Metro 2033 Redux

Zach Goodier

Metro 2033 is an FPS set in a post-apocalyptic Moscow where the survivors of a nuclear war live their lives in the metro stations under the city. Between the radiation above, and the mutated beasts roaming both above ground and within the dark tunnels, there is no shortage of threats to those who persist. You play as Artyom, a young man who has spent most of his live living in a metro station with other survivors. However, one day a Spartan ranger comes to the station, and soon the station falls under attack by mutant creatures, and a mysterious race called “the Dark Ones.” Artyom must embark on a mission to save not only his station, but the entirety of the Metro from devastation at the hands of this new threat.

The Metro is dark, and while the threats hide in the dark, so can you.

The story is very well done, immersing you in a desperate and divided world where everyone is finding their own way, resulting in factions, like the Stalinist Red Line and the Fourth Reich, who have gone to war over the remains of civilization within the tunnels. The Rangers are a neutral party devoted to keeping what outside threats they can at bay, such as the mutated animals, and eventually the Dark Ones. You meet interesting characters along the way who help make the dark tunnels feel less lonely, and they come to help you out along the way in finding your path.

Both environments and weapons all look and feel like piles of junk.

The game-play is excellent, with many weapons looking and feeling like the homemade patchwork guns they often are. Lots of guns are left over from the old world, but many have been fashioned from scraps and shoot metal balls or fashioned arrows, and tools like the re-charger make you have to stop to charge up the batteries on things like your flashlight, which use up juice. The game gives off a solid survival/horror vibe, with bits of fallout worked in here and there, like the currency, which is in military-grade ammo, which can be used to buy things, or used to give your weapons a huge damage boost, something I never even wanted to try.

All sorts of unpleasant creatures add to the tension, along with raiders and the Nazi/Communist war.

You can run-and-gun, but you often find it better to play it at least semi-stealthy so you can scout out enemies before committing to an attack. Gunfights are always exciting, and the lack of health bar means you have to gauge how hurt you are by the screen and breathing, which becomes more desperate as your injuries add up. Depending on the difficulty you choose, ammo can be very hard to come by, which supports the themes of survival and makes you seriously consider your approach to every encounter, and save ammo whenever possible.

The Dark Ones are a new and mysterious presence that makes the Metro even more perilous than usual.

Overall, this is an excellent game. The only real faults are that the game is very linear, with the ability to explore detours to find extra ammo here and there, so if you want an open game, don’t look here. Also, the cinematic nature of the game, with the cut-scenes, can sometimes rob the player of control to force you into a situation, which can break the immersion, and remind you that you’re playing someone else’s story, and that, to a certain extent, you are along for the ride. This doesn’t ruin the game at all, but for an RPG fan, it can feel difficult to have little influence on Artyom’s choices throughout the game. There are decisions you can make along the way that can open up an extra ending, but it still feels somewhat constricting and does limit the replay value. Still, If you want a world you can get lost in for hours, and a compelling story of survival and mystery, then look no further, the Metro is calling.

Good:

-Immersive world.

-Awesome weapons, both military and survivor-made.

-Great story of survival and mystery.

Bad:

-Linear, which limits exploration.

-Can be too cinematic at times, taking away control from the player at key moments to have a cut-scene that makes your decisions for you, and reminding you what little influence you have on the story.

Scully Rating: 8.0 out of 10