Metro Last Light

[Kenadian]

Metro Last Light takes place about a year after the dark ones were scorched from the Earth. The Ice has begun to melt and you may even catch a rare glimpse of blue sky however the air is still not yet breathable.

In Metro Last Light, you fight both man and mutant in and above the Moscow Metro Tunnels however in this installment you'll find yourself above ground much more than in Metro 2033. One of the devs has stated you may spend up to 40% of your time above ground and the experience will be far less linear than the Metro Tunnels.

In fact, you'll basically have a starting point and an end objective, how you get there will be entirely up to you.

Metro Last Light is the highly anticipated sequel to Metro 2033.

Enter the Metro:

[video=youtube;mON5WmA5REk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mON5WmA5REk[/video]

Welcome to Moscow:

[video=youtube;HdS6IHRAsrk]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HdS6IHRAsrk[/video]

Genesis Gameplay Trailer:

[video=youtube;CZkUnciopl0]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZkUnciopl0[/video]

Venice:

[video=youtube;EYSiiDnHSiE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYSiiDnHSiE[/video]

 

[Shilka]

I'm looking forward to this one, as I very much liked Metro 2033, which was a game with not just very solid gameplay, but most of all had a very atmospheric game environment. It looks like the same can be said of Last Light, judging from this latest vid

[video=youtube;Y6X6WccqIk8]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6X6WccqIk8[/video]

 

[Kenadian]

Well it sounds like Deep Silver is going to keep their noses out of the Production Process so we have no reason not to think this game will be anything other than awesome. They've put a lot more work into "playing the way you want to play" so there will exist many opportunities for Stealth and/or Run 'n Gun.

They've deviated from the books and written an entirely new Story for this one allowing for more time above ground which should be interesting. The addition of day/nigh cycles and variable weather and non-linear objectives could see you caught outside at night when the animals typically feed.

The thing I enjoy most about this game though is the finishing touches they add. Sounds are truly amazing as are weapon design and animations. All of the hand crafted weaponry is conceivably functional in real life as they employ an Engineer on Staff who aids in the weapon design.

I can see it being a total hardware pig though so that will be the only thing to worry about. The rest of it should be as good as, if not better, than 2033 which was amazing.

 

[Kenadian]

Wow I somehow missed the Metro Salvation Trailer, actually brought shivers to my spine.

[video=youtube;AAGsXM2QaiM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?annotation_id=annotation_273966&feature=iv&s rc_vid=Y6X6WccqIk8&v=AAGsXM2QaiM[/video]

 

[Solo4114]

I really enjoyed Metro: 2033, up until I got stuck in the one level where you have to sneak past a bunch of guards without killing any of them. I find the stealth stuff irritating at times. Still, awesome atmosphere, interesting and different weapons from the usual FPS armory, and the story is pretty neat, too.

Are the Stalker games similar? 'Cause I have those from the same Steam sale where I got 2033.

 

[Kenadian]

That's funny Solo because I remember getting frustrated by that level as well. I remember trying to take both paths (one up the right under the floor, one up the left to the room behind the guard) and died numerous times.

If I remember correctly, it was the left path that got you past everyone as you could stealth kill the one guard and then slip on in. I believe though that you were instantly caught in a firefight so it made the stealth part all that more pointless.

That said though, its one hiccup in what is otherwise an extremely good game which is why I completely forgot about it until you brought it up.

While similarities can be drawn between the Metro and Stalker Series, I think it's more because the setting is ultimately the same but that would be the extent of it.

I didn't play a lot of Stalker to be perfectly honest because it just didn't do it for me and I can't remember why. I seem to recall the environments, lighting and sound being amazing but for some reason I didn't find the gameplay all that immersive.

You'll have to load it up to see for yourself but the one distinct difference I'd point out between the two is that Metro is a more believable scenario. I've never been to Chernobyl obviously but the thought of mutant animals running around an exclusion zone and men waging war over radioactive loot is a bit silly.

I also don't recall any real type of story being told in Stalker but it's been years so I could be wrong.

 

[Solo4114]

Oh, actually, I think there's two levels like that. There's one underground where you have to sneak through the communist lines AND the fascist lines to escape. There's an achievement for not killing anyone on that level and I think another for killing everyone. I did that one a few times.

The one I'm talking about happens later and is, I think, outdoors. I got stuck on that, probably trying for an achievement, and got fed up and moved on to another game.

I'm moving along at a decent clip with Sleeping Dogs, so maybe when that's finished, I'll go back to Metro 2033.

 

[Kenadian]

I don't recall one outside. Are you referring to the area where all the abandoned cars are that turns into a huge fire fight?

In Metro I only ever played one stealth level to my knowledge.

 

[Ogami Itto]

While similarities can be drawn between the Metro and Stalker Series, I think it's more because the setting is ultimately the same but that would be the extent of it.

I didn't play a lot of Stalker to be perfectly honest because it just didn't do it for me and I can't remember why. I seem to recall the environments, lighting and sound being amazing but for some reason I didn't find the gameplay all that immersive.

You'll have to load it up to see for yourself but the one distinct difference I'd point out between the two is that Metro is a more believable scenario. I've never been to Chernobyl obviously but the thought of mutant animals running around an exclusion zone and men waging war over radioactive loot is a bit silly.

I also don't recall any real type of story being told in Stalker but it's been years so I could be wrong.

Now you're talking my language! Duke I think what broke the immersion for you in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. (yes I'm a fan) was the bugs in it's initial iteration. It was so bad it almost made me cry when it constantly ruins your suspension of disbelief with the bugs. It's better after full patches and that allows the wonderful environment to truly shine when you're not having to say "It's almost a beta!" all the time. One of the few games that made my adrenaline pump!

Full disclosure, I don't have either Metro although I'm sure I'd like them to some degree. As to S.T.A.L.K.E.R. having an unbelievable scenario, well there is a Chernobyl Exclusion Zone and there are animal mutations there (not to the exaggerated depictions of the game of course) while there has never been anything factual about the fabled "T-Virus" or zombies that everyone loves so much so why the immersion in one and not the other?

S.T.A.L.K.E.R was a great game marred by the usual suspect, a premature release. One of the larger missed opportunities in the gaming world, IMHO.

 

[Kenadian]

I actually did play the leaked Alpha of Stalker and explored much of the exclusion zone. Of course not everything was flushed out at that time because the AI still had their presence markers enabled so you could see where they were and what they were up to.

I didn't load it for that as I just wanted to experience some of the things they were advertising at the time. The Chernobyl disaster happened the year I graduated, I'm half Russian and I'm completely infatuated with the content.

In the Alpha I remember a true feeling of isolation, dread and horror being present in the Alpha and it was so well done at that point I was super hyped for the release.

...but I didn't get that feeling in the release and I think that's what ultimately killed it for me.

As for the "believably", I only mention it as I'm trying to differentiate between the two games really. That being said, I never loaded Stalker for authenticity as it's content is as believable to me as Doom. In fact, most of the games I play have little to no authenticity which is fine but in place of it you need some level of immersion and Stalker lost me where Metro gripped me.

I will say though in my case, I was watching and tracking Stalker's development cycle with great interest and had high expectations of the game. In the case of Metro 2033, I only learned about it through a Steam sale, basically tripping over it with low expectations.

Whether this is a factor in my judging it's really impossible to say? I like to think that games grip me off their own presentation rather than any preconceived notions I may have upon first loading.

 

[mondo]

I found Stalker and Metro to be very similar in some respects, they shared allot of game play elements but Stalker was more open world and not linear progression. The first Stalker is excellent with a semi linear progression but the 2nd I didn't enjoy so much, I didn't try the third. Both are hard games though, require plenty of thinking in what you carry and how you use it.

I would recommend playing a Stalker game now the bugs are all fixed.

 

[Solo4114]

Duke,

Your anticipation of Stalker almost certainly played a role in your disappointment. I find I enjoy entertainment much more if I don't go in with a preconceived set of notions. I can judge it purely on its face.


As for the Metro level, I think it was the Depot level. You're supposed to kill the first guard and break in to the depot unnoticed. I think that's what I was trying to do, and just couldn't pull it off.

 

[Kenadian]

Well I blame it on the leaked Alpha then because it was way more immersive than the release actually was.

Actually I think it only made a small difference in how I enjoyed the game. Regardless of they hype surrounding any game, I always remain cautiously optimistic but the game still has to earn my enjoyment.

 

[Solo4114]

Oh, of course. But if you have the kind of "bait and switch" experience you're talking about, it'll necessarily color your take on the game. Even if that "bait and switch" is simply breathless dev notes about all the cool features they'll put in...which they end up not including after all.

I've had that happen and it's really made me dislike a game. Hell, even having a game be super hyped up to me by friends, and then it being kinda "meh" can be like that.

 

[Shilka]

[video=youtube;h4WSE4za6VE]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4WSE4za6VE[/video]

 

[Kenadian]

Unbelievable!

It's almost here now, less than a month away.

 

[Shilka]

[video=youtube;jAMI0fiJqY4]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jAMI0fiJqY4[/video]

 

[Kenadian]

OMG what an awesome looking game!

Thanks for keeping us updated NT.

 

[Shilka]

Yeah, if you can manage to meet the optimum system requirements;

Windows: Vista, 7 or 8
CPU: 3.4 GHz Multi-Core, e.g. Intel Core i7
RAM: 8 GB
Direct X: 11
Graphics Card: Nvidia GTX 680 SLI / Nvidia GTX 690 / Nvidia Titan

Then the game can look like this;

 

[Kenadian]

The only thing I don't have is the 680 but I do have a factory overclocked 670 so I think I'll be ok.