Metro: Last Light Review

Metro: Last Light Cover

     Hello everyone and happy Wednesday.  I'm back this week with another FPS this week that lives up to its predecessor, and maybe even surpasses it; Metro: Last Light. Metro: Last Light is a first-person shooter developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver, the sequel to its acclaimed predecessor, Metro 2033, which takes place in post-apocalyptic Russia 20 years after a nuclear war ravaged the Earth.  This event forced the survivors to retreat into Moscow's metro system to survive, animals mutated into dangerous creations that hunt from the skies, the land, and the waters.  In the current time of the Metro series, it is impossible to even step above the surface without a gas mask that requires filters, a item you will always be searching for throughout the game.  The watch on Artyom's left arm tells him how long until his filter runs out, in which he must then change it, so remember, always keep an eye out for filters. The people left above mutated from the radiation into what were known "The Dark Ones".  In Metro 2033, Artyom (the player) is told that the Dark Ones are the greatest threat humanity has ever faced due to there telepathic and super-natural abilities, allowing them to enter the mind of any creature, strong or not, and react havoc if they chose to.  They also are extremely agile, fast, and have the ability to render themselves invisible.  This displays a common concept shown throughout history: we are afraid of what we don't understand, this is shown by the people of the Metro towards the Dark Ones.  The overall plot is that you are Artyom, a Ranger for the Order, one of many factions spread throughout the Metro.  These factions include the Red Line; a re-birthed version of the Soviet Union, the Nazis; which are the re-birthed soldiers of the Nazis, The Order; a organization which was created to maintain order within the Metro, which you belong to, and many others who are not so important.  Instead of banning together to try to savage what remains of humanity, these factions are locked in a sort of pre Civil War rivalry.  Under the guild of a Ranger named Hunter you are instructed to proceed through the Metro and find the solution to this problem involving the Dark Ones.

A young Artyom being saved by a Dark One from mutants

     At the end of Metro 2033, you approach your long awaited D-6; a pre-apocalyptic shelter that contains the last weapons of mass destruction in Russia: enough missiles to level the country.  After fighting his way through the Metro up to the surface through Soviets, bandits, and mutants alike Artyom approaches D-6, however just before he reaches the facility he is contacted by the Dark Ones through hallucinations of a sort.  Artyom enters the facility, uses the missiles to target the Dark Ones home, essentially destroying the Dark Ones.  This brings us to the events of Metro: Last Light, it has been one year since the destruction of the Dark Ones and the Order now inhabits D-6, which turns out has enough supplies to supply them all for decades.  The situation between the factions of the Metro has grown worse, and the discovery of D-6 has not helped.  Even though the Order tried to keep D-6 a secret, word of the safe haven quickly got out, and rumors have spread that the other factions plan to take D-6 from the Rangers (The Order).  Artyom is awakened with urgent news from Coronal Miller, the leader of the Rangers, that a Dark One has been spotted near their old home.  You are instructed to gear up and head out to find this Dark One.  Oh, also, turns out when the Dark Ones flooded Artyom's mind with hallucinations, they were trying to establish with humanity that they only wanted peace.  So, pardon my language, but Artyom f*cked up pretty bad on that matter.  Now that we have the set the scene for the world we're about to step into, I will talk about some of the new aspects the game has to offer.  Probably the biggest change in the game is the improved stealth system, allowing you to stray from the standard path a FPS into a darker and more entertaining perspective.  Being a gamer as I am, I enjoy the stealth aspect of Metro: Last Light.

A close up of the protagonist, Artyom 

   Though you have to play Metro 2033 to appreciate the improved stealth aspect, a example of this is that you used to be spotted very easy and silent take-downs were rare.  However the stealth aspect also contains new features, such as sneaking past guards to reach power breakers and turn off the lights for a section of a area.  This allows Artyom to sneak past enemies with more ease, silenced weapons, throwing knifes, and take-downs add to the fun of stealth.  In some environments you can walk under the floors in the waterways to avoid detection.  That was basically the only big change in the game, other then a updated HUD, better graphics, and a few other things.  I would recommend this game to any FPS survival horror fans and all gamers in general, 9/10 on my scale.  I hope you all have enjoyed this review and I will be back next Wednesday.  Until then, game on.  This has been Jacob Arnold, signing off.

Recommended to watch in full screen for full awesomeness