Its not often that a game comes out based on an overused and clichéd setting that leaves the player feeling rewarded and refreshed. Metro 2033 is another game based on the tired setting of post nuclear annihilation. The list of post apocalyptic games is extensive, Fallout, Gears of War, Hellgate, Resistance: Fall of Man, Stalker and pretty much ever zombie game ever made. Metro 2033 tells the tale of Artyom, a young man who grew up in a surviving human enclave known as Exhibition Station, in the ruins of the Moscow Metro. This has become one of the last habitable places in the city after nuclear holocaust devastated much of the surface of the world. Artyom is on a mission after Hunter, an elite Ranger, comes to warn the station of a new threat to humanities tenuous hold on existence. The story is loosely based on a best selling russian novel, by one Dmitry Glukhovsky. There are frequent visual references to the book in the game, although the story is slightly altered.
And so the game begins. The first thing that struck me were the graphics. I am one of the lucky gamers who owns a bad ass PC, so I was able to enjoy Metro 2033 on maximum settings. It was beautiful. The effects and lighting, facial animations and more subtle effects are top notch and add a huge amount of depth to the game. There is a serious level of detail, from the way the levels and especially the human settlements are constructed. There is lots of opportunities to explore the various stations that you come across, and this should not be missed. Each station is a self contained town, heavily fortified agains the horrors of the metro and outside world. The designers really went all out in their attempts the portray the dark and dirty existence that humanity finds itself in, and it really pays off as the stations put much of the towns from Fallout 3 to shame, albeit in a more linear and less interactive way.
The great presentation leads to a very believable and scary atmosphere. This is certainly one of those games that needs to be played in the dark as much of the finer detail can be hard to see. The sound effects are also very good, with spooky bangs and clanks ringing out through the crumbling tumbles. Weapons sound realistic as well as all of your equipment. When there are beasties about, they also lend their menacing voices to the atmosphere making it hard to know when precisely they will pounce.
The gameplay is standard FPS format. Artyom is equipped with an array of weapons, usual stuff, lamp, map and various other items to help you along. The items requiring power can be charged up with a charging device that is carried around throughout the game, so should your light look as if its losing its brightness, it probably is, so time to charge it up. While it can be a bit annoying to have to do this, it does add a level of realism to the game that doesn't take away from the gameplay. The game map is a physical thing that Artyom must take out of his pocket to view, with objectives written on it and Artyom using a lighter to illuminate it should he find himself in a dark spot. This again adds a level of realism to the game, as when the map is pulled out, it is done in real time, so you must be careful when and where you check it.
The game is also challenging, but not impossibly so. I played through on hard mode and found this to be perfect. Ammo is often hard to come by, so there were many situations where I was moving alone through the darkened tunnels, with just a single clip in my AK, and nothing else but a knife. The sense of desperation is very tangible. Ammo is found on bodies, scattered in realistic map locations or can be picked up in the stations. The game uses a form of ammo as currency. Bullets manufactured before the holocaust are highly valued and can be used to exchange for inferior post holocaust manufactured weapons and ammo. The player can choose to load their pre-fall bullets if they wish, significantly increasing their firepower. However these rounds are hard to come by, so they player needs to be careful about how they are used.
The games enemies suit their environment perfectly, ranging from small dog sized mutants, to huge brutes that are fast and tough, usually moving in packs. It can often take a whole clip of well placed shots to bring the bigger foes down, meaning your already precious ammo reserves usually don't last much more than a few encounters with the metro's resident nasties. Thankfully the game usually provides you with enough to get through, you just have to be careful not to waste it.
Artyom is the standard silent protagonist, not uttering a word during the game. However, and thankfully, we are treated to a short monologue between each level as Artyom tells his story. Though these are short, they do give him a voice and the player can connect a little better to their character.
The levels are based in two locations. The metro, where most of the game will take place and on the surface. The player must make several forays up to the surface during the game. The frozen ruins of Moscow are eerie and silent, inhabited by some of the more fearsome mutants that plague the city. Due to the surface being poisoned since the fall, a gas mask must be worn or the player will choke to death. The gas masks require filters that must be regularly replaced. These can be bought in the stations or scavenged from the remains of less fortunate people found all over the surface and tunnels alike. The masks can also suffer damage from attacks, so the player must be extra quick and careful to protect it.
Throughout the game, the player is usually accompanied by a few NPCs. This is usually welcome as the prospects of traversing alone through the spooky metro is not a very appealing one. The voice acting is good and the scripted sequences are realistic and enjoyable to watch. The story of the game also moves along nicely, with the player never losing sight as to what they are doing. The game also has two different outcomes, depending on certain decisions made through the game, like whether to use stealth or brawn, or helping or ignoring certain NPCs. While there is no different content and the difference is only in the ending sequence, there is a surprising outcome for one of them so its definitely worth playing the game again differently to see this.
So overall, I found Metro 2033 a very enjoyable experience. The story is interesting and is well paced, the atmosphere and graphics are some of the best iv seen despite the overused post apocalyptic setting. Metro 2033 is a very memorable game that I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a compelling and genuinely scary experience.
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