14 DAY TRIAL // 
Metro 2033, the first-person shooter that came out from 4A Games and THQ back in 2010, was the definition of a flawed gem, as it delivered a great world and atmosphere but was let down by gameplay bugs and some wonky mechanics.
With Metro: Last Light, the game's sequel, 4A Games and new publisher Deep Silver want to deliver a drastically improved experience and show that the Metro universe can easily stand on its own against other, more established shooter franchises.
With the promise of improved mechanics and a progression of Artyom's story from the original, Last Light is looking like a great sequel. Does it deliver on its promises or should the game's light be extinguished? Let's find out.
Story
Metro 2033 impressed right from the beginning with the story based on the famous Russian novel with the same name written by Dmitry Glukhovsky. Last Light could have based its story on the Metro 2034 book, but developer 4A Games decided to take things in a new direction and focus squarely on Artyom and how both he and the Moscow metro as a whole are dealing with the eradication of the Dark Ones from the first title.
Last Light is more about politics than the supernatural, as the four major factions of the underground subway lines, the Rangers, the Hansa, the Soviets, and the Nazis, want to go to war over the D6 silo uncovered by Artyom in 2033.
What follows is a journey through the metro for Artyom as he tries to stop a plot of the Soviets while on a special mission to eliminate the last remaining Dark One. The story is quite impressive and can be punctuated by journal entries written by Artyom, found in the game's world.
I won't spoil things, but the ride is filled with many impressive moments, some more cinematic than others, and almost all of them focus squarely on the world of the metro and its inhabitants who are all still humans, even if the desperate times have forced them to take desperate actions.
Gameplay
Metro: Last Light boasts some drastic improvements in terms of gameplay over its predecessor, as the actual first-person shooting feels really good. Weapons retain their makeshift feel in order to emphasize the improvisations that needed to be made by humanity in order to survive in the metro after the nuclear bombs went off.
Weapons can be modified with different attachments, from new scopes, to barrel mods and other such things, but most of them cost a lot of money, which is once again represented by military grade bullets that can either be used as currency or as actual bullets for increased damage. Besides shooting his way through the game's world, Artyom can also use throwing knives, grenades, or even claymores.
While conflict is inevitable in certain situations, especially when dealing with different types of monsters and mutants, Artyom can always try to sneak his way past encampments set up by human enemies. He can use stealth takedowns, either lethal or non-lethal, and even shut down lights in order to prevent detection. The overall stealth mechanic is pretty well organized, although the detection is sometimes erratic.
Enemy AI is pretty smart and highly accurate, so you're practically forced to stay behind destructible cover and move around the battlefield. What's more, when you're detected in certain areas, the enemies will start pumping in radioactive gas, meaning Artyom must use his gas mask and one of his precious filters to survive until he exits the area.
Environments are cleverly designed, managing to recreate the classic tight and twisted subway tunnel schematic, but there are also plenty of nooks, crannies, or air vents that can be explored for special rewards, although there are quite a few unpleasant surprises in some of them, like big nasty spider-like mutants.
Besides exploring the metro, Artyom also needs to go up to the surface, where radiation and a lot of other surprises await him. These are truly stunning moments as the game recreates gorgeous destroyed environments and drives home the damage caused by the nuclear bombs in Moscow.
There are a few animation bugs and some enemies might detect you even if you're hidden, or they will sometimes fail to notice you even if you're standing in front of them. Even so, these glitches don't detract from the Metro: Last Light experience.
Visuals and Sound
Metro: Last Light runs on 4A Games' proprietary engine and the results speak for themselves. On the PC, with the details cranked up to ultra high, the game looks gorgeous, from its high-res textures to the great animations and even the characters' facial expressions. While the world of the metro could have easily been filled with grey and brown, 4A managed to insert a lot of color inside the tunnels and, on the surface, Last Light blows everything away.
In terms of sound, the game also performs rather well, with a great soundtrack that manages to feel haunting in the tunnels but also a bit upbeat when in bigger settlements like the Theater or Venice. Sadly, the music played during stealth sequences is a bit erratic and doesn't always give the right cues to the player.
Voice acting is quite good even if you might get tired of the classic Russian accents employed by the different people encountered by Artyom, who's largely a silent protagonist during actual gameplay but manages to speak in the loading screens.
Conclusion
Metro: Last Light is a great first-person shooter that manages to combine a good stealth system with a great world. The story is very good and manages to make new players feel invested in Artyom while veterans learn much more about the hero.
While there are a few technical flaws here and there, they don't subtract from the impressive game, which manages to improve on its great predecessor.
