So, I'm playing Metro right now, and I'd like some help to determine what's really the best setting. It's not really only for this game, but since I'm playing this right now, and I have the dilemma, I'd like some help. Anyways, I go into the brightness settings, I change it to right where it says "Adjust the slider so the left-most image is barely visible", and that's in most games, so I assume sure, that has to be barely visible, but the middle and farthest right has to be and will be clearly visible, but often times the default setting has it so it's not visible, and even the center one (at least on this game) is hardly visible either.

The thing is, I like that setting more and makes more sense for the atmosphere since when it's in a dark setting that I feel is meant to be dark, it's dark so I have to use either a flashlight or IR goggles, while when I have it on the setting where it tells me it's intended to be played on, it's OK, but often time seems overly bright. Obviously many people will think "just play it on what you like", but I want to play it on what it's intended to be played on, and I feel that often times it's quite contradictory.

Alright, well, I'm just going to keep it on default, in the center. It just looks more realistic. It just bothers me since it doesn't say that that's the intended way to play it, and yet it really seems to be. My TV's settings are all default as well which makes it look the best, so that's not the problem.

The indented way is just as most games say, so that the left most image is barely visible. But that's why the adjustment option is there because displays and outside conditions are different. The "default" is not the default, it's just a starting position for you to adjust from. If you prefer the darker setting, just keep it that way.

yeh, i'd say ignore the defaults, and judge it by the light level in the actual game - an enclosed unlit space should be impossible to see without torch or goggles.