Metro 2033 – First Impressions

After I bought Metro 2033 this weekend on its Deal, I played it on the beginning of this week.

So here’s some first thoughts and first flaws:

The cut-scenes really pull you out of the atmosphere. I really noticed that, more and more. You’re in that dark world, playing, and suddenly, *bam*, you can’t do nothing anymore and are forced to watch a cut-scene. This definitely made me think: Games should not put out-of-person/-player-view cut-scenes in games. Maybe it can be done in a better way, or just make tham in-game, in-control. Don’t cut the atmosphere.

Map-loads, meh. You can see it’s coming from the consoles with that stupid CD-icon showing in the lower left from time to time.

Load-times are pretty fast though. But this could’ve been done with streaming. That would’ve been great in there as in any other game.

Also, once at least, I reloaded my weapons etc. to prepare, then went ahead, *tsching* loading, and there I am again with un-loaded weapons. Yeah, great. Now that was stupid.

What really bugged me as well: In cities you have to follow ppl, who walk, well, human-normal. They don’t run. You on the other hand can only run or crouch-run/-walk. Always bumping into the one you have to follow, or having to constantly tab and release the walk key was really stupid. A walk-mode, forced or not, would’ve greatly added to the atmosphere.

And wow, the game is so stupidly linear, in one level you have to run and escape (with handcuffs on anyway). So, I did run, followed that guy. In one place he stops (enemy ahead) and yells “to the left” and points. Well, I went ahead of him and to the left. Turns out that was only a corner, the way was just on his left side behind a wall. Anyway, the thing is, I got behind that edge, a thick solid wall, to hide from the enemy ahead, but I got shot and shot… WTF? Through the wall? That was really stupid. Nobody should’ve been able to hit me. Well, that’s how linear and scripted this game is, at least in that part (it’s very linear always though) that you’ll get shot wherever you are, if you stay too long, or sth.

The German magazine GameStar also praised the great level of detail in the cities underground, where many/all ppl. talk about sth., with a meaning. True, they do. But only one conversation/theme and then they’re done and you won’t hear them any more. Sometimes they continue to move their mouth, or just stare at each other. Only once did I saw someone on the radio and did not stop talking/communicating (trying to reach someone).

So there’s this detail. But if you stop and listen, instead of just going along where it will be great, they’ll stop talking and you will think: Oh, sad they stop just like that. I would’ve liked to enjoy more.

So, that’s the flaws I noticed so far. All in all, it’s a bit too linear I think, and not that shocking. A good, dark game though. Dunno…

I recommended some games here in this Blog, and elsewhere, where I know the games are great. With Metro 2033, I’m not quite sure. There’s better ones out there.

I’ll have to continue playing though.

Update:

Oh, and the loading-icon, a CD-Rom! ROFL

Welcome to the consoles on your PC…

It’s loading pretty fast though.