A superior successor to an already great game

User Rating: 9 | Metro: Last Light (Limited Edition) PS3
By pebbybilson | Review Date:
In the very first minutes of playing Metro: Last Light, it is obvious that the game matches its great predecessor, Metro 2035, and surpasses it. Rightfully, Last Light has improved on the series in the most important ways. The gameplay is smoother and less clunky, the graphics are clean and mastered, the sound is crisp and allows for suspense. The game feels like how it should feel, like a finished product, not something that was rushed or remains short-sided or too linear. Last Light is a lot of fun, and it coaxes fine playing from the gamer with a good learning curve.

In Metro, you play as a survivor of a post-apocalyptic event, fighting your way through the tunnel system of underground Russia. In the midst of attacks from mutants and enemies, there is a civil war engaged between underground factions, a power struggle as survival of the fittest. You upgrade your weapons and collect tactical gear as you run the gamut between execution and survival. With these elements, Metro: Last Light succeeds at being both a polished first-person shooter and a survival horror game. That's not to say that Metro is Resident Evil 4, but it succeeds at blending those elements in a very fine way.

This is one of the best games I have played in 2013, and I'm not a big fan of first-person shooters. I have my favorites, but I'm generally into fantasy/RPGs and sports games. Metro: Last Light is one of my favorites. I'm playing Metro and Borderlands 2 on PS3 and Metroid Prime for GameCube right now -- all FPS games, quite unusual for me. Borderlands 2 was one of the best games of 2012, and Metroid Prime was a redefinition release in the history of FPS games. Metro: Last Light is easily holding its own. I was skeptical to purchase this game at first, as I had not really heard much about it, and I didn't play the demo. However, I took a chance, and it's nice when any chance reaps rewards. Last Light is a rewarding game for two reasons: the fun and engaging gameplay in a unique atmosphere and the element of survival which elevates not only the story, but gets the blood rushing, and sets the suspense for causing deep breath releases throughout the game -- Like when you get roughed up and you are low on health, and figures from the deep shadows begin to make chase, there's nothing you can do but run. Safety is something you feel beyond the screen.

A good first-person shooter needs three things to succeed. 1) Gameplay first -- all great FPS games need to be clean, clear, polished and flowingly accessible. The control base and concept creation must match the quality of the action. 2) Strong story -- a FPS can succeed without much of a story, but the great ones have stories that develop through the game, giving the action more meaning, creating a more non-linear story line, and offering gamer chances for deeper involvement. 3) A sense of catharsis -- a great game that uses suspense must finish the game with suspenseful elements and feelings, feelings that provide a sense of catharsis and satisfying release for the player.

Metro: Last Lights once again succeeds on all accounts. Here's a quick rating breakdown.

GRAPHICS -- 9/10
ART DESIGN AND CONCEPT -- 10/10
CONTROLS -- 8/10
GAMEPLAY -- 9/10
SOUND -- 10/10
GAME DEPTH -- 8/10
DIFFICULTY DIFFERENCES -- 8/10
STORY -- 8/10
REPLAY QUALITY -- 9/10
FPS VIEW & ACTION -- 9/10

OVERALL -- 8.9/10 (GREAT)

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