| 31 March 2010
After playing Metro 2033 it becomes abundantly clear that it's going to be a very difficult game to review, and this is largely due to the fact that the game has the capacity to be brilliant – if it wasn't quite so broken.
Possibly the first thing you'll notice is that developer 4A Games – comprised of members of the team who worked on S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl – have tried hard to create a game that's immersive, realistic, and atmospheric. In this respect, the developers have done an excellent job, and you're unlikely to play another FPS that has the same kind of atmosphere that Metro 2033 does. Likewise, the game is filled with lots of original touches that help keep you immersed, such as the way you use your watch to see how much time you have left before you need to change the filter on your gas-mask, or the way the mask begins to fog up when said filter needs to be changed. The game is filled with inventive touches like this, and it really helps to reinforce the atmosphere that the game does such a great job of creating.
Given that much of your time is spent in underground tunnels, the game does a good job of varying the action, and introduces enough new elements and mechanics to keep the gameplay feeling fresh, for the most part at least. However, not all of these sections are well implemented, and some sections feel like they definitely could have used more development time and a little more polish.
In fact, it is this lack of refinement that eventually becomes the game's biggest problem, and there are a number of elements that drag the game down – elements that feel like they could have been easily remedied by more development time. Of all of the faults though, it is the shooting that is without doubt the biggest offender. Its questionable hit detection is the game's biggest flaw, and you'll find yourself having to put a ridiculous amount of ammo (which is remarkably scarce) into enemies in order to put them down. Strangely, this problem seems worst with the shotgun, which, even at close range, feels like it has virtually no spread, and does very little damage. It's also extremely disconcerting when you have to put eight or nine shotgun shells into the chest of a human enemy at point-blank range before they finally give up the ghost, especially since the same enemies will die instantly when melee'd with the butt of said shotgun.
Another major problem that drags the game down is the checkpoint system. Many of the checkpoints are poorly spaced, and you'll often be tempted to turn the game off rather than replay through the same sections again. Worse still is that the game checkpoint system will occasionally save at the most inopportune moments, such as when your gas-mask is broken and you have no hope of finding a new one, leaving you doomed to failure over and over again. When this happens, your only option is to re-load an earlier save and replay the entire chapter again which is extremely frustrating.
Aside from these two major gripes, the game also has a few smaller problems, such as the fact that the game isn't always entirely clear about what it wants you to do, or that the incidental sound is louder than what is right in front of you. This makes standing in a crowded subway tunnel a disorienting, not to mention irritating experience, and also makes finding someone by following their voice practically impossible.
Taking all of these things into consideration, it becomes very difficult to objectively review Metro 2033. On one hand, the game boldly attempts (and mostly successfully) to do something different, and manages to create a unique, coherent atmosphere while doing so. However, the biggest barrier to your enjoyment ultimately going to come down to how willing you are to overlook the game's faults. If you're the type of person who can easily overlook these kinds of faults, then there's definitely a lot here for you to enjoy.
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