Your Impressions

Don*t spoil it for us!

 

Downloading it right now. Going to tell you what I think.

 

Started on Ranger Normal, and feeling a little let down at how easy the game still is:

-stealth seems a little overpowered as it's now either you're visible or invisible, no middle/yellow zone like in 2033
-enemies don't react to lights being shot out, even if they're a few feet away =_=
-start the game with 250 MGR, WHOA, but haven't had the chance to spend any at all yet (~2 hours played last night)
-Starting weapon selection and attachments...um wow did not expect that for FREE, wish I gimped myself now as too easy with what I have O_O
-Can't see ammo count for my weapons. 2033 Ranger Easy allowed you to see your numbers via checking your watch or journal, while Ranger Hardcore was just your journal. Last Light Hardcore only shows your MGR, so kinda awkward not knowing how much I have for my weapons, even though I'm sure I'm more well stocked than I need to be as I'm mostly stealthing with a few firefights when an unseen enemy spots me.
-In-game ladder climbing is ridiculously fast, no ladder climbing animation, just flying up rungs
-Light-charging is just a few clicks and lasts longer than 2033, not as satisfying to charge as 2033
-Survival aspect seems non-existent compared to 2033

The game is still good, but so far it's not living too much up to its predecessor's 'hardcore' survival aspects, feeling quite streamlined and not as methodical paced. We'll see how the game plays out more, and hopefully Ranger Hardcore will deliver more of what I was expecting, but the game is still more Metro, so yeah I'm digging it despite my criticisms I have right now.

 

Must say... its one of the best games I've played. The amount of detail in the game is immense. Like while playing it i feel the developers must have really put their heart into it and enjoyed making the game. I don't know... just the polish of the environments, atmosphere was just terrific. Hope they keep up the good work in any future games they make

But yeah, i loved the game. Was a very worthwhile buy. Makes every other games single player fps experience nothing compared to this one in my opinion. I know i may sound like i'm kind of over emphasising how good this game is but i don't know.. I just really enjoyed it. Great game

 

The game is remarkably scary. Instead of most horror games where you just know that something's going to jump out at you and you have to go through it to progress, most of the scariest moments exist as side-paths that lure you in to trump its challenge for some good loot. I normally hate horror games, but I've had a blast. Not without its major flaws, though.

Playing through on Ranger Normal. Definitely has some issues. Namely, ammo is all over the damn place. I don't get any loot off of half the enemies I kill because they put in an insanely restrictive cap for each type of bullet (54 shotgun shells? Really?), which is a huge contrast to Metro 2033 where you could carry everything you could find, because you were never going to get a thousand arrows, and you needed every bullet you found. Instead of selling off excess ammo for weapons you don't need to scrounge for a few extra precious rounds for your favorite gun, you're instead maxing out everything so that when you inevitably have to pick up another gun, you can use it.

The two-weapon system is also incredibly annoying. You just simply can't carry enough ammo to last through some extended mutant battles, and you'll just ignore what feels like 90% of the awesome weapons in the game to stick with more reliable ones. (shotguns are just too reliable against mutants, and a silenced AR will carry you through every encounter with a human enemy)

My final and major gripe is that the ammo counter is simply broken for Ranger modes. Apparently Artyom suffered a head injury that renders him unable to check his inventory for ammo whenever outside of a friendly station, so other than throwables and MGR's (which are viewable when holding the inventory button, and MGR's have no cap, so you'll pretty much always have more of them than dirty rounds) you will be walking around Irradiated Moscow with literally no clue when Artyom will stop loading his pistol.

But even with all of those issues (many of which I hope get patched at some point), it's still a great game. The atmosphere is even better than ever, music is dynamic and perfectly fitting, voice acting and effects sound like they have 50 times the budget, it's better optimized graphically, and it's still a damn lot of fun. I'm addicted to Metro all over again. The fact that I'm addicted in spite of all those major issues I just listed stands testament to just how great the game really is.

 

On a whim I decided to restart the game on Normal Hardcore after starting on Ranger Normal, and WOW this game is so much better now to me as I'm actually getting a good challenge out of it. Ranger Normal just wasn't cutting it for me, and the fact that I had an autoshotgun and silenced AK47 for my entire playtime really irked me and having 399 MGR at the time seemed rather wrong, but Normal Hardcore completely fixed that for me so YAY! The AI is also WAY better on Normal Hardcore than Ranger Normal, now they actually get really suspicious if I shoot out lights.

 

I'm only a few areas into the game, but my knee-jerk reactions, thoughts, complaints, etc:

-First thing I noticed is Artyom's voice actor sounds different, if it's a new actor I liked the old one much better. The voice acting overall feels very flat.

-The opening to the game was interesting.

-The new control layout is not as good, there are only 3 presets (all basically the same) with no option to have it like in 2033. Also, melee is now just like most other shooters (click right stick) and throwing knives aren't a seperate weapon, but used in conjunction with your guns. Why? The new inventory system is a step down, the dual radial menu looks bad and it takes longer to use items, everything in them was assigned a button in 2033.

-Why can't I run/jump in "town areas"? I hate when games arbitrarily take options like that away, the first game didn't do this. Maybe this changes after the first area?

-The character redesigns were unnecessary. Khan still looks relatively the same, just older, which makes sense, but Miller looks completely different.

-The rock music from the radios is annoying, especially when I'm trying to listen to conversations and can't turn the radio off.

-Anna is already annoying the hell out of me. I swear she says the word rabbit 10 times in the first 5 minutes after meeting her.

-Playing on Ranger Normal and the guns feel weak, several shots just to kill a Howler. In 2033 1 shot could down almost any enemy in the game and they could kill you just as easily.

-Items such as the flashlight can only be used at certain times. Can't use it here, you're suppose to sneak through this area, so no flashlight. 2033 let me do whatever I wanted.

-Enemy AI has been neutered. Shoot out 5 lights back to back, they won't mind and will barely react.

So I guess right now it's mostly complaints.

Maybe I'll grow to like the changes that have been made from 2033, but my initial reaction towards most of them has been "Why did they do that?" It really feels like they tried to appeal to more people and lost what made the first game good along the way. I'll update as I progress, hopefully there are some good things in the coming hours of play. Honestly though I'm having a hard time enjoying myself.

 

@Chimera Knight

I highly recommend you start over in Normal Hardcore as I too had a lot of complaints starting with Ranger Normal. Switching over the game plays exactly more to my liking as Ranger changes up a few things, and the AI is WAY better in Hardcore.

 

I'm enjoying it overall. There are some small issues I'd like to see fixed, others may have mentioned:

-Make stealth a little more challenging. I haven't been killed by a human yet on Ranger Hardcore.

-Make the AI detect laser sights. I was sitting in the dark shinning it in a guards face, and he didn't react to it. I've almost been caught shinning my flashlight and using the lighter in the dark.

-There is some AI bugs on the PS3. I had a guard come and investigate a lantern I shot out, and once he turned to walk back to his post, his legs bent backwards and he was just sort of a floating torso. I've also had a couple guards just freeze in place while trying to search for me.

-The ladder climbing is a little bizarre.

-Being able to check your ammo counts on Ranger would be nice as well.

 

I think you need to play it a bit more my friend, I am around 6-7 hours in and this is my view on the hardest difficulty before Ranger Mode!

-stealth seems a little overpowered as it's now either you're visible or invisible, no middle/yellow zone like in 2033

Umm yes there is, if you stay in the light too long it will play a music warning and they will start to actively seek you out and if their headlamp spots you they sound the alarm and all hell breaks loose! At least they have given a great stealth option this way through,I tend to do a bit of blasting and a bit of stealth, but the stealth is just too much fun, listening in on conversations etc!

-enemies don't react to lights being shot out, even if they're a few feet away

Once again, on the hardest difficulty anyhow, yes they do, especially if you arn't using a silenced gun, but even then I have a number of cases where they go into first 'alert' mode, put their helmet lamps on, and go searching near where the light was shot out while muttering to themselves! Normally it gives me a chance to sneak up and knock them out!

-Can't see ammo count for my weapons. 2033 Ranger Easy allowed you to see your numbers via checking your watch or journal, while Ranger Hardcore was just your journal. Last Light Hardcore only shows your MGR, so kinda awkward not knowing how much I have for my weapons, even though I'm sure I'm more well stocked than I need to be as I'm mostly stealthing with a few firefights when an unseen enemy spots me.

Yes you can, its on the right side of the HUD, in Ranger mode EVERYTHING is disabled, no HUD at all, but in all other difficulties it shows your remaining rounds and clips when you fire. Ranger mode is meant to be hard that is the idea if not go back to the hardest normal difficulty which is what I am playing my first play-through on

-Light-charging is just a few clicks and lasts longer than 2033, not as satisfying to charge as 2033

Ummm this is a bad thing?!! Not as satisfying? What is satisfying about having to charge it every 2 seconds? I like how long it last s in LL I still have to charge it, and in darker areas where there are creatures that don't like the light, I am glad so too! I have died at least twice when I have run out of light and been swamped!

-Survival aspect seems non-existent compared to 2033


Once again you need to play it more, yes they are there and on the harder difficulty settings it is easy to die if you start up firefights where you are outnumbered! I am having heaps of fun doing the whole stealth thing and conserving my ammo!

________________________________________

I am having a huge blast playing Metro Last Light, I played through 2033 4 or 5 times on the hardest difficulty setting, and I am enjoying Last Light even more! Pretty much everything I wished they fixed from 2033 they have, including the Guns, they way the look and feel when shot, the upgrades are more streamlined and I am finding a nice variety as I go along! The story aspect is improved even more, and listening to random NPC's gives you more of an insight into the lives of the people living there and what is going on!

Then there is the stealth, much much improved too, in pretty much every area I have visited so far there is an alternate way to do things if you arn't one for big firefights! Pulling out light bulbs or clicking off sections of lighting on switch boxes gives you a chance to not kill anyone if you wish to Roleplay, this to me is a blessing as you hear much more conversation and get to know the goings-on of each faction much better than if you just ran into the room and starting blasting away!

Finally it is more Adult, and that is a good thing! It never made sense to me that a game with such dark themes which is based on fear and suspense, wouldn't dare tread into the darker side of humanity! This makes the game alot more appealing and also keeps you on edge during your journey! -The twists to the story don't do any harm either!

What an awesome game, it deserves its high marks such as the 9.1 that Gametrailers scored it in its recent review, I would mark it around the same!

 

Yeah I agree, that is the mode I end up choosing after a few hours of gameplay! I found Normal mode way too easy, and to be honest so will anyone who has played a FPS before (too much ammo lying about and enemies rarely kill you), at least in Hardcore mode you can see how many bullets you have remaining and overall the enemies are harder and you die much faster!

 

@KGBhitman

Yeah, Normal Hardcore is WAY better than Ranger Normal, which I wouldn't recommend as compared to Normal Hardcore the AI is dumber, ammo is way more plentiful (had over 400 MGR before Venice before restarting), and the fact that you can keep your modified starting weapons after being held at Reich completely throws off the game's balance. I'm hoping Ranger Hardcore is more to my liking as Ranger Normal was a complete turnoff for me in making the game actually easier. =P

As for the light-charging in 2033, it felt more satisfying to me in the constant cranking when recharging, very realistic. Last Light just needs 2-3 cranks to fully charge the battery, 2033 just seemed more immersive in that aspect which I liked more.

But yeah, overall Normal Hardcore completely flipped all my complaints I was having with Ranger Normal and is what I recommend for 2033 vets for their first playthrough. =D

 

Glad you have seen the light Pun intended ! Yeah it just takes some tinkering with the difficulty modes, but Normal Hardcore seems to strike the best balance and at least you can see how much ammo you have remaining!

 

My first impressions?

How about fuck this game because it doesn't work and I've wasted an entire day trying to find solutions to a problem which apparently plagued Metro 2033 too even though none of those solutions work for Last Light.

 

I don't have ranger mode, but I'm loving it

 

Beat the game on ranger hardcore and it was way too easy. Only died to humans at one part of the game (the finale) other than that i died because mutants a bullet sponges.

 

My problem is that the nosolise swing every .5 seconds and they take out about 1/6th of your health.

 

Got it a day early so THAT was great. Playing on ranger hardcore to kick some ass, Have to say it but playing on RHc right off the bat is a bit awkward .. well at least for me spent half an hour trying to figure out how to put my gas mask on! :lol: thanks to it not showing me the weapons list and ect.

Haven't completed it yet so take everything I say with a grain of salt comrades.

So far, Impressed!

Love the gun's that you can get/attachments.

Characters are great nice post apocalyptic feel to them and the way they talk, act dress ect.

Enemies are a bit? how should I say it ... slow? in the stealth department, could walk next to a guy kill his friend and then take him out and no fucks would be given that day.

Creatures are ok though even if I haven't seen much of them so far.

Ammo is meant to be rear on hardcore mode right? But I seem to find quite a bit, but I think that could just be me saving every shot.

Storyline so far is just magical

That's about all I can think of at the mo, Have to get back to editing- Oh that light bulb turn off and putting water on fires? GENIUS!

I'll get back to this later.

 

The more I play LL the more it exceeds my expectations! Those guys at 4a with a miniscule budget have managed to do something that most of the big named companies like EA etc have never been able to do so far.. that is create a atmospheric, scary, and more adult shooter while maintaining a gripping and compelling storyline! Maybe that is because big companies like EA are more worried about alienating the parents of younger audiences and as a result the rest of the populace suffers, 4a have stuck to their guns and developed a game that improves pretty much every area of complaint that I had for Metro 2033!

Every area I go to surprises me to the point I often double-take, the populated areas feel so alive, all the NPC's have something to chat about, or interact with children, and often you feel like you are part of this living, breathing world because of it! Then on the other hand in certain areas you can feel like you the most alone person on the Planet, creatures scamper beyond your sight, things moan and move, it makes for one of the jumpiest, scariest experiences I have had in my many many years of gaming going back to the 80's! Especially when your head lamp is about to run out of power and you don't want to relinquish your grip on your Gun just in case! The ability to even be able to turn on and off lights, blow out lamps is a no-brainer but it is surprising how many games don't even think this far ahead! I remember creeping around a catacomb full of egg like sacks a few hours ago, then some would hatch and those horrible creatures would scatter out and attack, I frantically tried to keep my headlamp on them and ran wildly away! Then all of a sudden I noticed a switch on the wall, and I powered up the unit underneath and flicked all the switches on and the lights all of a sudden sprang to life! Instantly I heard the creatures who despise the lethal light dying all around me! - Fantastic....

I am yet to play a game that can draw you in then give you such relief when you stumble across the next inhabited station!

Brilliant game..... kudos to the developers, I hope they make another Metro!