Metro: Last Light Preview

4A-Games surprised us last year with Metro 2033, the game was a mixed bag of tense moments, great story, scavenging and dodgy AI. Whilst the game clearly had some issues it was a rough diamond, and small improvements could be made to make the next Metro game a real stunner.

Metro: Last Light is not yet playable but we were treated to one hell of a live gameplay demo. Last Light takes place after the events of 2033 and the surface, whilst still hostile, is showing signs of recovery with partial sunshine breaking through grey clouds to slowly melt the covering snow.

One thing that has not changed however is the mentality of of the russian population below the surface. The civil war rages on and the fight for resources is greater than ever.

The demo starts off with Artyum, protagonist of 2033 decending into the metro where some less than friendly Russians await. The first thing that hits you is the sharper, more detailed visuals. Artyum is using the same weapons that were so prolific in the first game but they look so much better, the added detail is so simple yet so rewarding to look at.

Lighting was always an important factor in 2033, with stealth kills performed from the shadows. It would seem that lighting is not only as important in Last Light, but it looks so much better. Every object is perfectly illuminated adding to the tension when Artyum lurks between shadows. Perhaps the most impressive lighting feature is the many ways in which you can affect the immediate light around you; Artyum can unscrew light bulbs, shoot lights out and even douse flames with water. Early on in the demo Artyum shoots a bucket of water above a naked flame to dim the area, making it a perfect spot for a stealth kill.

After a stealthy kill Artyum draws some unwanted attention and this is where we bare witness to some improved gunplay. Shooting did not always feel spot on in 2033 but from just watching a bit of Last Light in action we can already see improvements to the gunplay. Visually, shooting looks great, with stray bullets missing their targets and ploughing through the destructible environment, giving a great feeling of importance with each bullet fired.

The action cuts away to a short loading screen and the next scene starts up. Artyum is following a grey haired man through a crowd, and the graphics are so good at this point it is a little hard to tell if the visuals are running in real time. A gun shot later and the crowd turns nasty, Artyum is running for his life through one of the many metro underground dwellings. It is still hard to tell if this is actual gameplay, the visuals during the chase scene are immense, rays of light ping off character models as they pass by. The chase quickly takes to the tracks, but before it does, Artyum brings out his firearm to take down a couple of guards. This is when it hits us; this is real gameplay!

Once on the train we are shown further evidence of the stunning visuals. The train is traveling at breakneck speed, you can almost feel the wind in your face as pieces of fabric flow in the wind. Shafts of light beam through every now and again as the train passes through a dark tunnel. The train section comes to an end and we are treated to one more piece of visual splender, a new mutant creature is revealed, the thing is huge! The behemoth like monster tears through a concrete wall, once again highlighting the destructible features we can expect to experience in Metro: Last Light.

Seeing is believing and this is certainly the case with Last Light, the visuals are stand out and can only be compared with the beauty of the impressive Battlefield 3.

The demo was running on what we expect was a high end PC, we can only hope that the impressive visuals translate well onto consoles.

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Metro: Last Light will be released sometime in 2012 on PC, Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, and Nintendo’s newly announced console, Wii U.