As a longtime fan of Metro 2033 (ten playthroughs, at least), I picked up redux to relive it. I was surprised to see the changes! Better yet, I was surprised to see they were mostly good changes! New little secrets, improved cutscenes, new areas, the customisable weapons from LL, and the difficulty I was playing (Hardcore Survival) had no regen! Lovely new difficulty, can't wait to try the new Hardcore Ranger system. Also, lovely reboot of graphics for console I was a bit sad to see my favorite armored Nosalis in D6 disappear, as well as Artyom's voice actor being totally redone I liked his old voice. Overall, this is how a remake is done!
Indeed, you are absolutely right. Metro 2033 Redux is an almost perfect remake/rerelease/remaster that keeps the core and spirit of the original, but adds graphical and gameplay improvements developed from the next game along with some entirely new areas and features. I am glad to hear you enjoyed it as well. Some consider it the best of the Metro games, because it has the atmosphere and slightly more hardcore feel of the first game whilst including various technological improvements from Last Light. It's also very appropriately priced for something that required a lot of work to adapt it from the original game, but Metro: Last Light Redux... well, that is a completely different story. hwell: Unlike M2033 Redux, I did not buy LL Redux at launch (in fact, I still haven't got it). It adds so little new things and looks like the exact same product, it is basically a "full" edition of Last Light with the old DLC just bundled in, which makes it even more shocking that they made owners of the original version pay for it since a "Complete Edition" of Last Light was published not much earlier. This not only screwed over everyone who paid for the Season Pass for LL, but actually continues to confuse latecomers who are looking for "Redux" but come across "Complete" instead and buy that thinking it's the definitive edition of the game. The only things that LL Redux has which were not included in the Complete Edition are a few new animations, some barely noticeable graphical improvements and a new game mode (which frankly should have been there to begin with) - all this could have been easily patched in for the non-Redux version of Last Light (and should have been).
bought both on release, mainly because they were exceedingly cheap, £15 each, that's less than most DLCs nowadays, damn good considering LL included all the dlc, including stuff that originally I believe was day one dlc, and pre order exclusive stuff when LL first came out, such as the AKSU, or ranger mode
I agree it was a good deal and it continues to be the best deal for those who don't yet own the game, but paid M:LL Redux was a big "fuck you" to all fans who had bought the DLC earlier.
What, because it offered a better deal for the same content at a later date? I mean, that's not a terribly uncommon or malicious practice. The only thing I can think of is the options for Spartan/Survival and improved Ranger mode, which does kinda suck, but at least it's something of questionable value.
Exactly. Just because many people do something annoying doesn't make the activity any less annoying, right? It usually only makes it even more unbearable. There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving a better deal for the same content at a later date (actually it's how I get most my games because I can't afford more than two or three new titles a year), but it's wrong when you don't patch those little new things for those who already shelled out more cash for you. And there is almost no effort involved in doing that (as proved by CD Projekt, among other developers/publishers with an alternative attitude). I know those few extra animations, new game modes and such nonsense might be very little, but as someone who has already read 10 books and completed 3 games from the franchise, I would really like to have those things patched in for me and not having to buy it all again just for those additions. And if other developers can do it without losing money (only getting better publicity and more profits) along with free DLCs, then I see no point in accepting any less from the others. That's how capitalism works, right? It's all about competition - you show me a better product that you're willing to fully support post-release and not going to screw me over later on, then I'll buy it rather than the other person's toy.
Yeah, that's why for most games which I know will have paid DLC I wait till the 'Complete' edition comes out. It's silly of them, as they lose preorders. I never bought the DLC for LL, so Redux was good.
Here is another (more recent) example of how the non-DLC features of Last Light Redux could have been handled. That 64-bit update for Risen 3 includes many more new technological enhancements than Metro: Last Light Redux does in comparison with its original version, yet Piranha Bytes gave it away for free to all those who already have the game. The same thing could have, should have and could still be done for all those who own Last Light... otherwise it continues to be just a lazy cash-grabbing tactic. And I'm using the link above to point out that CD Projekt are by no means the only people out there doing this stuff, they're just usually the first example that comes to my mind.
