new vision of the identity it previously had. Yes the frozen wasteland looks somewhat threatening, but in an entirely new way. A way that looks like The Day After Tomorrow's take on global warming had a visit rather than a nuclear bombing.
Character animations are also a little bit stiff. I understand that the game wasn't made from the ground up, but it is extremely noticeable thanks to the technological leaps we have made in motion capture since 2010. The lip syncing is also a bit off and some of the voice acting is sub-par. The sound is a mixed bag, the soundtrack is good and really builds on the atmosphere, with a blend of sombre tones to complement the lonely harsh environments and to contrast the rock music blasting through station speakers. However the sound design itself is rather...crap. The stereo panning in this game is outrageous, you only have to slightly turn away from a speaking character and their voice sounds like its several metres away to the side of you, rather than just slightly panning the voice. Plus I highly recommend playing with subtitles as most dialogue is muffled and inaudible in gameplay, plus the thick Russian accents can occasionally be hard to understand when mixed in with all the other sounds.
Metro 2033 is a collection of brilliant ideas that seem to have been put together incorrectly. With a story that loses itself towards the end to the point that it interrupts and hinders the otherwise great gameplay. Plus it is a victim of technological ageing and some poor sound work. Despite all of this, Metro 2033 is still a game you should play if you are a fan of the apocalypse. It presents one of the most believable and interesting post-apocalyptic worlds, very reminiscent of something like Fallout 3. Plus despite all its problems it's not a bad game; it's actually quite enjoyable, enjoyable but flawed.
Character animations are also a little bit stiff. I understand that the game wasn't made from the ground up, but it is extremely noticeable thanks to the technological leaps we have made in motion capture since 2010. The lip syncing is also a bit off and some of the voice acting is sub-par. The sound is a mixed bag, the soundtrack is good and really builds on the atmosphere, with a blend of sombre tones to complement the lonely harsh environments and to contrast the rock music blasting through station speakers. However the sound design itself is rather...crap. The stereo panning in this game is outrageous, you only have to slightly turn away from a speaking character and their voice sounds like its several metres away to the side of you, rather than just slightly panning the voice. Plus I highly recommend playing with subtitles as most dialogue is muffled and inaudible in gameplay, plus the thick Russian accents can occasionally be hard to understand when mixed in with all the other sounds.
Metro 2033 is a collection of brilliant ideas that seem to have been put together incorrectly. With a story that loses itself towards the end to the point that it interrupts and hinders the otherwise great gameplay. Plus it is a victim of technological ageing and some poor sound work. Despite all of this, Metro 2033 is still a game you should play if you are a fan of the apocalypse. It presents one of the most believable and interesting post-apocalyptic worlds, very reminiscent of something like Fallout 3. Plus despite all its problems it's not a bad game; it's actually quite enjoyable, enjoyable but flawed.
STORY: 6/10
GAMEPLAY: 7/10
PRESENTATION: 8/10
LIFESPAN: 7/10
SCORE: 7/10
If you are yet to pick up Metro 2033, the Redux is the best version to go for simply for the visual upgrade and increased gameplay options.