IGN: Metro 2033 Review

The game's atmosphere and unique design choices will make it a worthwhile experience for some, but Metro 2033 suffers from a number of issues (poor implementation of stealth, recurring glitches, etc.) Fans of post-apocalyptic stories should consider giving this a shot, if they can tolerate the aforementioned setbacks.

Presentation - 8.0
Graphics - 8.0
Sound - 7.5
Gameplay - 6.5
Lasting Appeal - 7.0

[xTruthx]

Im srry but I have to lol, some people and sites where saying this game was amazing graphically and was great ? yet 2 major gaming sites give it below 8. Ill get it tho(or maybe rent.. just saw the game play isn't great)

[Letros]

They were talking about the PC version's graphics most likely.

[Carlton Banks]

Killzone 2 Killer confirmed? Lolz

We won: "The graphics are crazy. I wish the video was better quality. Alan Wake or Metro 2033 will be fighting for graphics king on consoles."

Jokesonyou: "This game easily competes with the best in terms of graphics, "

Shaman: "All in all,amazing lightning and textures,about KZ2 level..."

Lowcarb: "Metro raises the bar and surpasses KZ2 easily. Next Alan Wake will raise it and then Brink,Rage and Crysis 2."

Jason360: "Maybe you're just disappointed that Metro 2033 and Alan Wake are the best looking console games to date and you aren't playing any of them."

Ghostsmoker: "To be honest: One of the best graphics I've seen so far running on console."

Oh and there were MUCH more people hyping Metro than this, wonder where they are now.

**And just so you know all these quotes were referring to the 360 version, not the PC.**

[TheIneffableBob]

Seems that the 360 version's graphics are just okay while the PC version's are outstanding.

GameSpot's review said that the 360 had visual blemishes but for their PC review, they gave the game an "Outstanding Visual Design" emblem.

[Shang-Long]

360 fans don't let the review throw you off. They gave mag a 7 and I love that game

[xTruthx]

@ Letros

Actually even the developer was saying people are gonna be wow'ed by the graphics on xbox 360, that people weren't going to believe it was possible on consoles. Its here in N4G, theres a review of him saying it, 2 lazy to look for it, they got a 8 tho so it cant be bad but nothing wow. But games aren't for graphics,their for game play and that didn't do to well aether, ill still try it tho.

Edit: Below, articles b4 the game came out would disagree with you lol, even I was hyped

[Deuce Bigalow]

Oh Snap, Xbox 360's Haze... but then again, no one hyped this game so yeah, who cares.

[Biggest]

Hey, Deuce. Look up about 20 minutes. There is some of the "hype". It's so cute.

[The Wood]

lol, i remember all of those comments. It seems no matter what some die hards will ALWAYS see what they want to see and coincidently its those same ones who label others, 'fanboys' and 'loyalists'. It still pisses some people off that the 360s best looking game is batman AA...great game btw whereas the ps3 keep besting itself......yeah yeah i know its 'their opinion' sorry, ill grow up but its funny when i see these quotes and it just so happens to be the ones who scream the loudest and/or are the ones who are usually very one sided in their opinions.

[beans]

The graphics are actually pretty freaking nice until you go outdoors as explained in the gametrailers review video. It's just ashame the game is so Glitchy to the point where even though it looks real you know it's fake. Hopefully there's a patch or something they put out to improve these errors and give players the experience they paid for. Still I would like to see some comparison shots between Metro and KZ2. Sure it might not be scoring as well but oddly I don't see why nobody has compared the two.

edit carlton: I have yet to see any review compare this game to KZ2. Just because it's scoring low doesn't mean it looks better or worst. Anybody with two eyes can see this game is gorgeous and losing points all around for being way to glitchy. All the guys screaming it doesn't look better have no proof based on these reviews. Sure the outdoors suck but everything is pretty impressive.

edit below: What's odd to me and my kind? The game looks amazing but didn't hold up due to glitchy spots throughout the game. There are ton's of games on PS3 that didn't score well after being hyped so don't even try it. You guys sure do believe in the review system when it's a 360 game.

[Biggest]

It would only be odd to you and your kind. Metro 2033 is not as good as some people thought it would be. That sucks. But, there are plenty of other games to spend your money on if you don't like spending it on games like Metro 2033.

[carreirabr]

You can read here ( http://www.eurogamer.net/ar... ) a extensive chat with A4 games and DF, where they say a lot how much better their graphics are than all other games, and even about Guerrilla Games and how "Their implementation seems to be badly optimised...".

And don't forget the AI : "Each AI character in the game has feelings: vision, hearing and hit reaction. The vision model is pretty much close to reality...". For this we have the proof right here: http://www.gametrailers.com...

[vilanova]

the best game on xbox for is simple amazing

[sikbeta]

Damn and I thought IGN-UK was being too-harsh with the review (the only one I read days ago), but this time it seems like is not the case

[HolyOrangeCows]

I remember how angry people got at me when I said the gameplay looked mediocre. haha.

[Danteh]

lol, carlton banks WTFPWNED all the 360 fans here :P

[Al Bundy]

Whoa! That's epic ownage right there. You just owned ALL Xbox fanboys with one post! LOL

[nnotdead]

i gave MAG a 7 and i too love the game. may pick up 2033 on Steam when it goes on sale. looks like it could be good.

[CaptainMarvelQ8]

i bet this game is 10/10 for 360 standards

[kevnb]

shoehorned onto the 360, of course it will be rough around the edges. Every game made for pc then ported to the console is much much worse on console, especially 360. I still wonder why anyone wants a 360, they just dont have anything to offer thats not done better on another platform.

[GeoramA]

Just shows how 360 fans have insanely low standards.

Better than KZ2...hahaha

WTF were they thinking???

[pixelsword]

They weren't: that's why they get burned so often. Carlton had me laughing. I may have to save that comment. I don't have any problem with those people, but those comments bit them on the butt like an attack dog on a mailman.

Personally, I say if you like Metro 2033, that should be good enough for you.

To say you like a game is one thing, to say it's better than another (especially when a game isn't out yet) is a whole different animal.

I just laugh when so-called "journalists" do it and then hide behind their status when called-out because people bought a game off of their word and then the game sucks.

Just face it: Games will bomb on all consoles, irregardless of your preference; that's just the way it goes.

Forget reviews; they shouldn't dictate your opinion. But the hype-train needs to go; they're worse than a bad game themselves; because when a game is bad, that's bad enough: but when it was lifted-up by hype, then the game falls farther.

Neither Sony, Microsoft, nor Nintendo pays for anyone's loyalty (as far as we know) so screw 'em all in terms of lying to cover up mistakes of a game. Just be honest, because if you don't, the companies themselves don't look the fool when the game falls on it's face.

[beans]

Once again 360 gamers were talking up the graphics which until we see some screen shot comparisons are in Metro's favor. These reviews are avoiding any type of mention of KZ2 because they dont want to get caught up in a fanboy war.

[FamilyGuy]

Perspective -

That really makes me think, have 360 only gamers been upset, disappointed or sad that they haven't been playing any of the games with the "best looking console graphics to date"? You know, the real ones: Killzone 2, Uncharted 2, GOW3, Heavy Rain and even the proper Final Fantasy 13? There's many more (PS3 exclusives) I could list but these are the least disputable games.

[ChickeyCantor]

" yet 2 major gaming sites give it below 8"

Its actually funnier that "major" doesn't mean sh/t since in the end, its just a matter of opinion.
They are just like you and me, there are people who will enjoy this game so good for them.

" at they haven't been playing any of the games with the "best looking console graphics to date"? You know, the real ones: Killzone 2, Uncharted 2, GOW3, Heavy Rain and even the proper Final Fantasy 13? "

I don't know why but it seriously bugs me out how much weight people put on " looks ".
Are we all gonna dismiss all the games that were made in the past?

[MNicholas]

From a purely technical standpoint, this game completely blows away Gears of War, Lost Planet, Bioshock, etc... It's the first 360 game in years that forces me to concede that, perhaps, with a bit of creative coding, there's still a little magic left in the old beast.

Sure the character models, particularly enemies, could use a few more polygons, the skin shaders are fairly basic resulting in a slightly waxy look, the animations are basic, and, yes, the shadows flicker alot, but the environment detail and lighting is absolutely incredible. The best lighting of any 360 exclusive or multiplatform game ... ever.

Sure, one could argue that it lacks polish, that it's a bit uneven.

The flaws are simply because the game is pushing the hardware to the absolute max. It's easy to make a game polished and smooth if you're not pushing the hardware. These developers were clearly not trying to take the easy way out. If, while playing, you simply stop and look around it's hard not to notice that this is an absolutely gorgeous game.

Yet the idiots at IGN give it a 8 for graphics? Are they blind? Did the developers fail to bribe them? Maybe now with the 360 loosing marketshare they're abandoning ship. Who knows. Whatever the reason, the IGN score is a clear sign that reviews cannot be trusted. This is the kind of stupidity that results when you allow English and Journalism students to make technical assessments.

Ridiculous.

[SaberEdge]

Let's not distort things here. People were talking about the graphics, not necessarily the gameplay or overall polish. I remember most people saying things like "could turn out to be pretty awesome" or "this could be a sleeper hit". There is nothing wrong with that.

As for the graphics, I'd say they still look very impressive to me. Although apparently the game is pretty glitchy. Oh well, it still looks pretty decent overall.

[jack_burt0n]

Carlton Banks wins, flawless victory.....

[Microsoft Xbox 360]

Lets face it. The 360 can't keep up with the PS3 in the graphics department. If the 360 fanboys haven't compared it to AAA PS3.5 games, it would probably have scored a 7 at the very least.

[Cheeseknight28]

Disappointing. I'll probably still get it at price drop though (sub-$25 preferably).

[A change in the wind]

Here it is folks. The Killzone 2 killer! The game to set new console standards! The game to put everything else to shame! Oh, wait. A 6.9? Hmm, that`s not a very good score, huh bots? I`m still waiting on that 360 exclusive bots.

[TheXgamerLive]

I'm 10 hrs. into Metro 2033 and my only complaint is the aiming isn't accurate, but I gotta say it's been glitch free for me. I'd give it an honest 9 out of 10. Very dark and erie. I really love it.

[Denial]

http://www.gamecritics.com/...

4/10 lol

[Michael-Jackson]

KillzOwned!

Don't worry bots, It's your GOTY. Enjoy ;-D.

[moomooakai]

Hey, TrollGamer, I'm waiting for the dumbass bots around here to stop invading PS3 articles whenever a game doesn't get a score above 9.

You idiots do the same thing.

Hypocritical dipshits.

[Belasco]

Its not an exclusive, dork.

[Toman85]

And this game was praising to be Killzone 2 or Uncharted 2 killer or God Of War III killer in terms of gameplay, graphics and so on, give me a break please. Two down one to go...

[kevnb]

its because people were looking at the pc version and thinking it was xbox for some reason.

[pixelsword]

I know it's my personal opinion, but ain't nothing I've seen is killing that game.

GoW III is GoTY material, for sure. I've never played a game so grand. I don't care what game you pull out for this gen: Killzone, Halo, Uncharted, Gears, Crysis, Mass Effect, Heavenly Sword; you name it, I think GoW III beats it in terms of the overall package. This is the one game that shows a sense of scale that beats Lair for me; and nothing else this gen beats Lair in terms of scale in my opinion (I didn't list Lair because it's one of my personal favorites, not a personal favorite for most).

I've never been so impressed this generation.

[FamilyGuy]

LMMFAO!

What was the other one, I know Alan is the last one but could he first have been Splinter Cell or am I missing one?

[N4BmpS]

Okay I knew this game wasn't going to be all that but this surprisingly low. Oh Well I know the game has pretty good atmosphere.

[Jikla]

And I liked it. The atmosphere is where it triumphs. I like the Russian accents and the cute dawgies. Got it on Steam from a friend of mine :)

[carreirabr]

I bet the game would be much more atmospheric and realistic if the characters were dubbed by real native russian people speaking russian, not that phony accent. And don't forget the subtitles, of course.

[DelbertGrady]

You can set the language to russian. Not the accent but the real thing.

[Agheil]

the game is still pretty decent i started playing it 2 hours ago

[knowledge4lfe]

notice the word you used to describe it "decent". thats just a nice was of saying its sucks. hahah but the graphics were sooo amazing. nope sorry,those were the pc builds

[ELite_Ghost]

after 2 hours u went back on n4g realising u wasted 60$

it's okay u can trade it in for 40$ at ur local EB/gamestop

[Gradient]

Sounds like a bummer.

[gamingisnotacrime]

stay away of their games

[DelbertGrady]

What are you talking about? Red Faction: Guerrilla is very good. Darksiders also.

[Teddybee]

They make some good games

[ImmortalLegend]

The game may not have gotten great reviews, but a game like this is probably a game that you'd have to play yourself and give your own judgement. I don't pay a lot of attention to reviews though, I think for myself.

[zeddy]

after playing an hour i was bored out my head. in terms of graphics the character models and monsters look great but everything else looks very average. and this is microsofts answer to god of war this week? pfft..

[HappyTrigger]

Microsoft said that? Can I haz link? Thank you! :)

[macalatus]

To the 360 folks, don't mind the review and enjoy this game. As a matter of fact, based on the trailer vids and pictures, this game looks much better (graphics and gameplay wise) than your upcoming Halo Reach and Alan Wake. So that means this game is going to be really enjoyable!

Sony Gamers Lead the Way!

[jkhan]

This game needs to be played on a high end machine. The visuals are really outstanding on PC. I haven't played the 360 version. But on PC it's one of the best looking games dare i say the indoor environments looks almost as good as Crysis indoor environments, but what it lacks in is facial and character animation, and character models. The game is very good. I would definitely rate it 8+.

[cmrbe]

So much for the KZ2 killer LMAO!!!.

Even MAG a MP only game scored higher LMAO!!

Next SC.

[right and wrong]

The game looks great on 360 graphically. Been playing it and can't agree with these low scores. There no justification for such a low score especially after listening to the video. Not perfect by any means but here is how it should of went.

Presentation - 9.0
Graphics - 9.5
Sound - 8.5
Gameplay - 6.5
Lasting Appeal - 8.0

[zeddy]

it might look good on the 360 but compared to some other stuff it looks avarage.

[Michael-Jackson]

Flop? Oh man :-( dis suxs.

[TheObserver]

I'll get it on steam when it is on sale or something. I like the atmosphere and game mechanic.

[The Iron Sheik]

Remember how much you bots ripped on MAG? Well Metro scored lower than MAG. That must hurt huh?

[NeutralGamer]

Metacritics:

Metro 2033 - 80
MAG - 75

Also stop the "You diss my games, I diss yours"-ideology

...

Its VERY childish...

[mrv321]

In fairness MAG as been out longer, while I'm not defending MAG it's common knowledge scores for games drop after a while and the people who actually pay for games start reviewing them and encounter new problems such as length and replay value and even graphics. For example I don't believe anyone noted the Mass Effect 2 SD problem pre-release because most game reviewers who get copies from developers also have 1080p TV's.

The best review is our own and that's why demo's rock.

[JRisburning]

Wow.....the praise people gave this game, after it was announced it would only be on the 360 and PC.

Now.....all I hear is....***chirps***

[snesfangirl]

since now according to the many ps3 fanboys in here ign is "credible" again. well see how long that lasts when they score the next ps3 exclusive "low" and you guys go foaming at the mouth again. but its all good i wouldn't expect you sony fanboys on N4G to ever give up your hypocritical ways.

lets just forget all the other good reviews for this game, 360 VERSION. one trip to metacritic and i can see all of them, notice how the lower scores both came from ign.........but now according to you guys they are the "reviewing gods". i think both ign uk and ign us got their payment checks form sony.

too funny.

[Biggest]

I read through the entire thread and I saw the word credible once, in your post. I saw the statement "reviewing gods" in one post as well. Ironically, it was your post again. But I guess if you want to bookmark yourself saying what Sony fanboys said, and then bring it back out to say "LOOK AT WHAT YOU SONY FANBOYS SAID!". . . Have a blast?

[SovereignSnaKe]

Mr.Clements had a bit of a struggle with the game! HA!.. I picked this up the other day! LOVE IT!, It's not for Everyone, but I gave it a chance, and i'm very pleased! It seems people have forgotten that not all games are going to hold your hand, and put out a challenge, It's not an easy game, but it is quite satisfying, -btw Love the Music, and the Sounds!, they did some Good Work with that!

[ActionBastard]

LOL

[chak_]

Don't listen to IGN no more, this game is a pure blast.

I'm playing on PC (q9650, 5gb and 4890). i'm playing in 1920*1200, medium setting (high was a little sloppy to me, like 25/30fps), and it's a pure beauty in every way.

Seriously, I've played KZ2, it's was somehow beautifull, but this is kicking it right into the ground.

I've only played two hours, but I already know I'll keep this game, as a benchmark for future hardware, but also because the game is damn good.

Athmosphere is awesome, combat is stalkerish and it made me wet my pant.

It's a crysis like game, that's for sure

[gillri]

Metro 2033= meh

another bland post apocolyptic shooer with lots of glitches a la STALKER, great atmosphere not alot else

PC gamers may lap it up but console gamers prefer a bit more imganition
in fact there hasnt been much to shout about lately on the PC, so it seems they will prefer it, console gamers have bigger fish to fry
it just lacks that polish PC-developed games suffer from, i.e. awful animation

[chak_]

so many ignorance in one post, you deserve a medal

[AliTheBrit19]

LMAO At the PS3 Fanboys

It's on PC too, so it isn't a 360 exclusive....riight? hahaha your logic motherf*ckers.

IGN Where way to harsh, I've been playing it and its a solid 8/10

[DigitalHorror81]

Wasn't it you that called FF13 a flop for getting an 8 yet you stand by an 8 on this? I smell a hypocrite. Correct me if I'm wrong. How is the sub par PC/360 game anyhow?

[NeutralGamer]

Stop the trolls and stop comparing...
The metacritic is still at 80
Better than average games (*cough* MAG got 75*cough*)

[moomooakai]

Oh wow, five f*cking points. You want a cookie?

[RagTagBnd445]

I would like that cookie :P

BTW OP

Mag: 79 reviews
Metro 2033: 25 reviews

So shall we wait for more reviews before judging anything?

[DigitalHorror81]

That made fun of me for enjoying Final Fantasy 13, I hope you bought some Cool Whip to go with your humble pie. For the rest of you enjoying this game and possibly FF13, I have no issues with you. For those that like to hide behind disagrees without explaining their reasoning, quit acting like first grade school children at recess and grow the hell up.

[ian72]

Where are all the people who said this game was "the best" on Carltons post?
Don't see them here now.

[dp_simbol]

i listed this game in my must-buy list but after reading the review, my wallet suddenly jump with joy. No need to waste my money on this one,probably I'll buy this game when it's on sale.

[Socomer 1979]

LoL!

It can't even run next to MAG & that game is online only with 256 soilders lighting it up.

Dam! The 360 just ain't what it used to be back in 2007.
This snowball is rolling downhill straight to hell.

Kratos says to 360 fans: FCK OFF!

[bjornbear]

and that means for this game too, im sure this is a solid game =)

[despair]

got it for pc with max settings (dx10 though) and it looks great but not the best graphics ever or anything like that and i doubt the x360 version looks as good though it will still impress(Crysis killer?...not even close)

Game in a hour or so gameplay not bad, I certainly don't see a sub 7 score. Maybe a 7.5-8.

[Redgehammer]

Not that I am going to play the game but I wonder how did 6.9 become the average OF 8,8,7.5,6.5,7? The mathmatics I was taught leaves me with a 7.4 average which, while not great, does sound marginally better than 6.9.

[rhood022]

Because the score IS NOT an average. IGN has NEVER used an average score. Although it would make sense to do so.

So basically, the game could get 10s all the way down but the final score could be an 8.

[mcnablejr]

crap reviews.
halo reach goty. most likely =/

[DigitalHorror81]

McRib Fillet, you make me laugh. You gotta stop with the comedy. Halo Reach, Game of the year? Nah, that goes to GOD OF WAR 3. Nice try, though. It was a great effort. B minus, just for you.

[Meryl]

and to think bots were touting this as a reason to own a x360, ok now it's our turn to troll, the x360 only does flops lol