Metro 2033

Available on: Xbox 360 and PC
Played it on: PC
Approximate playtime: 15 hours

RATING: 9/10

Wow, this game is different. Irradiated creatures that look like demons, living in subway stations under Moscow, stealthily taking out bandits, and hoping not do die of asphyxiation after the gas mask runs out of filters. Fun!

In all honesty, though, this game comes out really well. It's actually a game of a novel by the same name, written by Dmitry Glukhovsky, and the game was created in the Ukraine. Why this game was never released on PS3, I will never understand, because the console deserves it. Metro 2033 offers a combined experience of post-apocalyptic horror, Dead Space-esque jump scares, psychological trauma, and slight RPG things like upgrading guns for valuable pre-war bullets found throughout the tunnels. Aside from the fact that there are only roughly 7 voice actors for the whole game, it doesn't have much to complain about.

The fact that it came from a novel already means that the writing will be extremely good, or at the very least much better than many current shooters. And Glukhovsky was involved with every step in the creation of this interactive version of his book, and that always makes a very good work. Artyom begins his journey in his home metro station, still living with his father, and after his father's friend Hunter comes to visit, Artyom finds himself on an epic quest to carry out Hunter's last wishes: that he visit Polis station to deliver a message. The not-so-epic part, though, is that Artyom is alone. Sure, there are characters that enter and leave his journey and help him along the metro, but they either are killed, or must go their own way, leaving Artyom so very, deeply, alone, in a world where humanity is dying. The overarching antagonists known only as "The Dark Ones" constantly plague Artyom on his journey, somehow helping the chaos in the stations, while at the same time, keeping Artyom alive and lonely. Never thought your shooters would get this dark, complicated, and laden with themes did you? And if, dear readers, you crave a good plot as much as I do, this game will definitely give you a feast for the brain.

The other elements in the game are fantastic as well, and create a very moody and fearful atmosphere to compliment the plot. It's crazy to think about being alone in the metro, as it is a truly terrifying place. It's dark, the flashlight doesn't work as well as it should, the metro makes noises that will make your blood freeze in its veins, and there is the constant fear that Artyom could die at any time, without warning. It becomes difficult to think clearly in those circumstances, even if Artyom has a fully loaded AK-47 at the ready and doesn't have much to fear as far as creatures are concerned. The metro is a horribly dangerous place, filled with bandits, explosives, holes, traps, and radiation. Even with the best gear, it's not incredibly difficult to die because necessary gear changes constantly. There is no single godly build, just probable strategies on how not to die. It's like... well, it's like real life.

And through all this, the game still feels sharp as a razor. The controls are as responsive as a lightning bolt, and everything about Artyom, the NPC's, and the environment feels really crisp. This is because the player can't afford to relax at all, or he'll get killed by one of many of the dangerous elements in the metro or on the surface. One mission early on in the game has Artyom crossing the streets of Moscow to reach the next stop on the road to Polis, and not only is he alone, he has to find his way around while his gas mask's glass lenses slowly freeze over, limiting his vision and peripheral senses. If the game didn't have the response it does, that mission would be impossible.

But what makes it lose points? It only has a 9, not a 9.5 or a 10, so where does it go wrong? It's not really possible to explain, actually, it's just a sense that Metro has some more potential than it currently uses. It's not bad, it's just impossible to explain or pinpoint any better. The player gets the sense that the game could use a little something more, something that just isn't quite there. Maybe it's the fact that all the demons are pretty much the same, maybe it's that it should be much longer, and more of an open-world type horror game because it feels like Artyom barely even scratches the surface of the metro. Maybe it's the lack of meaningful personal interaction for Artyom, like a love interest. All of these things probably contribute, but together, they create this ever so slight feeling that the game could have been just a tiny bit better. The good news? The sequel, Metro: Last Light comes out in early 2013, and with any luck, the game developers will have pinned down what it is, and fixed it.

Metro 2033, though, is worth the money. It's not a game for the feint of heart, or the casual shooter gamer. This is a game for people who feel the need for a sharp game that incorporates a lot of horror, and delves into some very dark issues. It's a game that requires thinking after it's done. So go be deep and experience Metro for yourselves.