Metro 2033 shows once again why Eastern Europeans are the masters of atmosphere - and of single player FPS.
Metro 2033, a first person shooter based on the science fiction novel of the same name by Dmitry Glukhovsky, can be considered the latest addition to this list. Not only did Ukrainian developer 4A Games manage to produce one of the most atmospheric and best-looking PC games to date - they also came up with some interesting gameplay implementations that, while not always perfect, set this game apart from its big budget competitors.
The game is based on a narrative by Artyom, the protagonist, who has spent his entire life living in the gloomy subway stations of Moscow after a worldwide nuclear war. Alongside approximately 40,000 other refugees, he is forced to struggle for survival every day, as mutants, bandits, and other hostiles terrorise the metro network. Then there are the 'Dark Ones', mysterious alien-like creatures with seemingly hostile intentions. Artyom's task is to go to a settlement located in a nearby subway station, and ask the local Rangers to assist in a mission to find out more about the Dark Ones - and neutralise the threat. Inevitably, Artyom's home station and the central Polis station where the Rangers reside, are separated by dangerous tunnels, bandit hideouts, and even a warzone.
You start out the game as Artyom is about to embark on this dangerous quest. One thing you'll notice immediately is the amount of detail in the artistic design. The settlement you start in is an impoverished place inhabited by impoverished people, but you can spot traces of human civilisation anywhere you go. Pictures of pre-apocalyptic Moscow remind of better times, while a guitar player attempts to liven up the spirits of his companions, if only for a few moments. But don't get too comfortable in this crowded place, because you'll quickly find yourself alone in the dangerous subway tunnels, only occasionally aided by NPCs with common interests.
The weapons you start out with will barely protect you against the mutants and the other scum that lurks in the shadows of the abandoned subway tunnels, and ammunition will quickly prove to be a real commodity. To add to this, there are several bullet types for different weapons, but the automatic gun, which will probably serve as your main weapon during much of the quest, can actually use 2 types of ammo. One is 'dirty ammo', handmade bullets produced after the war with inferior material, and the other is the much more powerful pre-war army ammunition. The latter also serves as a currency in the subway's markets due to its scarceness, so the player will have to make a choice between using army bullets to get them out of sticky situations, or saving them to buy better equipment on one of the markets - or exchange them for large quantities of 'dirty' bullets.
Whatever you do, taking down enemies can prove to be rather difficult. Some mutants, even early in the game, take quite a few hits before they go down, and this can be real annoying if you're short on ammo. You will mostly find enough ammo on dead bodies and in enemy stashes, however, to be able to get through the game without having to resort to your knife. Still, it is not possible to go through this game running and gunning all the time. When fighting mutants, you will have to move constantly and time your reloads well, and when fighting other humans, you will often have to resort to stealth techniques. You'll find yourself outgunned quite a few times in this game, and even with regenerating health, a few seconds of movement without decent cover can prove to be lethal. The game gives players a choice in how they take on large squads of enemies, however. While running from cover to cover, eliminating bad guys as you go, is certainly an option, stealth is sometimes necessary to get out of sticky situations. These parts can be frustrating, as the enemy AI doesn't always play by the rules, and will sometimes spot you even if you are hiding in the dark. Overall, though, the stealth functions well enough to see you through certain difficult areas, or at least give you a tactical advantage over your enemies, seeing as constantly changing your position will genuinely confuse your opponents, allowing you to take them down when they least expect it.
The gunplay and battles with humans sometimes remind of S.T.A.L.K.E.R., although Metro 2033's system is less sophisticated, and it's obvious that the game relies on stealth rather than large scale battles when it comes to combat with other humans. The AI is not incredibly smart, and the hit detection can be a bit off. When using certain weapons, such as the AK, it can happen that you shoot an enemy in the leg, making him grab it, and subsequent shots won't register until the baddie has finished this small 'recovery time'. This can be annoying, especially if you are low on bullets or when you are fighting multiple enemies at the same time. That isn't to say the gunplay is unsatisfactory, however. The mix between pre-war weapons and fictional firearms manufactured in the metro is refreshing, and some unique weapon classes such as pneumatic guns and throwing knives, the latter of which you barely see in modern-day shooters, add some more flavour to the mix.
Another unique addition is the gas mask. When getting above ground or entering other toxic areas, you will have to wear a gas mask to prevent choking to death. This gas mask can even be damaged during battle, and constant filter changes are needed to keep the fresh air supply going. While new gas masks and fresh filters can be found in a lot of places, this does add more tension to the gameplay as you will not only have to reach your destination before you run out of supplies - you'll also have to prevent being hit a lot as this could very well mean your death, having you restart your game at the latest checkpoint.
Because that's how Metro 2033 works - with checkpoints. This autosave system, and the lack of a quicksave function, can be frustrating at times. It's habitual in console shooters, but there's really little excuse to hold on to such a system in a PC FPS. One could say it increases the challenge, but there's little challenge about finally getting past that tricky shootout, only to fall into a hole or death trap right before you reach the designated save point. Seeing as it is sometimes unclear which areas can be accessed, you will occasionally have to engage in frustrating trial & error gameplay. This is especially annoying in above-ground areas. As good as the linear level design might work in underground tunnel systems, it hurts the credibility of the game in the sequences that take place on the surface. Paths are often blocked by debris or sometimes even invisible walls or death traps. The level design is mostly good, however, as it will softly guide you towards your destination without things feeling too restrictive.
The small cracks in Metro 2033's believability mentioned in the previous paragraph are easily compensated by a phenomenal presentation. Like many Eastern-European shooters, Metro 2033 is incredibly atmospheric. Aided by some of the best graphics and lightning seen on the PC yet, the game really comes to life, providing the player with an unusually eerie experience. Even though you're aided by one or more companions throughout most of the game, the bleakness of Metro's universe will often send shivers down your spine. The 'Ghosts' level, in which you travel through a tunnel where ghostly silhouettes are forced to relive its dark past over and over, is a bizarre and creepy experience, and perhaps one of the most memorable video game moments of recent years. Meanwhile, the people you run into often remind you how far the inhabitants of the subways have strayed from civilisation as we know it. One particular boy will even proclaim that he is going to be famous because he saw the sky, giving away at the same time that he barely even understands what it is - 'some kind of eternal ceiling'.
This brings us to the next aspect of this game, namely the voice acting. It is certainly not bad, but it's painful to observe that all children are voiced by the same voice actor. Most of the actors do their job decently, although they sometimes cross the line of cheesiness. Luckily, Metro 2033 also gives players the option to play the game in Russian with English subtitles. And while you may miss out on some irrelevant NPC conversations in settlements, it's still worth trying. If you're into immersion and believability like me, you'll appreciate being able to set the language to Russian instead of having all the characters speak English with Russian accents. The music itself is always worthwhile, though, as the depressing, haunting ambient tracks often aid in emphasising the overall bleakness of this game.
Even though this game offers many options for gamers to tweak the gameplay to suit their taste, its core will remain largely unchanged: an intelligent, atmospheric shooter that doesn't reinvent the genre, but adds enough fun innovations and interesting details to set itself apart from its competitors. While the shooting mechanics don't always perform as they should, and the shootouts aren't as satisfying as they are in S.T.A.L.K.E.R., Metro 2033 offers a varied package of action and exploration. Not every innovation reaches its full potential, the surprisingly good platforming sequences for example, but they're plentiful enough to see you through the 9-hour campaign without things getting boring or repetitive. Frustration is a different story, however, seeing as the stealth sequences can sometimes feel a little unbalanced, and the autosave function can really get on your nerves. Most of the time, however, this game offers genuine challenge, and that's more than can be said about the majority of the present-day shooters.
It's undeniable, however, that the biggest thing to set this game apart from other shooters, is the amazing presentation. Metro 2033's world is immersive and believable, emotional and captivating, cold and bleak, yet not without shreds of hope still remaining in hearts of many of the metro's inhabitants, even if their worn-down faces often succeed in conceiling such emotions. Metro 2033 proves once again that Eastern Europeans are the masters of atmosphere - and of single player first person shooters.