Should I get Metro Redux?

[matt]

I probably won't get a chance to game until after we ship, and there are a ton of awesome games coming out this fall, but I'm wondering if I should also get Metro Redux. I'm sure it's a good game, but how horrifying in it? How is the atmosphere?

While action horror isn't really my favorite (and I'd probably play on the new n00b mode because difficulty isn't either), I think if it has a better focus on mood/horror than Doom 3, I'll probably be satisfied.

What do you guys think? Do you guys like Metro 2033 or Metro: Last Light better?

Thanks!

[JPrice]

Well personally I started to play Metro 2033 and ended up giving up on it. Sadly the main problem is that one of the main mechanics of the game (The stealth) is rather janky, being that once you draw the slightest bit of suspicion all the guards seem to know exactly where you are. Which makes sections rather annoying and tedious, plus you aren't really given much freedom to go guns blazing as ammo is scarce. It's a shame really because aside from that the game has a great atmosphere. The Metro itself is just so full of life and it all looks really gorgeous that it really sucks you into the world, its just a shame that the game has some pretty odd design choices. It might get better further into the game though, sadly I didn't get that far though so hahaa.

However I did recently pick up Metro: Last Light and found it to be a better game than the first, considering that it fixed pretty much all the problems I had with the original. The same great atmosphere and graphics are there, with the Metro having lots of life/character and the surface being a legitimately threatening place. The gunplay feels way better, a lot more meaty and satisfying to shoot on the humans/mutants. The stealth has also been fixed to where you are given clear indication for when you are in shadow and if you mess up you're given like a second or two to hide away from the enemy so they don't spot you. Finally I like that you feel like you could go into an encounter guns blazing if you want but you're encouraged and rewarded for being sneaky if you can, I just like that there's the ability to fall back on a normal shootout if things get hairy and you're spotted. The only gripes I have are that the AI can be a bit derpy, especially when you're stealthing and standing like right in front of them, but because you're in shadow they "technically" don't see you even though they should. Some of the surface sections can be a little tedious as well and the story gets a little weird near the end, but aside from that its a really good survival based shooter with some nice horror elements to it. Would definitely recommend it!

As for the Redux versions, I think that Last Light's Redux version is basically like a GOTY edition of the original game as it has all the DLC, slight engine improvements and added modes. Where as Metro 2033 is where the majority of the improvements are. The engine from Last Light is added to 2033 so all the gameplay changes in Last Light are now in 2033, also you have the choice to play the game in "Survival (The original mode)" or "Spartan (More action focused Last Light mode). It gives you the choice in how you want to play the game, in tandem with all the gameplay improvements from Last Light being implimented. All that made me pre-order the 2033 Redux version as I would like to play that, now that I can possibly enjoy it more than I did in the first place. Hopefully it turns out to be a good investment but we'll soon see!

[matt]

Thanks for so many details on the game! It sounds like it's more of a shooter than a horror game. Would you agree? I guess my question is "how horrific is it?" Will I get scared? Will I learn something new about how horror can be used in games? I guess those are the questions I consider when buying a game. I don't play ONLY horror games, but I am interested in this one for the horror just because I've played so many FPSes (and I like to play them co-op with my wife, which I don't think Metro supports)

Thanks!

[JPrice]

No problem on giving you a lot of details on the game hahaa
I would agree that there's more of a focus on shooting than horror, honestly the horror is very much an undertone in the game. Like I think the combination of the bleak atmosphere and survival/scavenging elements of the game naturally create that horror. Obviously its not scary in the same way that something that was intentionally made to be scary is, but there's small traces of horror there still that make it interesting. I'd say that it being scary is a secondary thing for the game though so don't expect it to be super frightening or anything! Just expect something that has some horror undertones as a result of its gameplay.

Really the thing that makes the Metro series unique from other shooters is the gameplay combination of stealth, survival horror and FPS. All that in tandem with the bleak, oppressive atmosphere and decidedly European feel of the game (Like how everything is built from scraps and heavy Russian accents everywhere) makes it rather unique in the shooter genre, at least to me anyway

Also no Metro doesn't have co-op, its just single player hahaa

[matt]

Okay, it sounds cool! If I burn through the crazy amount of games that are releasing this holiday, I'll be sure to pick it up.