Quick story on how I got my copy of this: A friend of mine picked this game up due to their love for Fallout 3 but the guy at the store said it had a lot more horror elements so my friend ended up giving it to me. So I started to play it, due to the fact I enjoyed both Fallout 3 and various horror games, and I thought “Hey let’s try this out.”. To my surprise, it’s a very well done game for going under the radar of most gamers. Based off the book by the same name written by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, ‘Metro 2033′ sets you in post-apocalyptic Russia in 2033(who would have guessed?) around Moscow. Humans have been driven underground into, you guessed it, Metros. Your characters’ name is Artyom and the game starts off with one of your comrades giving you something to deliver after a series of events.
The games’ atmosphere draws you in with everything including the tiniest of details, from being able to step on glass and alert bandits, or being out on the frozen wasteland of what used to be Moscow. The enemies will come out of nowhere leading to a lot of jumping and exclamations at your TV.
The characters are very well designed and acted, leading you feel as if you really are in Russia as the accents seem dead on. When walking through the different Metros, people are having individual conversations some in English, some in Russian. The atmosphere in the tunnels and Metros blew me away completely. You use pre-war bullets as currency to purchase more ammo and guns; you can also trade in your old guns for new ones. The game features a barrage of guns and weapons, revolver shot guns, throwing knives, AK-47, and a hand-made machine gun called “The Bastard Gun”. The game has very good lighting leading to some stealth kills, or you can go in guns blazing. In between Metros it may be hard to find ammo, so conservation in terms of headshots and using stealth to your advantage is key. When you are on the surface or radiated zone, you have a gas mask with filters which you can find and purchase in Metros for military grade ammo of sorts.
My biggest complaint on this game is the controls as they can be very awkward. If you’re playing it on PC you will have no problems since you can bind the keys to what you want. On the 360 you have 4 preset control schemes; my advice is to cycle through them and find the one that best fits your style. There are a few parts of the game that can just be too difficult and you will probably die a few times. The frequency of these deaths can become frustrating after a while.
I loved this game and I am still playing it for achievements and all around fun despite a few moments that send me jumping out of my seat. If you enjoy horror games, dystopias, or just shooters, I recommend this game.
[review pros="Amazing story, good voice acting with a genuine feeling of suspense." cons="Controls can be awkward, sudden difficulty spikes." verdict="All-around great sci-fi shooter with a few minor issues." score=85]
