Metro: Last Light (or "Metro 2033: The Last Hope") is a cross-platform first-person shooter video game developed by the Ukrainian studio 4A Games and published by Deep Silver. The domestic publisher is "Buka". The game was released in mid-May 2013.
Metro: Last Light is a direct continuation of the shooter Metro 2033, which was released in 2010, and the eponymous book authored by Dmitry Glukhovsky. However, Metro: Last Light does not relate to the story described in the science fiction novel "Metro 2034" — the storyline presented in the game is entirely new and original. Moreover, the script for Metro: Last Light served as the basis for the book "Metro 2035", which is quite rare — usually, it happens the other way around. Metro: Last Light turned out to be quite good, and this game, recreated based on the well-known "Metro" universe, has gained popularity not only among domestic reviewers but also among foreign ones, many of whom rated it highly.
The events of Metro: Last Light unfold a year after the events described in the 2010 project. The game's foundation is laid on the ending of Metro 2033, where the protagonist — Artyom — destroyed the lair of the Dark Ones. Artyom, who is the main character in "The Last Hope", doubts whether he was right to kill thousands and thousands of mutants, whose aggressive intentions towards the people living underground were never confirmed. Artyom's moral torment only deepens when he meets the notorious Khan. The experienced stalker immediately states that Artyom made a grave mistake by exterminating the Dark Ones, but the guy has a chance to revert everything back — he just needs to find a Dark One's pup that Khan spotted on the surface and save it. As usual, the hero struggles to implement this plan due to external reasons, instead embarking on an operation to eliminate, perhaps, the last Dark One on planet Earth. However, it should be noted that the game does not revolve solely around Artyom's relationship with the mutants. Another plot hook of Metro: Last Light is the conflict between different metro factions that arose immediately after the discovery of the D6 bunker, which, according to rumors, hides something that could save all the subway dwellers… or destroy them.
In general, Metro: Last Light is not much different from its predecessor, although it has not escaped reworks, fixes, and innovations. The game features new monsters, new "guns" that can be upgraded in "The Last Hope", a slight change in stealth mechanics, improved graphics along with physics — the list can go on. Due to the combined efforts of 4A Games, the game, unlike Metro 2033, managed to approach the status of a top-class project — what is more, it essentially became such a project. Yes, it did not manage to be completely devoid of flaws, but some shortcomings and missteps are more than compensated by many gameplay aspects — for example, the splendid atmosphere of horror and hopelessness, which players have loved since the release of Metro 2033.