Before I heard they were making Metro 2033 into a game, I had read the Dmitry Glukhovsky book on the basis of a recommendation from a Russian friend. The novel was filled with atmosphere, dread and ultimately fascinating revelations. The original game captured quite a bit of what made the book so interesting but due to some extremely difficult sections, some of the fun was lost as a result of frustration.
The second game is unrelated to the book's sequel Metro 2034, as it carries on the storyline from one of the endings of the first game. You don't have to go back and play it, all is explained during the opening scenes of Metro: Last Light.
While this game will not be an action junkie's favorite, it is a very involving first-person experience that carries on the best features of the previous game and fixes most of the problems. I am probably a quarter of the way through the game and I love the experience, so far. This post-apocalyptic setting is not a bright and cheery place but it is very realistic, given the circumstances.
Primarily a shooter, the game does provide stealthy ways to complete missions. I have not run into any so far that required the use of stealth but the interactive environment makes great use of light and shadows. I am playing the PC version and the game's engine is running very smoothly on my system. My PC is a couple of years old but can still run the graphics on high. There was one graphical glitch during a major plot point, but the misplacement of a cup did not remove me from the experience.
I will post again when I am further into the game. If you are looking for a single player experience with a richly detailed back-story and fairly unique game-play elements, give Metro: Last Light a try.
All screen shots are taken on my PC running the game 1920×1080.
(Click on the pics to make them larger.)
to be continued....
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