Shut Up and Play Metro 2033 Already

I am not an unusual gamer. Actually, I am rather bland. I am not one of those gamers who goes on message boards and defends a critically panned title to the death, nor do I usually disagree with the large majority of opinions. It is simple economics. If a game is bad, I won't buy it. If a game is good, chances are I will purchase it. However, sometimes it is hard to tell wether or not a game is worthy of my money. I can read as many reviews as I want, but having to justify my decision on the opinions of a perfect stranger seems…odd. This is why I never make a decision based on a review, and the only true way to tell if a game is going to hit that sweet spot is to jump right in and check it out.

 

Metro 2033 was a bit of an odd product. I never read too much about it before release, and no one seemed to be looking forward to it. A friend of mine at my local game store told me they had zero preorders for it, and he had no idea what game I was talking about in the first place. So you will understand my shock when I decided to play a game of Russian Roulette, purchase Metro 2033, and spend the next 12 hours glued to my television. Metro 2033 is the best FPS I have played in a very long time. A small, little known developer whose employees make up some of the original developers of "Stalker" had created such a fantastic piece of entertainment that I felt it was my duty to write something about it. I fear the low hype for this game might ruin it, and I want to see it succeed.

 

This is why all the haters out there who have not even played the game need to stop simply following what the person next to you is doing and, just for one second, use your own brain and make a decision for yourself. Instead of just blindly following others unjust opinions you can actually play the game, and make your own opinion. In other words, shut up and play Metro 2033 already.

 

If you search Metacritic for this game, you will see it is about 80 last time I checked. Looking at the review scores for this game will certainly dumbfound some. Reviewers seem to be split. You will see a handful of 90's and 80's along with 60's and 50's. This is going to be one of those games that becomes a cult hit despite some truly bad reviews. Like God Hand. Luckily for me I played the game first before reading any reviews. I say this is lucky because I have always found myself paying attention to any faults a reviewer says they had with a specific game. I was able to sit down when the credits rolled and write down a list of the Pro's and Con's of Metro 2033, and then compare it with the reviews found on metacritc.

 

My only Con was that it ended too soon. I know that sounds like Fanboy talk, but understand that this game came out of nowhere and completely took me by surprise. It took me on an adventure I won't soon forget, and I hate the thought of it rotting in some bargain bin at the back of an electronics store. So, what is so great about it? Well, for starters, it leaks atmosphere. Metro 2033 is the first game I have ever played that convinced me it was real. The way they shape the world and the characters is something most developers spend 5 or more games perfecting. Imagine Half Life in post apocalyptic Russia and you will be half way there.

 

You spend almost 80% of your time underground in the subway systems of destroyed Russia. The brand new engine used to power the game can render these underground environments with such beauty and attention to detail that they almost didn't need to go the extra mile, but they did. They infused these fantastic environments with characters who feel real. They are not supermen. They aren't Gods. They are real men and women, faced with a tragedy, who try their hardest to make their lives and the lives of their families better. Throughout the game you will find yourself in different underground stations that survivors of the blast had built up in an attempt to regain some sort of coherent existence. Exploring these stations can probably be closely compared to a concentration camp. Not in the way they are treated, but how they must live their lives in order to survive.

 

You can buy new weapons or ammo here and listen to different characters talk to each other. Like a boy trying to convince a dirty old man to tell him stories about what life used to be like. Or a father promising his son that his mother will be home soon, before beginning to cry for her death. Just walking around and listening is more heart wrenching and interesting than most games main narrative. It is a level of detail not seen very often anymore, and can easily be compared to the moody atmosphere of "Bioshock".
 

Throughout the entire game you will find yourself exploring the underground tunnels of Russia. Fighting off mutated beast from above. Venturing out into the outdoors and seeing the devastation for the first time. Experience some truly terrifying encounters with something not of this world. You will sneak into a Nazi fortified station (the game does not take place in the past, Nazi's re-emerged after the blast to attempt and take control). You will desperately try and find more filters for your gas mask, and save up for that awesome scoped pistol you saw at the store. You will hold down the trigger and pray as your attacked by a stampede of angry four legged beasts, and you'll slowly walk down a haunted tunnel while trying not to make eye contact with the shadows of the dead. You will not be disappointed.

 

At the end of the game I knew I had just finished an experience so great that I feared I may never experience such joy from a shooter ever again. I guess only time will tell. You, however, still have the opportunity. There are just as many great reviews for this game as there are bad ones, and the decision ultimately needs to be yours. Just know that while the game is not perfect (the shooting feels a little off) it is more than deserving of your attention. Just make sure you play it with the lights off.