Metro 2033 Review
Metro 2033 is a title that was actually developed in Ukraine and is based on the novel “Metro 2033” Written by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. Now as it goes video games that are based on books are generally not the best out there, however as it has a different theme the story is most probably more interesting and is less likely to get boring. Almost the complete opposite of most book based games. Anyway, let’s find out what the game is like in this in depth review.
From the very start the title has an eerie feel to it. Artyom, the playable character sets the scene for the title; this is where the player may notice the differences from western views on a possible nuclear apocalypse. Now in games such as Fallout 3, the player starts in the vault, a clean, friendly group of corridors and is soon forced from the vault into a desert like wasteland, where all sorts of enemies can be found, from little rad roaches to large super mutants; it’s all in a bright colour pallet. In Metro however, this is not the case. The metro stations where the surviving population of Moscow live are dark, dirty and very crowded. From the very start the title shows a darker side to warfare events, and as the game progresses it gets even scarier. When you take control of Artyom you follow your father through a shabby at best hospital where men are bleeding to death on their sick beds. As you travel through the various tunnels you hear creatures known as ‘dark ones’; mutated monsters that became to be because of the atomic bombs launched in 2013. The event that started the Metro war. Most of the game is played in the dark tunnels of the metro where a flashlight is necessary and monsters can appear almost out of nowhere, which force the player into terrifying close quarters combat. Something that Artyom is unprepared for. The atmosphere of the game is deeply immersive and can evoke genuine fear as events happen in the dark metro tunnels.
Your first encounter with the enemy is a fairly easy fight, as long as you’re able to keep the creatures back behind the metal gates. The models on the creatures have been completed to a high standard, even though they are very grey, not much colour at all, which defines their skin. This makes them look more threatening and very realistic. Different sorts of creatures are fought throughout the campaign and they all have a similar look of dark realism. However monsters aren’t the only things that Artyom has to deal with, there are plenty of humans that oppose him on his travels, proving to be a large threat as they can deal more damage with their weaponry, which until later on always seem to be better than Artyoms. There are also med kits to heal yourself with when things get a little too hectic but as you can only carry five it’d probably be a good idea to have them rationed until you can get to a Metro shop. The combat throughout the title may not be the most fluid of all games but it does have a way of making the player feel weaker, and the enemy stronger.
The guns in Metro 2033 are a great feature. They range from real guns that have been taken down into the metro stations, such as an Ak-47 replica given the name Kalash, to made up guns that have been created in the Metros after the bombs have dropped, such as the “bastard gun”, given the name as it has a low damage, it overheats, jams, and doesn’t reload well. The game also uses military grade ammunition from before the bombs as currency that can also be fired from the guns. These do a lot more damage. However, there is no other way of buying med kits, gas mask filters or weapons so it’s a tough choice. The military ammo, as well as all other ammo, is pretty rare, so it means you have to scavenge for ammo while you’re in the dark, a nice added scariness. There are also pneumatic weapons, ones that work with pressured air and shoot arrows or ball bearings that are great for silent, long range kills, as long as they are kept pumped. The guns are fantastic in metro, swapping out a high damage gun for something silenced is something that needs to be considered in Metro, as a large proportion of the games involves sneaking through the dark, but a similar amount is spent shooting bad guys.
The story in Metro is that of a good one, considering it has no multiplayer the developers have spent a long time on it, making sure it is long and keeps the player in anticipation. It may not be the best story ever, but it is pretty substantial, and will keep you interested for long enough.
Pros:
Cons:
Overall, Metro 2033 is a great game. It is a great first person shooter, and has fantastic aspects such as great guns, fights between humans and mutants, and the diversity of enemies and combat styles. It also has great horror and stealth aspects as you silently kill creatures in the dark. The developers have used a very simple HUD design to make the game even better. Overall Metro 2033 is fantastic, not as generic as some other titles which is a positive in itself. It may have one or two bad points but they can be overlooked when you first start gameplay.
From the very start the title has an eerie feel to it. Artyom, the playable character sets the scene for the title; this is where the player may notice the differences from western views on a possible nuclear apocalypse. Now in games such as Fallout 3, the player starts in the vault, a clean, friendly group of corridors and is soon forced from the vault into a desert like wasteland, where all sorts of enemies can be found, from little rad roaches to large super mutants; it’s all in a bright colour pallet. In Metro however, this is not the case. The metro stations where the surviving population of Moscow live are dark, dirty and very crowded. From the very start the title shows a darker side to warfare events, and as the game progresses it gets even scarier. When you take control of Artyom you follow your father through a shabby at best hospital where men are bleeding to death on their sick beds. As you travel through the various tunnels you hear creatures known as ‘dark ones’; mutated monsters that became to be because of the atomic bombs launched in 2013. The event that started the Metro war. Most of the game is played in the dark tunnels of the metro where a flashlight is necessary and monsters can appear almost out of nowhere, which force the player into terrifying close quarters combat. Something that Artyom is unprepared for. The atmosphere of the game is deeply immersive and can evoke genuine fear as events happen in the dark metro tunnels.
Your first encounter with the enemy is a fairly easy fight, as long as you’re able to keep the creatures back behind the metal gates. The models on the creatures have been completed to a high standard, even though they are very grey, not much colour at all, which defines their skin. This makes them look more threatening and very realistic. Different sorts of creatures are fought throughout the campaign and they all have a similar look of dark realism. However monsters aren’t the only things that Artyom has to deal with, there are plenty of humans that oppose him on his travels, proving to be a large threat as they can deal more damage with their weaponry, which until later on always seem to be better than Artyoms. There are also med kits to heal yourself with when things get a little too hectic but as you can only carry five it’d probably be a good idea to have them rationed until you can get to a Metro shop. The combat throughout the title may not be the most fluid of all games but it does have a way of making the player feel weaker, and the enemy stronger.
The guns in Metro 2033 are a great feature. They range from real guns that have been taken down into the metro stations, such as an Ak-47 replica given the name Kalash, to made up guns that have been created in the Metros after the bombs have dropped, such as the “bastard gun”, given the name as it has a low damage, it overheats, jams, and doesn’t reload well. The game also uses military grade ammunition from before the bombs as currency that can also be fired from the guns. These do a lot more damage. However, there is no other way of buying med kits, gas mask filters or weapons so it’s a tough choice. The military ammo, as well as all other ammo, is pretty rare, so it means you have to scavenge for ammo while you’re in the dark, a nice added scariness. There are also pneumatic weapons, ones that work with pressured air and shoot arrows or ball bearings that are great for silent, long range kills, as long as they are kept pumped. The guns are fantastic in metro, swapping out a high damage gun for something silenced is something that needs to be considered in Metro, as a large proportion of the games involves sneaking through the dark, but a similar amount is spent shooting bad guys.
The story in Metro is that of a good one, considering it has no multiplayer the developers have spent a long time on it, making sure it is long and keeps the player in anticipation. It may not be the best story ever, but it is pretty substantial, and will keep you interested for long enough.
Pros:
- Immersion: The whole game keeps you entertained at all times. You really feel like you need to get Artyom through it all to save his station, plus it feels as though you could really be there with him in the game.
- Point of view: as Western games often portray Russians as the bad guys, it’s nice to see a Russian game, especially as it doesn't point fingers at anyone other than the different factions in the Metros as the bad guys.
- Design: The whole look and feel of the game is excellent, showing the complete opposite to what Fallout 3 depicted.
- Horror: The game also does an excellent job of making the experience a scary one, without over doing it. A neat little feature if you ask me.
- Combat: The enemies are not over powered in the game, but strong enough to make you think about who to kill first and with what gun. Making this a strategy game as well as an FPS.
Cons:
- Story: Not exactly a con, but not as great as would be expected
- Lack of multiplayer/co-op: A co-op feature or online multiplayer may have been a great addition to the game, but it could have also ruined the sneaking, ammo scavenging aspects that make Metro what it is.
Overall, Metro 2033 is a great game. It is a great first person shooter, and has fantastic aspects such as great guns, fights between humans and mutants, and the diversity of enemies and combat styles. It also has great horror and stealth aspects as you silently kill creatures in the dark. The developers have used a very simple HUD design to make the game even better. Overall Metro 2033 is fantastic, not as generic as some other titles which is a positive in itself. It may have one or two bad points but they can be overlooked when you first start gameplay.