In a
day and age where first-person shooters are a dime a dozen, it can be difficult
for developers to create games in the genre that stand out from the pack. Many shooters
use big explosions and even bigger bad guys to cover up a weak story line, and
most of the time copies still fly off of store shelves. Developer 4A Games
released “Metro: Last Light” and proved that it doesn’t take the grandeur that
FPSs are known for to make an immersive, memorable experience.
While “Last
Light” doesn’t exactly turn its nose up to over-the-top theatrics, the most
standout moments come from subtleties such as NPC background dialogue and wiping
a mask off to clear a player’s field of vision. It’s in these details that drive
the game forward and give it the rough personality people will recognize it for.
“Last
Light” is a sequel to “Metro: 2033” and follows Artyom, the original title’s
main character, in his quest to rescue the last survivor of a strange species
known as the Dark Ones, a race of creatures Artyom helped destroy in “2033.” He
has to compete with Communists and Nazis (because it’s not a true shooter
without Nazis, right?) in order to get to the young Dark One and attempt to
rescue the remaining humans that reside in the Metro with its unknown abilities.
The
game handles like any other shooter, so Call of Duty and Halo players will
immediately feel at home with the controls. What sets this game apart, though,
is the survival horror elements it integrates into the experience, which
demands players act sharp to stay alive. For example, there are environments in
the game that require the use of a gas mask. If the mask is damaged too much or
the player runs out of filters for the mask, Artyom dies. This proves to be
quite a task to take on when a pack of giant, mutated rats are gnawing on your
face.
This is
where stealth comes into the game. By staying in dark places, crouching or
flanking enemies, certain sneak attacks can be used to quietly subdue foes and
generate no attention. Most areas offer means to outwit or avoid baddies, so the
clever player will always be rewarded.
Other
small steps that need to be taken for survival include regularly charging your
flashlight, switching badly damaged gas masks and wiping your mask when blood
or mud spatters onto it, which obscures vision.
While
being frustrating at times, these fine adjustments add a sense of realism and
urgency to “Last Light” that future survival horror shooters should take note
of. “Last Light” finds a pleasant balance with these mechanics and adds just
enough difficulty without making the game feel like one big chore.
Gun
selection is limited, but the weapons available can be customized in numerous ways
such as laser sights or adding a silencer. These customizations can either add
firepower or make it easier to remain unnoticed among many enemies. Guns can
also be scavenged from fallen foes, and any customizations on a foraged gun
will be displayed before it is taken. Players can carry up to three guns with
them at a time, and an array of side weapons, such as grenades and throwing
knives, bulk up your inventory.
On “Last
Light’s” normal difficulty, certain parts can be a challenge, but is never too
easy or hard. Ranger mode offers heightened difficulty and can be purchased on
the PS3 store for five USD. “Last Light” takes about 10-13 hours and awards
players for exploring areas with extra ammo, filters and story line notes to be
collected.
Enemy
intelligence is nothing to write home about and in a few times during my play
experience an enemy failed to spot me when I was in plain sight, only inches away
from them. Glitches can also be found in both enemies and environment but they
are small and infrequent enough to forgive.
Presentation
in this game is incredible and takes the small details enforced by the gameplay
and gives them a place in both the environment and story line.
One of
the most impressive aspects of this lies within NPC interactions, whether it is
between Artyom or the NPCs themselves. A few times in the game Artyom will be
taken to a city. Here players can buy ammo or guns and can customize the
weapons they already own, but the real draw comes from the inhabitants of these
run down places. Upon entering these cities a loud bustle of conversation can
be heard, and when Artyom walks close enough to NPCs they can hear, in detail,
what the people are saying. These interactions aren’t mandatory for the game,
but they can offer clues that will help players in their travels or can offer
insight into “Last Light’s” story. Conversations can go for three minutes and
beyond, which shows how much effort 4A Games put into this game’s voice acting.
Other environmental
details such as howls in the distance, screams coming from a room over or
skeletons on a crashed plane create an eerie vibe that builds in intensity as
the game progresses. The music is minimal, but adds to the creepy wasteland and
tunnels being traversed. Sounds move along the game more than anything, which
helps build the realism founded by the gameplay early on.
The
story line is interesting and has a few twists and turns that players will have
mixed feeling about. A variety of dreams, flashbacks and assorted visions give
a surreal feeling to players but leads to a fulfilling ending that can be seen in
one of two ways.
In all,
“Metro: Last Light” is much more than your average shooter. Obscure
interactions help fill the game with personality and puts players in Artyom’s
shoes. Some minor glitch issues, average AI and a small weapon selection take
away from the game, but the positives far outweigh the negatives.
“Last Light” proves that shooters don’t have
to be all about the guns and uses realism to draw gamers down into the gritty
underbelly of the Metro.
This
game gets an 8.5 out of 10.
This article can also be seen on powerupgaming.co.uk.
