Metro 2033 Review

(1) Heard good things about this one

     A Journalistic Review by DefiantParrot   

        Originally Written: 08/29/2017

            *Spoilers May Be Ahead*

Developer: 4A Games

Publisher: THQ

Platform: Xbox 360

Genre: First-Person Shooter, Survival Horror

Release: March 16, 2010

                Atmosphere is extremely important in a video game. Being able to pull the player into the world and make them experience your game, and to make them feel something. Be it wonder like Shadow of the Colossus, terror like Silent Hill or deep sadness and depression like Metro 2033.

(2) No I haven't read it

Metro 2033 is based off a novel of the same name written by Dmitry Glukhovsky. It tells the tale of a young man named Artyom set in post-apocalyptic Moscow following the events of a nuclear war. Due to the surface being uninhabitable humanity has retreated underground to the metro tunnels while inhuman monsters roam the surface and the tunnels looking to destroy what’s left of humanity.

Metro 2033 is a first-person shooter with some heavy survival horror emphasis, the atmosphere in this game is fantastic. You really do get the sense that these people in the metro are just scraping by day by day. Some of the conversations you can overhear can just tear at your heartstrings and in some cases you may just tear up.

That’s if you give the game time to do this however, the biggest thing I can say about Metro 2033 is that if you play this game take your time with it. Allow the game to show you its world and you will not be disappointed with it. And thank god the atmosphere is so good because oh boy I didn’t enjoy much else here!

Okay first of all the plot is pretty solid yet confusing at the same time. As I stated you play Artyom living in the metro station Exhibition however one day your station is attacked by beings known as Dark Ones, after fending them off Artyom is urged by a man named Hunter to go seek aid from the rest of the metro in saving Exhibition from the assault of Dark Ones.

(3) One of the 'Dark Ones'

Mind you this happens very early on so aside from knowing these people live depressing and stressful lives you know nothing else about them. You know nothing about Artyom or his adoptive father, you know nothing about Hunter or the rest of the metro and you know next to nothing about the Dark Ones. Now I’ll state the novel probably does a much, much better job with making these characters interesting and memorable. But here I just don’t really feel invested, when characters begin dying around me even ones I’ve fought beside, I have the reaction of...

“Oh no not… you, how will I… go on without you.” I say halfheartedly as I loot his corpse.

However another positive I can state in this game is there are a few different voice and subtitle options, from the obvious English which is how I played, to the entire game being spoken in its native tone of Russian and for immersion that’s fantastic for those who wish to play the game that way, and who are skilled in reading very fast.

The game is very linear, no open world to be found here folks, you go from beginning of a level to end of the level with very few places to deviate from the chosen path. Not to say there aren’t secrets to be found or goodies to be gained, and I feel Metro 2033’s linear path style works well for it. However I would have liked to be able to backtrack to at least vendors since ammo and stuff can only be scavenged from dead bodies or found and bought at the few vendors found in the game.

At one point I was offered to purchase some armor to increase my defense but because I didn’t have the cash for it I forever lost the opportunity to purchase it.

(4) The arsenal of weapons is well varied

The missions of Metro 2033 can take you into the Metro stations learning what you can about the world, to all out gun fights against enemy NPC’s or defending yourself against the terrifying monsters on the surface while constantly keeping track of your gas mask to have breathable air while avoiding death or even stealth sections which can honestly FUCK RIGHT OFF!!!!!

*Deep Breath*

The game also looks pretty well, the monsters are terrifying and the world is bleak and depressing. Mostly because of the boring gray and brown everywhere, but unlike Gears of War the depressing visuals is kind of the point in Metro 2033 so I’ll give it a pass there.

Okay now to the things that really bothered me. As I delicately hinted at before I HATE the stealth sections in this game. There aren’t as many as it felt like there was, but FUCK do they overstay their welcome.

First off to be clear, I don’t hate stealth in video games at all where my Metal Gear and Splinter Cell fans at?

 But like any mechanic in a game it has to be used correctly. Metal Gear, Splinter Cell, fuck even Sly Cooper did these right. Enemies in Metro are extremely aggressive and once you have been spotted there’s no “cooldown” like in Metal Gear and you can’t hide like in Sly Cooper once they are on to you they are always aware that you are around.

(5) Your lighter can be used for more than just light

“Well that’s realistic Parrot don’t be such a pussy.” Well alright then you mouthy motherfucker, then explain to me how they always know where you are!!!! Even if you give them the slip, climb a ladder, and hide in the shadows even if none of the enemies watched you hide there, they know you are there putting you in a position to either die and restart the entire area, or say fuck it and try your damnedest to fend off all of these enemies with your limited ammunition. Guess which I did?

Another complaint I have is that the game seems to be fast forwarding through its plot points, as I said there’s no development for any character in this game really but for me the best example I can make is later in the game once Artyom has finally reached his destination to ask for aid against the Dark Ones. Artyom is set to meet a Council and beg for their help.

Then the camera watches a clock as its hands race then Artyom and a character leave the council room infuriated that they won’t help Exhibition and then they hatch a plan to launch a nuke.

Wait what?! Why would you skip over this?! Why won’t they help Exhibition? Do they have a reason? And why is your plan to launch a Nuclear missile? The thing that destroyed your world to begin with, also since when do we know where these Dark Ones are coming from? None of this is ever explained and it is fucking stupid because of it. Again the book may have detailed this much better in fact I’d bet money that it did, but this game seems to want to hit all of the important points that it refuses to take the time to lead the player there to see.

It’s like here’s point A and here’s point D but they never explain or acknowledge a point B, or C.

This is a very minor complaint compared to the last two but there’s a silent protagonist again… kinda.

(6) Make up your mind Artyom!

See during the game Artyom does not speak, at all, ever. He’ll have whole conversations with people without saying a word and forge brotherly bonds of heroism and love by doing nothing! Which was something else that pulled me out of this game and made me not care about any of my allies here, and yet and this completely dumbfounds me. Artyom does speak, in the loading screens. Okay my character monologuing during the loading times is not a bad way to handle the transitions. But if Artyom has a voice why doesn’t he speak! It makes no sense to me.

And to finally touch on this Metro 2033 has two different endings, a “good” ending and a “bad” ending. I received the bad ending which is the canonical ending that leads into the events of Metro: Last Light. So I wasn’t too irritated about that, what does bother me however is how you’re supposed to get the good ending. See there are moral points in Metro 2033, that dictate which ending you get. Well where are these points? They are invisible to you, and there’s no set amount to let you know you’re good and the list of things that can give you points and take away points is absurd. If you’re going to make this so complex at least show us how we’re doing so if we screw up we can restart. I don’t personally like this system but I think it’s safe to assume I am in the minority on that one.

All in all I did not have a lot of fun with this one which I find very disappointing since this is a series I’ve wanted to tackle for a long time. With Metro: Exodus coming in 2018 I may give Last Light a try before it’s release but I must say I am no longer looking forward to the experience however, I hope I’m pleasantly surprised.

(7) Actual pic of me playing this

Metro 2033 receives No Seal from me

This game obviously has its fans and I really hope you continue to enjoy this game and its sequels and there are some really good things in this game. But due to the frustration I experienced and how starved I was to care for this game combined with just how much I did not want to continue playing through this, I cannot give this game any of my seals.

               

               

               

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