The new bundle gives players the chance to start off with the 2010 title Metro 2033 which has been greatly improved for enjoyment on next-gen consoles and looks magnificent. Before starting the journey ahead, players will be asked to choose your play style with two options of Survival or Spartan. The options you choose here will greatly impact your gameplay throughout the entire title and it is very important to consider which one fits you best before beginning. Survival means that ammo and filters are in short supply alongside deadlier combat and more challenging stealth. This play style will give gamers the original survival horror adventure with more emphasis placed on managing your resources correctly while taking on very intense combat situations. The Spartan play style is more like that of Metro: Last Light which is more forgiving and for those who enjoy faster-paced gameplay centered around the action with ammo, filters, and any other items being freely available. If that decision wasn't hard enough, you will be then tasked with choosing you difficulty with Normal, Hardcore, Ranger and Ranger Hardcore. The attributes for each vary but in summary, you would pick "Normal" if you are a regular FPS player and "Ranger Hardcore" to have the difficulty increased in every aspect of the game.
The story for Metro 2033 involves a determined protagonist who was born in Moscow and was just an infant when the world around him was destroyed in the flames of nuclear fire. When everything turned bad, 40,000 survivors were saved by retreating to the Metros which laid under the city. Metro 2033 takes place over 20 years later with endless winters plaguing those who have survived the harsh circumstances with the Metro being not only their home but a fortress against all of the mutants that now roam the tunnels. While things look bleak now, the people of the Metro have never given up hope of returning to the surface. The survivors soon realize that a war has broken out which may determine if the human species will survive once again. Our protagonist Artyom and Miller finally make their way through the dark tunnels toward the surface against the cold, windy temperature and this is where your adventure begins.
The first thing you will notice in the Metro Redux collection is that the controls are much more responsive and easier to handle with everything in the games being streamlined for a better overall experience this time around. It is easy to see that the developers have taken the time to listen to their fans and improve as much as possible with the new re-releases which make everything in Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light that much better. One of the biggest improvements in Metro Redux is the visuals which are obviously more apparent with the older release of Metro 2033. It truly is amazing to see how much the intricate details to texturing, animations, lighting and so forth has changed the experience in Metro 2033. The soundtrack and overall presentation have been enhanced to the point that everything is more terrifying with nastier looking creatures alongside a darker overall mood that will send chills down your spine.
One of the biggest threats in the Metro series are the Dark Ones, evolved mutants who use fear to take down their prey, and they have fixated on the remaining humans that survive beneath the Metro. While the Metro Redux collection may contain the same stories that you remember from the original releases--it somehow feels new and re-invigorated with the new release and offers up a surprisingly fresh experience even for die-hard fans.
Metro Redux gives players a taste of old-school terror which focuses more on the dark narrative and character experiences packed with action-oriented combat sequences full of terrifyingly realistic suspense. Humanity is dying out and it is up to your character to inspire hope to the people and save them from their untimely demise. Exploration in Metro Redux is very important since it helps you evolve the story at hand, while collecting valuable items to survive, and learn more about the lives of the few survivors that populate the Metro. The moments like watching a father stand over his son playing in the dirt with a old toy, growing up without a mother, in the harsh conditions around you can really change how you view the game and overall story. All of the tweaks to gameplay alongside the polished enhancements in visuals has really made you appreciate your surroundings in Metro Redux and you start to notice many things you missed in the original releases of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light.
Living below the surface of Moscow in the Metro isn't an easy life and the struggles of the human race are evident in Metro Redux. As you navigate the cramped living corners of the other survivors and listen to their stories and hardships, then it is really hard not to feel a tiny bit of compassion for your fellow man, even if you know mutants will probably gobble them up in the long run. All resources are scarce in the Metro and it is important to scavenge for new items to not only sell but keep you alive against the harsh conditions you find yourself in.
While we greatly enjoyed Metro: Last Light on Xbox 360, the newly remastered version on Xbox One and PS4, seems to entirely change gameplay and improves the experience from a great one to an almost perfect one with all of its improvements. Some of the improvements for Metro: Last Light might not be as noticeable as those for Metro 2033, but they are still pretty impressive. The opening story for Metro: Last Light proves how dramatically the visual enhancements have changed the story, because every detail seems so much more vivid and emotionally jarring this time around. The beautiful lighting and enhanced colorations on next-gen consoles for Metro Redux really improves how you see the world around you and specifically the emotions that arise from the story with the memories of Artyom's childhood and life being that much more real to the player. The Dark Ones are back in Metro: Last Light with the events taking place right after those in Metro 2033 and offers the same horrifying experience as the original releases but with an extra edginess that will damn near make you pee your pants. It really is amazing the amount a game can change in all departments from a few tweaks and improvements which is what has happened with Metro Redux.
In the end, Metro Redux is a great release at an incredible price and the perfect way to experience Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light on next-gen consoles. Metro Redux is now available for $49.99 for the boxed compilation but both Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux are available to download individually on Xbox One, PS4 and PC for $24.99 each. While gamers may want to try out one or both of the new titles, Metro Redux manages to offer an incredible bundle for horror fans that will keep them on the edge of their seats until the very end. Metro Redux is rated M for Mature by the ESRB. To learn more, visit the official Metro Redux website.
Game Features:
Game Information:
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver
Platforms: Xbox One (reviewed), PS4 (secondary tested) and PC
Release Date: August 26, 2014
