Metro Awakening is arguably the largest PSVR2 launch of 2024, but it surely’s additionally an enormous shift for Vertigo Video games, the workforce behind the Arizona Sunshine collection. Whereas the wacky and bloody antics of zombie slaying are a simple match for the VR format, the Metro collection is all about stealth, bullet counting, and that dread-inducing ambiance. Whereas we had issues as as to whether the developer may switch the hallmarks of the collection to the VR format, not solely has it proved that it could possibly, it’s additionally delivered top-of-the-line video games on PSVR2.
Set a handful of years earlier than the mainline collection, Metro Awakening places you within the footwear of Serdar, a survivor condemned to a life inside Russia’s metro system. Nestled inside a small neighborhood, Serdar’s spouse Yana is in dire want of remedy, as she is haunted by the sounds of her lifeless son’s voice. With a pistol by your aspect and a trusty fuel masks strapped to your backpack, you head out to the risks and horrors of the metro system.
Instantly, it’s clear that Vertigo has nailed the aesthetic of the Metro collection, with thrown collectively lodgings lit up by the amber hue of close by barrel fires. As you discover you’ll witness no finish of horrific sights, from dilapidated camps affected by human stays to mutant nestings speckled with radioactive mushrooms. All of it seems incredible within the grimmest type of manner, and it’s thick with this deeply unnerving ambiance.
Whereas not as visually spectacular as one thing like Horizon Name of the Mountain, the lighting offers Metro Awakening a way more lifelike sense of setting. The inexperienced glow of mushrooms, the flickering lights, and even simply the flashlight in your head all nail the grungy really feel of the collection as you sneak round horrid monsters and deranged survivors.
Your complete visible bundle comes collectively masterfully due to the immersive VR options that Vertigo has carried out. It may be as small as wiping the condensation off your fuel masks visor or flicking in your lighter to burn away some cobwebs, there’s loads of memorable VR particular moments that massively amp immersion. It’s exhausting to beat pushing by way of a terrifying spider-infested space, scanning above and beneath, gun on the prepared, just for a large spider to pounce at you and crawl across the again of your cranium, with the texture of its creeping legs articulated by way of the headset haptics. It is moments like these that merely can’t be replicated within the flat-screen format.
To face such creepy crawlies you’ve Metro Awakening’s admittedly restricted roster of weaponry, though every gun is satisfying to fireplace off due to the returning taking pictures mechanics from Arizona Sunshine 2. Manually ejecting {a magazine} and slapping in one other or slotting in every shotgun shell is rarely not cool, and due to the PSVR2 Sense Controller’s haptics, every shot has some energy behind it. Issues have truly improved from the Arizona collection too, as now you can maintain a weapon from the barrel when you do one thing else together with your set off hand. Your complete strategy of firing, reloading, and switching weapons turns into second nature after a while with the sport.
The identical might be stated about all of the controls actually. Metro by no means needs to interrupt your immersion, so every part is finished inside its world and pretty realistically too, with no in-game menus past the pause menu – though there are load screens between some areas. You flip in your flashlight by urgent R2 whereas holding the controller to your head, your rifle is saved over your proper shoulder, grabbing your left shoulder together with your proper hand brings out your backpack, and so forth. Even one thing as menial as checking ammunition could be achieved by sight, inspecting the aspect of {a magazine} or partially pulling again the chamber.
There would be the odd second if you by accident seize your backpack as an alternative of ammunition for instance, however Metro Awakening is basically freed from the finicky controls most different VR shooters are plagued with. It is thrilling as you stalk enemies, closing one eye to line up the shot of your crossbow, and the shortage of ammunition is one in every of our favorite issues in regards to the recreation. It is at all times been a characteristic of the Metro collection however there’s something in regards to the bodily motion of eradicating magazines from discarded weapons or pulling bolts out of the skulls fallen people and creatures, that simply immerses you even additional.
When bullets and bolts begin to fly, Metro nails its all-out motion. Popping a fast headshot, choosing up their dropped rifle, and peeking out of canopy to fireplace off a couple of rounds is exhilarating. Stealth too could be nerve-racking as you toss bottles to distract enemies, line up pictures, and guarantee you’re hidden in darkness; enemies will truly discover your flashlight when you go away it on. The largest flaws in all of it are the sport’s melee knockouts, that are extremely simple to mess up as you strike enemies within the head from behind, and enemy footsteps which may at occasions be exhausting to put.
Placing all of its mechanics and visuals collectively, there are some segments to Metro Awakening’s marketing campaign which can be heart-pounding. The music is unnerving, the lighting is popping off, and the controls fade away into the background that means it’s extremely simple to fully lose your self on this recreation.
For these searching for that narrative expertise, that is our greatest bone of rivalry with Metro Awakening. The entire thing begins off robust sufficient, with likeable characters and convincing mo-cap for a VR recreation. We had been by no means bored of its story, however the additional the sport leans into the supernatural — a pillar of the Metro collection — the much less engaged we had been with our character’s plight. Primarily, although, this was all the way down to these supernatural parts bleeding into the gameplay, which in idea hold issues contemporary mechanically, however they had been nowhere close to as participating as sneaking by bandits and ghouls.
The sport does lose a little bit of steam because it chugs its strategy to the end line. We’d have cherished a tad extra selection in its setting, the emotional climax of its story left us feeling fairly detached, and there have been perhaps one too many on-rails shooter moments. Nonetheless, none of it left a stale style in our mouths, due to the riveting gameplay moments sprinkled all through its 10 hour marketing campaign.
Simply to briefly contact on some efficiency points, the sport did crash a handful of occasions whereas loading up new areas; generally we’d load into a brand new space and never be capable of transfer for a couple of seconds, and we had roughly two or three situations of the body charge dropping momentarily. Nonetheless, the overwhelming majority of our technical expertise with the sport was flawless, with these points being few and much between within the grand scheme of issues.
Conclusion
We’re sorry that we ever doubted that Vertigo may pull off a Metro VR recreation. The Dutch devs have masterfully captured the essence of this cult collection, and amplified its finest traits with myriad VR particular mechanics. Whereas we had some points with its story and would have favored a tad extra setting selection, its highs are so excessive we’d fortunately undergo all of it once more. With the visuals, the ambiance, and the controls all melting into the expertise, Metro Awakening is well probably the most immersive VR video games we’ve ever performed.
