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Metro: Last Light preview: a breath of (fresh) air

Metro: Last Light doesn't captivate by innovating--instead, it shines through sheer polish, offering best-in-class visuals, satisfying battles, and an intricately detailed world to explore.

Andrew Yoon

March 21, 2013 8:00 AM

There isn't really a dearth of highly scripted linear first-person shooters. Yet, 4A Games manages to create something truly engrossing with its follow-up to Metro 2033. Metro: Last Light doesn't captivate by innovating--instead, it shines through sheer polish, offering best-in-class visuals, satisfying battles, and an intricately detailed world to explore. Last Light takes place one year after the events of 2033, with Artyom once again looking for the Dark Ones. And although there is quite a bit of backstory to wade through, newcomers and fans alike will be able to instantly appreciate the unique setting of Metro--a post-apocalyptic world where nuclear war has forced Russian denizens to seek shelter in underground subway systems. 4A brings the Metro universe to life with absolutely stunning visuals--on a high-end PC, at least. (We didn't see the console versions demoed.) What really sells the experience isn't necessarily the tech, however. You can simply absorb the world by looking around. Pay attention, and you'll notice how everything in the world has been jury-rigged from garbage and scraps to accommodate humanity's new lifestyle. From gates to boats, humanity has come up with rather interesting solutions for living underground. The world feels alive, and during your expeditions to the game's many towns, you'll feel tempted to simply watch how NPCs interact with one another. In one part of the game, you'll walk through a cabaret show. I saw one complete act, and decided to move on as the second act was beginning--but I wondered: how long could I have stayed there?

You'd want to enjoy the environments--if you weren't running out of air

While it's easy to get tricked by life in the "streets" of the Metro underground, there's quite a lot of turmoil to deal with. Above-ground, nuclear fallout is responsible for horrifying mutants--and poisonous air that kills without an air filter. The irradiated fallout provides Metro some of its most exhilarating moments. As you traverse the destroyed Russian cityscape, you'll be constantly pressed for air filters. Lasting only a few minutes, the game forces you to be mindful--and incredibly resourceful, scavenging bodies and searching hidden corners for every last filter you can find. Although there are some knuckle-biting moments fighting mutants, I found myself enjoying the challenge of fighting against human enemies far more. While the monsters overwhelm with brute force, the human opponents of Metro are much more cunning. The AI feels incredibly responsive to your actions. If you're ever detected, you'll see the AI moving foes into cover, looking for opportunities to flank you. As their numbers whittle down, you'll see them adjust their tactics. One time, I was especially impressed to see that two enemies were scanning the area with their flashlight, as they walked around backs against each other. Seeing the AI constantly engaging with new tactics makes combat utterly satisfying. With a beautiful distopyian sci-fi setting, and an interesting mix of human and mutant enemies to fight, Metro: Last Light perfects the formula that Valve introduced in Half-Life. And given the studio's silence on Episode 3, Last Light may be the closest thing we'll get to a proper Half-Life follow-up. That's not meant as a mark against 4A's talent--rather, it's proof that Metro: Last Light is shaping up to be something rather remarkable.

Andrew Yoon

Andrew Yoon was previously a games journalist creating content at Shacknews.

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March 21, 2013 8:00 AM

Andrew Yoon posted a new article, Metro: Last Light preview: a breath of (fresh) air.

Metro: Last Light doesn't captivate by innovating--instead, it shines through sheer polish, offering best-in-class visuals, satisfying battles, and an intricately detailed world to explore.
- valcan_s
  
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  March 21, 2013 8:37 AM
  
  Very cool, nice one Andrew glad it is rad good read, I am READY my rig is READY Metro : Last Light will own.
  
  So is May 14th really the release date?
  - AndrewYoon
    
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    March 21, 2013 9:30 AM
    
    Yep! It was weird seeing the Deep Silver logo at the beginning of the game...
    - valcan_s
      
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      March 21, 2013 9:39 AM
      
      Yeah, well at least someone took them in and hopefully will take care of the IP and support the team.
      - [deleted] 1789559702
        
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        March 22, 2013 5:50 AM
        
        [deleted]
    - valcan_s
      
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      March 21, 2013 9:43 AM
      
      Btw Andrew what was the Physx like? Was it better than first one was there a lot of particle effects and destructive effects and cloth etc, did you notice anything real cool?
      - AndrewYoon
        
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        March 21, 2013 9:48 AM
        
        I would say the focus was clearly placed on lighting and volumetric smoke/fog effects. I don't recall any flashy particle effect-laden showcases.
        
        I'm not sure if this is driven by PhysX, but there are boob physics.
- vortex6930
  
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  March 21, 2013 8:54 AM
  
  Ahh can't wait for this game, totally loved the first one. Never read the book but then again, who reads anymore?
  - kurumba
    
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    March 21, 2013 9:36 AM
    
    I actually bought the book immediately after completing Metro. I've yet to read it, but the time will come.
- Kartman013
  
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  March 21, 2013 10:08 AM
  
  Fantastic news. I thought the first one was excellent even with its lack of polish, sounds of weapon fire being the main drawback for me.
  
  Andrew, how were the gun-fire sounds in your play-through?
- stuka
  
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  March 21, 2013 10:22 AM
  
  Are the graphics better than Crysis 3? Because holy shit this game is incredible looking.
  - AndrewYoon
    
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    March 21, 2013 10:23 AM
    
    You can't really do an apples-to-apples comparison between the two games, considering Crysis 3 renders a much larger world. But they're both pretty.
- Vogerl
  
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  March 21, 2013 5:30 PM
  
  Always trust in eastern european devs 8)