Metro 2033 Review

[Rangerscott]

I'm going to go ahead and say that I recommend playing this, but I'm actually going to criticize a game for once.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ig4U3gEXmk


If you've played any of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. games then you'll feel at home. Although not a sandbox game, the surroundings and russian dialogue welcome you back. I played the PC version so my review is going off of this version, but my first negative is this game apparently was a port from console to PC instead of the other way around.

1. No graphical adjustments Score: F-

I can tell this right away giving the VERY lack of options in the options menu, lack of key layout, lack of telling every single control option (never tells you that you can change ammo type and what button to use), VERY lack of graphics options. For graphics it's either low, medium, high and very high. You CAN NOT change individual graphical options. This is a very big downfall for this game because it is VERY graphical demanding. I like to turn certain things down that aren't that important and other options up high. Well, your options are pretty, Eh, and dull. Why make a PC version if you don't have control? One weird thing is the "physics on/off" option is in the "game" menu. So if you've got Nvidia card/s, then make sure to turn it on if you want it.

2. Weapon damage/enemy damage. Score: Erratic A- to D

I don't know which one is off but one of them or both is. It sucks hardcore when you can kill a giant wolf thing with two/three shot gun rounds, but a big rat can take up to 5 round and two where right in the face point blank. There is one level where you meet a new enemy and the very first one, I wasted half my ammo of all my weapons on him. Now add a dozen more of those fuckers and you can see that it turns a "game" into a bashed monitor. At least head shots on humans works, but the same goes with them. Four shots in the chest with the pistol is a kill, but half a clip of 5.23 rounds and the fucker is still running back and forth.

3. Light. Score: A

Light is a huge thing in the game; it can be used to your advantage and disadvantage. You can blow out lanterns and shoot out lights so the enemy can't see you. It sits the atmosphere in every level. From tunnels to wide open train tracks to up above ground. You do have a head lamp and a charger for it. You can charge your lamp from dim to really bright but since enemies see light you need to decide constantly how bright you want it. Eventually you'll get night vision but I didn't use it that much. I like the low light from lanterns and the darkness.

Light is also from your muzzle flash. Enemies can definitely see muzzle flash. It is also a downfall when using night vision since it flares up the screen.


4. Keyboard layout/options. Score: B-

Since this game can be used with a controller, there are not that many buttons that are used. Also, in the layout menu, not every thing you can do is listed. The main thing that is not in there is how you can change ammo type. There are two ammo types in the game. Pre-war ammo (shiny, used as currency) and dirty ammo (just for shooting). Well no where does it say that if you hold down "R" (reload) for a few seconds, it'll show ammo. I never noticed that it did this and I shot off all my pre-war ammo (pretty much I shot off my money). So through a lot of the game I was collecting ammo and kept wondering why I was still out or still low on 5.23 rounds when I was picking a lot up. Well eventually I happened to hold down "R" again and saw it switched ammo. WTF! It wasn't too bad as I didn't buy a lot. Every "expensive" gun that you can't afford is given to you at some part of the game. You just really need to buy ammo sometimes and health shots. There is one item that you need 100 rounds of Pre-war bullets to buy and I recommend keep that amount until you reach the part of the game that lets you buy it. "see armor"


5. Graphics. Score: A

Even though you can't adjust exactly what you want in the graphics menu, the graphics are great. If your PC can handle "medium" or more, then you'll see some nice eye candy. I never tested to see exactly what the "Physics" was in the game. I just left it on the whole time.

Character detail is nice and so is facial features. Lip syncing is off sometimes. Fire and explosions swell, but not a lot of them.


6. Gas mask. Score: B-

I see the point of it, but it can get very annoying at times. Changing it out is fine. The cracking of the gas mask is cool and it didnt bother me. What bothered me was the gas cartridge changing. Not having to do them, but it not working. There was many a time when I would change the filter and it wouldn't do shit to the time. You can view your watch to see the time you have left with a filter. Green is 15 min, yellow is 10 min, and red is 5 min. I was on red most of the game. I'd have 15 filters and it would only let me change two in a row, then you have to wait, but it barely raised my time. The even shittier part is the lower your filter time, the more your gask mask fogs up or freezes over. I couldn't tell what they were going for here. So pretty much most of the levels that require you to use the mask, you're looking at a blurry ass screen and HEAVY SNOT SNORTING BREATHING!!!!! HOLY FUCKING GOD IT'S ANNOYING!


7. Weapons. Score: B-

First off there is a low weapon count. There is only one pistol, just variants of it (silencer, long barrel, stock). There are only 4 machine guns with variants. You use the AK for most of the game. The Bastard sucks dick, when that's all you have, just stick with the pistol and knife. You have 2 shot guns. A double barrel and an auto (6 shot) shotgun (can melee, bayonet attachment on some). The shotgun is the big problem on the enemy damage. Some times point blank shots work, but most the time they don't. You get a stab knife and throwing knives (never used them). Two types of grenades (really pipe bombs). A regular grenade and a sticky (spikey) grenade. The suck on these is you have to light them, which means the enemy can see the burning fuse.

8. Armor. Score: C-

There is no armor in this game except for the one part where I said you need 100 pre-war bullets. You play pretty much 3/4 of the game without armor, but honestly I didn't notice a difference in health with it on or off.

9. Enemy AI. Score: B+

Hey. They can see a lit pipe bomb. Gotta give them points for that. They are smart and can nail your ass even when you think they can't see you. There are trip wires and busted dishes (makes noise) that alert them. Two downsides to them. 1. They don't really come after you most of the time. They still in there "area" until you make a move. Sometimes they will travel. 2. You can kill a guy some what close and the guy can let out a LOUD ass moan and no one does anything. That has always bothered me.


10. Overall, it is a good game. The atmosphere and sound is a real seller. The story is good, but the ending was some what of a let down (scroll down for why it was a let down/spoiler alert).


































*SPOILER ALERT* Apparently there are two endings and moral choices along the way to get each one. I just found this out before posting this. This the ending I got.

Getting to ending wasn't the let down, but the last cut scene is. You set up this missile guidance thing and then missiles left off and crash down on an area that is lit up kinda red. I can only guess that this is a main area of the creatures, but the game never mentions this area. That's my guess.

[Rangerscott]

Steam has it on sale now for $25