The city of Moscow left scorched by nuclear holocaust was no longer a livable space, even if it was possible to deal with the hordes of deadly mutants the air itself turned toxic and forced everyone deep underground. And even in these underground Metro Tunnels of Moscow, the human spirit still perseveres, they want to live like they always did and bring with it all the good and bad. The hope for the future even in this irradiated wasteland not letting go of the very things that makes us human, and on the other hand reigniting a century old deadly conflict of ideologies. Stations putting up an united front against all the odds to protect everyone and people dedicating themselves to looting and senseless violence.

Seeing it all in our journey to protect our home station and by extension the entire Moscow underground Metro against the Dark ones who seem to be affecting our strongest asset our minds, but in all this comes a question of the human soul, in all that a need to go forward and a call to answer to maybe grasp something exceptional or maybe human nature will foil us again.

Metros atmosphere and story does an incredible job of putting forward these themes in a surprisingly complex system of internal politics underneath a hostile world.

And all this works despite the gameplay’s attempts to break my will to continue playing, it tries to be a cinematic linear experience but it doesn't have the chops to produce the cool moments and setpieces needed for that to work, it just breaks up the gameplay again and again for dull moments like turret sections, following someone for extended periods of time, or pressing switches. The cutscenes breaking up the flow is all the more weird because Artyom is a silent protagonist in cutscenes and dialogue but he speaks in chapter transition screens? Why give him a voice but notably voice him in sections where his input would have elevated the scenes, its a weird compromise that feels like the worst of both worlds. And I can say that for the game play as well, the gameplay has the jank of something more open, expansive and ambitious but wants it to feel like a curated linear experience.

There’s some good systems here and there. The guns feel nice to shoot and have instant impact, the enemies when placed in a well calibrated manner makes for a very fun and tense experience, if you play on Ranger Easy or Hardcore, otherwise it's kind of easy and the enemies bullet spongey . But that’s the issue, it's extremely poorly balanced, the ammo is meant to be rare but on some levels I would get a ton and other times I won't get any. Same for gas filters I was softlocked multiple times because I couldn't take off my mask during certain sections and when I actually needed it was empty, in fact there was a section where I died cause the game just wouldn’t let me put on the gas mask.

And the less said about the stealth the better, the game doesn’t have a stealth system, it just pretends it has one. Sometimes enemies will be alerted from far beyond and with random shit. It just doesn't work in any capacity beyond just hope you don’t run into the enemies, you have no stealth tools, environmental interaction is minimal and it’s just not enjoyable when enemies don't even have a cooldown.

The world does call to me, I will be back in the Metros to play Last Light but I would love to never face the amoebas ever again.

(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.

Games I Dislike That Everybody Else Likes

Woeful, a prime example of the seventh generation's knack for mediocrity. Here we have yet another video game world from this era that's butt-ugly, not fun to traverse, and color-coded like puke. Nothing much is really that terrible here but I honestly didn't care about any of it - especially when its linear progression is played out in the most boring manner possible with a story that's impossible to be invested in (we were really obsessed with empty, cheap 'doom and gloom' storytelling at this time for some reason, and it really doesn't work here imo). There's some inventiveness in the weapon/currency system but not enough to justify spending an entire slog of a game with it, one with horrendous characters abound, no less. And the whole moral point system is stupidly cryptic. I liked the trippy stuff though, I guess. Really glad we moved past this kind of game design. Entirely generic.

Originally written in 2014.
This game had been in my library for some time. I started playing because I had the chance to try Last Light and thought it was great but I always try to play any series in order of release.

Perhaps the best thing about 2033 is its atmosphere and sense of style. You get to discover a whole living and breathing world in the tunnels of the metro. There's been a nuclear holocaust and the survivers have taken refuge underground. They have build new cities there and are trying to lead a normal life but they are plagued by mutated monsters and the constant war between the different factions (Reds, Nazis, etc). Your journey will take you accross the whole network of the metro, letting you see people in their daily environment. You can stop and just listen to their conversations and it's actually worth it, but you don't have to do it, if you don't want to. You'll also see the different sides of the conflict so you can make your own judgements. There's also the surface which you'll get to explore a bit, but I wish there was more of it. It can be even more unnerving than the darkness of the tunnels. You have to wear a gas mask and watch your oxygen levels. While you're forced to listen to your character heavy breathing you are being attacked by mutated beasts.

Gameplay-wise 2033 combines FPS with stealth elements. Unfortunately the stealth isn't that great. Sneaking is not always an option and to kill silently you have only throwable knives and any silent weapons that you may have. These are not always reliable since enemies later in the game have heavy armour and a headshot won't do and my knives just bounced off them sometimes. If your cover gets blown every guard in the area knows your position and you'll likely get butchered. This led to some of the most frustrating moments of the game. When fighting, enemy AI is ok but I caught them doing some weird stuff like taking cover on the wrong side of a wall and just begging to be shot. The sections where you fight mutants are exciting and challenging. This is not the kind of game which let's you play Rambo style. Ammo and supplies are scarce and you need to watch them closely.

Overall I like the weapons in the game - they realy look like they come from a post-apocalyptic world. I'm not a fan of the pneumatic ones which are powerful but require you to pump the manually as well as reload them. They are unrliable when you are in a big fight surrounded by enemies. The game actually uses pre-war bullets as currency and you can either buy equipment with them or put them in your gun for a bigger punch.
In Metro 2033 you play as Artyom - a young man who has spent his life in his home station (town) and has no knowledge of the other parts of the metro. Now his people are being killed of by the Dark Ones. These are a new kind of mutants which seem to have some psychic powers. Artyom is somehow special and is able to establish contact with them. After even a highly trained soldier disapers fighting the Dark Ones, Aryom sets off for the city of the rangers (a neutral faction) to report the situation and ask for help. The game has a strong sense of adventure. You'll meet several interesting characters along the way (Khan being my favourite) and you'll explore various environments. There are two possible endings to the game, but this may remain hidden for most players. I wouldn't have known myself, if I haden't looked it up. If you intend to play the game only once, look it up. Otherwise it's better not to spoil it for yourself. Also the silent protagonist doesn't help the storytelling much. Voice acting is a bit of a hit and miss and some of the character models of the supporting charecters are difficult to distinguish from one another. Overall, the story is interesting, not the greatest, but pretty good.

I should mention some of the main drawbacks for me. Like I said above, the stealth needs iprovement and the AI could be a bit better. Also the controlls feel kind of weird (I play with a 360 controller). For instance melee and iron sights use one and the same button meaning you can't melee with some weapons and can't look through the sights with others. Also you have to cycle through weapons rather than having a seperate button for bringing up a selection menu. It's just not up to date with modern shooters (in terms of controls).

To sum it up I enjoyed the game and I recommend it to anyone who values atmosphere, story and a solid single player FPS experience. You rarely get so much attention on the campaign especially in this genre. I've just started Last Light and it looks like it's not necessary to play the original to get in to it, but I suggest that you do.