Metro 2033
Many of the modern American well-known game companies create poorly developed games without the decency or appeal that would be needed to entice several people. Because of this, a handful of nice games from other less popular companies never reach thousands of people. However, this game here did reach me- and though it still may remain not as well known as it should be, it is an amazing game and needs to be known. Today, I’ll be sharing with you my review on 4A games’ ‘Metro 2033’.
Set in the post-apocalyptic ruins of Moscow in the year 2033, all the last remaining Moscow cititizens moved into the large city’s metro tunnels, and over the many years turned it into a fortress; a home against the grim, bitter world lacking life, except for the foul mutants and demons that prowl through the land on the ground. The continous war between the humans and the Dark Ones, the mutants, was nearing an end. With the Dark Ones brutually murdering every human they found, and even lurking throughought the metro station, it was clear that humanity would perish if something was not done. In this game, you play as a twenty year old man named Artyom, who begins a long journey when his friend Hunter sends him on a mission which may decide which specie will win: The Dark Ones, or the humans.
This is a truly detailed, gloomy game with great graphics and a decent feel to it. It does not simply portray gore and screaming and slap it all in your face hoping you would feel something. While it does have lots of gore, it also has a feel of panic or fear. Never knowing what might be crawling in the shaddows, and not knowing wether the mutant that ate the corpse before you is still around is always the correct recipe for a perfect post-apocalyptic game. Oh, and did I mention to you that the game even goes into enough detail to require a gas mask at all times on the surface or in other certain locations? This may seem like an obvious feature, but several post apocalyptic games don’t have this.
The assortment of tools in this game are also really amazing. Like I mentioned, there is not only a gas mask which you have to careful with because it can crack in battle, but it requires air filters that can be bought in stores or found by scavenging. A flashlight and nightvision goggles are also there for you to use, and can each be powered up by pumping pressure into them manually. This is a post-aoycalyptic world- you don’t get high-tech technology.. These tools are a great feature that really help you out and make you feel as if you are actually battling in a bitter Moscow full of anxiety, and panic.
Trust your gas mask and weapon to protect you from the horrors of the ruins of Moscow.
Metro 2033 captures the feeling of desperatness, and has the player economise precious ammunition, and greatly rewards scavenging. Along every path you explore, there will be alot of spare supplies lying around, so you don’t just simply go through a straight path hoping that there will be some spare ammo lying around wherver you go. If you hear the click of your gun’s lack of ammo, then you know you shouldv’e economised ammunition or scavenged around more. Only the smart and strong survive in situations like this.
Apart from scavenging, you can also buy items at shops for a better chance of survival. The metro has several shops at stations, and the only currency used is shiny-pre war bullets that can be found lying around everywhere. Through the game, you will find several different types of weapons, with five main categories for guns: assault rifles, submachine guns, shotguns, a revolver, or just the good old fashion knife/throwing knife. These can also be bought through stores, and upgraded with attachments such as red dot sight, silencers, or attached knives.
It doesn’t even stop there. Apart from there being the constant need for survival on your mind while you play Metro 2033, there’s also other strange things that make you want to keep playing the game for answers: paranormal activity in several ‘haunted’ locations. There’s also the moments where you step into another universe with ‘The Dark Ones’ whispering something, trying to stop you from reaching a certain goal. But was it? What does this mean?
What is this new phenomenon..?
However, one slight let-down is that Metro 2033 most certainly is not a sandbox game. You don’t have the option to explore the vast ruins of Moscow wherever and whenever you please. The game simply rather makes you to go through particular paths to reach your goal location. Don’t go around expecting an expansive world like Fallout gave you. While this is a slight disappointment, it doesn’t add dull repetative locations. Each and every tunnel you explore has its own eery, and creepy feel to it with varied enemies. There’s also the option of wether you should pass through like a ninja using the shadows as your friend, or attack head on. Several other locations such as the vast ruins of the outside Moscow or pre-war buildings also wait for you to explore. You don’t also just simply do one thing in general such as advance forward, and kill everyone blindly. Every mission varies in size, feel, or even goal in general. This isn’t such a huge problem, but it would have been nice to be able to explore the areas you’ve been through again after beating the game.
Nope, you don’t just walk all the time and kill all hostiles.
This game has several required missions, as well as some optional ones that will make you feel good about yourself when completed, as well as give you karma. Throughout the game, you will get rewarded with karma points for every good thing you do such as avoiding an enemy’s death, or helping out someone in need. At the end of the game, based on the amount of karma points you get, you will either recieve the ‘bad’ ending, or the ‘good’ ending. I won’t spoil it for you, but I will say both endings make sense and aren’t crummy and question-raising.
Alas, a game can’t be completly perfect. The better games usually have a handful of glitches, and this is one of those games. Sometimes, the correct action doesn’t happen when you hit the correct buttons, and in other times cutscenes don’t play through normally and require for you to load your last checkpoint. However, these aren’t huge problems and can easily be forgotten.
The final thing I would like to say about this game is just overall how I felt while playing it. It may have lasted me at least twenty hours on normal mode, but I most certainly do not regret buying it. Like I said, this isn’t a game with random violence and gore, hoping for you to be frightened by it. The atmosphere, the very feel itself of being in such a world- is just right for a great game.
After thinking over it, the glitches are minor, and the inability to explore freely after the game ends isn’t to bad either. This game is great enough to deserve five stars.
Don’t listen to the popular game reviewers such as IGN. This is an amazing game, and if you have an Xbox 360 or a Windows computer, then I definetly recommend getting Metro 2033. It not only lasts a decent amount of time, but it really puts the saying ‘The survival of the fittest’ into action. With a unique story based on Dmitry Glukhovsky’s book Metro 2033, and even an option to play the game in Russian, Metro 2033 is a game you should definitely pick up.
The rage meter shows just how frustrated you can get with this game. The highlighted level is the one this game gets. Here are the levels:
Level 1) It’s all cool. I like this game. Not angry in the slightest bit.
Level 2) This is slightly annoying…
Level 3) It’s getting out of hand…
Level 4) OKAY… Starting to get angry..
Level 5) Excuse me while I go and smash everyone in my lobby’s console. $#@$@$#@$@$!!@#!!(~((!)
Mike's Gaming blog 