PAX East 2013: Metro Last Light Brings it's (4)A Game

Metro 2033 came onto the scene and was quickly classified as a niche shooter but managed to lay a strong foundation for becoming a triple-A franchise. The game took place in a post-apocalyptic Russia where the remnants of humanity had taken refuge in underground subway tunnels. The game was applauded for it's atmosphere but split the audience with it's "ammunition as currency" mechanic. With Metro Last Light, 4A Games has managed to address the issues that more mainstream audiences took with the original without losing the identity that made it a hit in the first place. I had the chance to play through an hour of the game this afternoon and was blown away by what I experienced.

The portion of the game that I played (running on a PC) was deliberately chosen to show off everything from stealth gameplay to hectic combat with giant spiders. The game shines on a technical level thanks to an impressive lighting and physics engine but more importantly to its excellent sound design. Fans of atmospheric adventure/horror games will feel right at home thanks to the terrific voice acting and ambient noise. NPC's partake in lengthy (and informative) conversations and alter their actions in such a way that it almost feels dynamic. Natural audio cues do everything from suggesting that the player assess the status of their mask filter to creating a sense of overwhelming paranoia when exploring spider-infested tunnels. Many games strive to achieve the level of audio immersion that Metro manages to achieve here.

Play controls in combat and traversal have been retooled to resemble something that fans of modern-day shooters will feel at home with without throwing out any of the elements that made Metro so unique. The use of lighters, filters, and gun pumps have been mapped to a radial wheel that clearly informs the player of how to access them. If you had trouble remembering how to change a filter or bust out an important tool at a moments notice in the original game, rest at ease because accessibility seems like it was a primary focus of the development team this time around. Don't be scared of the word accessibly however, tension runs high at all times in Metro Last Light. There are enough options in the way in which you approach a scenario that the game manages to avoid feeling linear or simplified in its approach.

I know what you are thinking: "I have seen and done this a thousand times in other games." I won't deny your accusations either; Metro Last Light is a game that will feel familiar to a lot of people but it also has the potential to set the bar for atmospheric shooters going forward. The game seems to be a jack-of-all-trades because it successfully juggles mechanics that will satisfy fans of horror, stealth, shooters, and adventure. A lot of what I played reminded me of the time I recently spent playing Penumbra on the feed thanks to its pacing and devotion to creating a sense of mystery. Combat scenarios are approachable in multiple ways and the multiple opportunities to venture off the beaten path ensure that you are always in control of the experience you want to have.

There is still a lot to say about Metro Last Light and we will certainly be covering it in the coming months. Look for our interviews with Dmitry Glukhovsky this evening as well as impressions from the other staffers on tonight's podcast. Also, rest assured that I will be broadcasting the original Metro on the feed prior to the games launch on May 14, 2013.