Metro 2033 Redux
Review
A descent once more into a familiar hell
by Johnathan Irwin
reviewed on PC
What Else Has Changed? What Else Is The Same?
Another thing substantially improved is the friendly AI. I cannot express how many times in the original I died because of failures of the AI. In games like Call of Duty, the AI is intentionally made useless so that the player can feel like a hero, but that same thought process doesn't transfer over well if it is one of several parts where you have to fight tooth and nail for survival. In the original game, you'd be lucky if your comrades could even kill a single enemy. You'd be luckier still if the enemies actually paid attention to your comrades. Now, they still let you do most of the work but they are actually helpful in situations that would otherwise be frustrating to the point of pulling your hair out.
Hopping back and forth between the games to compare the graphics across all settings, the game looks better across the board. Of course this means that if your current PC struggled with the original version of Metro 2033 you're going to have to sit this one out. Character models and environment textures have been majorly improved, offering an intense, almost real display of a downtrodden society that dwells beneath the surface. In the above-ground segments, however, the appearances of humans takes a slight hit. The beautiful display of life in the tunnels of the Moscow metro was already amazing just a few years ago, but now that beauty has increased tenfold. Cracks upon the wall are more detailed and glass on the ground glimmers slightly in the dim lights. As with the character models, it seems to be the below ground portions that pull you into the moment more than the above portions. This doesn't mean that above the ground is ugly, it's just not quite on par with the near photo-realism seen beneath the streets.
While the visuals have been majorly updated and the gameplay itself feels more polished, it seems as if all of the original dialogue audio was left the same. Not that this is a bad thing mind you, but I have a pet peeve when I encounter enemies in the game that are supposed to be of an entirely different nationality using Russian accents as though it's just business as usual. Other than that, the voice work was great then and it's mostly a good decision to have kept it as is. I just would have preferred the other nationality featured in the game to have appropriate accents. This minor nitpick isn't enough to draw attention away from the rest of the game however.
If you played the original you'll remember that it was sometimes a buggy mess but in the ten hours I spent exploring the above and below of Moscow I encountered only a single glitch. A large door opened, a friendly AI started walking too soon and walked through it. Color me impressed but as much as I loved the original, it haunted me how buggy it was so to see only one glitch this time around had me grinning ear to ear when I was finished.
Follow The Light
Metro 2033 Redux has taken the original title and increased the quality to such heights that it was like playing a completely different game. Amazing graphics, refined and tweaked gameplay... it all makes for a much smoother experience. There are no sacrifices of the good of the original but it does successfully eliminate the bad - this is how remakes should be. Whether you have played the original or not, this is a game for anyone seeking atmosphere, story, and FPS gameplay blended into something amazing. Do not miss this experience.
10
fun score
Pros
Substantially improves the original, adds the ability to truly decide how you want to experience it.
Cons
It eventually has an end, minor annoyance with Russian accents on non-Russian characters.
