Metro 2033 Redux

The Metro universe tells the story of the inhabitants of Moscow, a city that was destroyed by a nuclear strike in 2013. The only salvation was the metro, which was originally designed as a bomb shelter.

Humanity ekes out a miserable existence at stations controlled by various factions (from Nazis to Communists). Some stations are overrun by monsters, making solo travel between stations dangerous. But the greatest danger is the surface, where staying for a long time is tantamount to death.

The main changes in the Redux version of Metro 2033 are related to graphics. The game was transferred to a new version of the 4A Engine, using up-to-date solutions for 2015, also reflected in Metro: Last Light:

The Metro universe develops in an alternate reality and begins in 2013 after a global nuclear conflict, when Russia, China, and North Korea exchanged missile strikes with NATO countries. Climate changes turned the northern hemisphere into an icy wasteland, and rising water levels destroyed all coastal infrastructure. Nations were wiped off the face of the Earth, and the world is ruled by anarchy,

In Moscow, where the events of Metro 2033 take place, people took refuge underground, turning metro stations and bunkers into their homes. Instead of uniting, the small population divided based on ideological, religious, or selfish interests, with some just trying to survive. Often, they have to fight their way through.

The metro network is abandoned and falling apart, physically isolating the stations, forcing people to venture to the surface where the harshest survival conditions exist. They must navigate between ruined buildings, avoid patrols of local paramilitary gangs, various mutants, dangerous radiation levels, and induced psi-emissions. Due to the lack of filters, ammunition, and proper weapons, loners quickly return to the metro from the surface.

Metro 2033 is almost a corridor shooter, with small but meticulously designed game locations — there is some semblance of life at the stations, people argue, communicate, and trade despite their dire living conditions. Sometimes, locations have branches leading to interesting events, supplies, diaries, or secret passages.

All locations are made dark and ominous, perfectly conveying the post-apocalyptic atmosphere, universal desolation, and global catastrophe. While moving between stations, the character may hear strange noises, see incomprehensible flashes, and experience other visual glitches.

In the Redux version of Metro 2033, new places for exploration (especially on the surface) and items (safes, notes) were added, and most of the short levels were combined into one.

The main protagonist of Metro 2033 is a young man named Artyom, who grew up after the nuclear war at the VDNKh station and was raised by his stepfather. Like everyone else, he is attached to his home station, helps its residents, works at the factory, learns to shoot and defend his home, which is located on the border of the "inhabited zone."

This metro line has been restless for several years — the outer stations are dying out under attacks from the brutal Black mutants, who come from the surface and torment people with telepathic hallucinations. At the beginning of the game's events, the turn has come to VDNKh — several of its residents have already died after patrols due to the psychic influence of the Blacks.

A friend of his stepfather asks Artyom to report the appearance of the Blacks to Polis — the largest and most powerful metro station, friendly to VDNKh and other ordinary stations — and ask for their help in destroying the Blacks. However, VDNKh is too far from the central metro stations, so Artyom will have to undertake a very difficult journey, full of various dangers.

The narrative of Metro 2033 is linear, like the game itself, and focuses on the story of one man striving to save his station at any cost. The main plot details are narrated by Artyom himself, while others can be learned during cutscenes and dialogues, by eavesdropping on local conversations. Often, the characters simply talk among themselves without distracting the player from the gameplay.

A feature of the plot is the numerous secondary characters who act as companions — they join Artyom literally for 2-3 missions, after which they achieve their goals, die, or disappear. Constant interaction creates a sense of a living and open narrative.

Being a standard corridor shooter, Metro 2033 encourages moving forward and solving most problems with the power of your weapon, but you can try to play the game in stealth.

The plot is closely intertwined with the gameplay, as depending on the style of play, the player will have one of two endings — the main or the alternative. By committing bad deeds and hoarding resources, the player will get the bad ending, while good deeds, help, resource support, and minimal killings will lead to the alternative ending.

In the original, the stealth mode had issues, so most players chose the shooter mechanics for gameplay. This was also facilitated by the fact that signal traps were placed everywhere, raising the station on alert and provoking attacks from people (mutants), when the only chance to survive and move forward was to kill everyone with a machine gun, hiding behind cover.

In Metro 2033 Redux, stealth was improved with the function of stunning the enemy or killing quietly, for a better gameplay experience it is recommended to play the Redux version. Other gameplay changes include two new difficulties ("Survival" and "Spartan").

At the player's disposal is a small arsenal, consisting of frequently found homemade weapons and rare industrial ones that have survived since the nuclear war. There are also grenades and throwing knives. The metro population does not experiment much with weapons due to the shortage of bullets.

People have learned to produce bullets by hand, but they have low killing properties. Meanwhile, industrial 5.45 bullets serve as the local currency — they can be exchanged for anything... or used against particularly dangerous enemies.

В Metro 2033 разнообразный бестиарий, созданный на базе придуманных в романе существ. Поскольку во время конфликта стороны использовали не только ядерное, но также химическое и бактериологическое оружие, под этим воздействием животные изменились и слились в устрашающие организмы – помеси крыс, собак и кошек, свиней и кротов.

У всех мутантов есть своя зона обитания – некоторые встречаются только в метро, другие предпочитают жить на поверхности и редко появляются под землей, третьи, как «Библиотекари» и «Демоны», просто не могут спуститься под землю из-за своих размеров.

Мутантам прописали определенную логику поведения. Самые простые, «Кикиморы», всегда атакуют стаей и разбегаются, когда теряют численное преимущество, вертлявы и быстры. «Орложук» — прямоходящее насекомое со скелетом птицы и мордой орла, укрытый толстой хитиновой броней — охотится в одиночку и нападает в темноте, всегда идет напролом. Летающий «Демон» выслеживает свою добычу и пикирует на нее сверху, поднимает в воздух и сбрасывает. Из-за своих размеров и возможности летать являются самыми опасными противниками.

В Redux-версии Metro 2033 «Орложука» полностью убрали из игры, заменив несколькими видами «Жукопауков» — помесью тарантула, скорпиона с обычным пауком. Они плетут паутину и атакуют группами, никогда не выходят на поверхность и боятся света фонаря.