Metro 2033 PC Game - Post-Apocalyptic Survival FPS | Steam Digital Download | Immersive Storyline & Stunning Graphics for Windows Gaming

I wanted to finally try out his game since I'm a huge fan of post-apocalyptic setting. I had so much fun playing through this game and actually got challenged through parts of it. It's scary, you need to rely on good survival skills and combat isn't always the right answer. For a FPS shooter it's definitely not like the others; it has a great story that kept me captivated and combat that's a ton of fun.Story:After the tutorial the game starts you out in Exhibition and the world has been ravaged by nuclear warfare and is set in a post-apocalyptic world. Everyone is living underground to avoid the mutated creatures and radiation in manmade cities around the giant metro system that was in place before war ravaged the world.Dark Ones started becoming more aggressive and make people go crazy if damaged by them. They are also pushing the underground towns back and attacking them all the time infecting more and more people each time. Something needs to be done, or humanity will be eradicated. Artyom is thrown into this conflict thanks to Hunter's advice and you're sent on a quest to find a way to save Exhibition.The setting is really awesome to be in and you have to constantly be on your guard or die. With radiation, mutated creatures, and other humans fighting against you, the dark setting really fits right into this and makes you feel alone in the Metro's. With the overarching story mixed into this setting really sets up a great story telling experience.Gameplay:I really found the survival aspect to be really refreshing to the FPS genre. As a fan of the classic Resident Evil's, I love the fact I have to be careful with bullets running out or my gas mask failing if I mess up. Parts of the game are actually pretty freaky and had me jump at stuff. Not many games can make me get scared, but this one does a good job at it; especially towards the end of the game.When you press the M button you bring up a journal and a lighter. This is the only way to find out what you have to do and get a waypoint/compass guiding you where you need to be. The lighter is just to light up your journal in dark areas. Another cool thing they added to the game, is allowing you to run and reload at the same time (Which comes in handy when you're outnumbered and need to run away).The loading is really fast (1-3 seconds max if you have a decent pc) and each main loading screen has a paragraph the main character reads to you. That paragraph is usually what's happened so far with a mix of future events to be. Since the game was created from a novel, I think this is a wonderful call back to the original material. Combat:The game actually gets difficult at parts, even on normal. I find this to be a nice change of pace with games that you can just blow through. On top of that since you have to manage your ammo, you have to make sure your shots are on target and not missing.At times your character gets impaired and the controls get a bit wonky, like what would happen if you were doing that specific task. For example, you have to pick up something semi heavy, so your reticule moves slowly and you can't run anymore. I like this little addition for the immersion of the atmosphere and it's pretty cool when these events happen and change gameplay a bit. Exploration:Every now and then you get access to city like hubs that you can barter for weapons, ammo and health packs. NPC's have little side conversations while you're walking around and you can learn a lot about the setting just listening in. One fun thing to do is go around and knocking on people's doors, just to hear all the random little comments they yell at you.You also collect pre-war ammo that is the games main currency. In the hub cities you can purchase guns, ammo, weapons with modifications (Like a silencer) and gas mask filters. You also have an option of trading your normal ammo for pre-war ammo currency. Survival:Gas masks are extremely important in this game. When you start to venture outside and radiated areas you need to put on your mask or die. You slowly use the filters you currently have over time. Only the first few towns allow you to buy filters, so savaging them is going to be the only way you can survive.The PoV changes when you put on the gas mask, as if you are actually wearing it and the corners are a bit blurred like it has degraded over time. If you take damage the mask starts to crack, so if you you're not careful it can break and kill you. That damage stays until you change your mask and you can only change it every now and then.While you are provided with guns as your main firepower source, ammo is pretty scarce and it makes you feel like you have to take time with your shooting. You can't run around spraying and praying, unless you like using your knife all the time when you run out of ammo. The health packs have to be manually used, and it stops what you're doing to heal yourself. Makes trying to heal more strategic; instead of just healing randomly on the fly (Healing over time still happens, but you can't be hit).Soundtrack:Weapon firing noises are extremely well done. All of them sound really diverse and what I would imagine the real life firing noise would be. You can also recognize each weapon that gets fired, so you know what type of guns are being fired near or at your direction. Mods also change the sound to the weapons as well, like the silencer reducing the noise of the gun itself. Enemies can still hear the muffled silenced shot if close though (Which makes sense, if I heard that in real life, I would turn around).Music plays time to time and only really when an important action scene is happening. The loading screen has its own creepy theme but most exploration has no music playing in the background. I love soundtracks in video games but I think having less music fits this game perfectly. It adds to the immersion and listening to everything else is much more important (Breathing, enemies, footsteps etc).Graphics:Since everything is post-apocalyptic you feel a sense of doom where ever you travel. As you progress through the game the settings actually change and have different looks to them. Even though you are going though the metro most of the game, the different environmental effect makes them feel fresh and new.They did an amazing job with the outside landscape and the feeling of utter devastation. The nuclear winter makes Moscow look even more eerie with the nuclear wasteland. The buildings outside are really creepy, and I found myself looking all around making sure nothing would jump out of the shadows.IMO, this is the best game to capture the lighting effects and shadows. Different types of light source give a range of Illumination. So your flashlight is bright if you're fully charged or a really weak light if it's out of juice. All the lights in the game can be shot out, which allows you to sneak through the shadows to kill enemies with stealth.Verdict:This game is so worth the asking price: especially since it's really cheap now. It was cool trying to survive in this wilderness, the story was unpredictable and the combat was really rewarding when you stealth kill enemies. This game is more linear than the Fallout games but I still recommend this to fans of those games, since I loved the Fallout games and I loved this game as well. With all the crappy FPS games coming out these days, this is a fresh breath of air.~ Written: 07-12Positive:* Fast loading* An fps that actually requires survival* Most exploration has no music playing in the back which adds to the immersion* Amazing immersion and you feel quite alone* Everything feels dangerous wherever you go and you can easily get freaked out* Amazing atmosphere that feels devastated* Weapon sounds are unique and enemies react to themNegative:* Glitchy at times* Only relies on auto saving, no manually saving the game!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Finally a real FIRST PERSON SHOOTER !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!This game is PERFECT! I needed this breath of fresh air so badly. It seems like so many titles are bogging down with multiple story line paths that I was relieved to finally find a shooter with a straight (LINEAR!!! yay!) well written story line where earth shattering consequences were not hinged on every cut-scene dialog choice given to me. I'm getting very sick to death of all these "choose your own adventure" games that I was very happy to find a game where the brilliant story line simply unfolded before me like a movie or novel.These guys get it RIGHT. I played all of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series and I loved them. Somehow I totally missed the connection with 4A Games so I was REALLY jacked up about (sorta) getting a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game! They even give a nod to the originals in the dialog, plus a very interesting new twist on "Anomolies"My only complaint is that they omitted the ability to LEAN - Left or Right to peek around corners... Sad, but I think those controls got lost in a case of console-itis. But, that's ok, I'm glad to see these guys breaking into the real money making market, even if it costs me my leaning controls...On the topic of controls, I really gotta hand it to these guys for some very new and creative aspects to this genre, for example, the compass/journal/lighter idea is instant classic - Find a weapon with a bayonet and it opens a second melee attack - the night vision goggles/gas mask is implemented perfectly.Weapons - I can only say that these guys KNOW how to balance weapons. It's great when devs make pistols powerful enough to actually USE... and these guys know their guns. They always have. They include a superb range of diverse weaponry for any type of playstyle.And talk about playstyle ... OMG, THIEF meets S.T.A.L.K.E.R. when it comes to stealth game play. Completly over the top nerve wracking trying to sneak past patrols or get those well times silent kills! I havn't had so much fun since CRYSIS.The maps allow for multiple routes in specific areas so you can choose to do Rambo style, stealth or a combo.I have not finished the game yet, but I am so completely thrilled by this title, and other THQ titles (Frontlines, Homefront), that this company is rapidly rising to the top of my favorite game makers list!I must comment on the health/healing system. Since HALO invented regenerating shields, then Gears of War cover/regenerate system really expanded this general idea it seems like everyone wants these retarted "DO NOTHING AND EVERYTHING WILL BE OK" healing systems...In case you arent clear on what I mean, in Gears of War, and Mass effect 2 for examples, if you are in cover and get injured, all a player REALLY has to do is DROP THE CONTROLS, sit there quietly, do NOTHING and in moments, everything will be right as rain...Ok fine, I've played both these titles and enjoyed them, but I don't want every single freaking game to start using this health system...If I screw up and get myself shot, the worse possible course is to reward me with full health by sitting there and STOPPING GAME PLAY.Are you getting me yet? The reward for getting my dumb arse shot up should be to frantically be trying to get myself patched up not dropping the controller and getting a drink while I wait for the game to regenerate me.OK enough soap boxing, because my point here is that 4A game devs REALLY nailed this one by combining the regenerate/cover system with a medkit system where you can do either, or a combination of both. Major cudos here for a well implemented healing system!Graphics. In a word - STUNNING. One thing I love is the characters have multiple models grouped together to make the full character. For example, the ammo packs are seperate, individual models attached to the characters bodies. Blow them up with a grenade and pistols drop out of the holsters, ammo pouches fly off etc... Very well done, and I particularly like the way the guys gear all moves independantly of their body, for example, pouches and things all swing back and forth as they walk. Super great attention to detail.The load time for each level is extremely FAST. Unbeleiveably fast for such a graphic intensive game. I don't know how they optimized the engine so well - it's just a very high quality gaming experience.BUY THIS GAME.Fantastic game based on the novel of the same name so more story that you would get from a typical FPS game. Story driven into the depths of the Moscow subway system after the nuclear apocalypse. The story takes place about 30 years after the nuclear holocaust and the only survivors are those that made it to the subway system. In those following years different warring factions have sprung up with each controlling a different part of the subway system. (Moscow does actually have the 2nd largest subway system in the world).The story begins with the "Dark Ones" mutated beings that live on the surface, immune to the radiation that permeates the surface that seems, that have a devastating psychic ability that destroys the minds of humans when in contact. The Dark Ones are making their way into the Subway system and its up to our hero Artyom to traverse the dangers of both the subway system and the surface to try and get help to stop the Dark Ones. This is his adventure. He must fight his way passed the different factions and fight off monsters that exist above and below the surface.The quality of the graphics are excellent. As you pass through different stations you should listen to the stories and conversation of various NPCs as you get a better understanding of the situation. Generally there will be someone guiding Artyom through the subway system. Bullets are the main currency. There are home made bullets that are weaker and pre-war bullets that are more powerful. Since most of the journey is underground, this game is linear but only in the sense that your moving through tunnels.This game is made by some of the people who made the Stalker series. If you enjoyed that series you will enjoy this one.The first horror game I ever tried and the first game that made me fall for the horror genre. The story synopsis was so good that I HAD to toughen up and try this. The experience was truly amazing. If you're looking for some really immersive and compellingly realistic story, coupled with realistic action and survival, this is a masterpiece you need to try. It paints a convincing, near true to life picture of the intricacies of post fallout survival. Beautifully done.I was in search of a horror game with a great story and characterization. Metro 2033 has it. Along with it, the game also has a great gameplay. The graphics are good but not the best but since the game is old it doesn't matter.The only downside is you have to download a lot after installing this game but once its done its an absolute treat to play this .PLAY THIS then buy and play