Topic: Metro: Last Light

[MysterD]

NEW -> 5-22-2013:
PC Gamer -> 4K Resolution screens of Metro: LL (PC)
OWNet -> REVIEWS Compiled in this post.
PC Gamer -> Season Pass / 4 DLC's planned for Metro: LL
Destructoid -> Metro: LL is selling very well, when compared to Metro 2033.


OLD:
Joystiq -> Metro: LL takes #1 spot in UK.
Eurogamer -> Former THQ Pres/Naughty Dog co-founder Jason Rubin talks about 4A's work conditions; and takes some shots at Deep Silver in the process.
Steam Forums -> 4A Studios speaks on FOV issues on Metro: LL PC; will allow for FOV to be changed in CFG files in next patch; working on coming up w/ solutions.
GameSpot -> Graphics comparisons on Metro: LL - PC vs. PS3 vs. X360.
DSO -> PC versions of Metro: LL has locked FOV; Aim Assist Enabled by Default; & there is a DX9 Work-around; etc.
Cynical Brit AKA "Total Biscuit" -> "WTF is Metro: Last Light?" - 54 min. video on (lack) of some game options in PC version; Ranger Mode pre-orders; gameplay; etc.
PC Gamer -> Why Metro: Last Light's (Hardcore) Ranger Mode is Free for Pre-Orders; or is $5 DLC otherwise.
Eurogamer -> 4A calls WiiU CPU "horrible" and "slow."
Bluesnews -> MP portion dropped from Metro: Last Light; MP might come later as DLC or stand-alone product.
RockPaperShotgun -> 4A on Multiplayer Metro and PC-specific features.
Metro: Last Light delayed until Q1 2013.
Shacknews -> Gameplay Trailer.
Joystiq -> Preview.
Joystiq -> Metro: Last Light will be the title of the Metro 2033 Sequel.
Shacknews -> Metro 2034 announced already, which is a sequel to Metro 2033.

[Quemaqua]

How did that turn out?  I never really followed up on it... it looked cool, though.

[MysterD]

How did that turn out?  I never really followed up on it... it looked cool, though.

No clue.
I ain't bought Metro 2033 yet...

[MysterD]

Metro: Last Light will be the title of the Metro 2033 Sequel.

[MysterD]

Joystiq -> Preview.

What's notably different about Last Light is the combat. During part of the train sequence, Artyom was using a single-shot rifle, which dropped enemies with just one shot. The chaingun made short work of the Nazis, as did the handmade grenade launcher he used while on the train. Beynon says that they've tried to "communicate better to you that your weapons are doing what they're supposed to be doing." He says it's similar to the "Ranger Hardcore" difficulty option from the first game which upped the damage from all the weapons significantly. As a result, "combat feels a lot more visceral and deadly this time around," he says.

[MysterD]

Shacknews -> Gameplay Trailer.

[MysterD]

Metro: Last Light delayed until Q1 2013.

[MysterD]

Bluesnews -> MP portion dropped from Metro: Last Light; MP might come later as DLC or stand-alone product.

Q: You said Metro will not ship with multiplayer. Does that mean we might see Metro MP as DLC or a standalone release at a later date?
A: Right now we’re 100% focused on the single player campaign and not thinking beyond that. We don’t like throwing away work though, it’s a project we could potentially return to after Metro: Last Light ships.

Q: Can you tell us what the multiplayer mode was going to be like?
A: For the reasons above, we’re going to keep that under wraps for now!

Q: Why did you commit to a multiplayer mode in the first place?
A: We are gamers at the studio and really wanted to bring the world of Metro to life in a multiplayer environment. It was a decision made by us at 4A from the outset and THQ have since been supportive every step of the way, including our decision to put multiplayer on hold. In hindsight, it was probably a mistake to announce it when we did, but we’re an enthusiastic team and wanted to be open about what we were making!

[MysterD]

PC Gamer -> Why Metro: Last Light's (Hardcore) Ranger Mode is Free for Pre-Orders; or is $5 DLC otherwise.

For many publishers and retailers, convincing you to commit to a day one purchase before anyone’s played/reviewed their game is a big win, and pre-order bonuses are a handy way to entice customers and bank sales estimates before launch day. As these promised bonuses grow in heft and significance, we face increasingly frustrating dilemmas about where and when to put money down for new games.

Metro: Last Light’s hardcore “Ranger Mode” is a particularly thorny example. It’s advertised as “the way it was meant to be played” on the front page of the Metro site, but is If that’s the case, why isn’t it available to everyone who buys the game? Is it really, as implied, the definitive Metro experience? We put the question to Huw Beynon, global brand manager at Metro: Last Light’s publisher, Koch Media, who explains why it was segregated out as a pre-order bonus.

“Game makers and publishers now live in a world where offering game content as a pre-order exclusive is a requirement by retail, and Ranger Mode seemed like the best choice since it was a mode for hardcore fans who would most likely pre-order the game, or purchase it at launch in any case,” he says. “We rejected requests to make story content or additional missions exclusive. We also rejected requests to make this a timed exclusive.”

Ranger Mode was added to Last Light’s precursor, Metro 2033 after launch as “a direct response to the demands of the hardcore Metro community.” It removes the HUD, makes enemies tougher and increases the scarcity of ammunition, which can also be used as currency in the Metro world. It sounds like a big feature. The ad phrasing makes it sound essential. Beynon suggests otherwise.

“We do not recommend Ranger Mode for a first playthrough, and this is made very clear both in-game. We expect Metro fans will want to try Ranger Mode for a subsequent playthrough, and we think that for this hardcore player, Ranger Mode offers a richer experience – but only once you’ve clocked the game at least once.”

The difficulty mode will be “included in all copies of the initial manufacturing run While a pre-order guarantees this ‘Limited Edition’ it is not a requirement.” Ranger Mode will be available to buy on launch day as DLC at $5/£3.99 – “the lowest 1st Parties would permit us to charge for content of this nature” Beynon suggests.

“We took all the steps we could to ensure that, while still offering retailers a pre-order incentive that met their needs, we did not force players to pre-order, or make them wait to get this content,” he says.

Our review of Metro: Last Light will go live on Monday. How do you feel about pre-order bonuses? Do you pre-order or pre-purchase often, or do you prefer to buy games on day one?

EDIT:
Angry Joe Show -> 15 minute rant on Hard Mode (Ranger Mode) free for Pre-Orders/or $5 as DLC later.

[MysterD]

Metro: Last Light - REVIEWS

METACRITIC --> PC; X360; PS3.

Scored out of 10:
GameTrailers -> 9.1
GameSpot -> 9.0
PlayStation Universe -> 9.0
Official PlayStation Magazine UK -> 9
GameInformer -> 8.75
Polygon -> 8.5
ZTDG -> 8.5
CVG -> 8.3
PlayStation Lifestyle -> 8.0
OXM UK -> 8.0
AtomicGamer -> 8
Forbes - Erik Kain's review -> 8
Machinima - InsideGamingDaily -> 7.5
IGN -> 7.2
Destructoid -> 7.0.
Eurogamer -> 7
NowGamer -> 7.0
VideoGamer -> 7

Scored out of 5:
GameRadar -> 4 1/2 stars.
Joystiq -> 4 1/2 stars.
Escapist -> 4 1/2 stars.
GiantBomb -> 4 stars.
Rev3 Games -> 4 stars.
DigitalSpy -> 4 stars.
GameRevolution -> 4 stars.
Cheat Code Central -> 4.0

Scored out of 100:
QuarterToThree -> 5 stars.
Game Over -> 85%
VentureBeat -> 83
Canadian Online -> 82
PC Gamer -> 80

No score:
Kotaku.
Shacknews.
GamingDaddy.

[Xessive]

Woooh! Rock on, Metro!

[Cobra951]

Huh?  Where would I be without MysterD showing me things that had completely escaped me?  I need to read up on the whole Metro thing.  The reviews for this sequel assume I know about the original premise, but the fact is that I don't.

[Quemaqua]

Think: linear STALKER.

[MysterD]

Huh?  Where would I be without MysterD showing me things that had completely escaped me?  I need to read up on the whole Metro thing.  The reviews for this sequel assume I know about the original premise, but the fact is that I don't.

Might wanna see this Metro 2033 thread, if you interested in the original.

Honestly, if Metro 2033 console versions are stable and the graphics are decent for a consoles game (you might wanna check Metacritic and read console review on Metro 2033 console-versions and talk to some console gamers) - but from what I have played on the PC version you're in for a very atmospheric and really good linear shooter.

Even on its default difficulty - I just wasn't too good at Metro 2033. Like STALKER series (if you actually played these PC games), at its default difficulty, I found Metro 2033 tough; especially when compared to other recent shooters on the market.
I couldn't imagine how tough Metro 2033 would be on Ranger Mode.

Think: linear STALKER.

Yeah, that is a pretty good idea for Metro 2033, yes.
To expand on that - Metro 2033 really doesn't have Inventory; economy and sellers in the game world; open-world; and some decision-making stuff here & there.

Also, I found ammo and weapons VERY plentiful in STALKER (especially if you do kill lots of enemies and loot them), as opposed to Metro 2033.

[MysterD]

Steam Forums -> 4A speaks on FOV matters for Metro: LL PC.

A note from 4A Games about FOV

Hey all. The community feedback about FOV has not gone unnoticed. 4A Games has this update for you about FOV and what they are working on:

We're aware the community have been asking for a 'Field of View' slider for Metro: Last Light. Unfortunately, this was not as simple a thing to implement as it might appear!

The main reason for maintaining a fixed FOV is because we have 3D elements like the watch and weapon ammo that need to remain visible.

In addition, all the game's first-person cut scenes and cinematics and each and every animation involving Artyom's hands - idle weapon animations, reloads, ladder climbing, melee attacks etc, - were created assuming the same, fixed field of view.

Changing the FOV would break all the cut-scenes and animations - you would be able to see inside Artyom's arms, or they would appear to float in the air in front of you. Or worse.

We had considered offering three FOV pre-sets, but this would still require significant work to re-do every animation, adjust the HUD and UI and other seemingly small but incredibly time consuming tasks.

Even with a wider but still fixed field of view, Artyom's hands would look too far away. We know - we tried.

Game performance is also tied to FOV - the amount of geometric detail we put in each scene has been partly determined by this set FOV, and setting a wider FOV would have a performance impact.

We understand this issue is important to many people, and we have been looking at possible solutions.

In the immediate term - the next title update, due in the next few days will allow you to directly change the FOV in the .cfg files.

This may well trigger a number of issues listed above - you have been warned!

- 4A Games

[Xessive]

I really appreciate their transparency! It's rare these days for any developer to come out and say it as it is.

[Pugnate]

I really appreciate their transparency! It's rare these days for any developer to come out and say it as it is.

[Xessive]

Finally started Last Light since it unlocked yesterday. It's pretty awesome. I'm still early in the game but I'm already enjoying it more than the first. They've simplified a lot of the complexities of the first and really streamlined the interface and gameplay mechanics so they're less confusing and more relevant to a situation's context.

It's not the kind of game that will blow your mind or anything but I'm enjoying it more than Crysis 3 (which I found quite boring and run-of-the-mill despite the suit abilities and stunning visuals). Metro: Last Light is gorgeous, intriguing, and takes you on a great ride. If you haven't played 2033 you might feel lost at first since Last Light continues the story immediately after its predecessor, however it refocuses on its own story development and doesn't rely too heavily on the past then sucks you right in.

[MysterD]

PC Gamer -> Season Pass / 4 DLC's planned for Metro: LL

Most people would be glad to get out of the unrelenting despair of a post-apocalyptic existence. But 4A and Deep Silver are hoping we’ll want to jump right back into it, having announced the DLC that will be making its way to Metro: Last Light in the coming months. I suppose it’s possible that their content plans include a cheery holiday to the underground equivalent of Blackpool. Although, on second thoughts, that’d be the most harrowing experience to date.

“Artyom’s story may have been concluded in Metro: Last Light, but there are other characters with stories to tell, some familiar locations that fans of the Metro series wanted to revisit, and some new challenges that 4A wanted to explore,” teases 4A creative director Andrew Prokhorov. “Since completing the game we have been working on these new stories and hope to release them throughout the summer.”

Those stories include the Faction Pack and Chronicles Pack, both being single-player content that “expands on the Metro: Last Light universe”.
In addition, there’ll be the Tower Pack, which is billed as a “unique solo challenge to Metro veterans”.
Perhaps more interesting is the Developer Pack, which 4A cryptically say will “give creative players some interesting tools with which to explore the world of Metro.”

As is the way of things now, you can pre-purchase all of the DLC through a Season Pass, giving you a slight discount for the gamble of paying sight unseen for four unknown content packs.
Season pass buyers also get an in-game “Abzats”. It’s a semi-automatic shotgun with an alternate fire mode that fires six shells at once – which sounds like a fine way to completely waste some ammo.
Notably Season Pass owners don’t seem to get Last Light’s other DLC purchase, the Ranger Mode unlock.

The Faction Pack will be up first, and it’s due out in June.

[MysterD]

Metro Last Light Redux is Free on GOG for less than 48 hours now.

Grab it now, so you can keep it forever and keep it DRM-FREE style.