Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver
Genre: First person shooter
Platform: PC
Release Date: 17 May, 2013
Review by: Gaming Tracks
Written by: Anutim Bajwa
Position of the writer: Technical Editor

Synopsis

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The game is set in the same post-apocalyptic future as its predecessor, Metro 2033. In it, mankind is struggling to survive beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro, away from the deadly threats outside. People and animals who have been exposed to the poisonous substances filling the skies have become mutants who stalk the catacombs and hunt its inhabitants. The survivors are fighting against each other for the remaining resources instead of standing together to fight these dangerous creatures. They all covet an ultimate weapon; a powerful doomsday device from the military vaults of D6. Civil war among the survivors seems imminent and might lead to the end of humanity.
The player is cast as 'Artyom' in Metro: Last Light and has to find a way to make sense of the chaos and be the last light in humanity's darkest hour. The game is story-driven and lets the players experience combat situations where they have to fight with an arsenal of exotic hand-made weapons and fight against both human and mutant foes to progress in the game. The world of Metro: Last Light is designed to be an immersible, atmospheric one.

Review Starts

"Welcome to the Metro", the catchy caption that is used to encapsulate the two metro games.As i ventured in the metro universe i found the dark story of human survival told in the backdrop of a post nuclear world wit an emphasis on storytelling and atmosphere.Eventhough the first metro had some problems namely bugs to spoli the fun experience it could have been, it still managed to be a intersting game with its own identity.Again the main potgainist is Artyom who pushes forward through a mutant infested wasteland to find the truth.

First off, 4A Games this time around has succesfully managed to clear most of the shortcomings that plagued the first game.Gone are the days when flawed stealth mechanics or A.I that play dumb in the darkruined the game.Speaking of stealth it plays an important role this time around and picking off enemies in the dark not only conserves your ammo but also is quite satisfying.You can turn off junction boxes, unscrew bulbs to create total darkness and assassinate [pun intended] baddies one by one.But the A.I is sharp and reacts according to situations by turning on their head mounted torches, tries to turn the power back on and if you are caught then get they will flank the player and sweep every nook and cranny to find you.You can always shoot your way out of almost any situation but the former approach is much more rewarding.What about the mutant hordes you ask? well they are terryfing more thann ever and presents a formidable threat to the player and a battle can quickly turn into a struggle for survival escpecially once you're on the surface.

What new this time around ?

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The game is not a "SHOOT ANUYTHING THAT MOVES" kind of shooter and if you do that u can get to la' la land before you can say "Reload".Metro feeds you the eerie atmosphere and the desperate state of mankind that struggles to survive in the metro.Metro stations and its premise are exqusitely detailed and is a sight to behold with NPC's talking, going by their business, children watching puppet shows and more.You can find many surprises if you decide to explore the many metro stations that are present in the game.All in all 4A Games havefinally scored a fine balance between gameplay & telling the tale of a post nuclear world.

Graphics & Sound

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Now for the fun stuff.For those who die for bleeding edge graphics can literally bleed to death after seeing the crisp graphics that the 4A engine can deliver.the greatest aspect of Metro-LL is undoubtebly its graphics.Graphics on PC is especially spectacular with 2048X2048 resolution textures through and through.You can tweak all the settings except fov but that maybe accountable to immersion.If you have a beefy system then you are in for a ride.But the game is not optimised well and can stutter on AMD cards especially lower end ones.Sound also does a pretty decent job of letting you know you are in a hostile environment filled with distant howls of mutants which will drown your ears essentially signaling an impending fight.Guns sound powerful and intimidating but dialogues a poorly delivered and lip synch is not upto scratch with the latest games.To sum it up when you play metro you will live and breath its atmosphere as the developer intended.

Verdict

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Metro-LL is a worthy sequel that corrects most of its previous mistakes and is succesful in capturing the player and forcing them to experience survival at its sharpest sense.The game still sports a few problems still such as optimisation issues, slight graphical & presentaion glitches and is a far from a percfect product.Last light is still a mature game with some nudity, gore and much more that can unsettle some players to say the least.Aside from that the game is almost perfect and makes a come back stronger than ever.

From abandoned metro stations to busy bustling markets to intense fire fights with both mutant and human alike, Metro is a rewarding journey everyone needs to venture atleast once.

Score - 8.8/10 = Excellent

Rating by expert: Must Play!