Metro 2033

Abstract

[...]you can carry a handgun, a larger gun such as a submachine gun, and your specialist weapon, such as a gas powered rifle or a multi barrelled shotgun. [...]Metro 2033 is (and I'm aware this is less than eloquent as a critical judgement, but it's accurate) ok.

Developer: 4A Games, Publisher: THQ

Platform: XBOX 360 (reviewed on), PC

Moscow is not somewhere I would normally think of going on holiday. I can't quite explain why, other than that decades of Cold War propaganda must have warped my opinion of this great city. In the post apocalyptic world of Metro 2033, however, Moscow is definitely off the list. The city, and the rest of the world, has been devastated by nuclear war and the few survivors cling on to survival in the Moscow Metro system (with parts of the system reinforced during the Cold War to act as shelters in case of Nuclear War).

Set twenty years after the nuclear Armageddon, the various metro stations of the underground have formed their own little puddles of civilisation, alternating between vague democracies and neo-Nazi playgrounds.

Playing as Artyom, you have spent your entire life in the same metro station, raised by your uncle in the relative safety of Exhibition Station. With the arrival of a Ranger called Hunter, however, you discover that a new threat has emerged in the Underground, alongside the various bandits and mutants, which roam the tunnels. The Dark Ones are a new stage in evolution and have already wiped out other station communities. Tasked with travelling with Hunter to warn the Polis Station and its army of Rangers about this new threat, Artyom must travel through hostile tunnels and stations to save the only home he has ever known.

Metro 2033 is based on the novel of the same name by author Dmitry Glukhovsky and follows the original story closely. Glukhovsky's novel was well received both in Russia and in Europe (with 4A Games based in Ukraine) and much of it is conveyed in the game. The stations are hubs of life in the darkness of the tunnels and the various enemies in the game are no pushovers. Mutants of various shapes and sizes, from giant rat things to giant cat things, roam the tunnels and the surface and can be an absolute nightmare to bring down, making quick attacks and dashing away before you can react.

The game makes use of ammunition as currency and it is always in short supply. Throughout the game you're faced with hoarding good quality bullets to upgrade your weapons or giving into temptation and using it to clear a tunnel of mutant enemies quickly and efficiently.

The game has a number of standout dynamics. Unlike similar post apocalyptic games, Metro 2033 goes all out for realism. As with most nuclear apocalypses, radiation is a major problem. However, in Metro 2033 it is has a major effect on gameplay, with one of the first items you acquire being a gas mask to help protect you from radiation. The masks need regular filter changes, with a small meter and some other visual cues to let you know when you need to change it (your breathing becomes laboured and vision greys out). Too much exposure and its game over.

There is also a good variety of weapons but it is with this that some of the niggles that often afflict this type of game become apparent. You can only carry three firearms at any one time, with one from each type of weapon. So you can carry a handgun, a larger gun such as a submachine gun, and your specialist weapon, such as a gas powered rifle or a multi barrelled shotgun. This in itself is fine and is a mechanic that is used in a number of highly successful games. However, here it doesn't really make much difference. At one point I found myself dithering over which type of submachine gun to pick up. Both looked about the same, had similar names and yet I had no way to tell which was better, which is a serious issue in a game where resource management is all important.

Graphically, Metro 2033 is good. It's not Halo or Enslaved but it does the job to ensure you spend most of your playing time staring into the darkness and hoping nothing leaps out and tries to rip off your face. Character models are good and it aids the storytelling well, with in-game graphics used throughout.

It should be noted though that this is not an easy game. Unlike others in the genre that rely on slowly drawing you in, with easy enemies attacking you as it works up to the real nasty stuff (think Resident Evil moving from zombies to lickers and finally bringing you face to face with Nemesis), Metro 2033 drops you right in it, with even human enemies needing multiple shots to bring them down. Mutants and tougher enemies soak up ammunition, making it a real problem when you want to upgrade weapons or ammunition and I found myself spending most of my time searching dark comers and wondering through stations scrabbling for ammo.

Whilst this adds to the realism of the world, it really breaks up the gameplay and leaves the player (certainly this one anyway) frustrated and irritable.

To sum up then, Metro 2033 is (and I'm aware this is less than eloquent as a critical judgement, but it's accurate) ok. It's not the best game I've ever played, nor is it the worst and it does have a good sense of atmosphere throughout. However, the high difficulty level, tough resource management and sheer speed of enemies makes the game less accessible than other, similar shooters.

If you're after a post apocalyptic, scare-heavy and challenging shooter then Metro 2033 may be the game for you, but if you prefer the likes of Halo, this station shouldn't be your final destination...

Eoin Murphy

Metro 2033

Graphics: 7

Gameplay: 7

Sound: 8

Replay Value: 6

Overall Score: 7