Metro games [split topic]

[Mister Six]

Playing Metro 2033 Redux. I enjoyed the original on 360, but am finding this one slightly tough going. The locations are amazing, and I love exploring all the habitats and ruins (is it weird that those tunnel cities seem kind of cosy to me?), but the gunplay is shit. Monsters barely react to being hit, and the game likes swarming you to fuck while you struggle with shitty gunplay. Artyom also walks like he's got stainless steel bollocks and electromagnets for feet, and is prone to getting caught on bits of scenery.

Pressing on, though. The locations and exploration are compelling enough, and IIRC it's not the longest game in the world.

[Pink Gregory]

See, it might be unintentional, but I like the rubbish guns in Metro.  You're almost never taking anything down long-range, gunfights are supposed to be desperate short bursts in narrow tunnels.

It doesn't always work, any time you have to survive waves of non-human enemies it's hard to tell if you're doing anything, and it commits the unforgivable sin of having a weedy shotgun.

[Mister Six]

I'd be fine with all that, except that the  gunplay itself isn't fun, so whenever I've found myself being chased and attacked (usually because a sneaking attempt has gone wrong), it feels less like a thrilling fight for survival and more like seeing how many resources I'll waste fighting the shitty controls before weighing up whether to just reload from the last checkpoint and have another go.

Whenever I have unkillable allies, I just retreat a bit and let them deal with all the combat bollocks, which isn't the response you want to get from your FPS-playing audience.

[druss]

Recently discovered that my TV isn't actually meant for HDR despite claiming to be. This has meant that I've been playing every game with washed out colours since I got my ps5 nearly 3 years ago.

Since I turned off HDR my games look incredible, just replaying Elden Ring and it is the most beautiful world I've ever explored in a game. It's like I'm playing a next gen upgrade compared to what I was playing before. Highly recommend checking if your TV is designed for HDR because turning it off has made an astonishing difference.

Might get a new TV when the ps5 pro comes out and see what it looks like with proper HDR. Very pumped for Shadows of the Erdtree now.

[Pink Gregory]

I'd be fine with all that, except that the  gunplay itself isn't fun, so whenever I've found myself being chased and attacked (usually because a sneaking attempt has gone wrong), it feels less like a thrilling fight for survival and more like seeing how many resources I'll waste fighting the shitty controls before weighing up whether to just reload from the last checkpoint and have another go.

Whenever I have unkillable allies, I just retreat a bit and let them deal with all the combat bollocks, which isn't the response you want to get from your FPS-playing audience.

Probably, it's been a while since I played through 2033 and Last Light, although is it not the case that with the remastered ones you get the survival/shooter choice (i.e. more like 2033/more like Last Light) at the beginning?  Though if you're just not liking the physics of the gunplay I doubt it would make a difference.

Probably one of those that's more than the sum of its parts if it hits for you.

[Mister Six]

Yeah, I went for the OG 2033 mode (not played Last Light, but I assume that's more shootery, since the other mode is described as being more of a Last Light-style experience).

I'm actually pretty into it, although my habit of combing the areas means that I'm always at minimum 90% ammo on all weapons (some modified pistol with a stock that I've not bothered using, AK with snap scope and a quad-shotgun) and equipment-wise, I'm probably only at risk of running out of filters (even then, I'm doing all right - something like 17 minutes left at the mo).

But yeah, it's the physics that're annoying me really. Monsters not really reacting to being struck with both barrels of a shotgun (unless they die outright), clambering over NPCs and floating in the air etc. It's all a bit janky, but my trusty throwing knives are making it a bit less arduous. Maybe turning up the difficulty would help the balance issue, but if it just means I'm having to put more rounds into unflinching mutants I'll stick with what I've got. The overall design outside of combat is amazing, and very immersive.

Currently in the tunnels fighting both Nazis and Communists. I just want to be on my way, guys! Leave me alone!

[Pink Gregory]

Ironically I think the mutants work better above ground in open spaces, in the tunnels they can only really come from ahead and that's when you notice, not necessarily how spongy they are, but like you said how they don't really flinch.  It doesn't really feel as desperate somehow.

I think I get out of Metro what other people get out of Stalker, which is a game I like the idea of but can't be bothered with in practice.

[The Crumb]

It's slightly sad that the remastered Metro 2033 loses a few quirks from the original version, including the even more elaborate reloading mechanics for the shambler shotgun. I vaguely remember the way filters worked being slightly better in OG 2033 but can't recall the details any more.

I would say the series got better with each game, and the ending stretch of Exodus was superb.

[Mister Six]

I picked up all three in sales and intend to get through them all. Fighting humans is a bit more satisfying, since they actually do stagger a bit. Still on the Frontline level - the way Artyom says "the Nazis and the Communists" on the loading screen reminds me vaguely of Adam Buxton's Yandrew character.

[Pink Gregory]

I've gone for Russian with subtitles every time I've played; think hearing heavily accented english in that game would ruin the vibe a bit.  Also the way everyone cries 'Artyom!' makes me think everyone's just delighted to see him.

[Mister Six]

Are they not? I assumed he was cock of the walk in his home station.

Didn't realise I could play in Russian (or I accidentally skipped that option on setup) but it feels a bit late on now. Plus, I don't want to be reading subs in an action-intensive game.

[KaraokeDragon]

I heard for 2033 if you have it in Russian the subtitles miss out a few bits of dialogue, I think I still ended up switching to Russian though. Edit: Actually I think I done 2033 in English and Last Light in Russian.

It's a good while since I played it on 360 but I remember the gunplay in 2033 as okay, the only bit I remember that showed it up a bit is when Khan sends you on ahead to get to the back of this tunnel and blow it up I think? That's the only bit I remember feeling very ps2 era procedurally-generated-cunts-from-hell where instead of shooting you just want to cheese it by running past as many of them as possible.

[Mister Six]

I think that's what you're supposed to do - alternatively sneaking and legging it as the waves rise and subside. I thought that bit was all right, to be honest, because it maintained the menace of the monsters without making you engage in the distractingly naff gunplay.

[oggyraiding]

I pirated it when it first came out, I think I got to the penultimate level and stopped for some reason.

I got the trilogy on sale, but only got as far as just after the library (hate the librarians).

The atmosphere and setting are great, I just find the gameplay very uninteresting.

Is it worth skipping to Exodus as that looks a bit more exciting?

[Mister Six]

Had an enjoyable time sniping Nazis with my silenced night-vision revolver, followed by a less enjoyable time running around on the surface in circles, confused about where I'm supposed to go. Bit concerned I might end up autosaving at some point when I'm close to asphyxiation and then end up trapped.

Think I'm close to being ready for this game to be over now. It's at its strongest when giving you lots of interesting worldbuilding to experience and communities to poke around, and at its second-strongest when putting a bunch of humans between you and your goal and letting you figure out how to tackle them.

It all goes to shit on the surface, where the level layouts are less intuitive and the mutant enemies tedious to fight. Add the mask time limit on top of that and it gets a wee bit tiresome.

Apparently I'm on chapter 4 of 7, although it looks like Redux might actually be shorter than the original, having had some levels merged or removed, so that's a relief.

hate the librarians

Not racist, just don't like 'em.

[Mister Six]

Really struggling to get through the library, now the Librarians have turned up. Not so much because of the difficulty but because my enjoyment of the game itself is through the floor.

I think I've figured out why I hate this stuff so much - there's just not much fun in shooting melee enemies at the best of times, because tactics just boil down to "fire as rapidly as you can and sidestep to buggery", but the lack of staggering animations and the flimsiness of the weapons mean that if you're confronted by more than a couple of the weakest mutants (or even one tough one), you'll have to rely more on blind luck than actual skill to get by without using up too many medikits or suffering too much damage to your gas mask. And it doesn't feel like a gruelling battle against horrible odds, just a wearying test of your ability to endure a joyless pummelling.

It's even more frustrating outside, partly because of the gas mask thing, and partly because the chaotic layout of the levels means it's hard to work out where exactly you're supposed to be going (and indeed, where exactly you are).

Anyway, I know you can sneak past most of the Librarians, but I got to the first Librarian, which is more or less a forced fight (if you turn your back on it, it'll kill you, but you have to break down a door to exit the room, and explosives set it off), and thought - "No, fuck it, I'll do this later."

Shame, because the world-building is great, and I really enjoy the firefights/sneak-killing humans.

[Lost Oliver]

I played one of these a couple years ago and was loving it, but I got to a certain point kinda early on and I kept dying (cos' I'm a below average gamer), and the loading screen would appear for like 90 seconds. It got to a point whereby I'd be playing the game for like 45 seconds to a minute, dying, and then waiting for the game to restart. Twice as long as I was actually playing. I googled and apparently that was normal. Anyway, I binned it. Would be tempted to go back to it though if that was fixed. Is it?

[Pink Gregory]

I played one of these a couple years ago and was loving it, but I got to a certain point kinda early on and I kept dying (cos' I'm a below average gamer), and the loading screen would appear for like 90 seconds. It got to a point whereby I'd be playing the game for like 45 seconds to a minute, dying, and then waiting for the game to restart. Twice as long as I was actually playing. I googled and apparently that was normal. Anyway, I binned it. Would be tempted to go back to it though if that was fixed. Is it?

Was this on PC and/or the Remastered version?

[Lost Oliver]

Was this on PC and/or the Remastered version?

PS4. It was Metro Exodus I think.

[Pink Gregory]

PS4. It was Metro Exodus I think.

Hm, I think I have heard of Exodus having some performance troubles, especially where it's gone a bit open-world as well.  My PC can't run it properly, does alright inside but just endless micro-stuttering outside, I would assume that the loading in of assets for those bits aren't handled in the most efficient way.

[Mister Six]

Welp, that's the happy ending done, then. It's a testament to how good the worldbuilding and sneaky-snipey stuff is that I'm still on board with playing the other two (good job, since I already bought them) because absolutely everything involving the mutants and Dark Ones fucking suuuuuucked.