Metro 2033 Redux

This game is an absolute gem. Its not short by any means, but by the end i still wanted more. The combat and weapons feel good and are satisfying, and i really enjoy this kinda of survivally feel from having to manage your ammo and air filters, even though the games very linear, but thats not bad at all. Hardest difficulty, Russian voice acting is what i HIGHLY reccomend to truly immerse yourself in this incredible and unique world. There are some decent lengths of this game where there isnt any combat for a while (but never too long) but unlike some other games, i never found these parts boring. I loved every second of it just as much as the combat. Its such a belivable, living, breathing world, the games stunning visuals helping immensly. Despite the game being comepltly in a metro, the enviroments are still quite varied and interesting to explore and see. Overall a great game in every area. Im even begging to read the book (which is quite different) and the only simalarites are world an character, but their both great in their own fashion. Highly reccoment both.

Metro 2033 (and its sequel, Last Light) has many design elements that I typically don't care for in modern FPS titles; extremely linear level design, quick time events, 'forced' stealth, and checkpoints (more on that later). Then I realized that this game can only be called a FPS in the most superficial sense. Sure, you'll be shooting enemies in first person, but at its heart Metro 2033 is a story-heavy survival horror game, and when you accept that fact and go along for the ride you're in for a spooky good time. With its superb visuals (even by 2018 standards) and fantastic lighting, Metro 2033 Redux offers a deeply atmospheric and immersive experience. Rather than detract from the gameplay, the linearity here is used to good effect, similar to Half Life in fact. At times the 'on rails' design made me think of a ride like Pirates of the Caribbean, where you know you're not in control of the experience, but can't help but be immersed in the setting and attention to detail. While the guns feel meaty, and the stealth is satisfying (if a bit simple), the main draw of these games are the story and setting, and they should be played in order for maximum impact. The only truly significant design flaw is the checkpoint save system, which can screw you over if you aren't careful. Still, this is a must-play title for gamers looking for a post-apocalyptic experience outside of Fallout.

Don't get me wrong - it's not "possible" future if Earth gets nuked, it's certain future if Earth gets nuked. The atmosphere and story is great. Humanity is locked down in underground tunnels and has gone nuts. You'll fight monsters, communists, nazis, bandits, mutants, shortage of supplies and nightmares. You and Artyom will quickly become one. Game features minimal UI just like I liked it. Clock on your wrist, ammo indicator and... that's it? I can't describe what's great in the game, it's the enjoyment itself. In some missions, you can choose if you take silent or loud approach. There are missions you can/have to complete without a single bullet fired. I've to say there are bits that feel so bad and weird. -Closed world. Knowing that if you advance, you advance in right direction is very, very strong and it destroys the fear of choosing the right way Artyom would certainly have. Nevertheless, you'll get lost sometimes, wondering where you are to go. -Stealth. Well, human enemies are sometimes stupid. You can crouch in arm length to them and they won't notice you. -Cutscenes. Some of them, at least. It's hard to differ cutscene from regular gameplay. Still a cutscene or play mode? Scripted event or you just screwed really bad? -Paranormal phenomenons. Dunno, just didn't like it. -And the whole library mission. I had to consult some walkthrough three or four times. [spoiler?] And watch your steps in there, lots of things you do will decide whether you get "standard" or "bonus" ending. [/spoiler]

While Metro 2033 does have nice visuals and creates a dense atmosphere, it has very few to offer gameplay wise. Most of the time you'll follow some dude through samey looking underground corridors an listen to his monologues (as the player character is mute throughout the game and only talks during loading screens). Every once in a while you'll get attacked by waves of mutants, who don't require any skill or tactics to take down but soak bullets like a sponge. There are some sections where you fight humans which feature stealth gameplay and are actually good. Sadly they are far and few between. Levels are usually small and linear but invisible walls make the terrain incredibly hard to read at times, leaving the player wondering where to go next. Exploration is further disencouraged by limited air filter supplies. The itself story starts promising but ultimately fails to deliver. I don't see many reasons to play this game unless you're a hardcore fan of the novels.

I picked up this and Last Light and kind of burned through them because the story was compelling. This one, the first one, is pretty good, introducing an interesting environment: some supernatural mixed with WW2-shooter style tropes. Love the focus on immersion by presenting third-party conversations between residents or enemies. I didn't get much use out of the stealth system in this one because it didn't appear useful to the outcome of the game. Minor spoiler: it turns out that there's a hidden game mechanic that playing stealthy, leading to knocking out instead of killing, helps trigger. I can understand why they left the workings of the mechanic hidden because the idea of mentally checking accomplishment boxes does kind of break immersion, which is bad in a game like this where it helps to have your mind really focused on the story. Still I feel like it could have gotten a little more attention to help swing players away from shooting everything that moves. The weapons variance is pretty good. Some customization, but only a small amount. Unfortunately, unless you've played the game once before, you won't know what style of weapons to focus on for the upcoming chapter. Having three different guns helps, but if a person needs to buy bullets, they won't know which ones to buy. I guess the outcome of my review is that the game is worth it, but there are situations where things aren't explained and a search engine comes to the rescue. Considering the refinement in the sequel in gameplay and plot keeps this at a solid four.