Written by: Ian

 

 

 

"Metro 2033" is based on a Russian book, by a new studio, and to be honest, I didn’t know what to expect- is this game sub-par, or sub-lime? Trailers made the game look like a little bit of a Fallout clone, and whilst that’s certainly no bad thing, its prestigious opposition to live up against, especially for a first title.

 

Here’s hoping that Metro 2033 has even a hint of the sparkle that made Bethseda’s epic shine so bright...

 

 

Based on a best-seller only recently translated into English, I kind of came into Metro 2033 blind. However, the story simply blew me away- it may not be completely original, but is a beautifully told epic of how a young teen sets out on a mission to save his home station from an invading army of mutated beings, formed after a nuclear war in 2013 that left the few survivors forced to huddle in Metro stations around the world, as the outside air had become un-breathable.

 

It’s also really interesting to have the game set in Russia, rather than the very western focus that other, similar games have had in the past, and gives the player a fascinating insight into what Russian culture might become like if such a catastrophe was ever to occur- with different factions springing up amongst the ruins, including a group of Nazis, fighting a new war against the new Red Army.

 

And then you have the Homo Novus, the mutated former humans, able to live and breed above ground, seemingly hell-bent on destroying all life underground. It’s a brilliant tale of simple heroism and growing up that is beautifully voiced, and kept me hooked throughout.

 

 

Most people will, by default, assume that Metro 2033 is a FPS game. Sure, the post-apocalyptic setting means many will compare it to Fallout, but I don’t think anyone would class the game as an RPG.

 

I, however, am not going to class it as a traditional FPS- more a new take on the survival horror genre. In the same way that Resident Evil 4 re-galvanised the genre in 2003, I believe that Metro has done the same again in 2010. If you approach the game as a straight shooter, it just isn’t the best game out there.

 

 

The human AI isn’t brilliant- it loves to run across rooms and then hide (badly) in cover, and most of the guns are rickety pieces of junk that either fire really slowly or aren’t very powerful. But the experiences in the tunnels, and some of the achievements drop more light on how 4A want you to approach the game.

 

Many of the achievements throw up points for avoiding combat totally in the missions where you could potentially go up against human enemies, adding a tense stealth element to proceedings.

 

The tunnels of the Metro though, is where the real meat of the action takes place against the twisted mutants of the new Homo Novus breed. These guys look horrific, move fast, and are tough to kill. Sometimes they overpower you and beat you to the ground, triggering a small quick-time event. The ‘librarian’ enemies are particularly tough, and take multiple clips to beat. It’s these guys that give the game the survival-horror feeling.

 

 

The dark atmosphere, mutated humans, and supernatural goings on all sound more Resident Evil than Call of Duty- and I like this approach. I also loved the fact that the game is not all pure shooting, but mixes it up with some exploration, some stealth, and an on-rails turret section. It’s not a hugely long game, at about 8 hours, but it’s a magnificent experience that you should most definitely play through.