Developer- 4A Games
Publishers- Deep Silver
Release Date- May 14th, 2013
Price- $59.99 MSRP
Review Platform- Xbox 360
Lighting up the tunnels
Metro: Last Light continues the story of Artyom, the mostly silent protagonist from the original Metro 2033 game as he now serves in the Rangers, a special group of soldiers who receive news that a Dark One has been spotted in the Wastleand. In the original game, players could trigger actions that would alter the game's ending, and Last Light assumes that you chose the one that caused the Dark Ones to disappear, which explains why everyone is interested in their potential return. As Artyom, you're tasked to go after it and find that searching for the Dark One begins a series of events that could cause another war.
Everything that was great about Metro 2033 is still intact here with Last Light, including the atmosphere, populated tunnels full of survivors, and scary elements peppered throughout the experience – it all comes together with an improved shooting mechanic, making the action in the campaign more responsive and enjoyable than it's predecessor.
While bullets are still used as the game's currency for purchasing items and upgrading weapons, you shouldn't ever completely run out of them, unless you decide to ramp up the difficulty. The A.I has been improved in Last Light as well, so combat doesn't have to always occur. There's actually an achievement you can earn for not killing anyone in the game aside from the scenarios where you have to fight, which is very possible thanks to the improvements that Last Light contains.
During my first playthrough, which took around 10 hours to complete, I found myself playing the game in a mostly stealthy manner. I carried weapons with silencers to help reduce my presence when I took out enemies, and used knife executions to quickly take down soldiers on patrol. Just like with 2033, blowing or shooting out lights will help reduce your chances of being alerted, and now the watch that Artyom wears has an indicator that lets you know if you're visible from others or not with a simple blue light.
This addition is very welcome, as players instantly know if they need to hide more from enemy eyes, should they choose to maneuver around discreetly. The watch is also great because when you have to traverse the surfaces of the game, your watch displays how much time you have left before you need to attach a new canister of air to your mask.
Most times that I explored the surface on the first game, I did so quickly so I could focus on finding canisters, but I always seemed to have a good amount in Last Light, which translated to being able to actually look around the wonderful and destroyed environment rather than just speeding through sections as I looked for air. The game does a good job of keeping you moving through areas, so you'll be able to explore the areas that you come across over the course of the game.
While the quiet and eerie wasteland ares of the game are fun, I really enjoy the sense of life in the tunnels of the game. There are merchants trying to get your attention to buy stuff, children crowded around adults listening to the stories of the old days, beggars asking for spare bullets, and soldiers conversing among themselves about their situation in the metro. People will even react to your presence sometimes, making you really feel like a citizen of the Metro.
You've no doubt heard about the Ranger mode DLC, which comes with new copies of the game, or as an $5 download. The mode billed as “The way it was meant to be played” is pretty neat, and I do believe that it should have been a mode that everyone could unlock after completing the game once, but that's just how things are with most games nowadays.
Despite the DLC controversy, 4A has once again made a fantastic title that has significant improvements over the original game. So suit up, put on your mask, and enjoy the metro!
"It is the year 2034. Beneath the ruins of post-apocalyptic Moscow, in the tunnels of the Metro, the remnants of mankind are besieged by deadly threats from outside – and within. Mutants stalk the catacombs beneath the desolate surface, and hunt amidst the poisoned skies above. But rather than stand united, the station-cities of the Metro are locked in a struggle for the ultimate power, a doomsday device from the military vaults of D6. A civil war is stirring that could wipe humanity from the face of the earth forever. As Artyom, burdened by guilt but driven by hope, you hold the key to our survival – the last light in our darkest hour…"
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