The Most Immersive, Tactile, Hardcore, Terrifying Experience In The World If You Think S.T.A.L.K.E.R. is a bit too Russian.
One of my favorite games in terms of atmosphere and general world/mood building. The gameplay itself leaves a lot to be desired at times (that turret mission is fucking wack among other things) but its never enough to take away from things on a severe level.
It's funny some of my favorite portions of this game are the outdoor and open areas while the same bits in Last Light were some of the worst in addition to the open worlds/hubs of Exodus not being my thing. I think there's something to note about how this executes the gameplay in those sections and keeps the tone better than the sequels but I'll get into it later when I play those.
It's funny some of my favorite portions of this game are the outdoor and open areas while the same bits in Last Light were some of the worst in addition to the open worlds/hubs of Exodus not being my thing. I think there's something to note about how this executes the gameplay in those sections and keeps the tone better than the sequels but I'll get into it later when I play those.
This game taught me that regardless of the state of the world, there will always be nazis - 6/10
"It appears that the devastation we brought upon ourselves was complete. Heaven, hell, and purgatory were atomized as well. So, when a soul leaves the body, it has nowhere to go and must remain here in the Metro. A harsh, but not undeserved atonement for our sins, wouldn't you agree?"
--
"Even the Apocalypse didn't stop us from killing one another over ideology. I was about to go through the front line between the Nazis and the Communists. I've heard they once fought another war and that the Nazis lost."
--
"....even in these times, we can't relinquish the things that make us human."
--
"Even the Apocalypse didn't stop us from killing one another over ideology. I was about to go through the front line between the Nazis and the Communists. I've heard they once fought another war and that the Nazis lost."
--
"....even in these times, we can't relinquish the things that make us human."
Metro 2033 was to me just a shittier STALKER game. Despite its well adapted story, the extremely linear levels really ruined it for me
My Steam review from Feb 6, 2022
First I wanna address the elephant in the room. This game is racist. It presents Moscow as this mono-ethnically Russian city. In reality there are significant populations of Caucasian and Central Asian ethnic minorities living in Moscow, let alone smaller communities of other ethnicities. To give perspective to the foreigners, this is the equivalent of setting a game in Los Angeles or New York and having only white characters.
Now to the actual game. I feel like, I can't really comment upon the gameplay much because there isn't much to comment upon. It is pretty generic. I played for an hour, and most of that time was spent walking around claustrophobic hub areas with confusing level-design and talking to people. There was also one turret section and one actual gunfight, which was alright I guess, but kinda boring. I really didn't find anything about the gameplay that wasn't done better in other games. It was a little frustrating though that the enemies can shoot you with incredible accuracy in complete darkness with no flashlights on.
Speaking of darkness, this is probably the darkest game I've ever played. I cranked up the gamma to the max and still wasn't able to see anything that isn't right next to a direct source of light or in the range of my flashlight (which is pretty small). People tend to call Doom 3 too dark, but this one really takes the cake. At least in Doom 3 the flashlight has a wider range and the level design is more intuitive and better lit.
The real meat of this game, as I understand it, is supposed to be the story. Because that's seemingly what the game is shoving in your face the entire time. I quickly realized the writing was cringy and generic, and the voice-acting is terrible, so I stopped paying attention. But unfortunately, the game wouldn't let me skip those scripted scenes where you're being told something while you can't move. You also can't skip the completely unnecessary hub areas, which are linear af and serve no actual purpose. Worth pointing out that I played the Russian version, so the writing in the English version may not be this obnoxious, but it must still be pretty basic in its essence, unless they heavily altered it. The Russian version feels like it's written by young people who are trying to imitate the way the older generations spoke, while also imitating the Hollywood style of writing. It's just painful to listen to. And when I say writing, I mean not just the main story, but also all the NPCs you encounter in-game. They feel inauthentic, so they fail to create a sense that you're bring surrounded by real people.
And, from what I can understand, barring the story and the world-building, this game really doesn't have much going for it. The one hour I spent on it felt like a drag. I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna waste any more time on it.
The one thing I liked about the game though, was the graphics. That being said, for 2010 it's not the prettiest looking game, yet it's very demanding. I was getting between 25 and 50 FPS on my computer. Meanwhile the aforementioned Doom 3, which came out 6 years earlier, looks better and runs perfectly. For a more contemporary comparison, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, a 2014 remaster of a gorgeous open-world game from 2012 runs better on my computer than this. The fact that 90% of this game is covered in darkness, doesn't do it any favors either.
First I wanna address the elephant in the room. This game is racist. It presents Moscow as this mono-ethnically Russian city. In reality there are significant populations of Caucasian and Central Asian ethnic minorities living in Moscow, let alone smaller communities of other ethnicities. To give perspective to the foreigners, this is the equivalent of setting a game in Los Angeles or New York and having only white characters.
Now to the actual game. I feel like, I can't really comment upon the gameplay much because there isn't much to comment upon. It is pretty generic. I played for an hour, and most of that time was spent walking around claustrophobic hub areas with confusing level-design and talking to people. There was also one turret section and one actual gunfight, which was alright I guess, but kinda boring. I really didn't find anything about the gameplay that wasn't done better in other games. It was a little frustrating though that the enemies can shoot you with incredible accuracy in complete darkness with no flashlights on.
Speaking of darkness, this is probably the darkest game I've ever played. I cranked up the gamma to the max and still wasn't able to see anything that isn't right next to a direct source of light or in the range of my flashlight (which is pretty small). People tend to call Doom 3 too dark, but this one really takes the cake. At least in Doom 3 the flashlight has a wider range and the level design is more intuitive and better lit.
The real meat of this game, as I understand it, is supposed to be the story. Because that's seemingly what the game is shoving in your face the entire time. I quickly realized the writing was cringy and generic, and the voice-acting is terrible, so I stopped paying attention. But unfortunately, the game wouldn't let me skip those scripted scenes where you're being told something while you can't move. You also can't skip the completely unnecessary hub areas, which are linear af and serve no actual purpose. Worth pointing out that I played the Russian version, so the writing in the English version may not be this obnoxious, but it must still be pretty basic in its essence, unless they heavily altered it. The Russian version feels like it's written by young people who are trying to imitate the way the older generations spoke, while also imitating the Hollywood style of writing. It's just painful to listen to. And when I say writing, I mean not just the main story, but also all the NPCs you encounter in-game. They feel inauthentic, so they fail to create a sense that you're bring surrounded by real people.
And, from what I can understand, barring the story and the world-building, this game really doesn't have much going for it. The one hour I spent on it felt like a drag. I'm sorry, but I'm not gonna waste any more time on it.
The one thing I liked about the game though, was the graphics. That being said, for 2010 it's not the prettiest looking game, yet it's very demanding. I was getting between 25 and 50 FPS on my computer. Meanwhile the aforementioned Doom 3, which came out 6 years earlier, looks better and runs perfectly. For a more contemporary comparison, Sleeping Dogs: Definitive Edition, a 2014 remaster of a gorgeous open-world game from 2012 runs better on my computer than this. The fact that 90% of this game is covered in darkness, doesn't do it any favors either.
This man can nuke an entire race but can't fit in a hole
Metro 2033 is a first-person shooter survival horror game, whose story is based on the novel of the same name. Released by 4A Games in 2010. on Xbox360 and PC. Later in 2014. this game got its remastered version or "Redux" in its name, which was released on multiple platforms.
We are taking role of Artyom into his journey to find a way to save his station "Exhibition" from a new mutant threat. The story is set in post-apocalyptic Moscow, 20 years after the nuclear holocaust. All that's left from humankind had to start living in the Moscow Metro, while other creatures had appeared on the surface.
"Fear the light. Fear the dark. Fear the future".
This is what you're greeted with when entering the game and you will soon find out why. The biggest threat are the mutants, which couldn't be solely found on surface, but also underground, and well, the future of many depends of will Artyom succeed or not.
In this game, all resources you have are very limited, especially ammo, so make every bullet count. Since many places on both surface and underground are still irradiated, you'll have to also make sure to have a non-heavy damaged mask, and to have enough filters for it, since they don't last long. All those resources can be found in stashes and fallen humans, but also bought with ammo, not any ammo, but a special ammo that was made before the nuclear holocaust, that ammo can be found and can be used for your primary weapon, but if you don't need to use it, rather don't , save it for new weapons and the final chapter of the game, where after being away from any station for some time, you'll likely end up without ammo near the end.
While almost every game has some issues, this also has some. The AI is not perfect, in one encounter with humans enemies, I found them doing the same movement from cover to cover even though I was shooting them, they didn't shoot back. The allies AI are also not the best, but they are good at shooting enemies.
Some missions were pretty scary, I have to admit, but some were in my opinion a little bit too hard for the difficulty that has been chosen.
The story isn't groundbreaking in any way, you will probably find reading the novel more interesting, but what the game nailed, was the atmosphere and immersion of the post-apocalyptic Moscow and this apart from the survival parts of the game, is where it shines.
All in all, a great, not perfect game, but acceptable if it takes into account that this game was released in 2010. and that this is the first Metro game in the series.
We are taking role of Artyom into his journey to find a way to save his station "Exhibition" from a new mutant threat. The story is set in post-apocalyptic Moscow, 20 years after the nuclear holocaust. All that's left from humankind had to start living in the Moscow Metro, while other creatures had appeared on the surface.
"Fear the light. Fear the dark. Fear the future".
This is what you're greeted with when entering the game and you will soon find out why. The biggest threat are the mutants, which couldn't be solely found on surface, but also underground, and well, the future of many depends of will Artyom succeed or not.
In this game, all resources you have are very limited, especially ammo, so make every bullet count. Since many places on both surface and underground are still irradiated, you'll have to also make sure to have a non-heavy damaged mask, and to have enough filters for it, since they don't last long. All those resources can be found in stashes and fallen humans, but also bought with ammo, not any ammo, but a special ammo that was made before the nuclear holocaust, that ammo can be found and can be used for your primary weapon, but if you don't need to use it, rather don't , save it for new weapons and the final chapter of the game, where after being away from any station for some time, you'll likely end up without ammo near the end.
While almost every game has some issues, this also has some. The AI is not perfect, in one encounter with humans enemies, I found them doing the same movement from cover to cover even though I was shooting them, they didn't shoot back. The allies AI are also not the best, but they are good at shooting enemies.
Some missions were pretty scary, I have to admit, but some were in my opinion a little bit too hard for the difficulty that has been chosen.
The story isn't groundbreaking in any way, you will probably find reading the novel more interesting, but what the game nailed, was the atmosphere and immersion of the post-apocalyptic Moscow and this apart from the survival parts of the game, is where it shines.
All in all, a great, not perfect game, but acceptable if it takes into account that this game was released in 2010. and that this is the first Metro game in the series.
Really hate that I never finished this one. I was really into it and was enjoying the story and gameplay, liked the post apocalyptic horror vibes a lot. I just trapped myself in an impossible save file with like no ammo at a really crucial part of the game and ragequit
This game isn't a fucking joke
The only good game 4A have ever made
Basado en una novela rusa del mismo nombre, Metro 2033 es un juego interesante y hasta cierto punto ambicioso, que ofrece un mundo bastante creíble y unas cuantas mecánicas novedosas que, aunque cuentan con algunos problemas de implementación, demuestran que si es cierto que existen estudios desarrolladores pensando en cosas nuevas. Combinando el FPS con el survival horror, Metro nos cuenta una historia postapocalíptica que se desarrolla en túneles subterráneos, en donde la población rusa ha encontrado refugio después de los efectos de un holocausto nuclear. Las estaciones del metro se han convertido en las nuevas ciudadelas de la humanidad en donde se lucha por la supervivencia, ya que la radiación no solo ha acabado con numerosas vidas, sino que ha dado lugar a mutaciones creando todo tipo de monstruos y aberraciones biológicas sobre las cuales vamos aprendiendo más y más a medida que avanzamos por el juego. La munición es escasa y en muchas ocasiones se nos invita a utilizar el sigilo para avanzar, pero en realidad es una mecánica que no está pulida y a fin de cuentas siempre terminamos armando un alboroto. La historia es interesante y deja muchos vacíos que tenemos que llenar con especulaciones, por lo demás, es un buen juego con un buen nivel de dificultad.
-İlginç olmayan bir dünya ve Propaganda bir hikaye
-Var ama kullanışsız mekanikler
-Gizliliği desteklemeyen bir bölüm dizaynı
-Oyunun sanki siz değil de kendisi oynuyormuş hissi vermesi
-Var ama kullanışsız mekanikler
-Gizliliği desteklemeyen bir bölüm dizaynı
-Oyunun sanki siz değil de kendisi oynuyormuş hissi vermesi
The game has a very bittersweet feeling. The aesthethics are perfect if you're into a doomer-tunnel rat-concrete bunker mood and the game looks solid to this day thanks to its lighting. Despite the age, it's fun, solid and worth picking up. Compared to Redux there's less QoL and less customization, yet the game feels a bit more alive & darker, thanks to a better sound (bias) and better and harder stealth (true).
I also think the way to get the good ending is bull, but I'm not alone in this.
I also think the way to get the good ending is bull, but I'm not alone in this.
I hope all the people who worked and are still working in 4A Games are doing well. Sadly, some of the devs lost their lives due to the genocidal (Anti)russian Federation invasion of Ukraine. Animator Andrii Korzinkin, who worked at developer 4A Games, was killed following a combat mission.
Highly recommend anyone interested in the Metro universe or Eastern European culture read Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novels and might even understand why he was put on the Russian federal wanted list in 2022.
I remember when Metro 2033 came out. It had zero advertisements and flew under the radar for most, except in some Eastern European countries. Having serious problems with the optimization and missing graphic options didn’t help too. I pirated it expecting nothing and found one of my all-time favourite games.
Metro 2033 remains one of the most immersive shooters to this day. It is one of the few games I replay every year or two. Visually and mechanically it still holds up to this day and in many ways, it surpasses most of the high-budget AAA titles.
Usually, I play the redux version but this year I decided to go with the original one (was given away for free at some point) and I can confirm in some aspects it’s better than the redux but overall – not much difference between the two. It runs flawlessly but sadly, the graphics options are very limited and you need to edit some config files, including for changing the atrocious FOV.
It also runs flawlessly on Steam Deck.
Highly recommend anyone interested in the Metro universe or Eastern European culture read Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novels and might even understand why he was put on the Russian federal wanted list in 2022.
I remember when Metro 2033 came out. It had zero advertisements and flew under the radar for most, except in some Eastern European countries. Having serious problems with the optimization and missing graphic options didn’t help too. I pirated it expecting nothing and found one of my all-time favourite games.
Metro 2033 remains one of the most immersive shooters to this day. It is one of the few games I replay every year or two. Visually and mechanically it still holds up to this day and in many ways, it surpasses most of the high-budget AAA titles.
Usually, I play the redux version but this year I decided to go with the original one (was given away for free at some point) and I can confirm in some aspects it’s better than the redux but overall – not much difference between the two. It runs flawlessly but sadly, the graphics options are very limited and you need to edit some config files, including for changing the atrocious FOV.
It also runs flawlessly on Steam Deck.
The setting, the atmosphere, the worldbuilding, the ambience, I personally enjoyed all of it. The game does a great job of constantly making you feel unsafe throughout the tunnels and on the surface even when with a group of allies, and only let you breathe easy in few situations.
The minor characters, while at first it felt that they would be throwaways, they each have a well established personality, even some unnamed enemies you can listen to occasionally.
I did get frustrated at certain points in the game where it felt that I was forced to stealth and sometimes the stealth felt inconsistent (Frontlines).
The minor characters, while at first it felt that they would be throwaways, they each have a well established personality, even some unnamed enemies you can listen to occasionally.
I did get frustrated at certain points in the game where it felt that I was forced to stealth and sometimes the stealth felt inconsistent (Frontlines).
This is the first game of the Metro saga based off the books with (in this case) the same name and i simply cant explain how much i loved this game and all of the games that came after this.
I decided to play this one before the redux version due to the fact that i got this one on steam when they gave it for free and oh god what a surprise of a game.
From some of the people who made the stalker games we got this game with settled on a post apocaliptic moscow in the year 2033 where the world has been destroyed due to WW 3, as a consequence of this now the world is filled with monsters and the surface is so toxic and radioactive that the people had to go underground and make their lifes in the moscow metro system.
The first thing I want to talk about its his atmosphere which oh god how I loved it, every level tells you more about the world just by how it is done, the dirty and filthy metro tunnels where monster crawl and can attack you anytime, always told to maintain your guard up cuz you never know when you're going to get attacked by one of the monsters that walk around those same tunnels. How in every station you visit you can see the state people have to live and survive in, how in many occasions throughout the games we celebrate with our friends after surviving a trip through those tunnels and the surface cuz the fact that we're alive after facing those hazards is a real miracle..
[Spoilers] And moments like the mission where the kid we're rescuing is amazed by the sky, something he has never seen and talks about how he is going to tells his friends about it.
[Not more spoilers] The game is crafted in a way that you can inmerse yourself into his world in such an easy way that you're gonna find yourself cheering everytime you come alive of a trip in the surface, smilign with your commrades everytime you come out alive with them, feeling the death of some of them and feeling your heart beat faster everytime you're in a situation close to death. Fr the game is really helpfull with the autosaves, saving everytime you enter a new zone but still you dont feel fear cuz you're gonna have to go back and do everything again, you're gonna feel pain cuz you're going to be so inmerse that you're gonna do anything to survive like if that was the only life you had..
This is game is just awesome and deserves its rating...
I decided to play this one before the redux version due to the fact that i got this one on steam when they gave it for free and oh god what a surprise of a game.
From some of the people who made the stalker games we got this game with settled on a post apocaliptic moscow in the year 2033 where the world has been destroyed due to WW 3, as a consequence of this now the world is filled with monsters and the surface is so toxic and radioactive that the people had to go underground and make their lifes in the moscow metro system.
The first thing I want to talk about its his atmosphere which oh god how I loved it, every level tells you more about the world just by how it is done, the dirty and filthy metro tunnels where monster crawl and can attack you anytime, always told to maintain your guard up cuz you never know when you're going to get attacked by one of the monsters that walk around those same tunnels. How in every station you visit you can see the state people have to live and survive in, how in many occasions throughout the games we celebrate with our friends after surviving a trip through those tunnels and the surface cuz the fact that we're alive after facing those hazards is a real miracle..
[Spoilers] And moments like the mission where the kid we're rescuing is amazed by the sky, something he has never seen and talks about how he is going to tells his friends about it.
[Not more spoilers] The game is crafted in a way that you can inmerse yourself into his world in such an easy way that you're gonna find yourself cheering everytime you come alive of a trip in the surface, smilign with your commrades everytime you come out alive with them, feeling the death of some of them and feeling your heart beat faster everytime you're in a situation close to death. Fr the game is really helpfull with the autosaves, saving everytime you enter a new zone but still you dont feel fear cuz you're gonna have to go back and do everything again, you're gonna feel pain cuz you're going to be so inmerse that you're gonna do anything to survive like if that was the only life you had..
This is game is just awesome and deserves its rating...
This review contains spoilers
A solid enough game that doesn't really excel at anything but doesn't do anything too badly either.
The plot and the world-building are solid. The setting is interesting and unique while still being recognizable. The plot mostly suffers from pacing issues, as it really only exists at the start and at the end of the game, and in the middle you're mostly just travelling from place to place, meeting some people and fighting enemies. The 'good' ending is probably overshadowed by the fact that the game doesn't really do enough with it; you get one character who hints at the plot concerning the Dark Ones and a general gaming sense that killing them is bad, but the game doesn't really build up to it, highlighted by the confession of the protagonist in the ending that he "didn't know why he spared them".
Gameplay-wise, this game is hit or miss. I don't know how the Redux version does it, but this game gives you very little help on how the systems work. It took me until the end of the game to realize gas mask filters got replaced automatically or how charging guns or the battery worked. There's a bunch of guns available, but you don't really get any info on the difference between any of them. The opening area gives you a firing range to test out your first gun; it would be nice if any of the other hubs had had something like this, especially because ammo = bullets in this game. The stealth was also very unclear in this game, although that might also be because I only figured out at the end that your wrist shows you how hidden you are (but even then, I would consider the stealth subpar at best). Don't ask me how to deal with librarians, because even though I stood still they always aggro'd anyway. There's a lot of systems to make it stealthy, like lanterns and lights you dim or shoot out, glass and doors you need to avoid walking over, but the problem is that once you're spotted essentially all the enemies are on alert, so you can't really make any mistake which feels somewhat punishing, especially in large areas. The early guns also feel really bad and you get very little indication of whether or not you're hitting an enemy. Grenades never felt that useful to me either. The other gameplay, like managing the gas mask, are neat and immersive but not really fun to manage and play.
Graphically, this game looked a lot better than I expected a 2010 game to look. The character models aren't too impressive, but the levels and the monsters are neatly designed. Again, the Metro feels claustrophobic and intense, and the outside areas feel cold and desolate like they should. There are some technical shortcomings though. It is very cool and immersive that you can play this game with Russian voice-actors, however their audio only gets translated in cutscenes, which means that if you are not a native speaker, you cannot understand what they are saying in ambient dialogue, which is a big part of the world-building. There's also some very annoying bugs where you can crouch under something but the game just doesn't let you and you have to struggle with the camera and equipping different weapons or maybe getting hit by an enemy to force yourself through.
All in all, the game was solid enough that I'm interested in playing the other games in the series, but I would expect that the recommendation would be to play the Redux version, as it is probably a version that received the fine-tuning that the original does need.
The plot and the world-building are solid. The setting is interesting and unique while still being recognizable. The plot mostly suffers from pacing issues, as it really only exists at the start and at the end of the game, and in the middle you're mostly just travelling from place to place, meeting some people and fighting enemies. The 'good' ending is probably overshadowed by the fact that the game doesn't really do enough with it; you get one character who hints at the plot concerning the Dark Ones and a general gaming sense that killing them is bad, but the game doesn't really build up to it, highlighted by the confession of the protagonist in the ending that he "didn't know why he spared them".
Gameplay-wise, this game is hit or miss. I don't know how the Redux version does it, but this game gives you very little help on how the systems work. It took me until the end of the game to realize gas mask filters got replaced automatically or how charging guns or the battery worked. There's a bunch of guns available, but you don't really get any info on the difference between any of them. The opening area gives you a firing range to test out your first gun; it would be nice if any of the other hubs had had something like this, especially because ammo = bullets in this game. The stealth was also very unclear in this game, although that might also be because I only figured out at the end that your wrist shows you how hidden you are (but even then, I would consider the stealth subpar at best). Don't ask me how to deal with librarians, because even though I stood still they always aggro'd anyway. There's a lot of systems to make it stealthy, like lanterns and lights you dim or shoot out, glass and doors you need to avoid walking over, but the problem is that once you're spotted essentially all the enemies are on alert, so you can't really make any mistake which feels somewhat punishing, especially in large areas. The early guns also feel really bad and you get very little indication of whether or not you're hitting an enemy. Grenades never felt that useful to me either. The other gameplay, like managing the gas mask, are neat and immersive but not really fun to manage and play.
Graphically, this game looked a lot better than I expected a 2010 game to look. The character models aren't too impressive, but the levels and the monsters are neatly designed. Again, the Metro feels claustrophobic and intense, and the outside areas feel cold and desolate like they should. There are some technical shortcomings though. It is very cool and immersive that you can play this game with Russian voice-actors, however their audio only gets translated in cutscenes, which means that if you are not a native speaker, you cannot understand what they are saying in ambient dialogue, which is a big part of the world-building. There's also some very annoying bugs where you can crouch under something but the game just doesn't let you and you have to struggle with the camera and equipping different weapons or maybe getting hit by an enemy to force yourself through.
All in all, the game was solid enough that I'm interested in playing the other games in the series, but I would expect that the recommendation would be to play the Redux version, as it is probably a version that received the fine-tuning that the original does need.
(Specifically, this is based on my experience with Redux)
There is something most endearing about Metro 2033 that makes it stand out in the endless ocean of post-apocalyptic video games.
For starters it does have a rather unique take on the genre, at least when it comes to its setting and perspective. Instead of a post-apocalyptic New York or another American concrete wilderness, Metro is set under Russian soil, within the titular rail system. Even now it feels like a very inspired setting, at least for video games. Coming from the Ukrainian studio 4A Games, this also brings a rather refreshing perspective. Yes, metro 2033 is as bleak and dark as some you'd expect from a post-apocalyptic work, but there is still something very subdued and restrained about its approach that I can't quite put my finger on. So let's dig in to try and find out why's that.
Metro 2033 excels in creating a strong, oppressive atmosphere. The underground settlements are filled with ever-melancholic detail, dimly-lit, over-crowded, filled with coughing and shouting and arguing and despair. It's a sobering image, defied by solidifying the fall of man by his own hand. And in the times we see the outside world, it ain't better. The ruins of Moscow are consumed by eternal nuclear winter, bright and blinding as mutated lifeforms roam and roar and never let you feel safe.
Metro 2033 looks very good, but visuals aren't the only reason why its setting works so well. Sound design is phenomenal, from big devastating moments to the smaller, more frightening situations Artyom finds himself in. The way bunkers echo your footsteps as you walk, the way unchecked electricity zips in the silencing dark. Distant growls and movements from every direction. Artyom's breathing growing heavier as the oxygen in his mask runs out. There are a lot of things one can criticize Metro 2033 for, but sound design is absolutely not one of them.
The story is fine, the storytelling and themes Metro explores are more interesting than the actual plot. The game is great at depicting Artyom's physically- and mentally-demanding journey with all the stops and losses along the way, and it does show the horrible consequences of mankind's nuclear warfare in exquisite detail, but when zoomed a little back, it's a solid if unremarkable narrative. I will give it that, while the characters are not too complex, 4A Games really succeeded in making even some of the redshirts affable and human. And when some of them died, I couldn't help but feel a tad bit of sadness after the fact.
As far as gameplay goes, Metro is more than just serviceable. Guns feel mostly good to fire with, there is limited customization to them too which adds a bit of flavor to the combat. But it's the little touches added that make the experience all the more unnerving, like the need to watch your oxygen tank in radiated areas, or replace your mask if the glasses keeps getting cracked. Some gas-fueled guns require air-pumping to work, and you need to manually power-up your light if you want to see in darker regions. Your visor can also get dirty and you also have the chance to get night goggles. At the heat of combat and especially when Artyom is alone on the road, this can lead to some intense, terrific moments.
The level design is above-average. 4A Games wear its Half-Life inspirations on the sleeve and they do a commendable job for the most part. There is enough space to allow for organic storytelling as well as player agency for enemy-occupied arenas. Some areas can get a little confusing, though. Directions can get unclear despite the linearity of the campaign. Enemy AI can be a bit of hit-and-miss. There are some levels that produce infinite enemies, which is not an inherently bad idea but at some point it becomes more frustrating than terrifying. The final level is a tad disappointing and clunky. But it's nothing deal-breaking overall.
All in all, for a studio debut, Metro 2033 is pretty damn good. It's very rough around the edges, but there is a lot of love and detail poured into this package. I always appreciate a good FPS campaign, and Metro 2033 gave me just that.
There is something most endearing about Metro 2033 that makes it stand out in the endless ocean of post-apocalyptic video games.
For starters it does have a rather unique take on the genre, at least when it comes to its setting and perspective. Instead of a post-apocalyptic New York or another American concrete wilderness, Metro is set under Russian soil, within the titular rail system. Even now it feels like a very inspired setting, at least for video games. Coming from the Ukrainian studio 4A Games, this also brings a rather refreshing perspective. Yes, metro 2033 is as bleak and dark as some you'd expect from a post-apocalyptic work, but there is still something very subdued and restrained about its approach that I can't quite put my finger on. So let's dig in to try and find out why's that.
Metro 2033 excels in creating a strong, oppressive atmosphere. The underground settlements are filled with ever-melancholic detail, dimly-lit, over-crowded, filled with coughing and shouting and arguing and despair. It's a sobering image, defied by solidifying the fall of man by his own hand. And in the times we see the outside world, it ain't better. The ruins of Moscow are consumed by eternal nuclear winter, bright and blinding as mutated lifeforms roam and roar and never let you feel safe.
Metro 2033 looks very good, but visuals aren't the only reason why its setting works so well. Sound design is phenomenal, from big devastating moments to the smaller, more frightening situations Artyom finds himself in. The way bunkers echo your footsteps as you walk, the way unchecked electricity zips in the silencing dark. Distant growls and movements from every direction. Artyom's breathing growing heavier as the oxygen in his mask runs out. There are a lot of things one can criticize Metro 2033 for, but sound design is absolutely not one of them.
The story is fine, the storytelling and themes Metro explores are more interesting than the actual plot. The game is great at depicting Artyom's physically- and mentally-demanding journey with all the stops and losses along the way, and it does show the horrible consequences of mankind's nuclear warfare in exquisite detail, but when zoomed a little back, it's a solid if unremarkable narrative. I will give it that, while the characters are not too complex, 4A Games really succeeded in making even some of the redshirts affable and human. And when some of them died, I couldn't help but feel a tad bit of sadness after the fact.
As far as gameplay goes, Metro is more than just serviceable. Guns feel mostly good to fire with, there is limited customization to them too which adds a bit of flavor to the combat. But it's the little touches added that make the experience all the more unnerving, like the need to watch your oxygen tank in radiated areas, or replace your mask if the glasses keeps getting cracked. Some gas-fueled guns require air-pumping to work, and you need to manually power-up your light if you want to see in darker regions. Your visor can also get dirty and you also have the chance to get night goggles. At the heat of combat and especially when Artyom is alone on the road, this can lead to some intense, terrific moments.
The level design is above-average. 4A Games wear its Half-Life inspirations on the sleeve and they do a commendable job for the most part. There is enough space to allow for organic storytelling as well as player agency for enemy-occupied arenas. Some areas can get a little confusing, though. Directions can get unclear despite the linearity of the campaign. Enemy AI can be a bit of hit-and-miss. There are some levels that produce infinite enemies, which is not an inherently bad idea but at some point it becomes more frustrating than terrifying. The final level is a tad disappointing and clunky. But it's nothing deal-breaking overall.
All in all, for a studio debut, Metro 2033 is pretty damn good. It's very rough around the edges, but there is a lot of love and detail poured into this package. I always appreciate a good FPS campaign, and Metro 2033 gave me just that.
Eu diria que é um jogo perfeito se não fosse a gameplay que na época já era travada, então saiba que envelheceu bem mal. A história é fantástica e o toque de terror que esse game tem é maravilhosa, um clássico que não deve ser esquecido.
And maybe, someday, we will deserve the light at the end of this tunnel.
This level of immersion should be studied forever.
Score:4.6/5
Letter Grade: A+
Score:4.6/5
Letter Grade: A+
I played this game in 2017 and I think it aged like fucking milk, gameplay sucks and story sucks, only the atmosphere is nice
I'm SO glad the REDUX version exists because this one was unplayable for me.
A very good first entry in a varied trilogy. This one is a little more rough around the edges than the sequels but a lot of what made them enjoyable started here.
The story is interesting due to a lot of factors, the world being one very different to our own. Learning about the different factions that live in the Metro, what they want and who they are. The paranormal phenomena that happens throughout the Metro, the ghost trains and actual ghosts or the ethereal entities. The main character who has never set foot outside of his home station who sets out to try and save it. All of this mixed together makes for a nicely crafted narrative.
Gameplay is a little rough but the gunfights are some of the best I've seen in a video game. Cover and tactics are important to any firefight and the sense of accomplishment afterwards is well earned. You also have to keep an eye on your inventory, especially when venturing across the surface. Otherwise you may need to reload a save or start again.
One critique I do have of this game and it's sequels is it's ending. The alternate ending can be quite hard to get unless you are quite lucky in the choices you make or if you have a guide. That said you can never be certain until the end of you've done enough to get that alternate ending.
The story is interesting due to a lot of factors, the world being one very different to our own. Learning about the different factions that live in the Metro, what they want and who they are. The paranormal phenomena that happens throughout the Metro, the ghost trains and actual ghosts or the ethereal entities. The main character who has never set foot outside of his home station who sets out to try and save it. All of this mixed together makes for a nicely crafted narrative.
Gameplay is a little rough but the gunfights are some of the best I've seen in a video game. Cover and tactics are important to any firefight and the sense of accomplishment afterwards is well earned. You also have to keep an eye on your inventory, especially when venturing across the surface. Otherwise you may need to reload a save or start again.
One critique I do have of this game and it's sequels is it's ending. The alternate ending can be quite hard to get unless you are quite lucky in the choices you make or if you have a guide. That said you can never be certain until the end of you've done enough to get that alternate ending.
One of the first games I remember playing as a kid, scared the shit out of me constantly, but it always pulled me back for more, truly a hallmark of apocalypse style video games
Atmosfera, survival, stealth e terror incríveis, incrível surpresa.
Its good, ending is rough though, i mean the ending itself is fine, but getting there is kinda repetitive and boring. Loses its speed is a good way to put it.
This review contains spoilers
shooting and moving are great most of the time, its worst moments are when it becomes a rail shooter, to the point of having scripted deaths if you move too far away from the pre selected path, 3rd act gets wonky precisely because of that, but it lasts maybe 20 minutes, artyoms quest to understand the world gets interrupted by artyoms quest to save the world, i really enjoyed being left alone in a level to fend for myself, got a few genuine scares on those parts, it shouldve had more faith in its medium.
Very immersive but quite linear. This game was insanely good graphically when it launched and it still holds up in that regard. I even ended up reading the books, it's so good.