It would be quite fair to say that there are more than a few HD remasters/remakes out these days. Right from the brilliant Metal Gear Solid HD Collection, to the more recently PlayStation 4 release, The Last of Us Remastered. Another set of classic titles, Metro 2033 and last year’s Metro: Last Light, have also been remastered by 4A Games, compiling them together in Metro Redux. How would these latest remastered titles fare on the new generation of consoles? Time to find out in my review below!
Game: Metro Redux
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver
Reviewed on:
STORY
Metro Redux tells both stories of Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light. As in both games, players take on the role of Artyom, a young male survivor of the nuclear war which happened in Moscow, in 2013. Both game’s follow Artyom’s story on how he gets involved with the enemies known as only ‘The Dark Ones’, in which he seems to posses a strange connection with them. Meeting allies along the way, Artyom must do what he can to ensure that his home station survives, whilst trying to deal with the dark ones the best way he can. Of course, with both Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light included in the package, Metro Redux tells the complete story, and really gripped me from start to finish. What is really good is that both games entail multiple endings, based on the actions that players make along the way.
GRAPHICS
Metro 2033 was first released back in 2010, with Metro: Last Light only recently being released last year. I was very interested to see how 4A Games would handle these two ‘remasters’, but I have to give them so much credit. If you hadn’t previously played either game in the Metro Redux collection, you would think both had been developed from the ground up for the PlayStation 4, especially in it’s visual attempt. Metro: Last Light looks absolutely gorgeous, but you can appreciate more, how much work has actually gone into the visuals of Metro 2033.
It really impressed me so much, to the point that I would class it as the best looking HD remaster I have seen up until now. Everything down to the tunnels, the nuclear hit city, the detail in the weapons, right down to the enemy detail. Everything has been paid so much attention to, in both games, that it is a wonderful sight to see, regardless if you have played the series before or not.
SOUND
The Metro Redux collection is that of the survival horror genre, and both games included offer some very, very tense moments, thanks to the audio aspect that is on offer. The game’s audio shines, especially in the tunnel sections of the game, with every turn of a corner being met with some tense, background sound, not giving you any hint in which a demon would come out and strike. The voice acting on show in Metro Redux is also at a good standard, adding to the tense experience, as you hear your allies trying to warn you about what is coming ahead. Generally speaking, the sound gives both titles a ‘complete’ feel about it.
GAMEPLAY
Metro Redux offers a compelling, satisfying gameplay experience, thanks to the key improvements that the developer’s have made in each game. What is good with both games, is that before you start a new game, it asks you to choose which style you could like to have. There are two available, Spartan and Assault. Want to play Metro 2033 again with the fast-paced, action-oriented Metro Last Light gameplay? Perhaps you want a more realistic experience in Metro Last Light, where ammo is hard to come by? That’s exactly the choice you have before. If you’re like me, you will have chosen to have ammo available to you at all a very high rate, as I do like handling out damage alot! (That’s why you have guns available to you, right?).
As well having standard weapons available to you, both game’s require the use of a Gas Mask. The Gas Mask is used when you are at the surface of the underground tunnels, where the air is filled with toxic air from the bombs during the war. You have to watch the gas mask however, as you will need to collect filters, which only last a short amount of time. Quite a lot of the time, you are accompanied by one of your allies, and whilst their AI is decent enough, I do feel that it could of been alot better. There are times when a horde of demons will come chasing after your blood, and your ally is doing next-to-nothing. The overall shooting mechanics are at a decent level, with realistic re-loading times for your weapons. Don’t expect your shot gun ammo to be reloaded with just a click of a button!. Time and time again, I had to make a run for it, whilst I reloaded my weapon. There is a vast amount of weapons at your disposal though, so for those who like the more, faster, machine gun style approach, there is something to cater all needs.
LONGEVITY
With Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light included in Metro Redux, you can easily expect the game to last well over 20 hours. The developers also give a nice touch to Last Light by including all of the DLC into it. With the fun, fast-paced gameplay that both titles offer, there is no reason why you wouldn’t want to play through each title again, with trophy incentives and extra difficulty options available for the user to try and master along the way.
VERDICT
Metro Redux offers two fantastically remastered titles in one package for very, very decent price. Whether you have completed both before, or never come across them, I really recommend that you pick Metro Redux up. There have been some wonderful remastered releases, and we have been spoilt with many of them, but I can say that Metro Redux is the best of the lot.
