Metro Awakening is set to be one of the standout PSVR2 titles of 2024, showcasing a new direction for Vertigo Games, the developers known for the Arizona Sunshine series. While gamers are familiar with blasting zombies in that franchise, Metro Awakening takes a distinct route, emphasizing stealth, precious ammo management, and a chilling atmosphere. Skeptics wondered if Vertigo could successfully translate the essence of Metro into VR. They have not only met expectations but exceeded them, offering one of the most captivating experiences on the PSVR2 platform.
The game is a prequel to the main Metro series, centering on Serdar, who survives in the claustrophobic confines of Russia’s metro system. Part of a small community with his wife, Yana, Serdar is driven by the necessity of securing medication for her, as she’s tormented by the haunting memory of their deceased son. Armed with just a pistol and a reliable gas mask, you’re thrust into the daunting and treacherous underworld of the metro tunnels.
From the jump, Vertigo nails the Metro series’ visual vibe. The living spaces are crudely assembled and illuminated by nearby barrel fires, perfectly capturing the post-apocalyptic aesthetic. As you venture through the metro, you’ll encounter unsettling sights, whether it’s abandoned camps with skeletal remains or mutant habitats decorated with ominous glowing mushrooms. Though grim, the detail is painstakingly crafted, enveloping you in a darkly atmospheric world.
While it might not rival the graphics of games like Horizon Call of the Mountain, Metro Awakening delivers a real-world grittiness through its lighting and textures. A green phosphorescence from the mushrooms and the flickering beams from your flashlight enhance the spooky and authentic feel of sneaking past creatures and crazed survivors.
The entire visual appeal is intricately tied with VR features that heighten immersion. Simple actions like clearing your gas mask of moisture or using a lighter to clear cobwebs add to the sense of presence. Imagine crawling through a nerve-racking tunnel filled with spiders, your weapon poised, only for a massive spider to leap at you. The interactivity and haptic feedback of the headset make such encounters unforgettable, moments that flat-screen experiences can’t replicate.
To tackle these nightmares, Metro Awakening offers a modest weapon collection, each firing with satisfying heft thanks to the Arizona Sunshine 2-inspired mechanics. Reloading feels authentic, with manual actions like ejecting and replacing magazines or loading shotgun shells adding to the realism. The sense controllers’ feedback further intensifies every shot. A step up from past titles, the game lets you manage guns with one hand while performing actions with the other, making reloading and weapon switching instinctive over time.
All the controls are designed to maintain immersion. With minimalistic in-game menus, the game allows you to accomplish tasks directly within the environment. Activating a flashlight, grabbing weapons from your shoulder, or checking magazines’ ammo levels happen naturally as part of the gameplay experience.
Occasionally, you might fumble with the controls—say, grabbing your backpack instead of ammo—but these instances are rare compared to the fluidity of most VR shooters. The tension of stealthily stalking foes, closing one eye to aim a crossbow, complements the scarcity of ammunition. The tactility of scavenging magazines from fallen foes deepens the engagement.
Combat thrives on intense firefights, headshots, and scavenging enemy weapons. Strategies like using objects to divert attention and maintaining stealth illuminate the game’s complex mechanics. Though thrilling, melee attacks can be tricky and enemy footsteps may be hard to discern at times.
Every detailed aspect—sound, lighting, and control responsiveness—contributes to the intensity of certain campaign segments. While the narrative starts strong with credible characters and motion-capture, the embrace of supernatural elements typical of Metro series detracts from the plot’s engagement. The gameplay remains robust, but sneaking past human threats felt far more captivating.
The story’s conclusion doesn’t hit the emotional peaks one might hope for, and the action sequences become a bit repetitive, featuring one too many guided shooting intervals. Thankfully, moments of gameplay brilliance woven throughout the roughly ten-hour campaign keep players engrossed.
On a technical note, the game isn’t without minor hitches. We encountered occasional crashes during transitions, brief periods of immobility on load, and a few frame rate dips. Despite these, the game ran smoothly for the most part.
### Conclusion
Doubts about Vertigo’s ability to craft an engaging Metro VR experience have been utterly dispelled. The developers have embraced the series’ core feel and elevated it with a host of VR-specific features. While the story could use more depth and the environments could be more varied, the game delivers such compelling highs that revisiting it would be a pleasure. Metro Awakening stands as one of the most immersive VR games we’ve experienced, seamlessly integrating visuals, atmosphere, and intuitive controls.
