Publisher: Deep Silver

Developer: 4A Games

Release Date: 8/26/2014

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If you haven’t already read the novel, Metro 2033 is probably one of the best post-apocalyptic novels ever written. The novel really gets into your head and takes the whole post-apocalyptic Russian lore and myths and brings it to life. Metro 2033 was ahead of its time in 2010. While the game looked decent on Xbox 360 it really pushed systems on PC. The game was one of the first to fully utilize DirectX 11. As a game itself it had many issues such as huge AI problems and a somewhat incohesive story, but underneath it all, it oozed an atmosphere that no other game could provide at the time. This is all tidied up and wrapped up in one big next-gen ribbon. The game is worth a replay for vets and well worth any newcomers’ time.

You play as Artyom, a “chosen one” who must stop the Dark Ones that have invaded his home station in the underground Moscow metro. While his station was overrun, he is trying to make his way to Polis to get help to fight off the Dark Ones. Instead, he must find a mysterious and once forgotten nuclear missile silo called D6. His journey is terrifying, even humans can be as horrible as mutated beasts.

Most of the game sees you either fight your way through monsters or stealthily pushing through Communist or Nazi frontlines. Back when the game was originally released these stealth sections were nearly broken due to the AI being able to detect in the oddest circumstances. The AI has been tweaked but can sometimes still show a bit of awkwardness. While some areas have been completely reworked with even new enemy placement, I still found myself confused as to whether I could sneak through the area or shoot the place up. The stealth path would be too well hidden or in an odd place. However, this was pretty rare and I really love how these areas were given attention. The atmosphere is just so incredible. When you get into populated areas you actually feel “safe” and enjoy every minute of light and peace. One area that became extremely scary was the Library. Mutated gorillas called Librarians that stalk are just downright scary.

The shooting mechanics themselves are fantastic. Each gun has its own personality and you will easily find your favorite three or will experiment. There is a wide variety of gun types ranging from revolvers, assault rifles, bolt guns, pneumatic guns, and even shotguns. However, they all feel unique to the setting. Each gun looks beat up and worn and somehow piecemealed together to just kind of work. There are also a variable amount of throwables such as knives, firebombs, shrapnel grenades, and various others.

It wasn’t just the gameplay parts that were reworked. Entire outdoor areas were rebuilt to look more next-gen. Compared to the original Xbox 360 version, Metro 2033 Redux looks like a whole new game. Incredible attention to detail was taken when combing back over this game. Thankfully, due to the power of next-gen consoles, we get all the fancy DirectX 11 graphics that the PC version got plus some. Despite being a remade game, Metro 2033 Redux is one of the best-looking games out on consoles right now.

With that said, the game is a little on the short side and it feels a little too linear for its own good. Yes, you are in a cramped metro, but I feel like it would have been a good idea to explore this place more. The game is extremely scary, the monsters are freaky but awesome, and there are some pretty fun scripted events. For a 4-year-old game, it has held up so well to recent games and just shows how far ahead the game was back in the day. If you are a fan of Fallout, STALKER, or any other post-apocalyptic game you should give this a spin.