A game that I love in a genre I don't usually enjoy.
User Rating: 9 | Metro 2033 PC
To start, this game is absolutely amazing. It's a first-person shooter but it's not in the same category of CoD, etc. It's much more like a survival/horror kind of game. Reminds me of a scarier version of Half-Life 2 (I am NOT saying this game is as good or better than HL-2, just saying it kind of reminded me of it). The world of Metro 2033 is gorgeous, (and I've only been able to play on it's lowest settings on my PC, I literally can't imagine how beautiful it is on ultra settings) dark, and intense. I really can't stress the intense part enough. The intensity is a function of the immersion that is created in the game. When you're playing there's almost nothing trying to take your attention away from the game. No mini-map. No health bar. Inventory UI only shows up when you are changing inventory. The only thing you see is how many rounds you have left so you know when to reload and whatnot. That's it, almost complete immersion. I would forget that I was playing the game and when I was attacked by one of the many imaginative monsters in the game I would have an instant of "Oh sh!t!" The sound of this game is masterful, there is enough variety in weaponry to keep it fresh, and the inclusion of the gasmask and the flashlight and the way the game handles them (i.e. to get a stronger beam from your flashlight you have to charge it or if you fight with your gasmask on it can fracture and become useless, killing you if you can't find a replacement in time) make the game all the more believable. My biggest complaint is that stealth is inconsistent at times, you can be sitting still in complete dark and somehow an enemy will see you (obviously pretty frustrating). Another thing that annoyed me in a small way was that the main character didn't talk in any scenes while you're playing, you only hear his voice in between missions when he says a tiny preview of what's going to happen in the next mission. I just personally like to hear my protagonist say stuff, I guess. Overall, an amazing experience and I highly recommend getting it on Steam, especially considering you can get the game for $5 during Summer or Winter Sales (the value there is crazy good) but getting it on the 360 is good too I suppose lol. 
