# Metro 2033 - XBOX Review



## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3744&w=o[/img] 
* Game Title: Metro 2033
Publisher: THQ
Developer: 4A Games
Genre(s): Shooter/Horror
Players: 1
ESRB Rated: M
Release Date: 3/16/2010
Review Rating: :2.5stars:*
*Story*

Metro 2033 is yet another game in an increasingly growing number of post apocalyptic shooters that doesn’t really offer anything new in the process. Based on a Russian novel by Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro 2033 takes place after a nuclear holocaust has eviscerated the planet leaving man on the brink of extinction and prey to packs of mutated species that roam the wastelands. As you fight your way through these creatures to reach your destination, you encounter several strange occurrences and interesting characters in this otherwise generic first person shooter. 

As the story continues you find different weapons and explosives but there is little offered that actually engages the player as it progresses. Level designs are very impressive to look at but are very uninspiring to interact with as is the case with almost all of the gameplay elements in Metro 2033. There’s a ton of eye candy in the game for graphics hounds but that is hardly reason to play through this game.

[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3748&w=o[/img]If you have read any of my other game or movie reviews you know that I like to give one word summaries to give the reader an idea of what they can expect. The word for today kids is “monotonous” as Metro 2033 suffers from a severe case of mediocrity. The story is fair but not exciting and the gameplay is anywhere from fair to disastrous. The only saving grace for this game is that it is exceptionally well rendered. Beyond that, it is about on par with an Uwe Boll movie.

I’m sure there are several people that would enjoy this game as there are several people that enjoy watching true science fiction movies in the vein of 2001: A Space Odyssey, I’m just not one of those people.

*Rating*
Rated ‘M’ for Mature for violence, suggestive themes and language. I do not recommend this game for younger viewers however; I wouldn’t have a problem with my 13 year old playing either. Use discretion and check it out before letting your teenagers play it. 

*Gameplay*
To me, this is where Metro 2033 really fails. The gameplay is very generic and tedious as weapon reload times are extremely slow and enemy A.I. is random at best. Character response in the game is also very unbalanced and a cause for much of the frustration felt while playing through the story. The controls have a very clunky feel to them and the weapons management system is really not very polished. The gas mask feature was implemented very nicely but did little to add any kind of lasting impression. Some of the stealth mission segments were also poorly implemented and suffer from the same drudgery as the rest of the gameplay. Unfortunately, I’m not sure that Metro 2033 could have ever been a good game as the uninteresting and sometimes frustrating gameplay coupled with the lack of vision and purpose are very hard to see past. 

*Graphics and Sound* 
Here is where I can give some credit to 4A Games as Metro 2033 looks very good. There is a very high level of detail that helps give it at least one redeeming quality. It definitely doesn’t help the story or gameplay but at least it’s pretty to look at. Train tunnels are dark and menacing and the Moscow wasteland is detailed and desolate.
[img]http://www.hometheatershack.com/gallery/file.php?n=3746&w=o[/img]
















The sound design was about as good as one could expect from a game like this. Surround effects were properly used to raise the tension the gamer was feeling however; I personally was not a fan of all the narration during the cut scenes and between levels. The mix is solid but not anything that helps this game standout from the pack.

*Extras*
None that I have found.

*Summary* 
Usually I don’t take advice or recommendations for games from people that I don’t know however, it was the end of a very bad week so I decided to let the clerk at the local Game Crazy, who sounds exactly like Barry Kripke, convince me that this one was worth the $60 price tag. The reason I bring this up is because had I actually rented this title or paid $30 for it, I may have been a bit more forgiving in my review. So what’s my point? Never listen to a clerk with a Barry Kripke speech impediment. I cannot subject anyone to this game by recommending it as it is an unrewarding and uninspired piece of drudgery. My advice is rent it if you feel you absolutely need to play this game.


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## Ares (Nov 23, 2009)

Nice review Dale and +1 on never listening to the clerk. was the gameplay as bad as this?


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## Dale Rasco (Apr 11, 2009)

I found it to be very wonky and unresponsive. I'm kind of a stickler when it comes to the smoothness and fluidity of gameplay especially when it costs $60 but it's my own fault for listening to the clerk and not renting it. So to answer your question, yes, I do think it was that bad but I'm sure part of that was because I paid $60 for it.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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