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Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light could soon be available on PlayStation 4 and Xbox One, if a leaked retail listing is to be believed.

There's a company in London that, deep underground in old abandoned tunnels, is growing fresh food. Imagine Metro 2033, then, only with fresh lettuce.Read more...

Video game trailers can be crass, they can be dumb, and they can be misleading. They can also be pretty damned cool. This trailer for Metro: Last Light is pretty damned cool. It's called "The Mobious," and it takes a long, freeze-frame tour through a bunch of the sorts of scenes you'll see throughout the game's dank, sub-Moscow tunnels. You might be thinking it's peculiar for a trailer this involved and artful to come out well after a game is released, and you'd be right! Developer 4A explains how it came to be: The Mobius was created by Alexander Bereznyak, aka Monakh, who was originally employed by 4A as a capture artist. Soon it turned out that his talent was needed in the production team and he took over the role as lead technical artist. But over a couple of months, he continued to work alone on this trailer, that is now made public. Nice. Cool trailer, Mr. Bereznyak! (Cool game, too, as it happens.)

Steam copies of Metro: Last Light include a nice little surprise: a pdf version of the book the series is based on, Dmitry Glukhovsky's Metro 2033.

Part 1 of IGN's Video Walkthrough for Metro: Last Light. Chapter 1: Prologue.

Er, I suppose there’s some uncertainty that Metro: Last Light might actually be released, but for now let’s proceed on the basis that THQ have managed to save themselves from the moneyan apocalypse.

Last Light, from an hour or so I spent watching real-time play recently, appears to be almost a do-over of the ambitious but awkward Metro 2033 rather than a traditional sequel. It’s rescuing and remixing the stuff that worked but, as far as I can tell, without devolving into a shiny Call of Dudebro affair. That critical switching between indoor and outdoor action and gun-free survivor settlements remains, as does the strange bullets-as-currency system. It’s much more like 2033 than I’d presumed, I’m relived to find, glossier though it may be.(more…)

2010's post-apocalyptic shooter is half off on Xbox Live this week.

This is scandalous! When I buy a shooter, I expect it – nay, demand – for it to include a multiplayer mode that makes a mockery of the carefully-created fiction, is defined by the hollow pursuit of unlocks and is so rapidly abandoned by its players that it’s near-impossible to find a match about a fortnight after release. So hearing that Metro 2033 sequel Last Light has dropped its multiplayer really grinds my gears.

(It doesn’t. It seems like a very smart thing for a singleplayer-focused shooter to do).(more…)

#metro2033 Metro 2033 is getting adapted into a movie, it looks like. More »

#art James Chadderton's take on Manchester in ruins hints at the apocalypse without bothering to identify its nature. More »

4A’s sequel to Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light, seems to have been slipping beneath our radar a bit. The post-apocalyptic original was so close to being proper good that it’s definitely worth keep an eye on what they’re up to next. With that in mind, we caught up with THQ’s Huw Beynon to find a bit more about what’s happening with the game, which is set for release in mid 2012.(more…)

THQ and 4A’s Metro 2033 sequel promises a ‘last light’. I would like to take issue with this, for I can see over ten different lights across the following five new screenshots of the forthcoming post-apocalyptic, subterranean beast’n'manshooter. Who wants to call trade descriptions?(more…)

Today only, as part of it's "$5 Fridays" promotion, OnLive is currently offering Metro 2033 for only five bucks. We rather enjoyed the apocalyptic title and, with Metro 2033: Last Light on the way, the deal provides a good opportunity to catch up. Just don't forget your gas mask.

[Thanks, Marco!]

We knew that Metro: Last Light was happening back in April, after THQ registered the related URL. However, the official reveal of the Metro 2033 sequel has taken place today, along with a whole one screenshot (click on it to see it full size) and a teaser trailer. It’s off to post-apocalyptic Moscow once more.

(more…)

#preview They call it their flawed masterpiece. More »

News that Metro 2033 was getting a sequel called “Metro 2034” broke in mid-2010, so it isn’t much of a surprise to see that publisher THQ is moving to secure domain names. What is surprising is these domain names are suggesting the first follow-up might not be Metro 2034.

THQ has registered, according to consistent Internet super sleuth @supererogatory, lastlightgame.com, the particularly descriptive metro2033lastlightgame and last, but not least, metrolastlight.com. If you throw all these domain names together into a game name that makes sense you get Metro 2033: Last Light. 
  

This story’s about as flimsy as a wet paper bag full of knives, but let’s soldier on. Joystiq note that THQ have registered a domain by the name of “Metro 2033 Last Light”, which could very well be the name of the forthcoming Metro 2033 sequel. …yeah. That’s all I’ve got. Who’s excited? I’m excited.

If Metro 2033 passed you by, it was an atmospheric FPS (a toxic, unbreathable atmoshpere, specifically) set in a post-apocalyptic rendering of Moscow’s subway system, full of shadows and mutants and terror and all that good stuff. Alec got along well with it, and you can watch the launch trailer after the jump. It’s more than a year old now but still every bit as impressive.(more…)

"This is a watershed event: It's the first time a game system has ever been given away with the purchase of a game." That's how OnLive CEO Steve Perlman describes his company's announcement that ("while supplies last") anyone who pre-orders THQ's Homefront via the cloud gaming service for $50 will receive its MicroConsole hardware and immediate access to another THQ title, Metro 2033, free of charge.

In a blog post, John Spinale, OnLive's VP of games and media provided further details, confirming that Homefront will be available to users of the service on March 15 at midnight. He also noted that the console hardware, while "free," isn't free from sales tax or shipping charges. The promotion is running from today, February 25 through March 15.

Spinale cheekily quipped that people should "get in on this before our Finance department finds out what we're doing!," but we sort of have to wonder if he's only joking a little. This is definitely the most gung-ho play for new users we've ever seen.

Last March, Metro 2033 snuck up on our reviewer radar and went on to earn respectable Metacritic scores of 77 on Xbox 360 and 81 on PC among critics at large. Though THQ CEO Brian Farrell characterized the title as "very profitable" for the publisher, it wasn't exactly burning up the sales charts. Speaking with the company's VP of Core Games, Danny Bilson, this week, we asked about Metro 2033 falling short of its potential.

"I'll give you the straight answer: It wasn't properly supported in all areas," Bilson said frankly. "It was a cool deal," he explained of the publishing agreement with developer 4A Games, "where it was inexpensive and they were doing their stuff."

"Did the game need polish in certain areas? Yes." he admitted. "So when I say it wasn't fully supported, it was product development and marketing that didn't support it the way it should've been." Bilson described Metro 2033 as "an orphan stepchild," saying that "a great marketer picked it up with four months to go and did what he could with four months to go, but it wasn't properly nurtured by marketing."

The absence of polish, Bilson assured, won't be an issue for Metro 2034, the in-development sequel. "The new one doesn't have any of those issues," Bilson said. "I green-lit the sequel before [the first] one shipped, because I know what [4A Games is] capable of -- I knew how cool it was."

#russia Best Video Games Of The Year lists are good for fomenting argument. But maybe they can also give an overlooked game another chance for attention. Here's one man sticking up for Metro 2033, and sticking up for it... interestingly. More »

#gameface A pair of models show off the sexier side to Metro 2033 at the World Exhibition Centre in Moscow during Game World 2010 earlier this month, as seen at English Russia. More »

When THQ's Metro 2033 was patched to support the "Ranger Pack" DLC something went wrong with the game's Achievements. The problem was first acknowledged on August 3 and noted as potentially an issue on Microsoft's end as of August 5. A couple weeks back the publisher told Joystiq it was still "investigating."

THQ has sent us over an updated statement on the issue:
"We understand some people are still experiencing issues with achievements unlocking in the Metro 2033 Ranger Pack DLC. We are currently working with Microsoft to ascertain whether this is due to a code related issue with the DLC itself, or an error in the Marketplace process whereby the DLC was added to Xbox LIVE Marketplace before the new achievement data was added - this exact issue has happened to other games in the past, but we need to be sure that this is what's happening here. We realize this is frustrating for those of you who have been waiting to enjoy the Ranger Pack DLC, and we ask for your patience as we try to pinpoint the exact issue and solution." In the meantime, it's probably best not to download the expansion pack until the problem is resolved. It appears the normal game still works fine. We'll be sure to update once a fix for the problem goes live. Now, remind us, what's the point of Microsoft certification again?

THQ's sleeper subway hit, Metro 2033, was patched recently in support of the "Ranger Pack" DLC, but it appears the update clashed with how the game tracks Achievements. Conflicted reports suggest the patch prevents all Achievements in the game, or simply the ones from the Ranger Pack -- either way, it's still a problem in need of a correction. According to the official Metro 2033 Twitter account, the publisher has been aware of the problem since August 3, most recently acknowledging the situation on August 5 as something on Microsoft's end.

In a statement to Joystiq, a THQ representative said, "We are aware of some users experiencing issues with achievements for Metro 2033's Ranger Pack DLC. We are currently investigating this issue with Microsoft and expect to have a resolution shortly." The representative added that the company should have something more concrete to share in "the coming days."

More content coming next week.

THQ and 4A Games have announced Metro 2033's minimalistic DLC, the "Ranger Pack," will launch on Xbox Live Marketplace and Steam next Tuesday, August 3. The update will allow players to traverse the game in Ranger Mode, which "dramatically" reduces the amount of ammo you'll stumble upon but increases the damage dealt by players and enemies alike. It also adds a "Ranger Hardcore" mode, which does the same thing, but completely does away with the player's HUD, meaning you'll be able to see all those things that are killing you with unparalleled clarity.

The pack, which also adds new weapons and Achievements to the game, will arrive as a free update for Steam users -- though Xbox 360 players will have to purchase it from the Marketplace for 240 Microsoft Points ($3).

#metro2033 Where does THQ go from the post-apocalyptic future of Russian shooter Metro 2033? More specifically, when? Exactly one year later and into the third dimension, resulting in Metro 2034. More »

If you've scoured every corner and looted every corpse littering Metro 2033's post-apocalyptic train terrain, you've already demonstrated a remarkable will to survive. Developer 4A Games has chosen to expand on that lonely experience with the game's upcoming DLC, the "Ranger Pack."

As 4A previously stated, there won't be any added narrative nor awkwardly tacked-on multiplayer. Instead, you'll gain access to "Ranger Mode," a game modifier that reduces ammo "dramatically" while increasing damage of all attacks, including yours and those of your enemies. In addition, "Ranger Hardcore" will remove the already-sparse HUD entirely, and completing it will likely unlock some of the new Achievements (for a total of 250 Gamerscore).

That's a fairly minimal addition -- a subtraction even -- for DLC, but you'll also have to weigh the benefits of the new Heavy Automatic Shotgun, which is being introduced alongside the Volt Drive, "Miller's signature gun." (Not even pens survived the nukes?)

4A and THQ aren't ready to sign off on a release date yet, but it's due on Steam and Xbox Live Marketplace "in the very near future." Pricing is currently the more delicate issue, even if the "Ranger Pack" is clearly aimed at the game's biggest proponents. And it's especially delicate if you're in the crowd that's really into multicolored kung-fu teenagers with attitude.

Metro 2033 developer 4A Games is set to unveil plans for the future -- as in next week, not post apocalypse. The game's official Twitter account stated yesterday: "Like a fine single malt, the DLC is almost done ... we hope to be able to take the wraps off it this week."

We don't know what items will be added to the atmospheric foreign-person shooter, only what won't be included: nothing multiplayer ("not possible") and "it won't be new SP [single-player] narrative content, 'missing levels' or anything like that." In fact, the DLC only began production back in March. We'll be sure to let you know more as soon as we hear it, seemingly later this week.

[Via IncGamers]

Metro 2033 was released at the tail end of publisher THQ's last fiscal year, which ended March 31. With only two weeks of sales before the close of the fiscal fourth quarter, the 4A Games-developed title did not make a significant contribution to THQ's trumpeted turnaround. Still, THQ CEO Brain Farrell took a few moments during the company's earnings call today to highlight the game's sales to date. "It's a very profitable title for us," Farrell said, without disclosing a number.

Farrell did reveal that Europe has accounted for roughly two-thirds of Metro 2033 sales, as forecast by the publisher, with North America buying up the remaining units sold. "A lot of the sales were done on PC," he added, "and a lot of the sales were also done through digital mechanisms that don't get captured by any service."

The CEO attributed profits to the game's low-cost development model, "so when we get to even pretty modest levels of sales, we're still making good money." (First-time, Eastern European studios make cheap games, apparently.) "And we like that model going forward," Farrell noted, when it produces a high-quality game.

After all, first-time, Eastern European studios can make good, cheap games, too. (Apparently.)