CheckpointDB fit
IGDB rating85 / 100
Main story9.5h
Released2010
PlatformsPC (Microsoft Windows) · Xbox 360
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Overview

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Set in the shattered subway of a post apocalyptic Moscow, Metro 2033 is a story of intensive underground survival where the fate of mankind rests in your hands. In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earth's surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age. The year is 2033. An entire generation has been born and raised underground, and their besieged Metro Station-Cities struggle for survival, with each other, and the mutant horrors that await outside. You are Artyom, born in the last days before the fire, but raised Underground. Having never ventured beyond your Metro Station-City limits, one fateful event sparks a desperate mission to the heart of the Metro system, to warn the remnants of mankind of a terrible impending threat. Your journey takes you from the forgotten catacombs beneath the subway to the desolate wastelands above, where your actions will determine the fate of mankind.
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CheckpointDB Spotlight

Spotlight on Metro 2033

story-forwardtactical pressuresystems-heavymystery-archaeologyBleakLonelyTense

An exceptionally deep, highly atmospheric survival shooter. Metro 2033 couples unique military-grade bullet currency, manual gas mask filter management, and flashlight pumping parameters with a tense post-apocalyptic subterranean setting.

Metro 2033 is a highly atmospheric, survival-focused first-person shooter set in a post-apocalyptic Moscow where humanity survives inside a claustrophobic subterranean metro railway network. The core gameplay loop focuses on high-friction survival parameters: players must manage military-grade bullets (which serve as both highly deadly ammunition and the actual metagame currency used to buy gear), buy gas mask filters to survive toxic radiation biomes, and manually pump a universal charger to power flashlights and night-vision goggles. Traversal is systemically dangerous, combining stealth routing through pitch-black tunnels to avoid mutant swarms and managing gas mask glass durability which can physically crack upon taking physical hits, requiring players to actively search for replacements.

Strengths

  • Unparalleled post-apocalyptic atmospheric world-building and environment graphics
  • Deep and satisfying survival parameters including mask filters and pumping flashlights
  • Highly unique and strategic military-grade bullet economy systems

Caveats

  • The early-game gunplay physics feel floaty and lack heavy visual impact response
  • Stealth detection lines can occasionally feel slightly inconsistent in narrow areas

Context

Developed by Ukrainian studio 4A Games and released in 2010, based on Dmitry Glukhovsky's novel Metro 2033. It won critical acclaim for its incredible subterranean atmosphere, dark environmental graphics, and hardcore survival mechanics, later remastered in the Redux version.

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Core fitShooter › First-Person Shooter
Commitment9.5h main path · HLTB
Series contextMetro Series

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