Ammo is actually scarce, and weapons available in shops are quite expensive. In 2033, it takes twice as long to crank your battery charger for your flashlight. After finishing, I went back to 2033, and what a difference. Rob: Last Light definitely has toned-down the survival-horror. I was all for seeing 4A improve 2033’s janky combat, but not at the expense of what made that game so much fun for me. I was disappointed in the lack of difficulty and overabundance of ammo and filters. It seemed to suffer from an ailment I recently dubbed “Dead Space-itis.” A lot of the tension, the survivor-horror elements, felt stripped away in favor of streamlined combat and big, explodey set pieces. Stefanie Fogel: I’ll admit I was mildly disappointed when I first started playing Last Light. And I was pleased to see that 4A was again continuing with that style of linear, narrative-based shooter - that Valve and Irrational do so well - but mixed with its own blend of moral ambiguity. Rob Savillo: Since I’d played through 2033, I knew what I’d be getting into with Last Light. It’d take me like an hour or more to get through the towns because I kept eavesdropping on conversations just to make sure I don’t miss anything. I devoured everything I could, especially once I noticed that most of the nonplayer characters had different things to say. I’m a sucker for games dripping with atmosphere, so I was hooked from the get-go. Giancarlo Valdes: Not knowing too much about the series’ previous game, Metro 2033, I went into Last Light without knowing what to expect.
Join myself and GamesBeat’s Stefanie Fogle and Giancarlo Valdes as we discuss these topics and more in our Metro: Last Light virtual roundtable. Ultimately, these coalesce into the kind of person you, as protagonist Artyom, will become by the end. Or when someone you trust betrays you and another you hurt reflects your inner self. Or when you stumble upon the decay of grisly suicides on the surface. Metro: Last Light is a game filled with powerful moments (see our review), like when you walk past a group of school-age children who only see monsters where there should be birds or rabbits.