At last I finally beat the first title in the Metro series. Metro 2033 (in this case, the Redux version which functions pretty much as a remaster of the title to newer consoles, featuring upgraded visuals and changing some small things such as upgrading the game's minimal HUD) is a post-apocalyptic first person shooter with elements of survival horror taking place in the capital city of Russia, Moscow or well, mostly beneath it. So in this game reminiscent of experiences like S.T.A.L.K.E.R. or even Fallout at some point, you're placed in this situation with a very clear objective; getting to Polis Station to help out in defending your own metro station from being attacked by the Dark Ones (the monsters of this game), filling with lead every creature and fascist that comes into your path... or not! You can also opt for stealth and taking out your enemies silently. I was never really a fan of doing this, but if you can do it more efficiently than just headshotting everyone with a silenced revolver then, more power to you I guess.

Metro 2033 shines in a lot of aspects, and it doesn't in others. The good part is that you're playing a tough-as-nails early 2010's shooter, it definitely reeks of how games like these used to be back in the day with its amount of linearity, loosely driven plot but there being a plot at all being surprising and over all, it gives path to a very grim and atmospheric experience as you scavenge the metro.

The game does a very good job with its scenarios, and how they're played out when you have to go against others human enemies, and then how you're struggling to see anything in stages where you are all alone going through sewer systems, caverns and mines deep underground, the Redux version is even better at this since the new lightning system makes for a very immersive experience. Being near a water source, or blasting a monster's head off and having your gas mask be filled with gunk, having to wipe it out in the process is a really nice touch that adds to it all especially when it's obtrusive and you have to do it or else you won't get to see much.

Now, I don't have much problem with the story besides it being a bit basic, I only really have problems with some level design choices and a lot of what would be getting lost in a square room looking for a certain something and not being able to find it because everything is so damn dark. It happened to me countless times and I still think it's the one part of the game that kind of sucks when you're taken out of the game to have to look at your clipboard and see where the arrow takes you Crazy Taxi style. The game lacks a coherent visual style to take care of these problems and a lot of the times you're thrown in the dark expecting to interact with something when you can't even find it.
Also, resource management can oftentimes be bad, and I say this while being of the type of player to pick up everything around me, just to be met with having no gas mask filter in a mission where if I go out I'd get shot down by enemies instantly, essentially softlocking me and making me go back one chapter before and getting there having a very liberal use of the gas mask. And to that I feel like you shouldn't be locked to only having 20 minutes of filters, since a lot of the levels are drawn out with these and having to take it off and putting it back on again is just a quick fix, then I don't see why they couldn't add like 10 minutes more with the gas mask.

But overall a pretty, fine and surprisingly cheap game. Did pause it for a while because I felt like it overstood its welcome a bit too much, but after going through it all it wasn't half bad, just basic.