Metro Redux remasters Moscow for PS4, Xbox One, PC
Metro 2033 and its sequel, Metro Last Light, are coming to PlayStation 4, Xbox One, PC and SteamOS later this summer, with a year's worth of additional work done by European developer 4A Games. Dubbed a "true director's cut," Metro Redux collects and rebuilds the atmospheric survival games with an emphasis on fidelity, performance, and consistency.
Metro's convincing carcass of a world depicts the subways of Moscow as a vital network, connecting the city's final survivors and shielding them from an irradiated wasteland above. As Artyom, a member of an independent peace-keeping force, you clash with bandits, the military's remainders and the feral creatures that have taken humanity's place upstairs. It's grim throughout, and even moments of bombast are punctuated by dirty scavenging for bullets and clean air.
4A's vision hasn't been consistent between Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light, the latter of which benefited from more robust shooting, more viable options for stealth and a greater level of polish overall. Those mechanical improvements - even the ability to wipe your visor clean – are now present in the "Redux" version of Metro 2033. The game's lighting has been overhauled and its cutscenes have been remade in the first-person perspective to match Last Light's unwavering style.
Fans that prefer Metro 2033 to be preserved with a few warts will be interested in how the first and second games cross over in their Redux forms. Each game can be played in the style of the other, with the "Survival" mode bringing a slower pace and more challenging resource management to Last Light, whereas the "Spartan" mode brings Metro 2033's shooting and scavenging up to speed with Last Light. The hardcore "Ranger" mode is available right from the start in either game, as is all add-on content released to date.
Finally, Metro Redux presents both games at 1080p resolution and 60 frames per second. Redux versions of Metro 2033 will be available for download separately for $24.99 each, or as a combined retail package on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One for $49.99.
In the meantime, head back to my review of Metro Last Light and see why I think the Metro series stands in the same company as Half-Life.
