Metro 2033 Redux is the vastly upgraded and improved version of the original Metro 2033 post-apocalyptic FPS game. First brought to gamers in 2010 by THQ and then given a complete makeover in 2014 by DeepSilver, the title is based off of the novel of the same name written by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky. Though I have not personally read the book, friends of mine have stated that the game is very close to its origins, and the few differences are forgivable.
First up, let's talk about the changes that the redux brings. If you play, and/or own, the original Metro 2033, it's definitely worth your time and money to invest in this edition of the game. The updated graphics are a drastic improvement over the old title, bringing in high quality textures, dynamic lighting, and improved atmospheric effects such as fog, steam, and rain that bring an entirely new depth to the campaign. All of these changes combined make the darkened tunnels of the underground feel more claustrophobic, and the open areas more derelict. There have also been some alterations to a few of the major cutscenes; full side-by-side comparisons can be viewed on YouTube. On the other hand, there has also been notable outcry regarding the reduced difficulty of the overall experience, primarily when it comes to Survival mode, in that scavenged resources are more plentiful.
Now, if you haven't played Metro 2033 before, here's what it's all about: A nuclear war occurred in 2013, wherein Russia was targeted with atomic bombs that caused severe radiation; primarily across Moscow. The devastating impacts caused all survivors to flee into the underground tunnels of the metro stations, where they proceeded to build as much of new 'cities' as they could, each one being housed at a different base metro station, leaving the tunnels to connect them like roads. In the game, you play as a 20-year-old male survivor who was born prior to the nuclear fallout known as Artyom. The year is now 2033, and his home in the northern metro station, Exhibition, is under attack by a group of creatures that are referred to as the Dark ones. Artyom must travel to the main metro station of Polis and plead for help from their rangers to save his home, family, and friends.
Though Metro 2033 Redux is classified as a post-apocalyptic FPS title, it has deep survival elements to its gameplay. The currency of choice are military-grade bullets, which can be exchanged in a few metro stations for ammo, grenades, gasmask filters, med-kits,weapons, and weapon upgrades. The bullets themselves can be found by exploring every nook and cranny of the levels, and also from some scripted events that happen. Likewise, if you're unable to pony up the rounds for supplies, you can find all of the aforementioned things (sans weapon upgrades) by scavenging. However, playing on Survival mode, as opposed to the only other mode that the game has called Spartan, reduces the amount of supplies that you find out in the wild.
While enjoying your 10-13 hours of play time exploring the toxic, snowy wastelands and deep, dark corridors of tunnels, you will find that the game has a hefty arsenal of weaponry at your disposal; assault rifles, shotguns, revolvers, pneumatics, and even a flamethrower all make their appearances, plus a few others. The gun play is good, though the upgrades can be a bit lackluster, and you will find yourself shooting from the hip more often than not, as taking the time to aim can be futile since the enemies are incredibly speedy. It should also be mentioned that most of the guns are old-fashioned, and some of them, such as the flamethrower and pneumatics, require Super Soaker styled pumping to get them to work.
When it comes down to atmosphere, ambiance, graphics, and sound, THQ and DeepSilver thought of just about everything. From the thick fog, to green toxic air, rain that blurs your vision a little, spiders and flies that sometimes land on your gasmask, to downright having to wipe blood and grime off of your gasmask to see; the latter actually becomes rather prominent, as when you are in a heavy firefight, you will absolutely need to wipe the blood off to see where you're shooting. The soundtrack is just absolutely stunning, and as near to cinema quality as it can get. In fact, the entire game itself comes off as cinematic; at some point or another, it houses everything from horror, to action, to drama, to even fleeting moments of comedy.
Metro 2033 Redux can best be described as the lovechild of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. and Fallout series'. Though the levels are heavily enclosed in most cases, there's almost always a ton of chambers, decrepit buildings, and passages to explore. There's also a high level of replayability, as there are two different modes and two different endings to obtain; along with 51 worthwhile diary entries to pick up and read. It's worth standing around and listening to the conversations that people around you are having, as you can gain more insight into the story and it's also really immersing. Everything about this title is as near-perfect as a video game can get, and that means that it most definitely needs to be in your library at some point.
Rating: 5.0/5.0 - An astonishing achievement, this game must be played.The Horror Network
Steam Group:
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/thehorrornetworkSteam Curator:
http://steamcommunity.com/groups/thehorrornetwork#curation 5.0