Metro: Last Light Review
Game Emblems
The Good
The deep,touching and immersive gameplay will suck you in,you will play it even when your pc/console is off
Metro: Last Light is an astonishing and moving postapocalyptic journey.
The Good
- Astounding atmosphere fills you with dread
- A great, surprisingly touching story about loss and hope
- Fantastic pacing allows tension to build before the action heats up
- Exploring the surface is frightening and exciting
- Great array of weapons make you feel powerful, but not overpowered.
The Bad
- Unimpressive AI
- Performance troubles, particularly with ATI video cards.
The shadows of the past linger. They appear as silhouettes on crumbling walls each time lightning bolts slash across the sky. They haunt you as you journey across annihilated cityscapes once teeming with life and love. Metro: Last Light is an exceptionally well-crafted first-person adventure that fills your mind with the regrets of time gone by, and understands the fear and uncertainty that arise from silence and stillness. The game's predecessor, Metro 2033, established this series' penchant for mystery and supernatural drama, but Last Light is in a class all its own. It's not just another frightening trek through the dark corridors of the metro, but a rhythmic symphony of surging dread and emerging hope.
Last Light returns you to a Moscow devastated by nuclear war. Humanity, hoping to avoid the dangerous radiation and hideous mutants plaguing the surface, has banded together in the underground metro system. Depending on how you played, Metro 2033 might have allowed you to make an important choice at the game's conclusion.Last Light assumes you chose to destroy the creatures known as The Dark Ones, scorching their home with missiles and scouring them from the face of the Earth. But a creature remains, and as returning protagonist Artyom, you must find this remnant of a race thought extinct, this remnant of a decimated species, though it's unclear whether the right decision is to destroy it or to try to communicate with it. Your Ranger allies certainly desire its annihilation, but Artyom's unique connection to the Dark Ones gives him pause and he is nagged by guilt about the devastation he has wrought.
Artyom's dilemma brings a sense of personal struggle to a game fraught with brooding emotion. Metro: Last Light punctuates your adventure with moments of dread and shock, as well as with occult visions that make the past come alive before your very eyes. Supernatural themes intertwine with conflicts between underground factions, the horrors of each element providing two equally macabre sides to a single coin. In the confines of the metro, betrayal is common and trust is a commodity. Here, your greatest enemies are your fellow humans, who are unafraid to cheat and steal if it means gaining favor from the right people. On the brutal surface, the beasts are your primary concern; at any moment, a wailing winged demon might snatch you with its talons, soar into the air, and drop you into the murky water, far from where your horrific flight began.
Yet fear isn't the only emotion Last Light stirs. The final moving hours raise the emotional stakes and test your allegiances by forcing you to confront the consequences of your own choices. Story sequences are absorbing, and typically occur within the game engine and in first-person view, keeping you strongly connected to the events unfolding before you. The most enthralling scenes, however, are those that occur within the context of gameplay. Many interactive sequences--a hypnagogic walk down a blood-red hallway, a survey of an airplane's nightmarish wreckage--relate vital events without removing you from the moment, which makes them hellishly palpable.
There is mirth amid the madness, however. Characters react to each other in authentic ways, responding to one Ranger's pedantic soliloquies with jokes and insults, likely mirroring your own thoughts on the matter. The inhabitants of the underground are colorful and individual. They move about with purpose, speaking at length to each other about war and family, about love and lust. Men gone stir crazy seek the company of prostitutes, and so might you, should you desire a lengthy lap dance. Nudity occurs multiple times, and though it's certainly explicit, it doesn't seem superfluous or exploitative. Rather, Last Light's erotic themes emerge naturally from the despair, and sex in the underground has an air of desperation and urgency. If you prefer tamer pleasures, you may take in a lengthy and detailed variety show, where can-can dancers and an accordion act bring some joy to the melancholy populace. This is life in the metro. And it's an amazing display of narrative craftsmanship.
Exquisite craftsmanship is also on display as you seek the remaining known Dark One on the irradiated surface, and as you avoid the wandering eye of your enemies in the depths beneath. Last Light is not a power shooter. You are not out to murder hundreds of nameless grunts without breaking a sweat, and in fact, the early hours are remarkably light on action. Instead, tension is carefully built in the conversations you have with your comrades, and in the cautious steps you take into the irradiated ruins above the tunnels. You feel the danger. Gnarled trees are twisted into vaguely humanoid shapes, and when you seek refuge from the rain, you hear the drops hammering on the flimsy tin roof above, mimicking the sounds of mutants' skittering claws. Your calling brings you here, but you know it's not a place anyone should be.
A number of creatures menace your journey across the surface. Amphibious freaks move from water to land, threatening you two or three at a time. As you manuever away from their clammy assaults, you must be ever mindful of the squalid pools that surround you, lest you fall in and get dragged to your death by a mutant lurking beneath. Fierce predators pounce towards you, keeping you on the move while you avoid the harsh siren calls of the creatures that cling to nearby walls. You use a number of weapons to fend them off, all of which look and sound appropriately powerful, but none of which turn your adventure into a cakewalk.
Of these great firearms, it's easiest to become enamored with the shotgun. It fires with a loud report and allows you to discharge multiple shells at once, making it a great standby if you're willing to get close to these beasts. But the long reload time can be a killer if you miss a shot, given how creatures can descend upon you and take multiple swipes in a row. Ammo isn't plentiful in the wastes, though you can get your fill from vendors in the metro's safe havens. Yet the military-grade ammo used as currency is scarce, and you're often faced with a choice to grab more ammo, purchase more grenades, or upgrade that meaty revolver you favor. It's best to scavenge for supplies and ammo in every nook and cranny. Otherwise, you can't take for granted that you'll have everything you need to thrive, particularly on the harder difficulty levels, which are satisfyingly harsh.
By
Kevin VanOrd, Senior Editor
Kevin VanOrd is a lifelong RPG lover and violin player. When he isn't busy building PCs and composing symphonies, he watches American Dad reruns with his fat cat, Ollie.
1376 comments
This game has actually been a lot of fun to play. If not for it stopping a few times and the room in the Revolution section where 85% of the enemies just stood still like invulnerable models, I'd call it an excellent game. Not sure what caused the bug but it has been a great game and story all the same. Quite enjoyable!!!
It's one of a few games which GS gave it a proper score , luckily its name is "metro" and not "resident evil",otherwise the GS editors may gave it an awful score too!
1 Like Please please stop trying to be the Longfellow or Whitman of game reviewers and tell me how the game plays. Is this just another WASD walkaround first person shooter, or are there new options or ways to play. For God's sake, is it an open sandbox or linear levels or some unique combination? That last point alone is more important than all the descriptions of the ambiance and the plot. Those who love open games like Bethesda makes are often not into games that are too linear. HOW DOES IT PLAY? Is it unique? Even if it is not, is it close to some other game that those who played it would love to try this one? Does it stick close to a realism that is believable for those who like it gritty and lifelike, or does it reach into the fantastic for those who like mind-blowing special effects and completely unexpected revelations?
3 Like A great game, surely not a 9 but an absolute gem still. Story is ´meh´ in my opinion but most points are scored with atmosphere & setting and immersive gameplay. I praise the originality in gameplay. Pumping pneumatic weapons, putting on gasmasks and scouting for new filters, wiping blood or moist from the mask after a kill or some windy rain, well skip wiping if an enemy cracks the mask, playing with enemies view, upgrading weapons, choosing between flashlight or nightvision, running through irradiated zones, slowing down in heavy wind or on poor soil... In sum, it really feels your are interacting with the environment. Something worth building on in future gamedesign.
Well I've gotta say, I think this is my favourite FPS ever. The shooting is satisfying and tight, the story is narrated well enough to remain gripping, and as KVO pointed out the pacing is just right. Great game start to finish; had a genuine blast. The atmosphere/visuals on capped (no, you don't need a Titan) are just breathtaking at some points. I actually fell off a bridge staring at the landscape. The fact that this had a much smaller budget, team, and so on really astounds me - where does the money go in AAA titles when this pulls off that which so few others do? MUST BUY.
(Small disclaimer: Yes, I've played Bioshock Infinite - amazing game in its own right, but just falls short of this as an entire package, great story though!)
Just finished Metro 2033 and replaying it once again just to recap the story once more (the game is only 7 hours long). The story and atmosphere of the game is excellent. Some gaming mechanisms and pace could have improved but still it is a detailed game. I am looking forward to Last Light. Good job A4 Games.
Metro 2033 has a lot of features to make it a great game and I believe they will carry the same with this game too.. and I was right after all :D
so i was able to track down a limited edition in my country
what does it have beside the obvious ranger mode? cause it costs 300ILS instead of the regualr edition that costs 250ILS
holy crap guys...KVO is never wrong...in my book perhaps with the one exception and we all kinda know what that is.
got this game. omg reminds me of Stalker Chernobyl or whatever mixed with a few other classics regardless its incredibly unique in its own right. This game is incredible thats all i know
1 Like @philMcCrevis if you watch the 1979 movie Stalker, they make a huge reference to it in the game. The part / spoiler alert / where in that special place the ´river´ takes you to where you think on... And that phone ringing... Copy paste from the film.
5 Like They need to update the bad part of the game cause there are no more performance issues on ATI cards
wow.they fixed everything from 2033..i recommend to everyone PLAY 2033.the story takes time 1 year after the first one events and you have the same character....
Goes back to playing Quake 2 on pc let me know when you dumbasses finally can create skill based games again dumbfucks
@casualdumbasses im not a fan of the hand holding games either. They're all too prevalent in games these days.
1 Like THIS IS WORST REVIEW SINCE RE6!!! lol JK. I do have to say I'm probably about half done with the game, I have AMD 6870, and its running pretty damn well 98% of the time. We will see how it goes. Its AWESOME so far tho, best horror game around. JEZZZ GAMESPOT I know you were paid off to not give this game a higher score or something..... lol :)
Beat this last night alot to like here my only pet peeve the AI is beyond retarded when facing human enemies.
Odd, Eurogamer did a piece that states the ps3 version has the better performance vs the 360 one.
1 Like I just downloaded Metro LL yesterday through Steam. And I was blown away by the graphics. I play the game 1680*1050 on HP 21inch 16:10 LED Screen.
Everytime I plan to upgrade my system, I change my mind when I find these high end games can be played with all settings max out using my current Rig.
My Rig is 3 years old, Quad 9600, GTX570, 4GB RAM. 1TB HDD
Yet I manage to get 30-40 FPS with Very High settings, Tessellation Max, SSAO 2X, Advance Physx.
I just dont find any reason to upgrade my Rig.
May be I should wait for GTX770 :)
Now that's a well optimized game. It runs perfectly on my M14x R2 (900p) on high settings with SSAO and Tesselation disabled. Getting 45-50 fps. Great Sequel and loving it so far. Thanks for the great review.
6 Like This game is a good example of what can be done with great graphic blended with good story and gameplay
Do anyone can give me a suggestion, im planing to play this game once im getting gtx 680 is it strong enought to play this?
Yup. You will be absolutely fine with a GTX 680. I'm playing Last Light with a GTX 670 Signature 2 card @ 1200p, AAA (default), very high tessellation, all very high settings, advanced physX. I get anywhere from 45-60fps.
2 Like I remember my first time playing the first metro and it was super, I was so amazed by this solid game, I cant wait to play last light, its downloading now.
@sadeed I'm playing Metro 2033 for the first time now so I'll know whats going on before I play last light.It is really good.
i am now playing metro 2033 (i 1m at chapter 5) i hope this weekend to finish with it and start last light.
1 Like Maybe he just heard of the series, or decided to play it now. Metro 2033 received solid reviews, but it had many flaws. Last Light improved just about everything.
It's the reason why I play games. Exceptional atmosphere, storytelling, great gameplay, great gunplay, great voice acting, and it's well optimized (at least for Nvidia), but I read that they already updated the game and some AMD users are already seeing a huge performance increase and improvements all-around.
@williebazerka @Elann2008 @thequickshooter Yeah, I got it for free in a THQ promotion advertisement, goodness what have I been missing.
Fantastic game, can't wait to play Last Light.
1 Like @Elann2008 @thequickshooter I'm playing Metro 2033 now and it's so good.I can't believe I never played it before.
1 Like It's a really fun, atmospheric game... I was totally immersed in its depressing, dark world. There's a nice balance between stealth and action too, for every taste.
This is one hell of a game. Its amazing with a fast action gameplay. Please buy it and play. Let us save THQ by buying this game and supporting them to
@vikieinstein LOL where the hell have you been? THQ closed its doors last year! The reason this game was released was because it was bought at auction. All of their IP's have been bought....DOH. Crytek bought HOMEFRONT, Ubisoft bought South Park, Darksiders and Red Faction was bought by Platinum Games, and Koch Media bought Saints Row and Metro.
1 Like @vikieinstein THQ is already dead. Let's support A4, the ukranian developers instead.
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Metro: Last Light (Limited Edition)
Not Following
- Publisher(s): Deep Silver
- Developer(s): 4A Games
- Genre: Action
- Release:
- ESRB: M
Metro: Last Light Navigation
