Post-apocalyptic themes have been mainstay of videogame tropes for ages.  You set foot in a world that is hauntingly familiar, yet decimated, starting over with what remains.  It’s hard to resist the allure of a world where rules have changed, and you have the choice to forge a path that can be good or evil, or perhaps a mix of both.  Morality becomes currency.  Pure gamer fantasy at its finest.

Metro Last Light is a direct sequel to Metro: 2033, a game which was released in 2010 and and was based on the novel by Dmitry Glukhovsky.  The original game delivered a visceral, moody vision of post-apocalyptic Russia, where survivors had forged a makeshift society within the expansive metro system beneath Moscow.  It was a game that dropped players into a grim future where very little retained its former beauty.  A surprise hit among gamers who gave it a try, despite a few minor gameplay issues related to combat and stealth, Metro 2033 generated enough sales to warrant a follow up.

In May of 2013, 4A Games from the Ukraine released the sequel, called Metro Last Light, and truly raised the bar for the genre.  The game was a more polished mix of shooting and stealth, both of which have been significantly improved.  Shooting mechanics have been tightened, and various new mods are available for weapons, enabling players to employ all out combat, or stealth, both of which are viable approaches to most levels.  Stealth gameplay employs the use of shadows, much like the early Splinter Cell games.  If you choose to, you can traverse an entire level without killing any humans.  My only criticism is that the stealth approach tends to make the game a bit too easy in places.  Use of shadows essentially makes you invisible, and enemy patrol patterns rarely take a concealed path away from you.  If you come across enemies that don’t engage in patrol patterns, chances are, you’ll find an alternate route nearby.  As a result, playing on a harder difficulty is advised, since this makes enemies more aware of your presence.

Shifting between stealth and combat on the mutant levels can feel a bit uneven, as these creatures tend to act like bullet sponges for the most part, and are much more aware of your presence, limiting your stealth options.  The disparity between these two types of gameplay can be viewed either as an imbalance, or simply as an element that adds variety.  Personally, I like a good stealth game that rewards patient and tactical play.  Once the kill-the-creature-moshpit starts, I tend to find my interest waning.

4A Games also makes a “Ranger Hardcore Mode” available, allowing you to play without a HUD and limiting the availability of supplies.  It also drastically alters the difficulty, making you susceptible to death from just a couple of shots, but also enforcing these conditions on your enemies.  Oddly enough, although 4A has said that Ranger Hardcore is the way the game was meant to be played, the mode was only included with pre-ordered copies.  If you want to play this post-release, it will cost you $5.00 for the DLC.

For me personally, the biggest draw in video games is the story and immersion factor.  Good gameplay is a plus, but I have to have a vested interest in my progression.  Metro Last Light delivers this by the bucketload.  Gamers have been force-fed a mostly Westernized take on post-apocalyptic themes over the years, and we often forget that Russians undoubtedly live with many of the same fears of nuclear war that we do.  That this game is taken from a novel by a Russian author gives it a special worldview, one that is darker and, in many ways, more pessimistic, than games like Fallout. Ron Perlman may deliver the infamous line, “War.  War never changes.” in Fallout 3, but Metro: Last Light illustrates this statement for you in graphic detail.

Playing through the early levels of Last Light as the protagonist, Artyom, you are given a taste of the sadness and desperation that persists among survivor colonies, showing you glimpses of people clinging to many of their old ways, as though having learned nothing from the near-decimation of the human race.  They still exploit each other, victimize the weak, and mostly look out for themselves.  And although this is a harsh look at human nature, it is quite mild compared to some of the bleak imagery of the second half of the game.

Abstract pop culture images of post-nuclear Earth are always based on the theoretical, since we have never seen a global nuclear war.  But most people understand that the human cost would something beyond our comprehension.  A particular level toward the end of Metro Last Light, called Dead City, was one of the most chilling visions of nuclear aftermath that I’ve ever experienced. There is an achievement / trophy for finding all 7 “visions” in this level, and it is well worth getting.  The follow up level, Red Square, offers you a profound choice to make, and depending which you choose, it may haunt your thoughts for days.

The graphics in Metro Last Light are superb, some of the best you’ll see on Xbox 360 and PS3. Lighting and shadows play a huge role in the gameplay, and they are rendered in pristine detail.  Faces all have a rugged, weathered look that fits nicely with the story and setting, and the textures give environments a look that seems both ruined and forgotten, despite the presence of people.  The design teams from 4A do an incredible job creating settings that are as unique as they are creepy.  No re-skinned Skyrim dungeons or Fallout ruins here.  Each locale has been shaped by some extraordinarily creative artists, and this makes the world even more immersive.

The story itself does take a bit too much time to gain traction, leaving players with a lack of purpose on some early levels.  I mostly blame this on the fact that, unlike films, which have a three act structure with which to frame the tale, game stories must come at you in waves that ebb and flow with each level.  But once you start to unearth some of the stark truths about an ongoing war between surviving factions, you’ll be hooked.

Voice acting in Metro is generally above average, with most characters employing an authentic (though slightly over-the-top) Russian accent.  The only exception would be NPC children you come across in various waystations that form communities along the metro line.  These kids mostly sound like Russian adults trying to sound like kids, and it can be a bit jarring.  It goes without saying that the content is intended for adults.  There is graphic sexual content, and if you take the time to listen to NPC conversation during way station stops, you will hear tales of pure heartbreak, including some involving children in peril.  The writers make it clear: no one will be spared suffering in a future like this.

Metro Last Light is a game that can be played on its own, without having played the prequel, as they do give ample information about what occurred in the earlier game.  But for a deeper understanding of events, it’s probably a good idea to check out the first game.  This franchise has a unique vibe that probably stems from the story origins in Eastern Europe.  I think most discerning gamers will find it to be a refreshing ride and want to play through more than once.  Easily one of the more impressive sleeper titles of 2013.

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