Metro Exodus Review

By: Logan Manfredi on PC

Overview
       From the outside looking in Metro Exodus may seem like just another triple-A game, hidden within it though maybe some of the best character design I've seen this generation. The game world isn't exactly what I would call open, but it allows for an ample amount of exploration. The lack of size of the world makes every stop between main quests completely worth it. Each location on the map offers insight into the lore of Metro, and there's a massive number of NPCs each with unique motivations and shockingly detailed design. The main cast of characters are voiced excellently, and I found myself almost caring for them like my own family. All these hyper-detailed characters make it possible for some intense moments that I did not see coming. Going in, I assumed shooting things would be the focus of the big-budget shooter, and man was I wrong. The beauty of Metros design is that it creates incredibly human moments, moments that often invoked the post-apocalyptic debate of survival VS retaining one's humanity. Artoyms' (the players' character) decisions have lasting effects on the newly developing post-war world. I often found myself reloading checkpoints so that I could handle a conflict nonviolently. Such efforts were rewarded in new cutscenes or chunks of dialogue that would offer insight into how your actions affected different groups in the world. The gunplay is on par with most modern shooters, but with a haunting level of realism that made me question using lethal levels of force. 

Minimal HUD

        Health bars and other HUD elements are non-existent and instead replaced with a compass and hyper-realistic bullet damage. If an enemy spots you in the open, you will rarely survive. Most guns are a one shit kill, and all are with the proper aim. Another notable mechanic is the enemy A.I. In Metro, enemies don't just try and shoot you from cover or rush at you as soon as they spawn. Instead, the enemies react to how you form your attack. Some even have unique voice lines that tell were they or looking or what they think is happening. Their intelligence goes as far as to show self-preservation in enemies. From giant cat monsters to the many different bandit tribes, specific shared characteristics are present. Killing multiple enemies causes a direct reaction that can range from surrendering to charging in to attack in a rage, or even just panicking and running out of fear. These many nuanced details mesh together perfectly to deliver an experience that feels like a step forward in terms of storytelling in games.

The details
        The level of immersion present makes it easy to forget you're playing a video game. Almost every location and character are fully fleshed out. All NPC's have a purpose, something they are working towards. Each is entirely free of such video-gamey tropes as repeating voice lines or standing aimlessly doing nothing waiting for the player to progress. The environments themselves have as much to do with the worldbuilding as the NPCs living in it. Each zone is drastically different from the prior and offers new and unique looks as to how that region has adjusted to life after the war.

The Caspian Sea

 From the frozen wastelands of Moscow to the scorching deserts of the Caspian Sea. Each location has its own unique population, climate and day/night cycles that all interact simultaneously to immerse the player further in the game. From the second level, the player has the option to continue at night or during the day. Each option offers a different experience in the same local, and individual objectives are easier or harder to tackle depending on the time of day. The differences of day versus night can vary wildly. During the day, other humans in the world are awake and going about their daily tasks; this leads to more interactions with NPC's, violent or not. The night is a different beast in that there are far fewer humans to deal with and sneaking into locations is much easier, but the mutated beasts of the wasteland are everywhere. This freedom in decision making doesn't have significant effects on the story of the game but offers variances in gameplay that feels refreshing. These decisions helped make me feel more connected to the main character as a player.

Caspian Sea Night 

My favorite thing

        The thing that made me fall in love with this game was the world itself and the characters in it.  For the first time in my long gaming career, I wanted to complete every side quest. I found my self doing quests not just to "level up" but because I cared for the characters and wanted to spend as much time with the game world as I could. Side quests differ from other games in that they are not just icons on the map, but instead, they're personal requests made by your companions. The rewards for these quests in place of items are cut scenes or optional dialogue with the character you helped. What blew me away was the gargantuan amount of detail that's present in these scenes that only a small percentage of players might see.  Often, I found myself waiting for the dialogue to end and the NPC to stand there and wait, but that moment never came. Every chance I had, I would listen, sometimes for fifteen minutes or more, and there would still be new non-repeating voice lines. Each extra scene I experienced not only added another layer to the story but also made me feel that much more connected to my companions. I was and still, am shocked at the sheer amount of time the dev team and voice actors must have spent in the studio. Smaller details like the way you pass items to other characters or the fact that your radio can be heard by enemies when sneaking around may seem insignificant. Truthfully though there are so many of them that work together perfectly that they give the game a level of polish I've rarely seen. Often, I found myself trying wild things like shooting lanterns to set enemies on fire and being surprised by it working. 

In the end
        Saying Metro shocked me would be putting it mildly; in the end, the game was beyond a pleasant surprise to play. The level of detail and polish present is near impossible to capture in a trailer. Although I was skeptical if I would finish the game before starting it, 5 minutes in and I knew I was hooked. The lack of HUD elements and incredibly real-feeling characters make it one of the most immersive games I've played this year. Vibrant and passionate performances from the voice cast make every scene a joy to watch. The numerous optional dialogues offer as much insight into the game world as any player could ask for and, graphically speaking Metro looks as good as any game this generation. The addition of Metro to Xbox Gamepass is massive and if you have and Xbox or pc capable of playing it, there is no reason to skip this game. I would consider it a hidden gem of this generation and recommend it to anyone. I give Metro Exodus 4.5 out of 5 Snails.

Here's a bonus montage video I made of some of my favorite moments from the game with a song from a side quest. 

Monster Hunter World Iceborne Preview Video

By Logan Manfredi on PS4 Pro

Please enjoy our first ever video!

Messenger Review (Spoiler free)

The Messenger in Review
By Logan Manfredi
***Picnic Panic DLC update video***

         "The last time a time traveler was this badass he became the Governator, and I can only hope this ninja takes a stab at politics when he's done saving the world."

        The Messenger is a beautiful tribute to classic games that have shaped the platformer, Metroidvania, and side-scrolling genres into what they are today, and how it stayed true to that formula without feeling repetitive won my heart. So often today with 2d games I find developers are trying to make their game standout by adding mechanics that can more often than not distract from what at the core makes us love games in the first place, an engaging story with likable characters that make the player keep coming back. That is where The Messenger truly shines, booting the game up for the first time that wasn't what I was expecting, but almost immediately I was met with a story vibrant and humorous enough to reel me in. The shopkeeper delivers a majority of the narrative, and his sense of humor is on par with many of the video game greats. His witty quips and occasional breaking of the 4th wall was the first time, in years, a game audibly made me laugh, and it did it more than once. I found myself more and more eager to find checkpoints just so that I could see what hilarious story or piece of information would be waiting with the Shopkeeper. In-between checkpoints and the witty prose of the shopkeeper is a responsive and rewarding platformer. The controls feel familiar, like something out of a 16-bit childhood, but not repetitive and the level design is that of a modern game.

        When I was in school for game design, the teachers taught us that a good tutorial would inform the player how to play the game, but a great tutorial will show them. The ladder is the case for the Messenger and one of the key reasons I would call it an instant classic. From the first obstacle, the game instills a sense of determination rather than a challenge. Typically when I fall in a pit ten times in a row, I start to question if the level design has trouble conveying difficulty or if I'm just trash at video games. Luckily I was never faced with that question during my playthrough of The Messenger.  Each death was so clearly a learning experience, and the level design lent to that perfectly by edging the player forward with every try. Every time I fell in a pit or landed on a patch of spikes it wasn't to punish me or make the game feel extra challenging, it was slowly teaching me each obstacle merely by doing. Now full disclosure I died about 970 times before completing the game so safe to say there is a ton to figure out, but it never felt like a chore. Unlike most modern games death has consequences to the player beyond a simple game over screen. Consequences made evident by the brilliant addition of Quarble. He is a demon with the ability to control time and a hunger for time shards (the currency used to purchase skills).

     When Quarble saves The Messenger from death, he expects payment accordingly. That's where the cost of death takes its toll. For after each "death" Quarble will follow the player until he has been fed enough time shards and will disappear until the very moment he is needed again. Every obstacle felt rewarding to conquer and made each subsequent obstacle more intriguing by teaching you a new way to look at it. By the end of the third level, I was already noticing multiple ways to complete puzzles by merely using solutions the game had already shown me in the past. Each death felt brutal, but not spirit breaking because I knew of the consequences, and there were multiple times where I found myself on my last leg sweating to make it to a checkpoint and buy the upgrades I'd been saving for.

Here's an example of Quarble in Action from my second playthrough:

(Mild Spoiler warning, like 2 out 10)

        The Messenger is a not so hidden gem that personifies what gaming is all about. A golden tribute to the greats of old and a heavy hitter in today's ever populated indie market. The developers had a passion for this project, and it is evident every step of the way, whether it's poking fun at themselves or the genre as a whole you can tell these people had fun making it and want you to have fun playing it. The Messenger is an absolute blast, and it can not be missed by anyone who enjoys rewarding gameplay and an original comedic story.

5 out of 5 Snails!