Metro - An Unfulfilled Epic
Posted: 22 Sep 2025, 13:17
The Metro Trilogy, inspired by the prolific imagination of Dmitry Glukhovsky whose acumen for writing speculative fiction is nearly parallel to that of the Strugatsky brothers, is a video series mired in disappointment. Nonetheless, I loved its design and the uniqueness of its story, however the gameplay and graphical resolution are lackluster, clumsy, and uninspired. The game has its mechanical flaws, but I genuinely believe it is atoned by a wonderful story thematic of human perseverance, forgiveness, and redemption. These themes are commonplace in media, but they take a darker turn in Metro which is unseen in most media. The mechanics might be wonky and potentially broken altogether (the game series is still a farcry from the unplayable S.T.A.L.K.E.R games), but the story's chemistry and world-building compensate for its inability to match expectations of modern gaming performance.
At times, it is easy to become lost in the middle of a mission and there are other times when in-game progression is halted because of a lack of contextual clues as to what the player is to do; which is why the lighter is so helpful, it being an in-game directory mechanic intended to assist the player in trekking toward the next objective. Without the directory mechanic embedded into the lighter (which is always available to the player), I would be forced to refer to a guide to complete the series, something I am grateful was unnecessary.
Another recurring problem is the scarcity of air-filters. Without them, it is impossible to traverse the surface of Moscow which has become irradiated and its air polluted with deadly noxious agents, it is even possible to get stuck at a certain point in the game due to insufficient supply of air-filters to make the poisonous air breathable. By my experience, there have been numerous instances by which exactly that happened. I would have to restart the mission or finesse the remainder of it by repetitiously removing and putting-on the mask to conserve air. Without this technique at my disposal, I would have undoubtedly perished in the wastelands of a nuclear post-apocalyptic Moscow.
One final issue endemic in the game series is the inconsistency of Merchant stations, luckily, this is only a problem for players who fail to habitually loot ammunition, air-filters, and weaponry whenever it is made accessible to them. I, for example, have made scavenging a necessary and viable solution to foreseeable shortages in supplies and equipment. In fact, I was so conservative in my expenditure of capital (which comes in the form of ammo that cannot be fired from guns for some reason) that by the end of each game I had accumulated a surplus of wealth. Parsimony is an often unspoken virtue. The rat-esque scavenging and hording is indisputably prevalent among most gamers, therefore I find it improbable that any would have difficulty adjusting to the demanding frugality of the Metro-verse. It was still irksome to search every nook-and-cranny for supplies, necessity be scorned. We play games to enjoy great stories and virtual experiences, not to pettishly grind away at our nerves until suspended by some mind-numbing stillness.
Despite these errors and foibles, the games are still worth playing (the low-grade games being produced today only solidify their position within any true gamer's library). The monsters of the railway and overworld arouse an irresistible curiosity in how radiation has mutated the life's total genome; the power-coveting factions of the underground settlements compel a Hobbesian passion for the terrors and joys of warfare; the hopeful struggle against peril and doom for the preservation of humanity despite its complications, limitations, and faults; the redemption of Artyom after he slaughtered the Dark Ones; the gritty, all-too-human corruptive elements present within the story through murder, rape, prostitution, genocide and political chicanery; and the surreptitious representation of metaphysical transcendence and immanence: all of these attributes (and more) coalesce to make an excellently novel experience worthy of at least one play-through. Salvation is achieved thanks only to its story-driven narrative and background.
A final note. The novels are better as the brain can imagine and animate thoughts far more vividly than any virtual presentation. Nothing can out-pace the brain's imaginal capacity and affinity for wonder and beauty.
https://www.creativeuncut.com/art_metro-2033_a.html
At times, it is easy to become lost in the middle of a mission and there are other times when in-game progression is halted because of a lack of contextual clues as to what the player is to do; which is why the lighter is so helpful, it being an in-game directory mechanic intended to assist the player in trekking toward the next objective. Without the directory mechanic embedded into the lighter (which is always available to the player), I would be forced to refer to a guide to complete the series, something I am grateful was unnecessary.
Another recurring problem is the scarcity of air-filters. Without them, it is impossible to traverse the surface of Moscow which has become irradiated and its air polluted with deadly noxious agents, it is even possible to get stuck at a certain point in the game due to insufficient supply of air-filters to make the poisonous air breathable. By my experience, there have been numerous instances by which exactly that happened. I would have to restart the mission or finesse the remainder of it by repetitiously removing and putting-on the mask to conserve air. Without this technique at my disposal, I would have undoubtedly perished in the wastelands of a nuclear post-apocalyptic Moscow.
One final issue endemic in the game series is the inconsistency of Merchant stations, luckily, this is only a problem for players who fail to habitually loot ammunition, air-filters, and weaponry whenever it is made accessible to them. I, for example, have made scavenging a necessary and viable solution to foreseeable shortages in supplies and equipment. In fact, I was so conservative in my expenditure of capital (which comes in the form of ammo that cannot be fired from guns for some reason) that by the end of each game I had accumulated a surplus of wealth. Parsimony is an often unspoken virtue. The rat-esque scavenging and hording is indisputably prevalent among most gamers, therefore I find it improbable that any would have difficulty adjusting to the demanding frugality of the Metro-verse. It was still irksome to search every nook-and-cranny for supplies, necessity be scorned. We play games to enjoy great stories and virtual experiences, not to pettishly grind away at our nerves until suspended by some mind-numbing stillness.
Despite these errors and foibles, the games are still worth playing (the low-grade games being produced today only solidify their position within any true gamer's library). The monsters of the railway and overworld arouse an irresistible curiosity in how radiation has mutated the life's total genome; the power-coveting factions of the underground settlements compel a Hobbesian passion for the terrors and joys of warfare; the hopeful struggle against peril and doom for the preservation of humanity despite its complications, limitations, and faults; the redemption of Artyom after he slaughtered the Dark Ones; the gritty, all-too-human corruptive elements present within the story through murder, rape, prostitution, genocide and political chicanery; and the surreptitious representation of metaphysical transcendence and immanence: all of these attributes (and more) coalesce to make an excellently novel experience worthy of at least one play-through. Salvation is achieved thanks only to its story-driven narrative and background.
A final note. The novels are better as the brain can imagine and animate thoughts far more vividly than any virtual presentation. Nothing can out-pace the brain's imaginal capacity and affinity for wonder and beauty.
https://www.creativeuncut.com/art_metro-2033_a.html