Metro 2033: Opinions?

Greetings Watchers

I bought this Ukrainian FPS very cheaply a couple of months ago but have only just started dipping into it. After 4 hours play, I can honestly say that I quite like its bleak atmosphere, graphical quality and the sheer detail that has gone into the style of post apocalyptic setting. I'm playing very slowly as a consequence, trying to take everything in and just absorb the details.

I'm also playing with the Russian voice-acting enabled with English subtitles as an overall aesthetic choice. Much like Stalker, I just think there's something compelling about playing a game in its developer language. I think it also enhances the distinctly overall Russian 'atmosphere' that the game has on an emotional and visual level. I'm generally not one to get hung up about graphics - (Crysis disinterested me for example), but in Metro 2033, I find myself very much paying attention to surroundings.

One other thing that struck me is the comparison between the last two Fallout games (Fallout 3 and New Vegas) from the visceral viewpoint of capturing the essence of 'post apocalyptic'. From what I've seen so far, there is a signficantly more intensely 'cerebral' or despairing quality to the type of apocalypse it depicts. It's reflected in the suffering and struggle of the people eeking out an existence in the subways underground, in their desperation and poverty. From what I've seen on the surface, it's also reflected there. It's also scarily difficult to navigate through the murk, grit and clutter of the landscape, something I like.

Obviously the two fallout games I mentioned have a more tongue-in cheek quality to them, the black humour being a common thread to arguably all Fallout games. But still, the contrast in the tone and treatment of the two apocalypses is noticable I think.

If only the game had more extensive RPG elements. I know it's only a corridor based shooter, but I'm enjoying the experience so far. Playing with headphones in the dark is also quite cool!

Anyone else played it?

Yep.. played and finished it a few months ago. I enjoyed it for the atmosphere, and despite the levels being very linear for the most part, I thought they were designed well. Metro 2033 brings "dark and gritty" to a new level. I was especially impressed by how they conveyed the feeling of despair in that game.

Interesting variety of weapons, and I liked how you traded ammo as currency, which made sense in that scenario. From a visual standpoint, the game is incredible, and it's become the new common benchmark for graphics cards.

There's already a sequel in the works called Metro: Last Light. It takes place 1 year after the events of the first game. It was originally to be titled Metro 2034, but I'm not sure why they changed the name.

I haven't played it but it's on my list of games I want if I can find cheap enough. I love the setting and everthing (I love post apocalypse) but hearing about the linear levels put me off. It sounds like just a long dungeon crawl really. I'd love for another game like STALKER where you can run around in open areas.

I was also going to mention the sequel. Hopefully that will be more open.

I finished my first playthrough - took about 12 hours all up. Whilst the story didn't quite go in the direction I anticipated , the game was still genuinely good fun to play. Strong mood, atmosphere, set pieces…

It is very linear and the last couple of sections of the final chapter have a fair few non-interactive cut-scenes where the player is merely a passenger to the action, but it's still a worthwhile experience.

I really liked the library section and its associated monsters, with some powerful tension developed throughout. I also liked the fact that the game really makes you think about conserving ammunition and gives you options both weapons and stealth wise. The throwing knives were great value!

I wonder what the ranger hardcore mode is like…?

Thanks for the heads-up on the sequel too, guys. I'll keep my ears peeled.

@ H-M: Did you play all three Stalker games? Which did you prefer? I've played the first two, but haven't got into Call of Pripyat yet - it's in my backlog though, for sure.

Fantastic Atmosphere (Usually gets me hooked in a game). Not much of an fps player
(Except for the Stalkers) so I can't really comment on mechanics (too linear though).

The book is much better than the game (but the story there would not
translate to a shooter very easily so perhaps some of the changes can be excused).

Stalker COP is heavily recommended (especially with the Complete mod if your PC can handle it). The most stable of the series and much better than Clear sky in all aspects
(SHOC with the Complete mod still arguably the best in the series imo).

Pessimeister said:

I finished my first playthrough - took about 12 hours all up. Whilst the story didn't quite go in the direction I anticipated , the game was still genuinely good fun to play. Strong mood, atmosphere, set pieces…

It is very linear and the last couple of sections of the final chapter have a fair few non-interactive cut-scenes where the player is merely a passenger to the action, but it's still a worthwhile experience.

I really liked the library section and its associated monsters, with some powerful tension developed throughout. I also liked the fact that the game really makes you think about conserving ammunition and gives you options both weapons and stealth wise. The throwing knives were great value!

I wonder what the ranger hardcore mode is like…?

Thanks for the heads-up on the sequel too, guys. I'll keep my ears peeled.

@ H-M: Did you play all three Stalker games? Which did you prefer? I've played the first two, but haven't got into Call of Pripyat yet - it's in my backlog though, for sure.

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Thanks for that great review.

I think Clear Sky was my favorite because of the weapon and armour modding. That's cool. Call of Pripyat had it too but it wasn't as good a game. I get the feeling one of the key level designers has left because the areas are nowhere near as good, especially Pripyat itself. Also, and this might not matter to you if you have a modern PC, it didn't run nearly as well as the other games in the series. I'd say only bother with it if you were a big fan of the other games.

Is your copy of Metro PC or 360?

I enjoyed playing the game especially how the ending plays out. The second game should be coming out next year.

I'm playing it on PC.

The ranger hardcore mode comes with an amusing warning written in capital letters: YOU WILL NOT SURVIVE. There's no HUD, no visual way telling how much ammo is left and also reduced ammo drops, making scavenging and stealth a necessity. This looks like it's going to be an intensely good challenge.

ranger hardcore was great fun. and after already going through the game a few times prior it wasn't to difficult. the main thing is on the harder levels running out of air is a much bigger concern than ammo. some of the surface levels are fairly open and if you dick around to long you will run out of air. i remember having to replay the surface level before the library on ranger hardcore a few times and barely making it there with enough oxygen. looking at your watch for air left and at your guns for how much ammo is great immersion. this game owns the word "tension" for sure.

This thread reminded me how much I wanted to play this game when it was released. But since my PC was old in that time, I didn't. So I went and got the game around 5 days ago.
I am currently at the end of chapter 4 and enjoying it so far. Although nothing compared to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. , but it's good at what it tries to do. Making you to know the worth of ammo and supplies and feel the dreadful life of humans in a post-apocalyptic wold. Also, the game has one of the best technical graphics on PC. Especially with DirectX 11 option enabled. Although I was really disappointed by health regeneration and the fact that you can't save anywhere you want. It makes you to do the same thing ( like looting ) over and over again at some points where you die a lot. ( On hardcore difficulty settings. )
But totally, I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a solid FPS.

Here's a couple of gameplay videos of Metro: Last Light. Keep in mind that it's only pre-alpha stage at this point.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SKsB4hECFMQ&feature=relmfu

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xGFMJz5Moj0&feature=relmfu

As Frozen Fireball says, 2033's nothing compared to STALKER SoC. But it is a decent corridor rail shooter version of that kind of setting. I got pretty far but there is an escort mission later on that I got repeatedly killed on and I just lost interest at that point…

Have to disagree with this notion that somehow it's "nothing" compared to Stalker.
I enjoy both games very much, but they are philosophically quite different in aesthetics and the type of playing experience they offer within the post-apocalyptic FPS genre.
I don't feel the need to compare them at all - they stand quite happily alongside each other, despite the obvious developer connection.

Also, you shouldn't give up so easily. The game's challenge is another great thing in its favour.

Thanks for the videos, JDR - it's early days yet for it, but I liked the stealthy nature of the action.

i agree many of those that worked on the original stalker are the same folks who worker on metro 2033. other than the setting the gameplay is so different that comparing the two is futile. enjoy them both/all as they are great gameplay experiences.

Pessimeister said:

Also, you shouldn't give up so easily. The game's challenge is another great thing in its favour.

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I didn't. The escort mission is late in the game. I gave it about 20 tries but it was just too stupid. The guy to escort just walks straight on without pause through the exploding wall wart hallway and I couldn't keep up with it. This is a classic example of escort mission bullshit and a common complaint with the game.

There was a mission called War, where the subway opened up a bit and it felt like I was in a trench war. That was the best part of the game I think. I wish the little subway towns had been more meaningful. That was a lost opportunity. Same for the underdeveloped outdoor areas that ought to have been more open I think.

Overall though I felt that 2033 seemed like one of STALKER's underground tunnel missions extended. Call of Pripyat has a sort of extended tunnel mission itself. How can one not compare the two series when they have so much in common overall? That's what got me interested in 2033 to begin with. Unfortunately subway corridor combat isn't super rewarding for me and that's the fundamental issue for me personally.

stalker is basically an open world rpg, while metro 2033 is basically a linear driven survival horror shooter. i think that's pretty damn far apart. i agree it seems like they could have opened up the subway levels for more exploration but the game is really all about 1 mission that is expanded. as such it is a very tight gaming experience. personally i find it frustrating when so many people bitch and moan about the more open games like, gothic 3, or stalker, or fallout being full of bugs ans such and then you have this game that may sacrifice all of that openness but it offers an intense experience none the less. both stalker and metro 2033 i often have desires to go back and replay. metro 2033 for the rush and atmosphere. stalker for the chance to toil around in a great open atmosphere. by the way i've played hundreds upon hundreds of hours in the stalker games but the last 1/3 of each of the games is always the least rewarding, partly because that's when it ceases to be what makes the games great and becomes linear. conversely metro 2033 is linear and doesn't suffer from that problem.

by the way i play metro 2033 primarly as a steath character so that might result in a different experience.

i do agree that exploding part can't be rather difficult but there is a trick to it. the part around the reactor is even more difficult than the hallway.

I hear ya on the more focused linear experience. Some people do like that kind of directed narrative more than the free-form games that make the story seem less organized.

I guess you just enjoy the setting more than I and that's what it comes down to. I wasn't really thrilled by the tunnel experience. I don't like that much in STALKER either. But I had to check the game out because it had STALKER people involved and the setting did seem interesting at first.

I do wish that they had brought the underground towns into the picture more. Those were cool. But they only superficially covered them.

BTW, I think the escort part where I got stuck was around the reactor. It was after going down an elevator in there. It has been months since I played so I'm fuzzy on the details.

I don't even remember the escort mission you're talking about. The level that I remember being the most difficult for me was the library by far. I probably got my ass handed to me at least 12-15 times by those ape-looking things.

swaaye said:

There was a mission called War, where the subway opened up a bit and it felt like I was in a trench war. That was the best part of the game I think.

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I remember that level well, especially when you had to make your way over that huge bridge with all the Nazis, and it was dark as hell. That mission had some great atmosphere.

JDR13 said:

I don't even remember the escort mission you're talking about. The level that I remember being the most difficult for me was the library by far. I probably got my ass handed to me at least 12-15 times by those ape-looking things.

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I think I remember dieing a few times there but it I didn't get stuck there like later on.

This is what I'm talking about. Just plain awful stupid dumb.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tSUGzNKfCaw

the library was difficult, as portions of it and the outdoor before all require oxygen.

JDR how do you not remember the military base with all of the rangers? its one of the last levels and that portion were you have to activate the crane is straight of survival horror slash adventure playbook. kind of odd fitting in the game and those alien sacks don't make the game any better. the game alludes to it but somehow i wouldn't be surprised if they show up in metro 2034. i liked that part of the game and really i enjoying having the companions in many parts of their game for all of their banter, especially Khan. it didn't bother me that their were probably only 6 voice actors in the game as they did a bang up job.

those apes are tough but they get worked over by the Hellsing, one of my favourite weapons of any game ever. reusuable ammo is the shit.