"Metro Awakening" tried out: VR psycho trip through dark tunnels
The "Metro" universe is getting an exclusive VR game. Our first descent into the shooter's tunnels turned out to be even darker than expected.
(Image: Vertigo Games / Plaion)
Christmas sales will be exciting for fans of dark VR action. In addition to "Alien: Rogue Incursion", "Behemoth" and "Batman: Arkham Shadow", a new "Metro" game for VR goggles is also in the works. In the largely linear first-person shooter "Metro Awakening" by Vertigo Games, author Dmitry Glukhovsky tells the "origin story" of doctor Serdar. In his search for his wife, he fights not only against nuclear radiation and end-time creatures, but also against his hallucination-ridden mind.
In 2028, the Moscow subway tunnels become a refuge from the contaminated surface. Underground, Serdar not only comes across the remains of macabre ritual murders, but also has to contend with wild hallucinations. His mental derangement was also reflected in the dim lighting during our first trial game with the Playstation VR 2. Again and again we had to unpack the mobile power generator to generate electricity for the headlamp using the motion control on the crank. Even then, it remained so dark that we could barely make out anything in our screenshots.
"Metro Awakening" ausprobiert (7 Bilder)
heise online / jpw
)Under VR glasses with HDR support, however, the pitch-black darkness really comes into its own. The OLED displays of the PSVR2 with their excellent black levels quickly created a pleasantly creepy atmosphere – including pointed moments of fright. In keeping with this, the course of events also seemed calmer and less action-heavy than in the previous parts of the series. We often wandered through the underground for a while and solved small puzzles before a human guard, a hissing spider or an aggressive "lurker" mutant surprised us from the darkness.
Reloading at the last second
The most effective way to eliminate unsuspecting enemies was to do so silently, for example with a crossbow or by hitting them from behind. It helped to sneak up on them via side paths, such as under a wagon, or to throw a can as a distraction. In the subsequent firefights, we then pulled out the shotgun, a pistol or the assault rifle. Limited ammunition and healing with energy syringes made for a pleasant but not too great challenge. Nevertheless, we had to tackle some situations several times, as the demo hung up a few times.
We particularly liked the handy handling and the manual reloading of the patched-up weapons. Similar to "The Walking Dead: Saints & Sinners 2", threading cartridges into the barrel with shaky fingers at the last second is also a thrill here. The mechanical cocking of the crossbow also requires a careful, wide swinging motion. In addition, the action is interspersed with small puzzles that make Serdar question his sanity. A series of pipes on the ceiling led us in circles, no matter which branch we chose. Only when we let ourselves be guided by a mysterious chant from the brittle pipes did he finally lead us to the exit.
In between, we had to keep replacing our gas masks with filters we had found so as not to be eaten away by the radioactivity. Glowing mushrooms indicate strong radiation, while the wristwatch shows when the gas mask filter needs to be changed. While sneaking through contaminated tunnels, it unfortunately became clear that the game is also a work in progress for the old Quest 2. Some rough boards, piles of earth and roughly textured "lurker" mutants were no longer graphically up to date on the PSVR 2. The character animations also looked a little wooden.
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Elsewhere, however, we also encountered atmospheric, shiny staircases to subway platforms or rooms furnished with great attention to detail. At such moments, the scenery is more reminiscent of VR graphics gems such as "Resident Evil 4" or "Resident Evil Village". Similar to Capcom's VR modes, however, you can only pick up and examine a few objects. This makes the world feel a little lifeless at times. We have not yet encountered complex talent trees or crafting mechanics like in "Into the Radius". However, we didn't miss them, as the classic shooter action offers a nice contrast to the sometimes over-complex competition.
VR shooter with scary moments
Despite the fluctuating graphics quality, our first trip through end-time subway tunnels left us wanting more. In the first 30 minutes, the calm mixture of stealth, action and supernatural puzzles strikes the right note and even seems much more atmospheric than its predecessors without VR support. If the Plaion subsidiary studio Vertigo Games ("Arizona Sunshine 2") manages to maintain the tension over several hours, VR users are in for a dark shooter highlight.
"Metro Awakening" will be released on November 7, 2024 for SteamVR, Meta Quest 2 and 3 and Playstation VR 2. The price for the standard edition is 40 euros. USK from 18.
(jpw)
