Metro: Last Light

[cvv]

Watched some gameplay videos and it really seems they've improved on the gunplay. Can't speak much to the AI but it seemed on par too.
Game looks better, feels better and plays better too...only thing is, it seemed a lot more linear from what I've seen. Especially the start of the game was a bit too "cinematic" for my taste, what with you being walked around like a retarded kid.
Anyway, as soon as the price drops, I'm gonna give it a try. Should cover all my FPS needs for a long while again.

The first game was super-linear and also had a lot of more guided and corridor-like sections as well. Did you actually play the original one to compare?

Sure did, but as I said, it was only my initial impression.

 

[MetalCraze]

I understand the rage about Ranger mode, but not buying a game because it only has limited customization in the graphics options? Really? Nevermind the great graphics, sound, nice story and good gameplay.

ZOMG how do you know the textures are muddy even in 2m wide corridors, the story is full of commie and nazi stereotypes and gameplay is still shit if you haven't completed it!

 

[Trash]

Not entirely, the first game had many more nooks and crannies to explore. Right from the start almost every level had stuff to discover. In that aspect Last Light is a lot more confined, at least in the beginning. The further you get the more stuff there seems to be to discover in the various levels, although it still holds nothing to the original in that aspect.

The amount of ammo and equipment on normal also removes much of the tension and challenge that the original had. Level design so far is about on par apart from the aforementioned lack of stuff to discover. Just like the original there is a lot of variation in the kind of levels you'll see. Surface gameplay is neat, with larger spaces and more vibrancy in the enviroment. Atmosphere is once again spot on and weapon feel and AI has defenitely been improved. You really want to play it on ranger difficulty however to get the most out of it. And yeah, it still is a very railroaded game.

Basically, if you enjoyed Metro 2033 odds are you'll enjoy this.


PS: If the game is choppy you can force it into directx 9. Yup, you can do that. You can also disable SSAA. Basically doubled my performance just by doing so.

 

[zwanzig_zwoelf]

Is it any better than Metro 2033? I mean, Metro 2033 felt like a progress from crappy S.T.A.L.K.E.R games, but it wasn't enough to call it 'good'.

 

[J_C]

So for those who played the first game and aren't expecting some sort of open-world survival game, how do you feel about this one versus the last? The original had great atmosphere and several memorable levels, but the gunplay was very, very poor. Has this been improved at all, or is it just more of the same with better graphics? Any new interesting or fun mechanics or enemies?

What parts of the gunplay you didn't like of Metro2033? Because to me it seems that Last Light is very similar to 2033 in this regard. But i don't recall that the gunplay was that poor in 2033. The levels are good IMO, especially when you are exploring mutant infested areas. Oh boy, those spider lairs were creepy. There is more mysticism than in 2033, that is also good in my book.
Mechanics wise Last Light is almost the same as 2033. I think stealth is more useful now, and more rewarding. But it is just my opinion, others disagreed me in this regard.

As for fun enemies (miner spoiler about an enemy type):

Spoiler

Those pesky spiders have armored shells, and you have to target them with your flashlight to scare them away/make them drop to their backs). Now if your flashlight starts to run out of juice, you have a big problem at your hands.

Overall, it is better than 2033. Nicer graphics, slightly better AI, more useful stealth, better gunplay (according to others) and good enviroments.

 

[Misconnected]

Stealth is better in Last Light?

... I guess I need to go buy this right now, then.

 

[Jaedar]

I really liked the first above world level of Metro 2033, thought the rest of the game wasn't very good.

Does this one have anything like that?

 

[J_C]

Yes.

 

[Surf Solar]

Ok, I really like it thus far. Preordered.

 

[Metro]

Sounds like I'll be picking this up... in the Humble Deep Silver Bundle.



Also, lol at these fuckers charging $5 to unlock a harder difficulty mode.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Sniping people with a scoped Shotgun never felt so fun.

Still not much to offer than a linear corridor shooter.

 

[sexbad?]

I've played a lot more of it now. I increased the difficulty to hard, because normal was just way too easy. The gunplay and level design are becoming great once more, though the stealth is still ass. Perhaps the enemies' FOV is fixed to 70. They really can't hear either. It's a total silent takedown festival, so normally whenever I would end up trying to test more of the stealth I would just get bored and toss a few grenades to alert the enemies so that I could actually have some fun instead. I've read from somewhere I already can't remember, maybe this very thread, that enemies are more perceptive in Ranger mode, and I really hope that's true. I want this game to fuck me in the ass.

Human encounters are just one part of the game though, since it has a good variety of situations like 2033 did. The monster encounters are really great, with a few welcome additions to the roster of enemies and some small improvements on the old monsters. What's great is that they behave like animals, meaning that when you aren't in close quarters with them they'll ignore you or posture unless they're provoked. A few of the mutants have exoskeletons, and the game does some interesting things with the matter of getting to their vulnerable spots. The surface expeditions are still great, too. There's one level set in a swamp at nightfall that's just perfect. It feels like something straight out of STALKER, but with loads more polish and a slower pace. It's probably the level of the year for me.

 

[Sodafish]

I've been playing the first few hours of this. The stealth is definitely improved over the first game, as is the gunplay. It seems much better optimised too; my rig isn't anything stellar by today's standards, but I'm running it on very high settings with SSAA turned off and it runs quite nicely. I read some snippet from the developer where they claim their DX11 api is 15% more efficient than the DX9 one.

 

[J_C]

Some more info about the different endings:

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-endings.htm

 

[Trash]

Some more info about the different endings:

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-endings.htm

Well, seems like they ported the 'karma' system from last game. Do stuff, explore stuff, don't murder unnessecary, listen to conversations and you'll often have your screen brighten a bit and play the same sound as in Metro 2033.

 

[Gord]

I read some snippet from the developer where they claim their DX11 api is 15% more efficient than the DX9 one.

Funny considering this one tweak article linked earlier showed a huge improvement for DX9.
Seems as if one of the two screwed up there.

 

[J_C]

Some more info about the different endings:

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-endings.htm

Well, seems like they ported the 'karma' system from last game. Do stuff, explore stuff, don't murder unnessecary, listen to conversations and you'll often have your screen brighten a bit and play the same sound as in Metro 2033.

Funny thing is, I never noticed that bright screen and sound. Maybe I just haven't payed attention.

 

[Trash]

Start the game and 'use' the guitar in your 'home' and you'll get the first karma point thingie and see what happens when you get one.

And for anyone struggling with running the game smoothly, try disabling ssaa. It seems to be the biggest reason things go choppy.

 

[Turisas]

It seems to be the biggest reason things go choppy.

Worse than physx?

 

[Trash]

Don't have Nvidia so I don't even bother with that one. Disable both and I can put everything else on very high settings.

 

[Kem0sabe]

Some more info about the different endings:

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-endings.htm

That simplified karma system is just stupid, you need to spare nazi mass murderers, backstabbing communists and the like to get the good ending, there is no context for these actions as the game makes it pretty clear that certain factions and individuals are beyond redemption and only deserve to be gutted like the pigs they are.

 

[J_C]

Some more info about the different endings:

http://www.videogamesblogger.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-endings.htm

That simplified karma system is just stupid, you need to spare nazi mass murderers, backstabbing communists and the like to get the good ending, there is no context for these actions as the game makes it pretty clear that certain factions and individuals are beyond redemption and only deserve to be gutted like the pigs they are.

What? This makes no sense in the context of the game.. You are not an avanger, it is not your duty to kill every bastard in Metro. Imagine that you are one guy against dozens, wouldn't it make more sense to stealth your way through and don't try to be a Rambo? And if I understand correctly, you don't have to spare everyone.

 

[Trash]

If it's the same as in Metro 2033 you get good and bad karma for your actions. Basically it's about you acting like a human, learning about the world you're in and exploring that gives you points while playing as someone who just runs and guns through will either not net you any or actually cost you points. The system is so much under the hood that most players never even realised it in Metro 2033. It's not a simple good/bad system. It's just the devs pushing you toward the 'good' ending by paying attention in the game.

 

[Zewp]

Some of the moral choices were a bit odd. Like at one point you could lose points for shooting at a dark one, but you're not really aware of what he/she/it is. Walking around and seeing a strange creature, of course I was going to take pot-shots at it because I thought it would more than likely be dangerous.

Either way, I replayed it twice, trying very hard to get the 'good' ending, but somewhere I must have missed something that cost me moral points because I couldn't get it in either playthrough.

 

[Kem0sabe]

What? This makes no sense in the context of the game.. You are not an avanger, it is not your duty to kill every bastard in Metro. Imagine that you are one guy against dozens, wouldn't it make more sense to stealth your way through and don't try to be a Rambo? And if I understand correctly, you don't have to spare everyone.

True, the main character just want's to complete his mission and isn't a paladin of the metro out to save everyone.

One thing that bothered me...

Spoiler

is that his narration about the need to complete his mission is not explained or explored at the start of the game.

More than once he says to himself in the load screen that he doesn't want to let his commander down and want's to "capture/kill/whatever" the creature, but the background for that drive to complete his orders is not established for a new player that didn't play the previous game.