Metro 2033 (PC/360) Review

Post-apocalyptic has become somewhat of a trend in Video Gaming as of late, but Metro 2033 is a stand-out game in that crowd. For being brutally realistic, terrifying and not to mention, a fun and action-packed First-Person Shooter developed by Ukrainian 4A Games and published by THQ.



Based on the bestselling Russian Novel of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro 2033 is a gritty story of survival in the post-nuclear Russia of 2033. What sets this apart from a lets' say... Fallout 3 is how the Apocalyptic world is presented. Fallout 3 is more of a parody of 1950's Nuclear optimism, whereas Metro is gritty and realistic. It's a dark, depressing look at survival in a world shattered by human folly.

You play as Artyom, a 20-year old who has managed to survive in the Moscow Metro, with his stepfather and several others in Exhibition station. After a raid on the station by Nosalis, Mutant rat-like creatures that prowl the tunnels and the Dark Ones, mutated super-humans who are only known by the piles of the dead and insane they leave in their wake. As per request by a man named Hunter, you travel through the dark tunnels of the Metro, you encounter a variety of terrifying mutants and unusual characters who assist you in traveling the tunnels and the ruins of Moscow.

The flashlight is your best friend in the darkness of the Metro.

The game plays like a mixture of a linear Action FPS with Survival Horror elements, and there is both good and bad elements to this. One of the key elements to the game is Ammo conservation, bullets are scarce in the Metro, so one has to be accurate with their kills, in desperation, you can switch to a melee attack or use "Clean rounds" which are more powerful. But using them comes with a risk, as they are also used as currency in the various shops around the Metro. Aside from Mutants, you also have to contend with human foes as well, various Bandits, Fascists and Communists also pose a threat in Metro.

Another interesting element to the gameplay is when you occasionally surface into the devastated Moscow Ruin's. Due to the toxic environment, you are required to find and wear a gas mask in order to survive. But it's use is limited as you must constantly replace it's filter in order to continue it's use. The mask can also be damaged and eventually destroyed by mutants on the surface, so you frequently have to have it replaced as well. Though it may seem annoying, this element actually adds to the survival element of the game, which makes things more frantic.

The big issue in the game is the A.I. for both the enemies and the allies. The mutant A.I. isn't so bad, it's very basic but it does it's job right. Now, the human A.I. That's the big problem. It's handy to have allies in combat, but they aren't very accurate, they're almost half-blind. Enemies are the same way, they frequently charge at you from cover, making them easy targets and they always seem to know where you are. That fact alone kills the potential tension that comes with the stealth missions and instead makes them frustrating ammo-wasters.

All the enemies are well-designed too.

Now, the visuals in the game are phenomenal, everything is designed with extreme attention and are almost a vision of what this world would be like. The stations themselves are dilapidated and filthy, full of miserable people trying to scrape a life out of what they can, these regions are genuinely depressing. The tunnels are what you'd expect, they're dark and decrepit, full of debris and the occasional corpse of an unfortunate adventurer. They darkness of these environments effectively hide the horror that waits for you and adds suspense to the gameplay. The surface world is a different matter all together, everything is silent and dust covered, giving the now-deserted Moscow an almost surreal and haunting beauty.

Even with the A.I. issues, those looking for an engrossing and genuinely suspenseful experience should run out and by the game immediately, there's much to enjoy in this game.

- Kyle K.