Metro is an unforgettable experience with a fantastic story, masterful atmosphere and spectacular, top-notch graphics.
Based on the novel of the same name, Metro 2033 is set in a bleak, post-apocalyptic version of the future. The game takes place in Moscow; nuclear war breaks out and the unfortunate survivors of the once great Russian capital have to seek refuge in the underground tunnels of the Moscow metro, in order to survive the harsh environmental conditions of nuclear winter. Twenty years later the surface is still uninhabitable. People live in metro stations, constantly fighting for survival and trying to defend their human comrades from the mutated creatures that inhabit the dark tunnels, while others fight each other over ideologies or basic supplies needed to survive.
You take on the role of Artyom, a man recently turned twenty-year-old, born just before the Great War of 2013. Life in the metro is tough for Artyom, as he keeps dreaming of seeing Earth as it was before war – having no recollection of memories before the blast. Artyom has never left his home station before, until a new kind of monster appears. In an effort to save his only home from the coming doom, Artyom sets out into the darkness of unfamiliar tunnels for the first time.
The story of Metro 2033 is quite complicated and features some unexpected plot twists. The setting of the game is also original and stands out from Western interpretations of post-apocalyptic themes. This is largely due to the focus on a colder, more violent and much less jolly world than that of Mad Max or the Fallout game series. Instead of an irradiated wasteland, we have the ruins of a formerly grand city – plunged into the seemingly eternal horrors of nuclear winter. More importantly, as well as thanks to the environment itself, this unique take on the apocalypse is achieved because of a combination of gritty post-Soviet realism and layers of Eastern Slavic mythology and spiritualties, which are applied as the underlying themes for the narrative of the game. As Artyom travels through the metro and wanders the surface during his quest, he meets all sorts of different characters until eventually the game nears its end and based on our actions before, we get to see one of two very satisfying & meaningful endings.
So how does Metro 2033 play? The gameplay is a mix of first-person shooter and stealth, with some survival horror elements. Combat revolves mainly around shooting enemies with the handmade guns crafted by the people of the metro or utilizing the few pre-blast weapons against hostilities. However, there are also melee weapons like bayonet attachments, throwing knives and a combat blade. It's usually best to use the classic 'run and gun' technique to clear mutant infested areas. When there are hostile humans in your way – be it fascists, bandits or whoever else – sticking to the shadows is often a better option.
Stealth works well in this game, though not without some minor hitches along the way. Enemies may spot you because of any of the following factors: your flashlight is on, you've stepped in some pieces of glass, you're making a lot of noise, you're wearing a heavy armoured suit or they saw and/or heard you killing someone. An enemy human will investigate when alerted by your presence and if he spots you, he will warn the others nearby and start shooting. Overall, combat in general can be a lot of fun. The guns feel great, the weapons pack some firepower and the sneaking is well-made. However, the AI is slightly uneven, with enemies being generally quite capable but occasionally showing signs of strange behaviour. Thankfully, although these problems are noticeable – they do not occur often enough to severely impact the gameplay. Something that should also be mentioned is the pace of Metro 2033's gunplay, which is slower and perhaps more realistic than the average shooter. This isn't necessarily a bad thing – on the contrary, it fits the game's setting – it's just something to get used to.
Unlike Stalker, Metro 2033 isn't open world in any way. It is a linear shooter, but it would be stupid to call it a fully linear shooter like Call of Duty, which lacks in atmosphere and doesn't let you do anything on your own. From this point of view, Metro is a bit like BioShock – there's one main path to follow that the player has to go through to complete the game. Yet there are some shorter paths that branch off from that main road, and those who listen, observe and explore as much as they can are richly rewarded. Furthermore, some missions are as open-ended as that of the old Thief series, where you are given complete freedom as to how you want to approach your objective.
For example, the Frontline level is one of the greatest examples of autonomy allowed in an otherwise fairly linear shooter. You can use different paths to get to the same end, killing everyone on the way or not giving away your position even once – thus not even harming a fly. Of course, this is not as large as the extent of nonlinearity seen in the Thief games. Besides, many of the levels in the game (especially the ones that take place underground) are quite linear, which might reduce the enjoyment for some players. What shows how Metro 2033 is a unique linear shooter is the fact that the entire game can be completed without killing any humans, except for a select few on-rail shooting sections and one of the earlier levels. Scripted events don't feel bloated and never become boring, since they are not overused and offer subtle touches that only further serve the narrative. In addition, there is still quite a bit of replay value thanks to the Steam achievements and the fact that you'll want to go through the whole game again.
Whether it's because you want to uncover the other ending, take a stealthier approach in combat or handle some situations differently; it doesn't matter, Metro 2033 is just so good that you'll probably want to experience it at least one more time after completing your first playthrough. As it is – I've completed the game four times, got both endings and unlocked all of its achievements. According to Steam, this took me just under 60 hours. This is massive for a modern FPS without any multiplayer component and I'm sure some will be able to get the same amount of replayability from the game as I did.
Although Metro 2033 plays very well in general, it wouldn't be as amazing as it is if it wasn't for the phenomenal atmosphere it manages to create and keep through the whole game. When you first wander around Artyom's home station, listen to them and look at the conditions they have to live in every day of their lives; you will feel as if you're right there… one of them. When you first set foot outside the warmth of your poor home and venture into the dark tunnels of the metro; cold & scared, you will feel as if you're right there… both terrified and excited at the same time. When you first reach the surface, don your gasmask and stare in awe at the horrifying beauty of the icy ruins of Moscow; you will feel as if you're right there… realizing that those frightening, death-ridden tunnels below the ground are your home, your only home, and the safest place you will ever know. This terrifyingly believable atmosphere is created mostly thanks to survival gameplay elements (such as your gasmask breaking or the fact that there's no heads-up-display at all, until you reload/swap weapons/trade at a station), terrific music that sends shivers down your spine and the splendid graphics, as well as how they are used for effect. Oh yes, the visuals.
Let me start off by saying that Metro 2033 for PC has DirectX11, tessellation, advanced depth of field and Advanced PhysX support. If you're no tech-wiz, then all you need to know is that this is running on some of the most impressive technology for 2010… and it isn't hard to notice, because everything looks spectacular. You know how Crysis was considered the graphics king of all games? Well… Metro beats even Crysis and takes the throne. The animation of human characters & mutated creatures is dynamic, fluid and overall looks extremely realistic. In addition, Metro features the most impressive light co-ordination I have ever seen in a game so far; even some of the smallest objects cast shadows and the rest is no doubt the work of DirectX 11. Textures are of very high quality, and although it's possible to spot some lesser ones, they're hard to find and don't grab your attention. All of this technology is used with stunning attention to detail in each of the game's environments.
Overall, this game's graphics are nothing short of near-perfect. However, its depressing art style can sometimes be a bit too grim for some players and the game does have some graphical glitches every now and then. Obviously, a monster PC is required to run Metro at its highest settings (especially if you want to experience the spoils of latest DirectX 11 technology). The game is optimized well enough, but a better job could have been done in this area. Thanks to Nvidia's sponsorship deal with 4A Games, high-end variants of the GTX series gaming video cards will run the game best and can utilize its Advanced PhysX without suffering too much of a frame rate drop. Players using AMD graphics cards will still be able to max the game out with a high-end GPU, but they may want to consider turning off Advanced PhysX for smoother gameplay.
Lastly, let's talk about the book and what the game takes or doesn't take from it. If you have read Dmitry Glukhovsky's great novel of the same name, you will either find Metro even better than others or you might be slightly disappointed. This is absolutely normal & expected, because the game isn't exactly 100% like its original material. That's because, let's not jest, it is obvious that there is no way to capture the entire essence of a story that's over 450 pages long. The characters are mostly similar to their versions from the book, but the main plot is a bit different. There's the same general idea and goal, though many things are completely cut out or slightly altered. The atmosphere – although one of the strongest I've ever experienced in a video game – still doesn't feel quite as "real" as it does when you're reading the novel.
Also, Artyom is a much better fighter than he ever was in the book so things are slightly more action-packed. Moreover, he is a silent protagonist (unlike in the book) which works in order to immerse the player further and make you feel as if you were Artyom. This is unfortunately a=at the expense of some awkward moments when an NPC addresses Artyom directly and he does not reply. However, the pacing of the whole thing feels very well done and I can't imagine anyone else being able to get so much across from the written Metro 2033 into digital form, without sacrificing even more source material. 4A Games have done the best they could have, seeing as how the game is after all an FPS.
So, what are the best and worst things about Metro 2033? Let's see…
GAMEPLAY - 9/10
Solid gunplay, well-designed stealth mechanics, and a mixture of fully linear as well as more open-ended levels with some uneven AI and a few glitches as well.
STABILITY - 8/10
Occasional glitches and very rare lower resolution textures still appear; but for the most part, Metro 2033 is a very stable game after extensive patching.
STORY - 10/10
A surprisingly complicated story with interesting characters, a detailed narrative and a fantastic atmosphere capture the soul of the excellent novel and its brethren.
GRAPHICS - 10/10
Simply put: at the highest settings, it looks almost too good to be true. The game's unique setting is realized through the use of the latest technology.
SOUND - 9/10
Terrifically engaging soundtrack and sound effects make for great audio, however the English dubbing can break the immersion, so I recommend playing the game with the original Russian voices and subtitles for a superior experience.
LONGEVITY - 9/10
It takes a around a maximum of 13 hours for a first playthrough, but the game can last much longer than that for achievement hunters and completionists.
In the end, everything adds up to make Metro 2033 one of the most immersive, atmospheric, engrossing and visually pleasing video games I've ever played. There is no such thing as perfection. Even a prime game like this one has its flaws… yet those imperfections are so insignificant when compared to all the great things about it that no matter who you are, you will definitely appreciate Metro 2033 in some way, even if not as much as I did. Don't think so? Then find out for yourself; you can get Metro 2033 very cheaply now and trust me, it's worth full price anyway. Just make sure you buy it for the PC, because unfortunately the Xbox 360 version is inferior (and since neither the 360 nor the PS3 have DirectX11 support), the game had to be toned down a lot so that a console could run it – stripping it off its beautiful lightning and making it much less pretty than the superior PC version.
Furthermore, if you really love getting immersed by such atmospheric games as this one, you'll want to play the game without crosshairs and on harder levels of difficulty (where the ammunition is even scarcer and combat requires much more thought). Trust me - it's a much more rewarding and special experience that way. Metro 2033 is best played on the hardest level of difficulty called Ranger Mode Hardcore, where there are no crosshairs and other aspects are affected, such as: damage dealt by the player and by enemies, battery charge time, weapon/equipment pricing, filter duration and many more.
OVERALL RATING - 9/10 (Outstanding)