Previews// Metro 2033

When I think of computer game tie-ins, I think of games like Enter the Matrix and Harry Potter – titles based on big Hollywood films, or films that are actually based off of books. Metro 2033 is interesting as it is based straight off of the Russian novel of the same name – but then again, the author himself didn't exactly take the traditional path to stardom.

Dmitry Glukhovsky's urban tale takes place in a post-apocalyptic Moscow, where the capital's Metro train line becomes the only save haven for humanity. With the world destroyed by an apocalyptic event, the surface of the Earth becomes uninhabitable, and those who dare to go outside must face deadly sunlight, a lack of oxygen and mutated creatures that lurk in the darkness.

When a new breed of mutant, called the 'Dark Ones', begins terrorising the Metro's inhabitants with psychic powers, humanity's survival ends up resting on young 20-year-old Artyom, who is originally sent to the centre of the transportation system to warn the police of the new threat. Strangely, Artyom appears to be immune to the psychic powers of this new enemy, but it comes at the cost of frequent visions involving these creatures.

It's an interesting premise, for sure, and certainly a potential winner from a paperback point of view. The curious thing is, as mentioned before, the road Glukhovsky has travelled to even get his story published. After being denied a book deal from several Russian companies, the writer decided to establish a website where people could read Metro 2033 for free.

After taking on board constructive comments from visitors, Glukhovsky refined the story and in 2005 was able to self-publish the final version, making it a best-seller despite the free online availability. In a sense, the very story of Metro 2033's success is a meta-game in itself, so perhaps the transition to an Xbox 360 and PC wasn't a huge leap of the imagination.

But I'll be honest – I'm feeling like I've had my fill of first person shooters, and particularly games that feature a post-apocalyptic world. With most other premises, this would not have grabbed me in the slightest, no matter how well it played. But I see the immediate world in which Artyom lives and I start to realise the unique atmosphere found in this title.

The 'town' (if you want to call it that) of Exhibition really gives a sense of an underground, desperate faction of humanity living outside of its comfort zone. As I explore the first few passageways outside of Artyom's room, I have to walk through narrow and claustrophobic paths populated with too many people for a space this size. I can hear every conversation taking place through the steel sheet 'walls' around me.

It's impressive to acknowledge the attention to detail that developer 4A Games – formed from the same team behind the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Series – has here. And I'm not just talking about atmosphere and NPCs now; generally the fidelity of the graphics surprised me, and when you see the action running on an NVIDIA PC complete with 3D effects you really appreciate how much time and effort must have gone into this game. It's all thanks to that 4A Engine powering the game.

The gameplay feels somewhat solid as well, which is just as well really because the game's out next month. There's some good 'weight' to the weapons (if you know what I mean; the controls aren't too sluggish) even if the range of guns you get are pretty standard fare. Mind you, I did only play the opening scenario.

I did have slight difficulty in hitting the mutant creatures throughout the playtest, particularly when I was being surrounded by them. I'm not entirely sure if it was a case of the enemies going too fast or me being a lame shot. Or both, perhaps.

One thing that is clear however, is that Metro 2033 is not going to be a game that gives you an easy ride. Even in this opening level, I'm introduced into key gameplay elements that I just know are going to make my playthrough a really tough one.

Each gun uses standard, 'dirty' bullets that can be used as regular ammo, but you also find special pre-apocalypse bullets that work as special ammunition or as currency in shops. So you have to be quite prudent in how you tackle your foes, for both dirty and special bullets are in very short supply around the game world.

As if that wasn't hardcore enough, the HUD is as invisible as it can be – which means that surviving in adverse conditions will force you to rely on physical clues to stay alive. When you wear your gas mask to go topside, you see the glass frost over, but you'll never know how much time you have left unless you press LB to check an oxygen timer on your wrist.

Metro 2033 seems to be an interesting game in an industry filled with me-too sci-fi blasters and generic scenes of the apocalyptic. With an entertaining novel powering the storyline, there's hopes that this game can rise above the rest of the FPS crowd. Let's hope that its overall design and structure does the original novel proud.

Metro 2033 arrives on Xbox 360 and Games for Windows PC on the 19th March.