The end of the world is pretty terrible, no matter how you shake it. There isn’t a post-apocalypse story out there that you would happily trade your life for right now in a heartbeat.
However, on the grand scale of things, certain doomsday scenarios are definitely more bleak than others, and it’s fair to say that Dmitry Glukhovsky’sMetroseries showcases one of the most harrowing tales of all.
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FromMetro 2033 to Metro Exodus, we have seen some truly horrific scenes in the underground below Moscow, but with the addition of VR, the series seems to be ramping up to offer the most involved, immersive, and affectingMetroouting yet.
Metro: Awakeningpromises a new story, a wealth of VR mechanics to extenuate the survival horror, and much more.
But the question is, does this game bringMetroto life, or simply use VR as a novel gimmick to jumpstart the series after some time out of the zeitgeist? We find out in our review ofMetro: Awakening, conducted on PSVR2.
One thing you may pretty much count on with a VR game working with a strong, pre-existing IP, is that there will be plenty of familiar gameplay mechanics that returning players will be able to hang their hat on. However, what has become clear to me in recent years is that the same cannot be said of the storyline presented.
Due to the shorter runtime, the infancy of the tech, and usually the limited involvement of the parent studio, it can often lead to a watered-down story of convenience that no one would dare consider canon. If you need a point of reference,Horizon: Call of the Mountainis a prime example of this.
However, despite initial skepticism,Metro Awakeningsidesteps these potential complaints with grace. This new VR title captures the essence of the games that have come before, allowing players to bask in the bleak setting, experience the highs and lows of surviving underground, and simply exist in this surreal end-world scenario.
The storyline you are presented with places you in the shoes of Serdar, a doctor who must care for his wife, who is suffering from psychosis. However, without giving too much away, it might just be contagious.
Unlike the aforementioned VR games, which rest on their laurels and simply offer a safe story that serves as a vehicle for the gameplay, this title actually tries to offer something of substance.
The characters you meet are interesting, and the locations you visit are packed with little conversations and environmental details worth uncovering.
Plus, the story beats all culminate to offer peaks and valleys that give the story a wonderful pace. Which is near-essential if you intend to create a great survival horror epic, as you need to ease and build tension appropriately to keep players on edge.
Metro Awakeningdoes this wonderfully well, meaning the moments of peril have real stakes, the moments of unease feel nearly unbearable, and the mystery that serves as the core of this narrative is a constant pull that keeps players pushing on to see what will become of the key characters.
The shorter runtime still limits the overall brilliance of the story, and there are some moments that the clumsy gameplay perhaps detracts from in some instances. However, from the vocal performances to the way the developers have used Glukhovsky’s source material to devise their own,
You have to say, this is one of the richest and best-told VR stories the medium has produced to date.
The Devil’s In The Detail
If there’s one genre that VR has mastered, it’s survival horror. The medium of VR lends itself to these immersive and terrifying experiences, and as a result, even with the medium of VR being as it is, Horror has a pretty high bar.
Hence whyMetro Awakeninghad a lot to do to blow my socks off. This is perhaps why it was only able to do this in spells, as some things are masterfully handled, whereas others flatter to deceive.
On the more positive side of the docket,Metro Awakeningmanages to implement all the staples of the series into the gameplay rather expertly, all of which adding to the frantic horror action. Players will have to use their battery pack to use their head torch and unlock doors.
You’ll also need to inject yourself with medicine to stay alive after an encounter with theMetro’sless hospitable residents, and you’ll need to use gas masks and canisters to survive brief trips to the surface.
These implementations are great, and each adds additional stakes when traversing the perils the underground has to offer, as there’s nothing quite like having to frantically crank your battery pack just to get a glimpse of the monster that’s about to tear you limb from limb.
However, despite these Metro-exclusive additions pulling their weight, the more generic core mechanics serve as a bit of a mixed bag.
Right from the moment you work your way through the game’s tutorials, you can tell that there are issues, as some of them soft lock the player, aren’t often clear of what they want of the player, and this only serves as an initial point of frustration that sets the tone for the overall gunplay.
There’s nothing quite like having to frantically crank your battery pack just to get a glimpse of the monster that’s about to tear you limb from limb.
As someone who has played more than their fair share of VR Shooters, I can say that while not dreadful, the gunplay inMetro Awakeningis not a top-tier example of what the genre is capable of. I would love to write this off as intentionally cumbersome gunplay to add to the survival horror vibe, but I don’t think that’s what happened on this occasion.
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Gunplay feels inaccurate to the point of frustration at times. Accessing your gun over your shoulder often involves rooting around behind your back until the game finally decides you’re hovering over that sweet spot. Plus, the silent takedowns are laughably comical and rather inconsistent in terms of force applied to the enemies, even if you really give them some oomph.
As a VR shooter, it’s a game that pales in comparison to a wide variety of games that have come before. However, if you’re willing to overlook that, the survival horror on show just might be enough to paper over the cracks.
What Lurks In The Shadows
I have a pretty high bar for what I expect from Survival Horror, and every new game that fails to usurpDead Spacein terms of design quality is a mild disappointment, but it does make it easy to spot the good and the bad from each game that tries.
Incidentally,Metro Awakeningboasts a wealth of good survival horror elements, albeit with some pulled punches that prevent it from being a showstopper.
Firstly, the setting and sound design are superb in this outing. You’ll constantly hear the ambient noise of pipes dripping, the dilapidated station settling and crumbling, and, naturally, the monsters howling as they plan your demise.
This, coupled with an emotive score and swelling combat music, means each moment has a fitting auditory accompaniment to manage your stress levels accordingly.
This would only work, however, if the game’s visuals and set dressing were on point, and thankfully,Metro Awakeningnails the bleak and claustrophobic setting. Whether you’re walking through the stations many decommissioned train lines, clambering through ventilation systems, or braving the radiation on the surface.
The game always has a way to give you a visual representation of just how screwed you are.
However, as mentioned, the game pulls its punches quite a lot, managing to nail the survival part, but often making the horror aspects a little too predictable to truly pay off.
There’s always a worry that you might not have enough bullets or oxygen cannisters to survive, and there’s always a feeling of insurmountable odds when you have to brave the various stealth sections the game provides. However, when the game finally decides to break this tension, it’s hardly ever scary.
For example, the game borrows aDead Spacestaple: enemy spawn points appear as clawed holes in walls and vents.
This is obviously meant to represent that enemies could and likely will hop out at any time, meaning the player is never safe. Yet, this is so underutilized that you never actually take this threat seriously, and it becomes a wasted opportunity.
Plus, the title often leans heavily into action sequences instead of well-designed and tailored scares, meaning that when these moments occur, you’ll likely be stocked with enough firepower to always feel on top of the situation.
It’s understandable why this tightrope between horror and high-octane shooter has been a tough one to walk forMetro Awakening, as Metro as a series has always had this same issue. However, even despite the moments of supposed horror being pretty tame by all accounts.
With the tension leading up to these moments, the strong selection of survival mechanics, and the incomparable setting,Metro Awakeningdoes enough to serve as a worthwhile horror outing for fans of the series and newbies looking for a shiver down their spine.
Closing Comments:
Metro Awakening is a VR outing that does the Metro series proud. With a story and setting that adds further depth to Dmitry Glukhovsky’s magnum opus, incredible visual and sound design, and a wealth of mechanics that represent the Metro staples, this title is a tense, gripping and action-packed blast for VR fanatics. It is a title that focuses a little too much on the survival aspects, meaning the horror is less affecting, and the core gunplay is far from the best the medium has ever produced. But all in all, Metro Awakening is a seminal VR hit that proves that VR is far from a dying fad, and still has a wealth of intriguing experiences to offer.
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