14 lousy hours and virtually no replayability. I'm not sure if I played a game or watched a movie. It's like a Disneyland funpark ride where you sit in the car and watch the scenery go by. Which pretty much all this game has to offer. Scenery. There are just too many places where you're not even sure if you're involved.

I read this game was challenging. Not. I started on easy thinking I'd better get a feel for this thing, but before long I was wondering if I could even die. You can, but even when I switched to hardcore, it was way too easy. My ammo supplies were nearly always maxed out, the traders carried nothing you couldn't pick up any and everywhere.

I couldn't even figure out what the metro encampment towns were even there for. They served no gameplay function at all. You walk through on virtually a single path and interact with things like a pop-out book, but for nothing.

What Quicksilver needs to do is take a pretty nice engine and I'll admit, an intriguing story and tell the designers how to develop that into a game. As it stands, it's more of an interactive book than anything.… Expand

Hard going underground

METRO 2033 is a flawed and glitchy game that is wholly redeemed by it’s great atmosphere. As a fan of survival horror I was hoping for something truly creepy, like the old Silent Hill games used to be, and it pretty much delivered on that front. Post-apocalyptic Moscow and its subway system are populated by some pretty nasty creatures (as well as groups of Nazi sosoldiers, which is perhaps a little incongruous) and I was properly startled on several occasions when these critters jumped out of nowhere. The game looks pretty good, if not outstanding, and the gameplay itself it pretty straightforward FPS fare. There are quite a few glitches though, such as lag when gun swapping, sticking points where there’s nothing to get stuck on, and enemies that behave oddly and seem to have ESP. These glitches can make the game frustrating at times. It’s also a pretty tough game, but that’s not a criticism. If you like survival horror, and can put up with the frustrations, this game is definitely worth a play through.… Expand

Metro 2033 is set in a dark and bleak world. Where humanity is at it's last and in hope of surviving from the mutant hordes and other people. This game delivers a good setting where no other video game took, underground in the Moscow Metro. After the war, which has not much been told of. The surface of Moscow and the rest of the world has become irradiated with toxic air, requiring you to wear your gas mask at all times. You will need to look around for filters, to continue breathing and living. But at the same time you have to be aware of mutants that roam the surface. It's story is well told in it's well done setting and atmosphere. Graphically it looks good but not good at the same time. It's combat is not that well caught up to now but it's fine. Though stealth is a huge problem and broken, don't try to go on that approach. You will indeed have to scavenge for ammo at all times, even in the surface. But in the metro, the air is not toxic in most areas. Those are the only spots which you may breathe without a gas mask. The game also delivers a well told story starring a man named Artyom, who survived the great war and retreated into the Moscow Metro with the others. Metro 2033 almost has it's own mystery behind it, that makes you wonder what all the fuzz is about. But it feels as if only half of the mystery is only answered, leaving it at the center of satisfaction. Overall, this game may not be for everyone. If you are looking for a fresh atmosphere, cool setting, and a well told story. This game may surprise you. It may be worth it.… Expand

metro 2033 is just epic!!! this is a super amazing game. the game has a lot of problems, and because of that it doesnt get a 9 or a 10. ill start with the good parts. the strongest aspect of metro 2033 is the atmosphere. 4a games just nailed this. this is one of the best atmospheres i have ever seen, and it stands with the best, like bioshock. listening to peoples conversations is just great and touching. the people talk about the future, and what was before the war. the NPCs disscussions are just amazing!!!! this really gives the game a big part of its atmosphere. the voice acting is also great. some of them arent so good but for the most part its great. the game is really sad and grim. this saddness is really present in the game, and you can really feel it. lighting effects are really spectacular. the graphics in general are great but the lighting is just amazing and really helps the atmosphere and gameplay! the game draws you in really really good. if you didnt understand this until now, the atmosphere and the feel of the game is super awesome. if your looking for awesome atmosphere and story this is the game. this is one of the best in this department!!!! the game is really immersive, because it does little things to take you in. for instance when your out of the metro stations and tunnels you need to put a gasmask and change filters every few minutes. this makes the game really imerssive. another example is that you need to charge your flashlight by hand. all this little things make metro so appealing. the story is amazing as well!!! the story talks about survival and about how humans never stop fighting. overall the story is really great. the locations are also really varied as well. though a lot of the game is undergroung, the locations are much more varied than other games. in the game you also stop in metro stations that are like villages. they are done fantastically. again, THE ATMOSPHERE IS JUST AMAZING AND THE GAME IS SUPER IMMERSIVE!!!!!!!!!!! though the atmosphere is great, the game has a lot of mistakes that take it down. first of all, the human AI is crap. the AI is really bad and stupid. it will run near you, not understanding what to do. the mutants AI is ok though. another big issue is that HUMANS HAVE WAY TO MUCH LIFE until they die. i understand giving the animals a lot of life but human take way too much bullets!!! another big thing is that the game has way too much glitches. there are a lot of them. one of them is enemys falling through walls after they die. there are more glitches besides this, and while its not gamebreaking, its still pritty bad. the stealth system is crappy as well. throwing a silent knife and missing can alert everyone exactly where you are. the gunplay isnt particularly bad, but its a bit old. the biggest problem with the gunplay is scopes. aiming down sights with scoped is annoying and doesnt work well. the problems of crappy stealth and mediocore gunplay make some fights a bit annoying. some levels feel like you should be stealthy, but its impossible to do it. if your caught you use the gunplay, and the humans take so much bullets that it can get a bit annoying. this moments occur in my last complaint, which is difficulty jumps. i dont mind a game being hard, but in metro 2033, there were weird and annoying difficulty jumps. there werent too much of them, but some of them were really annoying.

with all its flaws, metro 2033 is super awesome!!!! if you think about buying this then you should buy it if you want atmosphere. the gameplay here can be better so you shouldnt buy it for the gameplay only.
THIS GAME IS AWESOME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!… Expand

This is the Best FPS in the world, in story,protagonist,voice acting,music is fit for the game,atmosphere is unique.not like last light in my opinion that is a failure.

For the reason at the bottom of this review I'll go post this on the x360 page too.

Among the best atmosphere in a game so far, it's somehow linear but in way that makes you feel more free than how you actually are, in this game you actually cares about your weapons and stuff, you can feel every bullet you or your enemies fires, you have to fight against various kinds of threats, enemies, time and fears in an environment that really sucks you in, it's a mature and tense experience able to drag a bit of the scary kid out of everyone no matters age or experience, kids you are warned.
Complaints about a narrow FOV are just nonsense from beginners, this game is supposed to give a good amount of claustrophobic feeling and is pretty damn good at it, complaints about weapons "feeling" lets clearly understand who played it with a controller and who didn't, usually mouse and keyboard doesn't have a rumble pack inside, actually a controller is the best way to play many games and many PC gamers have to realize that mouse and keyboard weren't planned to play games while a controller, yes. The sounds are creepy and relaxing at a right pace, the graphics looks really good but are heavy at higher settings on non high-spec or old machines, the AI is balanced and challenging, if you walk on glass or alarms, no wonder they will hear you and suspect something is going on, in a reality in which everything can kill you the fact they set up traps an get immediately alerted is quite reasonable, it's not about "you" but everyone and "everything" could be there.
Many of the few complaints I've seen here among the negative reviews seems to come from beginners or people scared by this game that are actually searching for other reasons to mask their feelings and to "punish" the game...childish, there are people simply giving a 0 to this game due to the fact they haven't understood this game or they've thought it were something else, NO, it's not Call of Duty, it's a damn immersive experience and it NEEDS a more narrow field of view than other shooters for kids, it's an engaging, immersive and amusingly punitive hard-core experience for mature "minds" regardless of physical age.
Few "here and there" and the fact that on PC it has heavily requirements to be pushed to the limit would require a little lowering of my rating that would approximate more a high 9 than a 10 but the fact that there are people giving out 0-4 not being able to roam the configuration menus or not reading all the hints the game gives out lead me to round this up to 10 just to balance this unfairness, a good game getting bad rating from bad players is something that drives me mad, when I realize that a game is not my kind and or I don't have enough skill to play it, simply I don't drop crap on it giving a bad rating and blaming as a fault of the game itself.

The short version is: I've played it on the 360 a first time and decided to replay it on PC to enjoy better graphics and sound lately while waiting for Last Light, by my point of view it's a masterpiece and never gets old, every serious gamer should not miss this experience.… Expand

Where do I start, this game just simply sucks you into its gameplay with the fun combat system and extremely scary narrative. This game is best played when you're alone in the dark with headphones on. I normally don't review games especially this high of rating. this game is extremely underrated and deserves a lot more credit than most of the critics have given it. If you like F.E.A.R or Amnesia at all then you must get this game.… Expand

This game (DESPITE what many say about it) is an ABSOLUTELY FANTASTIC game. True, there are problems with it (hopefully Metro: Last Light addresses these) but almost nothing that detracts from the overall experience. First of all, this game was meant to be enjoyed and experienced, and should be treated as such, and I think alot of the complaints of this game are because its not being played the way the developers meant. If you are just running and gunning your way through, or just skipping through all the cut-scenes and playing as fast as you can, then your doing it wrong, and this isnt the game for you.

The graphics are GORGEOUS and should be enjoyed. Take some time and look at the details of the environments and the people/monsters around you. Light dimly reflects off of rusty metal surfaces, shadows flicker all around you, smoke and fog drift up from the tracks, your breath fogs up your gas mask, the heat from your rifles barrel distorts your vision, every effect beautifully done and perfectly placed.

The sound is incredible, drips of water splash in the background, wails of ghosts echo in the pipes, heavy breathing of unseen monsters haunts you, your footsteps crunch over broken glass alerting nearby bandits of your presence. Every sound is masterfully done and clues you in to unseen dangers if you pay attention to them.

The gameplay is epically terrifying and fits the mood perfectly. Every decision has consequences and you must ration supplies and salvage everything you can to survive. As your flashlight dims, you weigh the consequences of pulling out your charger and taking the time to charge it, making it brighter. A group of monsters bears down at you, can you survive them with the metro-made "dirty" ammo? Or do you switch to your precious pre-apocalypse military rounds that doubles as currency? Your gas-mask starts to fog up and your breathing gets more and more labored, do you take time to switch out your filter cartridge? Or do you wait and hope it lasts until your safely away?

All the gear is perfectly suited to the atmosphere and the period. Everything from the home-made weapons (like the inaccurate, overheating "bastard" gun, the 6-shot revolver style shotgun, or the hand-pump silent pneumatic pellet/spear guns), to treasured pre-war supplies and everything it takes to keep it all going is well thought out and works just like post-apocalypse solutions should.

The level design may be quite linear (although there are MANY little side areas to explore for extra gear and supplies) but it suits the game well, like a dark twisting metro tunnel. Some may also not like the checkpoint style auto-save, but again, it suits the game well, as they are perfectly spaced (the saves always come at a proper time in little gaps in the action) and having manual saves would make the game far too easy, as none of the decisions you make would have any consequences.

All in all, this game is an incredibly immersive and thoroughly terrifying survival experience in a post-apocalyptic metro system. Its few minor shortcomings are FAR outweighed by the overall experience and many of them were conscious decisions that better suit the game than alternatives. If your having trouble enjoying or getting into this game, then start over, dive in and let yourself be drawn into the game, instead of simply trying to beat it.… Expand

Metro is one of those few games that can be played again and again; although, not necessarily with a wildly different outcome or anything deep like that. It’s a very linear and in many ways a very average first person shooter, but it is in the details and a number of unique inserts that make this game oh so great.
Now I have a problem with making good introductions for most games, but dodon’t let this intro deter you from owning this fantastic game. It draws you in and speaks to you. It beckons you to play it on harder and harder levels until you find yourself on the streets of Moscow on ranger hardcore mode as you’re down to your last air filter and only eight rounds left in your magazine as a horde of monsters come storming your position and you think back to when you were at that last station and you could have spent those last few military grade rounds on those needed supplies, but you didn’t. Then you die. That is what Metro 2033 is.
The game is well made in many different ways to complement the areas that fall short. The gunplay, for example; it makes up the vast majority of the game, so it better be something. Thankfully it is, and not just the shooting. The guns are all pretty unique, aside from the AK47 and the P90 but even those are pretty fun since they are so rare. Also there are the shotguns which are just so creative and cool, and thankfully the guns give a realistic kick and sound effect. Honestly, that really is where it counts. I can’t even remember all the game that I’ve played where the guns sound like toys and are dead shots every time.
Adding to the immersion of the weapons there is also the vulnerability of the enemies and the difficulty of the difficulty levels. I can’t stand it when the only time you get a realistic play-through is when you play on super-ultra-mega easy mode, and then it’s so easy that you never die. In this game the enemies have the same vulnerability in every difficulty level, and damaging them depends on where you hit them. I could never stand it when I’m playing on hardcore mode in some other game and I find myself unloading an entire magazine of high powered ammo from a sniper rifle right into the head of an enemy at point blank range and then they kill me anyway. What is that crap?
In Metro 2033, when you up the difficulty it does more than just set the enemy on god mode and send you on your way. In this game you lose the things that you would normally take for granted. The AI gets smarter, you lose your HUD, your targeting reticle, things get more expensive, you need to drop what weighs you down and stock up on gas mask filters. The game actually gets harder and not just the enemies, but they do get harder too. There is a pack mentality with the enemies as they strike at you in a vicious and stealthy fashion, or they’ll ambush you by plowing through a wall and throwing you out a window. They don’t get god mode, they get smart. The AI in this game is something to awe at.
But continuing on with the emersion of the game with the extreme amount of detail that was placed into the surroundings, and due to its linear nature the game the team was able to add even more detail than if it were a free-roaming RPG. The tunnels are dank and dark and often give you the feeling that you are being watched at all times. Most companies would squander the gifts of a linear shooter and just do the bare minimum in order to make the bottom line bigger, but not with this one. The tunnels give a true post-apocalyptic view of the world as nothing seems to live outside of the few, tightly packed towns scattered about the metro systems. These towns are often packed with people and action and all kinds of noise, but not just stalk noise, you can walk up to any two people and hear the conversation going on between the two or hear customers haggling with shop keepers, or even get in some local lore as solders and STALKERS discus what going on in the outside world. Needless to say the enviroments are true to life.
But of course there’s more to the game than the looks and the gunplay, the story is pretty good as well, even if it is a little generic by today’s standards. You play as Artyom, a slightly reluctant hero whom idolizes the Rangers, a group of elite waste walkers that brave the wastelands above to get old world supplies and tech back to the people in the metro. He finds himself thrust into a dire scenario that will shape the future of humanity as he fights through hordes of mutated creatures to defeat the unseen Homo-Novus and save his people. If this game weren’t based off of a best-selling book I would say that story was made with a game storyline mad-libs book, but it’s all of the wonderful little redeeming qualities of the actual gameplay that make up for the story’s shortcomings.
This one gets an 8. It is an Excellent game and a great addition to the FPS family.… Expand

This has to be one of the best games I've ever played! The atmosphere is the best I've ever seen in a game and the story is so...good. There are a few bugs here and there but it's nothing that will keep you from playing the game. The game is not very long but the first time you play it it will take 7- 10 hours would be my guess, but you could probably complete it in 5 hours in you rush like hell. If you haven't played Metro 2033 then go play it!!! Can't wait for Metro: last light!!… Expand

Great story, amazing atmosphere, characters range from "great" to "can I shoot him?", shootin' is ok, AI is mediocre, stealth can be pretty bad, even though I thoroughly enjoyed the maps that you could sneak through without killing anyone, graphics are ok (I don't really follow frame rates so if there is no discernible lag I am happy). Some levels and ideas are effin amazing and some are utter garbage... So, overall, the game is ok, but why do I score it as a 9? because I love post-apocalyptic stories and this was a great one! also 2.50 on steam sale!!!… Expand

A very atmospheric and immersive FPS, but it's not without issues. Graphics are top-notch, but the engine is unoptimized. I got some slowdown even on my monster of a PC. It's unacceptable when I can run more graphically advanced games at smooth framerates but experience slowdown with this one. The aesthetic is very bleak. The game basically consists of 3 colors... grey, black, and radioactive green. This isn't a bad thing. It sets the mood very well. Music and sound is also great. Gameplay is fairly standard FPS with some stealth elements. I wasn't a big fan of the stealth sections to be honest, primarily because the enemy AI seemed a little random as far as detection is concerned. Levels are very linear. I can't say I'm a fan of the "3 gun types" inventory system, but I've seen worse. Here's to hoping that they fix the issues in Last Light!… Expand

Whats there to say about a game I barley can play, The story was interesting, the atmosphere was cool but ive seen it done before, game startles you at moments, but the pc version is a mess. The game crashes, theres bugs hear and there, and theres no fix at all. Im not buying metro last light because of this.

Yes, game is linear. Yes, game does not offer characters to really have a relationship with. Yes, the main character (you) cannot talk during the game, only talks in cut scenes. Yes, the game has not weapon customization, but a few weapons to choose from. Althought above 'missing features' the game is: still very enjoying to play even if you know some enemies will pop-up after 3rd time play.
still has a story that could depict the future earth if we are truly so stupid to think war solves problems.
still.... only the small world that is heavily scripted, creates the immersion if I compare this with
games like Skyrim, I rather have Metro 2033. The reason is simple: the action moments are very compact, good scriptted action after good scripted action. In skyrim, you have to wait and see what happens. Usually skyrim gives another boring fight. THAT's why so many people like me like Metro 2033.

I am not giving a 10 because it can still be improved.… Expand

Good: Atmosphere, Controls, Graphics, Story, Levels, Stealth and Action, Enemies, Disversified, Gunplay, Difficulties, Horror,...

Bad: Lack of an FOV option, but can be fixed through .cfg, face animations and people animations are poor, but they don´t interrupt or disturb the atmosphere in the game. A.I. sometimes. It´s linear.

This game is fantastic! It plays smooth, you have an incncredible atmosphere and some really spooky horror scenarios. The story is well spoken and there´s an morality system where you can gather points for the alternate ending. Stealth is hard but works and action is very satisfying. The only problems this game has is the bad A.I. which behaves sometimes like it would have an wallhack. Also the movement and face animations of the NPC´s are bad. But that´s no problem at all. It doesn´t disturb you from anything, because you will like the characters and their stories. Stealth is working only with the Stealth suit you buy at the Communist Station before the frontline mission. There´s a Armored one too but with him you can´t sneak properly. The biggest problem is that it´s very linear. If you only like Open World games then you shouldnt buy this game, but if you have no problem with that, then buy the game now and Pre Order Metro Last Light too, because this game is a experience you shouldn´t miss!… Expand

This is a fantastic game that requires stealth and knowing when to fire. I found that when I was running into trouble I was shooting when it was far better to hold my fire and conserve ammo. The story is VERY well written, the voice acting is remarkably good and the immersion is unprecedented. This is NOT an easy game even on normal. I can only imagine how rough it is using Ranger mode. I am very impressed and enjoyed it so much I pre-ordered Last Light which I NEVER do.

I am convinced that those who gave it negative reviews simply dislike that they had to THINK rather than just run and gun like COD, Battlefield and a whole host of other marginal FPS games.… Expand

Absolutely marvelous. Only thing that could have been better, yet not enough to turn down, is the lack of melee. It's quite a challenge to dodge enemies while swapping weapons and when you're out of ammo and have a dinky knife to slash with. But that's it, manage over that and you'll really enjoy this game

This is one of the best game I have ever played. The last time I said this is when I finished Half-Life2, but even HL2 didn't manged to get a 10 out of me, in many respect, I believe Metro2033 even exceed HL2's accomplishments.

Metro has some of the best graphic engine I've seen in years, IMO even Cryengine couldn't compete with the 4A engine which Metro 2033 uses. The lighting and texture are extremely well done, volumtric lighting and fog effect are also very good, it makes the whole world looks extremely convincing. The sub-surface scattering effect on character's skin makes people looks much more believable, unlike in some other games people tend to looks like plastic dolls.

The story is also it's strong point, since it's adapted from a sci-fi novel, but it has a little twist of it's own while still retains the feel of the novel. I bought the novel after finishing the game, it' will definetly gives you a new perspective on the story.

Combat and AI seems a bit strange and unresponsive at first glance but after I know more about the game, I understand the clumsiness I feel during combat is also part of a story setting. You are not a superhero, you are a survivor in a post apocalyptic world, trying to fighting off monsters and fellow humans while carrying a sort of equipment and ammo, of course you don't move and shoot like a Call of Duty character.

In conclusion, all I can saying is Buy this game, play it, if you learn to appreciate it, this will be one of the most immersive gaming experience you will ever have.… Expand

I was on my guard before playing this... the developers were giving it free if you liked on facebook their page... I saw good reviews and decided to try it out even if resume shortly, was a free facebook game lol.

How good can be a game sold 50$ and now free for a short period of time...
They say time are hard, many company close doors, which THQ, was part of.
Don't fool yourself, this game may be 5$ on steam right now, but it worth the 60$ if you like this linear storywise kind of game. It brings you to another world, which is terribly horrible in this one...Having to live in sewers, never seen the sun, nor breath fresh air. Having to defend tunnels daily by some dark creatures. The graphics are amazing, the voice acting are such incredible, you'll live this game.… Expand

I loved this game. That being said, their are some considerable flaws. The foremost of which is probably the difficulty curve. Anyone who's played it will remember that the library level was sheer hell to get through. Despite this, I had a lot of fun, and Metro 2033 brings a lot of things to the table that I'd like to see in other games. They way armor is handled (at least on enemies) is so obvious, but I almost never seen it implemented anywhere else.
Did I forget to mention the atmosphere? The atmosphere is great. Also, the post apocalyptic Russian setting is incredibly cool.
The game also has a way of making you feel connected to the characters you encounter, especially your first companion. Little, in-game cut-scenes give you the distinct impression that the two of you rely on one another, and I liked seeing that.
The ending of the game makes you feel like which I don't blame it for. It's good when a game can get an emotional reaction out of you. The part that ruined it for me is that you can avert the "bad" ending by fulfilling a multitude of various and arbitrary conditions throughout the game.… Expand

Metro 2033 is a great shooter. The story is captivating because it’s believable. It’s not outrageous like Bioshock or run-of-the-mill like every other blockbuster FPS. It’s sad, yet hopeful. There is the incredible urgency of trying to save a world that was lost long ago. Living on a planet scarred by nuclear war would not be easy, and the developers did an outstanding job conveying the h the h the hardships of post-apocalyptic life. Metro is definitely not for novices. Even on medium difficulty, enemies are brutal and take massive amounts of damage before dying (which I enjoyed). The difficulty is heightened since supplies are scarce, so players must conserve ammo and do fair amounts of exploring to gather hidden goodies. There are a few shops, but goods are expensive. Some players will simply run and gun only to realize too late that they have exhausted their supplies and ammo. Overall, the game design achieves the desperation of living underground. Graphically, Metro really shines. The environments are truly amazing, and the attention to detail is impeccable. The contrast between the dark, oppressive tunnels and the bright, bleak surface is exceptional and worthy of the praise this game has received. The missing HUD display is a welcome novelty allowing players to enjoy the sights unobstructed. Unfortunately, NPC’s aren’t so lucky. Character animations are a bit clunky and reminiscent of the original Witcher. Even worse, the same character models (especially for children and women) are recycled over and over again. They will always say the same things when passing by. This breaks the immersion to an otherwise believable world. The biggest flaw with Metro’s game engine is the sluggish frame rates. Even on a beast machine, the game will slow to a crawl at times, such as after throwing grenades and close quarters combat. Screen tearing is a problem as well. There is no menu option to enable vertical syncing. Forcing v-sync manually thru my graphics card settings helped a little, but tearing crept up throughout the game, even during cinematics. Combat is a decent overall. The reviewers complaining that combat are taking the wrong approach. I used a control pad and had no issues blasting away at enemies or executing a flawless knife kill. Each gun has a unique feel, and everyone should experiment to find the ideal loadout. On the downside, the stealth mechanics are lacking. Sniping does not get the same results when placing the exact same shots. The character might fall silently, or he might scream and flail around as he falls alerting everyone. If players are really unlucky, the target will spin around and blast them. The unpredictability might be built into the game to up the challenge, but a shot thru the neck should be deadly. If detected, all enemies will immediately know your location even if you’re hiding in the darkest corner of the level. The AI is not particularly smart, but baddies compensate with insane accuracy. When detected, run like hell and find cover. After reloading certain levels, I noticed detection is also a gamble. Sometimes I could use throwing knives and complete a section, but other times I would be detected as soon as the second enemy dropped. Even crawling had mixed results. The lack of silent takedowns contributes to the frustration. Stealth missions are a large part of the experience, so I’m really disappointed at the lack of polish. Since stealth is lackluster, I recommend players use a combination of stealth and run-and-gun. Blasting away at baddies is more fun, and using controlled, well-placed shots will conserve ammo. If limited ammo is an issue, spam grenades. They’re everywhere. Enemies tend to group, so cooked grenades will net multiple kills. Although stealth mechanics are a missed opportunity in Metro, the lack of interaction with NPC’s is an even bigger one. Stations are brimming with inhabitants, yet players can only talk to a few. Exploration is also limited, and one station players visit cannot be explored at all. Although these limitations are more than likely intentional to keep the story moving, it makes them no less disappointing. The developers offer a beautiful world and then dictate a linear path for us to follow. There are moments when tension in the game builds, but it fails to scare us. It’s ironic that a game noted for its haunting environments lets the tension fizzle out when players should be jumping from their seats. Nonetheless, this is a game worth owning. It has a lot to offer even if it falls short in some areas. The game would be worthy of a higher score, but the developers should’ve ironed out the graphical hiccups, allowed more exploration, and fine-tuned the enemy AI before release.… Expand

Ive tried a couple of times to play metro and the shockingly poor combat keeps stopping me, the way the AI knows where you are and can hit perfectly from like 100-200 metres away yet you struggle to hit someone 10 metres away is soo annoying. there is no stealth.... you creep up and put a silenced gun to the back of a enemy's head and fire.... The guy lives and turns around and shoots you dead in 1 -2 shots and if you live the super soldiers all know where you are and your dead again.

The sound is good, i liked the breathing effect when you have the mask on although the cheesy Russian accents are bad.
The graphics are pretty good, but hard to believe i get a better FPS on the new tomb raider on max settings than on this
The story seemed ok, i was interested but the combat has ruined this for me... i may try again but at this moment i feel its a waste of my time… Expand

I got this game for free from the THQ facebook page, so the logical reaction was "eh it might be good for a small bit of laughs" wow was I in for a surprise. The next 2 days were jam packed of this game, from my view point of a harder difficulty level (I played on the second hardest I believe) It was very challenging. I actually felt like it was a post apocalyptic world! Low ammunition, limited gas mask canisters, harder to find money. I actually found myself keeping ammo and trying to conserve it so I would be ready for whatever was around the next corner,I even jumped a good bunch of times from scary ass that was all over the place, if I had one tip to give to you, it would be to play this game with good quality headphones, the sounds were amazing, immersive and enjoyable. And then there's the story, oh man the story is amazing with multiple endings that even today's games don't have, I think it had 3 or 4 different endings depending on your play style and difficult moral decisions made in the heat of critical and pivotal points in the story.Overall an amazing game, I could run it on my laptop, it didn't cost me a dime, and it was an unparalleled experience in a game for me, the story stuck in my head for days after thinking about how people see things, and wondering what those other endings were. I HAD to play this game again too! Wait what? A free, single player game that has a ton of re playability?! Yes. You know what I'm done telling you why this game kicks so much ass, go get it! it's worth every cent, if any, and it offers so much. Top 10 material my friends.… Expand

This is a awesome game, and best of all, you can choice if the peoples will talk russia or english. And that makes it more realistic. It's a fun game, you never get bored of it. It's really well done. The weapons are little like in the Fallout games. If you buy it, you won't regret it. Game on and kill those radiation monsters.

First-person shooter in post-nuclear subway. The setting and graphics are great, presenting desperate men surviving in a mutant-filled underground quite vividly. Action/shooter part is nothing special, except maybe for one or two unusual weapons. You may think sneaking will be important tactics in given conditions, but it isn't. You can sneak through one or two scenes, but mostly you are discovered very quickly and then enemies are looking for you indefinitely. The game is very story-driven and linear. I "kind of" like the story and read the original book, but some parts of it are just ridiculous. Like for example starving men role-playing WWII with each other, while being surrounded by hostile mutants. As for hardware problems mentioned in other reviews, my PC is maybe 3 years old but not specifically gaming-oriented, and it runs the game just fine. Overall, I recommend to try this game if you are a fan of post-apocalypse, but I do not recommend it as just a regular shooter game.… Expand

I beat this game in 11 hours. That's not my gripe- my gripe is that I was hoping the game would end after 4. There's nothing novel introduced after the first few levels- you've seen almost all the bad guys and used almost all the guns. The levels are very straightfoward, as is the plot- there is no excitement at all. In fact, you have the same objective ("Reach Polis") for about 75% of the game; the plot lost me for the rest of the game. The game has some challenging elements with its shooting- but only when you're shooting other people. When you fight mutants, you use the same strategy- fire while backpedaling. At least while fighting people, you have to take cover or use grenades. So, to summarize: a bland storyline, bland gameplay, bland character choices.… Expand

In love with this game.

Fantastic post apocolyptic experiance with horror and stealth aspects plunging you deep into a underground world with homely warmth and a above ground world that hates you

If you are at all a fan of games like Half Life 2 or Bioshock, I need you to stop what you are doing, go to the nearest Wal-Mart, sift through the Bargain bin, and find this Dirt-Cheap.

You will not regret it.

A pretty good story spoiled by some very poor mechanics, with hind sight I wish I had not thrown away good money on this and just got the book instead.

I really don't understand the positive reviews. I really REALLY wanted to like my game, but I keep forcing myself to come back and play it, and just can't seem to finish it, because it's SO bad. The game relies on stealth, but there IS no stealth - as soon as you kill anyone (even with a silent pistol, even if they were alone) or are seen by anyone, EVERY enemy immediately knows where you are and begins shooting at you with their god-like accuracy. Even if you sneak away, they all always know where you are. Even worse is the writing - the individual characters' writing are fine, but every situation in the game feels COMPLETELY forced and makes NO sense whatsoever. "You've never left the station, but now I'm going to give you a gun and you're going to go on a quest." Why? "Alright, let's split up; you go straight through the building full of vicious mutant dog things that want to kill you, and I'll take the safe route going around the building" Why!? "We've never met you and have no qualms with you, but if we see you we'll shoot you on sight." WHY!?!? The overall plot seems cool (something to do with psychic mutants), and I want to know what happens, but all of the plot in GETTING there makes NO sense whatsoever! [UPDATE] Well, I encountered a bug that made it so I couldn't jump or uncrouch, even after reloading (yes I tried both crouch and crouch-toggle buttons). Then the game saved right as there were a bunch of bullets flying at my head, so when I reload I die instantly. At this point I gave up on this terrible, terrible game, and just watched the ending on YouTube. I'm glad I did, because it looks like I didn't miss much.… Expand

I played this game in the original Russian language, while reading the first (in the series) book "Metro 2033: No Escape" by Dmitry Glukhovsky. I must say, what i really liked about the game is its mood and atmosphere; what i didn't like was its shortness: why not make it longer, deeper, more involving? There are quite a few parallels with Stalker games (and the book by Strugatski brothers "Picnick on the Side of the Road" of course) which are mentioned briefly but never explored. Why? So much chance to deepen the game is just brushed away! So much of the Moscow Metro area is left unexplored (you cover about 5% of the metro stations in game). Why?
So, while the game is well-paced, and yes - linear, it leaves many aspects of two good novels untouched, unexplored. I finished the game in 10 hours on normal dif. What else can i say?… Expand

The atmosphere of the game is amazing! Graphics aside from the faces are great! Story is good as well. The game is very likable. But.... There are serious issues with the game. on "normal" setting the enemies are unrealisticly tough, One shotgun shoot to the face will kill your enemy up close. Yet it takes 3!!
also, majority of people you meet are little more than mannequins, who won't speak or react to you in any way. Which is kind of bad, becasue it takes away from the experience. Overall, I wanted to give to game a higher score.. but the shooter part, which the game is. Isnt up to standards.… Expand

A true masterpiece, I have a powerful PC, running the game on high settings smoothly, It's beautiful, immerse, and most of all realistic. This game has the best stealth combat I've seen in a game since MGS, when sneaking around hostile humanoids, you're usually forced to avoid trip wires, traps, and noise making, the game always forces you to mind your surroundings. Anyone expecting a call of duty shooter will be disappointed, most guns are inaccurate, ammo is scarce, and you die very quickly. For those reasons you must try to avoid enemies, or sneak up on them and dispatch of them unaware. But the combat is never unfair, if you get gunned down by a pair of enemies, its your own fault.

The best part about the game is probably the constant spooky atmosphere. Just looking around several times I was wowed by how well the tunnel systems are lit and laid out. Encounters with ghosts were probably the best parts.… Expand

Great game, cool graphics, great story since it is based on one of the best apocalyptic novels, great stealth mechanics. The only bad part is shooting people (Not monsters) feels like shooting a wall.

Really good gameplay, a great atmosphere, it just feels a bit rushed and strange to play is all. Also, this thing will eat your graphics card alive, be sure to ask your local supercomputer company if they have rentals.

The game right off the bat seemed amazing, I very much enjoyed the story, voice acting and the graphics, however.... the biggest part of the game is completely broken, Combat. Unfortunately playing this game on easy is like playing most games on hard, the human enemies know where you are at all times and will even shoot you within 1 second of you trying to poke your head around the corner, and while you take massive damage from their attacks you feel like they take maybe 1/3rd of your damage.
The combat seems to be somewhat designed for stealth only when it comes to fighting humans, I say this because if you kill someone with a gun the entire map will immediately be zoned in on you and shooting you, the only way to stop them is to kill every last one of them, rush to the end, or die.
The problem is, even if you play stealthy you are still punished in combat, if an enemy finds a dead body (which you can't move) then every enemy on the map is alerted and ready to kill you, even if you are hiding in a pitch black area on the map they will see you.
If you play like an assassin in the dark there is immediately a few things you will also notice, the first is the lack of checkpoints, you will find yourself making one small mistake after the other and lose all progress and have to restart, the second is that silent weapons can be very unpredictable sometimes they kill in 1 hit sometimes they don't and sometimes in the case of the throwing knife they will just bounce off the enemy, at which point you must restart the mission or kill every last enemy for the next 25 minutes.

This game could have been so much more then it is, if only the combat wasn't so terrible.… Expand

I bought this game for the graphics and the atmosphere, which I got. The gameplay simply isn't up to standard though, shooting enemies feels like shooting at a brick wall with a cap gun. Strange A.I and awkward difficulty changes don't help its situation either. The game does mange to raise its score because of some nice realism features and its great atmosphere.

bought this game 75%off otherwise could have been a waste of money , first the good.. storyline mainly a stole from enemy at the gates movie brought from 1942 to 2033 is ok, graphics are exellent , the bad , your pc fan will overload to cool down the cpu and videocard, gameplay revolves around finding bullets whic are extremely rare u have to strip every corpse you encounter to find 3 bullets in one. the ugly realism stops when you shoot your enemy you precious bullets only work half the time the other half you seem to be shooting blanks sometime you can empty your inventory shooting at an enemy point blank with not a scrach , while it takes him only 1 or 2 shots in normal difficulty to make reload the game. final thoughts great graphics running on a poor unexiting engine that makes you give up the game quickly.… Expand

Are you confused as to what to make of the reviews? Metro 2033 is very cheap, and for that alone you're probably better off buying it. This is an incredibly linear FPS experience - you will rarely be able to make decisions, very little interaction is allowed between the environment and the player, and perhaps most frustrating are the weapons and resources. There's a lack of them. If, like me, you play on the highest difficulty, you'll find yourself scarce with ammunition, and seldom able to buy anything in the stores. AIs in this game are frustrating, with stealth very difficult to utilize. The game passes far too quickly, and the plot becomes predictable. I may be a little pedantic, but if you're sick of the typical post-apocalyptic linear, "you're the special one", kind of FPS, then you won't have made much of a mistake walking past this game. There were some enjoyable moments, but they were drowned by very long scenes and gruesome AIs.… Expand

I got this game as a free facebook promotion. But free does not a good game make. It's a last gen 1st person shooter with a terrible premise and filled with terrible generic Russian accents. It's based on a post apocalyptic world that values only ammo. For some reason there are "higher quality" rounds that are not used for ammo but used for currency. This is an interesting idea, but the very idea that there are rounds of ammo that are being conserved for monetary use is ridiculous. Ammo is ammo. And the very idea that so is good that it's not actually used is absurd. Further, gameplay is bulky and uninspired. The stealth gameplay is boring and clunky. Options are limited as far as combat. Plus the arsenal just isn't useful. It's a terrible game, even if it is free.… Expand

Game is wonderful, can get really scary at times, make you curse at the top of your lungs as well. Game can be quite a challenge at times, and has some brain teasers in it which is always good. Granted at times the game does have massive fps drops even on my fairly solid rig, but the game is still loads of fun. Best part of the game is that it makes you question your morality and question justification for prejudice. Solid game, 9/10. Go buy it on Steam, CAN'T WAIT FOR LAST LIGHT!… Expand

Great FPS game with interesting world and story and amazing atmosphere. However, there's couple of flaws: stealth mechanics are bit clumsy and seem superimposed, and while the game is very beautiful, the engine still feels rather badly optimized.

This game is one of the masterpieces in game industry: very interesting alternative story, that has lots of common with book of the same name, but also has its own vision on events depicted in book; interesting gameplay with drops of stealth and other interesting elements; ost - marvelous.
I really love the game and will buy sequel with no hesitation.

This is a game I debated on getting for a long while before a purchase. I ended up buying it on sale from Steam. Overall I really have liked this game. The developers have created a great atmosphere with the ambiant noise, textures, and suspense. The fact that you are constantly low on ammo is a challenge that more games should adopt. I find the games today are just too easy... sometimes even on the hardest setting. This game is different in that it is just challenging enough to keep you interested without throwing you into a rage. The biggest downside to this game is that it is not optimized. I find my GPU runs hot even when it shouldn't, my FPS does drop from time to time, and I have had a few soft crashes. These issues are not enough for me to stop playing but are annoying. With these issues fixed I would rate this a solid 8 or 9. I'm really looking forward to the sequel in 2013 because now that they have more financial backing the game will definitely be better.… Expand

STALKER ripoff with a stronger plot but very linear. It has some memorable moments but the endings are awful and unrewarding. Definitely worth checking out for the strong atmosphere and unique (albeit occasionally ridiculous) storyline but only worth one playthrough.

(Negative)
Over all the combat is quite bad..
For me it was always a struggle to find out how bad the AI was made, i could for example not stealth very effective because the guards would have night vision, and flash light on at the same time so you would not know.
I could climb around on a roof and shine 3 guards in the face with my charged up flashlight with out them getting alert to anything.
From hard and up in difficulty is very very dificult. It should be one shot one kill if you aim right, because that would be realistic right? .. no no.. 3 shotgun blasts in the face, guard still stands. Kills you with 1-2 shots as soon as he turns.

I also wanted the full experience so if its all going on in russia it should be in russian in my opinion. But you will miss alot of the "none important" people are saying in bars, weapon dealers, stations. Because its not subtitles which upset me quite a bit. It seems like a game that was slapped together in 2 months time, they even spared expenses on the sounds and used sounds from CS. ALOT

(Positive)
The only good things i have to say is the landscape was well made and the atmosphere is really taking you in (you will know what i mean when you step out of the metro first time)

I dont see how the hell, many of the top critics is praising it so much, i guess more was spend on greasing hands than on the actual game. It seems like it.… Expand

I'd actually give this game a 9.5. It has a few flaws that have been pointed out plenty... And despite said flaws its one of the most engrossing, immersive games I've ever played. On ranger mode, I feel as though I'm down in the Metro myself. The graphics are fairly decent as well and the story is an incredible journey even if the ending and overall goal are somewhat disapointing. Buy this game, its well worth the bargain deals you'll find it in and is much better than the vast majority of **** on the market now.… Expand

Can't buy filters at Polis and they throw me directly to the surface to die. -2 for not thinking about such an obvious storyline bug. Also -2 for needing a supercomputer to play it at the lowest setting. A grenade explosion gets me from 50-70fps to 15fps. WTF?

I admire the gloomy atmosphere of the game. The world of the game combines the relationship with our world and something absolutely alien. It shows how our world could be look alien. The game is just beautiful and art work is great. My score is 9 because I received "PhysX error" at first start of the game, and I had to reinstall PhysX myself.

This game is a fantastic narrative fps. Is it perfect? No. But I rated it 10/10 because it does what games should do, provide an incredibly fun gaming experience that sucks you in and makes you lose track of time. Some reviewers (*cough* ign *cough*) cited the unforgiving stealth sections as a negative. I found this to be extremely fun and rewarding. Yes- one mistake and the guards are all alerted, there is no "Oh it must have been a rat/the wind/my imagination" system. Which I found great. It made everything much more tense. In short, if you don't have this game, pick it up.… Expand

A game that oozes atmosphere with it's immersive setting, complemented with high quality graphics and sound effects. Metro puts in place a solid story that works but the gameplay is where Metro 2033 falls short. Getting the gameplay right is essential which is why I'm giving this only a 6 despite all the other niceties. The stealth aspect is completely broken and the gunplay isn't exactly stellar. A lot of the time, I found levels to be dull and tedious. There are a few innovative ideas here and there that I like, but it doesn't cover up the mediocre firefights and stealthy bits.… Expand

For once a first-shooter game with challenges even on normal. and the Ranger Hardcore makes it almost realistic. Great game with beautiful graphic and a great story-line.

I want to read the book it's based on just from playing this game.

this game WoW the graphics are outstanding, but who cares ( i do by the way ) anyway the game is difficult i barely beat it on normal ok it is hard the gameplay is good some times its weird ( kid level ) there are 2 endings the good and bad ending i think the bad one is also good but ok voice acting is triple A the main problem is the ai is dumb and the guns feel weird i would recommend this to anyone except the people who play cod for a living… Expand

This game is extremely good regarding graphic and atmosphere: you really feel like a survivor in a after-bomb world, trying to survive against mutants, communists and nazis.
You can count on several weapons, upgradable with silencers, scopes, ecc. The story itself is enjoyable, and longevity is good (about 20 hours on Hard).
The bad? You can't quicksave, human enemies are extremely deadly even from afar, mutants aren't as scary as they try to be. Also, you'll die much, very much, from human fire: keep it in mind.
If you can stand a game which wants you to work hard for every inch of progress, paying you off with beautiful scenery and atmosphere, then get Metro 2033.… Expand

the graphics are amazing for the year, and the back round? cant be better, the gameplay is indeed not the very good, its hard to save ammo and money, not many weapons avilable, and the whore at riga station stole all my money before i learned how to save and load. but... the voice acting was wonderful, the story is amazing and the graphics combined with all those things make you feel like a part of the story and of the post apocaliptic world of the underground metro of moscow, even the minor details like basic talk between NPC'S and even the way the enemy soldiers talk to one another. it feels so real i played the game from start to finish without stopping , it felt like a couple of hours but i've played it for 18 hours without stop. i just cant wait for the next game, just cant!… Expand

Very good game, and also, very frightening. It does take a bit of skill to get through, even on difficulty 'normal'. The design is very nice, and if you are out after a scary game, this is the one you're looking for ;). The thing keeping this down a bit is - I think this was mentioned in another review - the lack of exploration. There isn't much space to run around wherever you want. But to counter that -- You don't want to run around and explore in this game! You want to finish the task you've been given, and complete the quest. So for anyone looking for a scary game, this is the one.… Expand

Exelent !!! Ce jeu est tout simplement magnifique, l'histoire est tres bien agencée, le jeu est bon dans tout l'ensemble, ambiance effet de lumiere, creature, personnage, animation, doublage etc !

I wanted to give this game a 10 because of it's visuals and atmosphere. They were able to pull off sort of a Half-Life / F.E.A.R. mix, with a unique spin on things. Where the game started to fall apart was in the A.I. department, and the mechanics on how combat worked. To compare, Crysis Warhead offered very smooth game play, where this was a little stiff. The closest games I can think of as far as how movement feels would be Oblivion or Skyrim. Nothing against those games, but for a base FPS; moving, shooting, and aiming are critical. Having said all that, it's nowhere near bad enough to ruin the game as many seem to suggest. Where Metro shines as bright as the Sun is in the stunning visuals you see throughout the game. The models, textures, post process effects, lighting and atmosphere are outstanding. If you have a machine that can handle DX11, I can't think of a better game that fully uses that technology. If you can look past some rough edges when it comes to the A.I. and combat, this game is well worth buying, and playing through more than once.… Expand

I expected a different game, unfortunately, is a game too linear with default steps, very detailed graphics but heavy even for recent vga, un-installed after two hours.

I'll give this game an eight, because I personally value story above gameplay. Metro 2033 is a post-apocalyptic FPS with survival horror elements. First off, the attention-to-detail is astounding: the amount of work that went into every tiny detail of the environment really helps draw you into the world even if it makes the linear levels somewhat confusing to navigate. The story is quite well-done, although the inconsistency of the almost-silent protagonist can be jarring; the main character, Artyom, briefs each mission beforehand in the form of a diary but goes completely silent once gameplay resumes. The game also has the makings of quite a good atmosphere but never really takes full advantage of it, being quite creepy at best but never very scary. The gameplay is Metro's weakest point: I'm sure I don't need to go over the AI problem and gunplay, just scroll down to one of the hum drum 0's down there. So quick summary; good story, interesting atmosphere, average gameplay, linear levels and great attention-to-detail.… Expand

[Metro2033 / Steam PC / Score 8] This is a very solid FPS. Play as Artyom - living in the Metro below Moscow in a post-nuclear world - destroyed and contaminated. Go on missions from one city to the next and shoot mutant creatures along the way. [You must play this if you are an FPS dog] Released 2010.03 and played 2.5 years later. [DRM] Steam only. Thank goodness there is no GamesForWindowsLive on this title.

[Challenges and Mechanics]
This is an FPS and the opponents are tough - so stick to basics. If you enjoy reloading the game then just run out into the open - the AI has got a good head shot. There is a tiny RPG element which allows for commerce to upgrade weapons and purchase ammo in the cities. However all upgraded weapons can be found eventually and soon after having sufficient purchasing power - Kind of Pointeless ! Ammo is plentiful but limited - just don… Expand

If I could choose an exact score for this game, it would be an 8.6, but hey I rounded up... I thought the game deserved it. :) I'm going to keep this short and to the point. Metro 2033 isn't quite like anything I've ever played, this game stands out on it's own, but for some reason it's hard to say exactly why. It does an great job at making you feel like part of this gritty underground in a world that's gone to hell and the settings you find yourself in are absolutely gorgeously detailed. The one thing everyone will agree on, Metro 2033 has very impressive graphics.

The pacing of this game is really well done and there are definitely some scary moments that sent shivers down my spine. Missions on the surface (above the metro stations) feel dangerous and have a sense of urgency, mainly because of your limited air supply.

The sneak element of this game is great as well; you can blow out candles and lamps, use silencers to take out enemies so you don't alert other nearby patrols, or go in guns blazing. The latter is probably a bad choice as the enemies can be difficult and well fortified. You have a device on your watch that will show you how well hidden you are, simple enough... but effective and fun for those that do like to sneak.

At the time of writing this, the game is on Steam for 20 bones. I can safely suggest this game to any FPS fan that loves a good post apocalyptic shooter with a survival horror element mixed in. It's done well, and I think this is a highly underrated PC game.

Some people may criticize this game as being too linear, but I'm okay with a game that pushes me along in one direction, as long as it does so with a little style and grace... and I feel Metro 2033 does just that.… Expand

A very underrated shooter, this apocalyptic FPS focuses more on story and environment than just running and gunning found in other games like CoD. Admittedly, this game is very linear and the voice actors' Russian accents are laughably bad in pretty much all cases. However, the story is very engrossing, even with the terrible voice actors. The weapons are kinda tricky in the fact that there are tons of random upgrades you can get for a particular weapon at any point. However you can find the best guns in stores across the cities you come too. I think the main thing with this game is the fact that it's fairly slow. Your not given much more than a quest to leave your home and family by a total stranger to start your journey and it takes a bit to ramp up. Furthermore, this game got zero publicity, making it a relative unknown on the FPS market. I bought this game for 5 bucks on Steam and I would have easily paid 20-30 dollars knowing what I know now. And with the sequel coming out later this year, it gives FPS games a different feel from all your CoD and Battlefield games. This is a thinking person's FPS game and I really enjoyed it in the end. If you let the game engross you in it's story and atmosphere, you won't regret a second of playing it and you'll easily want more from this series. While it's not perfect, there are very few FPS games out there like this and, for the tons of sales this games has on the various sites like Amazon and on Steam, it should be a no-brainer for anyone who likes FPS games but aren't into the guns-a-blazing style that most FPS games turn into.… Expand

An entertaining linear, FPS, story-driven game for a price around $15 USD. Entertaining story. Entertaining gameplay: expansive and creative difficulty options, rewarding stealth gameplay, variety; some gameplay issues (ex. gas masks seem to run out too quick). A well done linear FPS, overall. Seemingly poor programming/not an optimized game -- seemingly low frames per second even for high end machines, but still playable. Pretty environments. Not exceptional AI, but its good enough. Game doesn't really feel finished.… Expand

This was a frustrating game for me. No way to save the game means you have to redo entire stretches of the level since the last checkpoint until you reach the next checkpoint, then it auto saves. I am reasonably good at FPS games, but I was dying a lot in this game! The game gets really dark, at one point I had to see a shimmer of a silhouette move to identify where the hell the enemy was. Also, sometimes you will be wondering where the hell the enemy is shooting at you from! The night vision goggles don't help much in some circumstances, and your vision goes to hell and back if you use it when scoping in to shoot someone in the dark.

The story is interesting though. BTW, I was stuck in one level, took hours to progress and *puff* crash! Latest save game lost! I have to redo the whole level again which I will not do. Perhaps in the future, I will lower the difficulty to easy just to see the storyline through as it was getting interesting.

It got so frustrating, only the storyline was dragging me through! Game play is linear, but I didn't mind as the story was good.

The game had potential but make it a little "accessible"! Its the new buzz word nowadays!… Expand

Don't listen to the low reviews. This game is one of the best shooters I own and I love playing it. It runs beautifully on any system (I first played it on a laptop with integrated graphics and it ran at or above 30 fps on low definition which still looked good). The enemy AI is a little dumbed down but that doesn't take away from the fun. As to the AI always knowing where you are, in some situations you have to use stealth. You have to watch where you walk, step on broken glass and they hear you. Shoot out the lights and they won't see you unless they have a flashlight or night vision. Yeah it's linear but that's what the FPS genre is. 95% of FPS games are linear. I don't see why people have a problem with this, who cares if you're going in one direction? The controls work very well even if it's a console port. All these people complaining that it's a console port need to get over it and realize that it's still a fantastic game. This game was well worth the $5 I paid during a Steam sale and honestly I think it's well worth the $20 price tag. 8/10 because there isn't much replay value due to a lack of multiplayer. Definitely not a disappointment though. It may not be a blockbuster title like Call of Duty or Halo, but it is still a great shooter that shouldn't be overlooked.… Expand

Super game. How did this go under my radar for so long. Have signed up to Metacritic just to write a review. I'm not normally a fan of linear games but Metro (two hours in) Is a beautiful and immersing game to the point that I already feel engrossed in Artyom's tale and the hopeless, brutal & merciless world of post apocalyptic Russia. I love Stalker and Fallout but this game, immersion and story telling wise, beats them hands down. I am already looking forward to the sequel and I've not yet even finished the game. If only it were an RPG and I could enjoy this for countless hours more...… Expand

Other than being a tad to the short side, Metro 2033 is a very fun game. It's a lot like the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series, but has a better feel to the controls, and gameplay is a lot more solid. The graphics (depending on your configuration) can range from average current graphics to beautiful Crysis-like graphics. I got this on sale from Steam for $5, but it's easily worth $20.

Metro 2033 is a very atmospheric first person shooter/action game but unfortunately this game is hugely hampered by bad presentation. The visual effects of this game is quite impressive especially the lighting which really created a very realistic dark underground environment. The texture and character models are also great as well. The animations are also very well done and feel very smooth. The story is decent enough but the problem with the presentation is the most levels you run through just feel like fillers rather than any actual meaning. And most characters are so generic and pointless most time. you feel like they are there just to progress the story. The pacing of this game is also a little off most time since it just feels so full of pointless fillers. Gameplay wise, the difficulty of this game gets very inconsistent. The stealth mechanics is so broken that you will found some levels brutally hard. I personally just do not enjoy this game that much. if you are looking for a thriller FPS experience I would recommend Bioshock 1 and 2 instead.… Expand

I'm not sure if my review is biased because I love the book (which I read first) but I definitely found this game a wonderful experience, and after the first playthough I replayed it with Russian voiceovers, which definitely added to the atmosphere of the game.
The immersion was really strong and the game was able to scare me a lot during the gameplay, also the graphics are very nice and do the job of creating a melancholic and fearful apocalyptic world very well. I just wish they where better optimized to play better in a mid range system like mine.

I could give it a 10 but I wanted a bit more freedom, I was imagining to be able to explore abandoned stations and other places I read in the book and not to be that story restricted to where I can go or not. I also expected it to be bigger since there are a lot of events from the book that I wanted to experience in game as well.
Also the sound system failed completely with dialogs in my setup of 5.1 speakers and I had to configure the system in stereo to be able to hear the dialogs, as I found out it was a common problem with that setup and I just don't understand why they never released a patch to fix that.… Expand

Whoever doesn't rate this game a 10 out of 10 is insane. This is a masterpiece. The only considerable flaw is that on easy to hard modes it is too hard to kill enemies and to be killed. Unrealistic, basically. BUT, with the addiction of the ranger difficulties, this problem goes away completely. It's an entire new game in ranger hardcore. This is one of the best games ever.

It's ok. It's a pretty well done game as far as graphics go looks good. The game is so linear though it's almost a rails-shooter. The game was optimized for consoles, PC game after (common with nearly all modern games). To make the game play better you have to go into Appdata/loca/ directory and edit the user.cfg file and turn on Vsync, POV etc. One thing that's frustrating is the AI and shooting. The enemy AI is pretty bad, humans are frustrating to fight because they're pretty dumb so to compensate their accuracy is set to 90% and they wallhack lol (well I guess all bots do). Fighting humans can be quite frustrating at times, and there's too much of it IMO. The monsters are well animated though, I just wish there were a bigger variety of monsters.

I do like the environment, the story is decent. All-in-all it's an ok game, I wouldn't spend more than $20 on it though.… Expand

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PROS: Beautiful graphics. Amazing atmosphere. Balanced difficulty. CONS: Short length. Terrible A.I. Laughable voice-acting. Poor characterization. Linear level design. OVERALL: A creepy game with gorgeous graphics but some of the worst artificial intelligence in years. Although the journey is interesting, it doesn't last long and the voice acting and characters are as forgettable as they come. Play Metro 2033 for the atmosphere and visuals. It has little else to offer.… Expand

Eines der Atmosphärischsten Spiele-Welten die selten zuvor mit so viel Liebe zum Detail eingefangen wurde ! Die Welt ziht einen Förmlich in die super erzählte Geschichte hinein, und man wird sehr stimmig bei der Sache gehalten . Man erlebt Artjom sehr hautnah und authentisch . Es macht einfach ''spaÃ

A fantastic effort by this studio to deliver something a little different. Graphically stunning 2 years after release. Very linear but that's not a bad thing. It tells a story and your along for the ride. Weapons have poor mechanics in what seems a deliberate effort to add realism, as parts have been scavenged after a hard life underground. The voice acting is fine and the atmosphere is terrific. Definitely worthwhile at current pricing… Expand

Do you love scary games ? Then this is a damn good one, this game is what i call a jewel of the games, it has excellent graphics and animations, it even have the NVDIA PhysX, also all the location will have a great atmosphere which will make you feel like being there yourself, sounds is very good, i just got in mind the part of the city, with the winds and rest of effect, let's hope the sequel of this game will be as great as this, or even more, if it will ever come out.… Expand

A great adventure, nearly as good as HalfLife2 and very atmospheric. Great graphics and sound. Only a few small things (like empty gas filters on high difficulty and too low FieldOfView) stop it from being truly great. ~20 hours of gameplay. If you liked Half Life 2 or STALKER, You will probably like this game too.

Gameplay: 3/5, Complexity/Realism: 3/5, Story/Setting: 5/5, Graphics: 5/5, Sound: 5/5, Balance/Refinement: 2/5, Controls/Interface: 2/5

WARNING: Even if you buy this as a DVD, you WILL BE FORCED TO USE "STEAM" TO PLAY. Also, if a friend happens to have just used his account on your computer, the game will link to that account when installing without warning you!… Expand

Metro 2033 is a great game that comes with some unfortunate baggage for the PC version. It's poorly optimized, chugging on even good systems when the action gets intense, and the FOV and mouse options never feel quite right. That being said, the rest of the game is pretty damn good. The atmosphere is spot on, you really feel like you're part of an underground society sheltering not just from mutants, but a lethal, poisonous world as well. The weapons and gadgets fit the theme as well, particularly the gas mask sections which add a sense of urgency to your time topside. You'll probably like this game if you enjoy STALKER or other post-apocalyptic games, though this is more linear and story driven than most. I struggled on scoring this because I really enjoyed Metro 2033, but the technical issues are pretty bad.… Expand

Very good shooter. This game is based on a book, and it's story quality shows. Good graphics and sound, very well achieved Ambient.
Highly recommend it.

Great story, awesome atmosphere and good depth. A variety of weapons are offered as well as multiple endings to the game. The levels are linear (and so what?) and still fun to play. Just because a game has linear levels doesn't make it bad. I had a huge blast playing this game and becoming immersed in it. The stealth portions and sound were a little annoying and the framerate chugs at times but is still worth the pickup.… Expand

Metro 2033 is truly a masterpiece in terms of storytelling and atmosphere. They are so good that I dare to say those are almost an art form. Also, without spoiling anything I must say details in Metro 2033 are adorable. As soon as you start to play game you can feel Metro 2033 is from a different culture which I think we should consider ourselves lucky as gamers. We should do this cause Games like Metro 2033 give us a very good opportunity to experience creativity and uniqueness instead of stereotype games. Beside itty bitty gameplay difficulties, Metro 2033 is flawless. Like I said earlier I' haven't seen and enjoyed such atmosphere for a long time. Metro 2033 was huge relief for my hunger. Congrats to 4A Games.… Expand

Blown. My. Mind!!

Dark Tone, a great story tighter than a chestnut corset, deep immersion, crushing loneliness - a beautiful story and campaign crafted wonderfully and excecuted expertly. Having said that, one must always control their **** shooting libido when you play such a good game. For instance if you intend to get this game for PC (which I whole-heartedly recommend): get a powerful PC - this game maxed out will eat your GPU for breakfast. I have a powerful gaming laptop built by the proud albeit sloppy hands of the caring folk of PCSpecialists, sporting a gtx580m and I've had to put on a significant over-clock to get this game to run properly. Also stealth is pretty buggy as well, along with a lot of elements in the game. But hey these are easy to overlook with an otherwise functional game which does such a great job of pulling you into its story and atmosphere. Congrats to you, 4A!!… Expand

This is single player First Person Shooter game. It is set in a post apocalypse Russia. This is not a typical game for its genre, but is one who give some importance to realistic situations, like gas masks filters and low quality ammo. The game also focus in almost all its content on stealth gameplay when possible. You are fighting against some kind of demons or monsters, and you have to make your way from one point to another by the subterranean metro system of destroyed Russia. Aiming is a little bit difficult in this game, but it is compensated by the beautiful graphics it have. Artistically speaking, this is a dark game, you are constantly moving in the dark in the post apocalyptic bloody metro tunnels, which are full of surprises, creatures and supernatural mysteries. Even on easy this game can be difficult, and you will occasionally get mad by some glitches, like the inability to find filters for your gas mask. You will fight with assault rifles, shotguns and pistols and several original pressure pumped weapons. You have a flashlight.....wish you will have to manually charge their batteries at least once every few minutes, so try to keep it charge, you don't want to be in those tunnels with a discharge flashlight battery.… Expand

A friend of mine told me to get this game when it was on sale for for 5 dollars. Looking back I would have paid 60 bucks for it. I've played through the game about 10 times now it's a great game to play it's fun and the story is good. the people that a complaining about normal obviously don't use there ammo or health cause I had easily had full health and tons of ammo by the end of the game. Even on ranger hard difficulty I found myself having more then enough ammo and health to get the job done. The story is not in your face and in doesn't force you through cut-scenes. However you still feel like your in "the story" and have a purpose. This is a great game I just hope the sequel is just a good.… Expand

If there was better optimalization of the game i would give higher. Captivating story told through the game. Certainly one of the best single player FPS i have played recently. You can choose to play stealth style in some places and it was entertaining to find a way around. Characters fit the story and fulfill their roles there was nothing much breaking there. All in all well deserved 8.

I played the game before reading the novel, found a lot of access, but does not affect the quality of the game, the scene of the game is very commendable, and a detailed picture of the lives of the people of metro

Good fun on first playthrough but not much to offer past that. Levels are linear and you find yourself being pulled along by the game when what you want to do is stop, take a breath and look around. That said, the visual and sound design are very good and has some fantastic (quicktime) sequences, the atmosphere is excellent, though I wish the player was awarded more freedom.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I don't think anyone is against the fact that this game is beautiful, it looks gorgeous and is very atmospheric, especially visually. I also, storywise got to understand Artyom, and like him, better and better, I think he is introduced very well, and I like the small voice overs inbetween the tubes and stations and such that you visit. Horror wise, I think the first time you get to see those nosalus or W/E they call them, they can look like something out of a horror movie, but in the end they look like overgrown pigs with more humanoid form. Not the most scary I would say. At the point that I am at, have to find some explosives in one tube and bomb another tube so the monsters cannot get through then do something else in a different tube (its a while since I loaded up the game) I haven't really found the shadow people to be all that scary, I'm hoping that comes later, but atm it's not scary at all.
I like the story of the game and how it is presented, I also like the gas mask mechanic, but I do feel that bullets aren't really all that scarce, if you loot every corpse for bullets you will soon have more than enough.
I dislike the stealth mechanics, I was supposed to stealth through some station and save bourbon, in the end I decided that a frontal attack was probably more fun and rewarding for me... It was, however the story didn't like that choice, and even though I had cleared out the station of people intent on harming me, the story still decided to say that someone else helped me and that more people were following right behind wanting to gut me... That, I guess, is the only misstep so far for me, otherwise this is definitely a great game that I enjoy, its beautiful, atmospheric (I can almost smell the steam, the damp tunnels and the fear when walking in a tunnel like that only with a flashlight), the gunplay I like but the sounds could be better imo. All in all, and especially with the pricing these days, it should be in any gamers collection.
Yes it is linear... You are walking around in TUNNELS for the most part of the game, it is difficult to expand a tunnel to encompass flanking when your fighting in a tunnel only wide enough for a train to pass through. Granted even in the city of Moscow there are a few invisible walls, I didn't find it to be burdensome at all, sometimes limitations are key to giving a great experience. I will give it an 8/10, since it DOES have it's faults, but it is a good enough game to warrant buying and especially these days when you can get it for less than 20â… Expand

I think this is one of the best story lines that I've ever played. At first the graphics seemed to be really rough on my video card. The game just doesn't run smooth on my video card on some cut scenes. However, i cannot take away the fact that the graphics are just astonishing. There is so much detail in every mission, not to mention the character detail is outstanding. Now it is time to explain the bad parts of the game. First of all, the AI is incredibly difficult on any difficulty higher than "normal". I played on "Ranger Easy" the first few chapters. I found it very dissapointing the AI could fire 3 rounds into my cover and once i killed them, they only had 1-5 bullets. I later switched to easy because of the difficulties of completing one of the missions and found the game to still be a bit challenging, but easy enough to entertain me. I did not like the fact that the AI on harder difficulties could fire "Through my cover". I also found it amusing that i could empty a mag point blank into a bot and them get right back up and hit me with a few bullets to end my mission. That problem could be changed by lowering the difficulty though. The one thing that made me really upset to see is the ending to such a great story line go up in flames. This had to have been the worst ending a game could have. I cannot ruin it for people without the game, but it is rather disappointing. I'll also add that the levels are completely linear. Now, this is not a big issue because the game still sucked you right in. I hardly even noticed. I wish they could have added many more rooms/lockers that you could check for collectibles and pick-ups for. This is me critiquing, so it is a rather harsh review. To sum this game up, it is one of the best games I've ever played. I got it for $4.99 on Steam Sale. It is $19.99 on Steam currently. I think it is definitely worth $19.99. If i might also add: To the people who gave it 1/10 for a rating, most of your explanations are utterly stupid and there should be no reason you are allowed to bring the score of this game down. I found the one that said "I paid $5 for this game and after 5 minutes i wanted my money back" very entertaining. Any gamer knows you cannot judge a game in the first 5 minutes, especially this one since it builds up rather slow. The one that mentioned that this game was obviously made for consoles and gave it one star. I agree, they did make it a console game, but they did a fantastic job turning it into a PC game.… Expand

Very linear gameplay which was totally unexpected but nethertheless the game is very easy to play and I happily churned my way through it and all the experiences it has to offer. The graphics are obviously amazing, in particular the lighting. I have some gripes with the decisions you make in the game and that they are very slapdash and not particular obvious , given that you have to meet so many subtle goals to achieve a good ending I felt a little bit cheated. The weapon physics are great but the enemies are rediculously powerful and great use of a little kid in a game!
All in all a great experience well worth playing and enjoying , just dont expect anything revolutionary.… Expand

I LOVED THIS GAME! The story, setting, environment, etc. are all amazing! I cannot stress how amazing I found the game. I loved it so much I recommended it and even bought it and sent it as a gift to some of my friends. They all said the same thing, that they loved it. I really wish that they had made it into more of a sandbox, but it's still awesome as it is. I also liked the realism and how they used military grade ammo as currency, so you had to choose between a gun with good ammo or to spend it on gear and have crappy ammo. I also loved how above ground that you had to wear a gas mask and had to use filters that slowly ran out, and that it's not like some games where your gear deteriorates, but instead when you get shot, it slowly cracks and your filters aren't as effective. The only thing I did not like about it was that when I was above ground, I was low on filters and my game auto-saved just a few seconds before I died, but eventually I got out of my problem by using a few tricks so I didn't have to go back like an hour or so to when my last save was. I also thought that it should have a multiplayer. But other than that, it was awesome! I even bought the books and preordered Last Light because it was amazing. So if you want a new and exciting experience, buy it!… Expand

OK I just finished this game and it was pretty good. Like most people have said the ending left a bit to be desired. But it was scary enough and enough action to make it a good game. Other than the ending the only complaints I have were the walking and running were a bit odd in how they were designed and when an human enemy died....well...let's just say you aren't that vocal when you die lol. Also, there were a times when it took too many shots to kill someone or something. All in all though for $5.43 (total off of steam) and playing for about 27 hours ($.20/hr) it was a great bargain and worth the time to play it.… Expand

Metro 2033 is the most unoptimized, sluggish game I've ever played in terms of graphical fidelity. Crysis runs better than this, and I have a pretty good rig. It's a fun game, but boy does it eviscerate GPUs.

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Well, let's start:

The good: amazing graphics, great atmosphere, great voice acting, great story, innovative gameplay
The bad: ridiculously hard, stiff controls

Let me explain: the game have awesome graphics, it's very dark, indeed, but it's also very beautiful. What do I mean with "great atmosphere"? While playing, there was ocasions that I felt bad for the people on the metro, it's a game, but you can see that they suffered a lot, sometimes you see wounded people, blood on the walls, dead bodies, blood pools on the ground, anyway, sometimes you really feel that you are part of the story. And why "innovative gameplay"? Simple, your money on the game is your ammo, so, you can't shoot everything that moves, even with an AK-47, you have to aim a lot before you shoot, expecially when you have 20 bullets on the magazine and no bullets left to reload. Sometimes you find people that sell bullets, so you can exchange the ammo that you don't need to get more ammo for your favorite gun, and I think that this is great, each time you shoot, you loose money, so you must think before you act.

Now the bad:

The game is hard, like, REALLY hard, if you play on the Ranger difficulty, you die with 2 shots, it's hard to find ammo, and even harder to find Healthy Kits. Sometimes you go to the surface, and you need Filters, that is also hard to find, so, if you don't read about the game on the internet, you may find yourself trapped on the surface, with a gun without ammo, and 3 mins. to find the exit.
The controls could be better, I don't know how to explain, but they are a little stiffy, you press a button and your character move suddenly, but after sometime playing you get used to it

The game have 2 different gameplay styles:
- Sometimes you play inside the metro, so it's very dark, and other times you go to the surface, it's very bright, but you have to run because you die if you don't find new Filters for your Gas Mask.
- Sometimes you face humans, and the gameplay is focused on stealth, hide on the shadow etc. And other times you face the mutants, and the gameplay focus on survival, you have to kill them before they catch you.

That's what I have to say about the game, even with the difficulty and the controls, the game is awesome. If you don't mind dying countless times, and running to find more air or bullets, you should try this game… Expand

This game was fantastic. The atmosphere, the stealth, the immersion and the combat were all amazing. I don't have many words to describe how satisfying the ending was. What has been annoying me here is far too many people complaining about how the game was "too hard" I played this thing on Ranger Hardcore on my first run through. No Hud , No hp bar, no real inventory, you get nothing and you die in 1-2 bullets, All you have to do is plan your attacks and realize you don't always have to fight. No single person can take 4-6 guys all with guns on their own. Seriously if this game is too hard for you go back to playing COD on your Xbox.… Expand

Fantastic graphically and sound wise. It really pulls you into the world. However it is quite short and has no re playability incentive apart from achievements. It is also Steam activated DRM so you can't sell it. Don't think I will be playing again so only buy if you can get it dirt cheap.