by Even by the standards of post-apocalyptic shooters, game worlds don’t come much bleaker than the one glimpsed in Metro: Last Light. Two decades after a nuclear war, the remnants of humanity huddle deep underground in the Moscow Metro, where stations have become a loose network of city-states increasingly consumed by war between communists and neo-Nazis. The surface is a toxic ruin haunted by literal ghosts of the past. Horrifying mutants are out for blood, bullets are currency, and Artyom — the series’ nominal hero — inadvertently destroyed what may have been humanity’s last hope in the previous game.
As grim as it is, however, Last Light can’t quite be called depressing. Not only is there a redemptive note to Artyom’s new journey, but it’s a surprisingly vibrant first-person adventure, and while its world is a trash heap, it’s a strikingly detailed trash heap with intriguing politics and a uniquely creepy mythology. More than a monster-infested subway system, the Metro is a gigantic labyrinth — and while Last Light is mostly linear, it’s filled with lively settlements, unique characters, strange anomalies, and opportunities to wander off the main path and find little rewards amid the horrors that lurk there.
It’s also filled with deadly hazards that require a small assortment of gadgets to survive, including a gasmask that comes complete with a wipeable lens and filters that need to be changed out when Artyom’s breathing becomes audibly labored. It’s all impressively immersive – apart from a few story moments that feel weirdly tacked-on, that is, as well as an eye-rollingly clichéd “shoot the man holding the hostage” moment.
Still, Last Light is an extremely competent shooter, with a selection of firearms that range from revolvers and homemade submachine guns to Kalashnikovs and combat shotguns (all of which can be fitted with barrel, scope, and stock modifications). You’ll frequently have to go toe-to-toe with the more monstrous denizens of the Metro, including giant rat creatures and sneaky, dog-sized arachnids with an allergy to light, but the real fun begins when you encounter groups of human soldiers.
Since you’ll normally get the drop on them, you can play these encounters however you see fit, choosing to go quiet and pick them off one by one (or avoid them entirely), go loud and start a pitched gun battle, or go for a mixture of the two and watch them search for you in a panic. Whatever your play style, hunting guards can be weirdly satisfying, in no small part because so many of your enemies are thuggish murderers practically begging to be put down.
Unless you prefer to always have the upper hand, though, it’s worth pointing out that playing on Normal may be a bit too easy, particularly for fans of the unforgivingly tough Metro 2033. Players who actually want a challenge should play on Hardcore – or better yet, opt for Ranger mode, which drastically reduces Artyom’s ability to absorb damage, lessens the amount of ammo you’ll find, and does away with hand-holding HUD elements.
