Metro: Last Light

Metro 2033 was a pretty fantastic game. Set in a post-nuclear Russia, a setting rarely featured in Western games, the remnants of humanity struggled to survive a harsh new world by settling in the underground metro tunnels. Proof that human behavior doesn’t change in the face of disaster, the remaining humans have broken into several different factions including a Nazi faction that hunts down those who show signs of radiation mutations. Ultimately, the game was about the presence of the Dark Ones, a mysterious race of creatures born from the nuclear fallout. At the end of Metro 2033, the canon ending features the main player character, Artyom, destroying the Dark One nest out of fear of their perceived ill intentions.

Metro: Last Light is set immediately after this ending and Artyom has joined the Rangers who have taken refuge in the missile base when news of a surviving Dark One reaches their base, Artyom is sent to track and kill it, lest is continue to exist as a threat. Artyom does encounter the creature which looks very much like a child and before he can carry out his task, the pair are ambushed by a Nazi Reich patrol. And thus begins his quest to escape, track down the Dark One and figure out the connection between he and the monster.

Last Light is a major step up from Metro 2033, which should most definitely not be construed as a bad game. Metro 2033 was more than playable except there was a certain clunkiness to the experience, specifically the bullet currency system and the survival horror nature of having to locate extra filters and manually keeping up your equipment. These systems return in Last Light but they now feel considerably polished and streamlined. Combat, in and out of stealth, is much much more comfortable as the game adjusts itself well to both playstyles. I managed to stealth the first third of the game but ended up blasting my way through the rest of the game because I enjoyed the gun combat. Modifying weapons helps to make combat dynamic by adding different scopes, barrel options, cartridge sizes and recoil dampeners. All upgrades and combat items (throwing knives, grenades and med kits) can be purchased by spending special bullet types that can be collected from hidden caches and corpses.

Last Light is also a very beautiful game - even though it takes place in a world of abject ruin. Within the Metro, I really liked the attention to detail with everyday objects that have been cobbled together with everyday objects. There’s a high degree of crudeness in the construction of homes, boats, bars, traps and even strip clubs that’s hard not to admire. It goes a long way in show just how hard people have trying to eke out a living with scrap. Above the tunnels are the decaying ruins of Russia, a dead wasteland that is home to terrifying abominations that make passage difficult. The most terrifying enemy, however, are your air filters. A watch counts down your oxygen supply and it is integral to find additional filters or risk death.

I really enjoyed my time with Metro: Last Light even if I felt that the game was just a tad too long. Just like before, certain actions within the game determine what sort of ending you’ll get. I received the “Bad” ending but felt completely satisfied by what I experienced. Ukrainian studio 4A has done a fantastic job despite the physical, financial and tecnhical hardships the team famously endured.