Raycevick - Metro 2033 & Last Light... Years Later - Videos for the 97.4%

https://youtu.be/o3BmubIQklU I honestly didn't mind the sections where you're following other characters since I think what they were going for was that Artyom is young, inexperienced and just kinda stumbling through the whole metro and only lives because other, more experienced people are around to help him.

The part with Khan was really unfair. He edited one section in such a way that made it seem way longer than it actually is. The parts where you're following Bourbon and Khan exist to introduce you to the world and also outline the narrative. I also completely disagree with him about the stealth. He kept harping on about "If I miss one throwing knife the whole world is on alert." but that's because when you throw a knife past an enemy they notice and shout for help, like an actual person would. The 'fixed' stealth from Last Light and the Reduxes is insultingly easy, not an improvement at all IMO.

Majority of the choices are "don't be a dick" though.

If a throwing knife flew past my head but I didn't know where it came from, sure I might call for help, but it wouldn't bring half a dozen people to magically know where the perpetrator was at all times after that.

You get points for listening to conversations and doing non-violent things (like playing music or smoking a hookah), you neither gain nor lose points for killing, and you lose points only for stealing bullets or executing people who are surrendering. It's a matter of gaining enough points to unlock the alternate ending, it's not a good vs bad thing at all. I already made two posts explaining how it's not a morality system and I'm not bothered to write another.

Could you share those posts here? Or share a link to them at least.

I had virtually the exact same experience with Metro 2033, and I'm fucking Russian, I should've been adoring it.

Yeah, I was going to but my dog distracted me. Metro Series Unpopular Opinions v. I'm not racist, but...

The key to getting the good endings in both games is to take your time and explore instead of just rushing through environments - ESPECIALLY if NPCs tell you not to rush through a section.

Yup, definitely don't agree with his assessment on those sections.

https://youtu.be/VCmpG0IJfLQ This part from the movie, Stalker (which you can freely watch on YouTube now) comes to mind and it's kind of a pity Raycevick praised the world so much but didn't catch onto the game recognizing that you're immersing yourself in it through the alternate endings. First time playing through Metro Redux, I got the bad ending because I was just going through it like one would a Call of Duty game but my second time through, I got a far more complete experience and felt really invested in the world by the end, which goes to show how much effort 4A put into the worldbuilding of Metro.

I kind of agree, but only because on repeat playthroughs it can be tiresome following Pavel around, yet all those sections are great thematically. Khan's in particular is still really unnerving, particularly with that simple yet so effective music track. Kinda reminds me of 28 Days Later in a way

I did all the sidequests I could for the crew, never killed surrendering people, generally tried to do the right thing with the exception of killing the people in the train race in the beginning of the game and I got the bad end. Pretty bullshit to be honest.

You fucked up somewhere then. If you went non-lethal the entire game you shouldn't have gotten the bad end. The bad end only happens if you don't manage to keep 2/3 members that can leave. Don't kill anyone in Volga Don't kill the slaves in Caspian/free them in the larger outposts Don't kill ANYONE except bandits in the forest

The system in Exodus while in general, seems better, the main problem with it is that it restricts too much of what the player can do and forces him into a certain playstyle and in some sense, punishes the player. I honestly think the previous system was pretty much superior in every way, although the current one does kinda make sense but poorly implemented.

i'm pretty sure you can't get by on just going nonlethal and helping the crew, there's a ton of areas and events that give morality points. in Volga for example there's a bunch of cultists throughout the area who give points for interacting kindly with them. you have to actually go out your way to make the area a better place, or else you lose crew who either stay to help or get killed as you're leaving. honestly it's perfectly fine as long as you explore everything you can, which is how the series has always done stuff.

How can the bad ending of Last Light be the canon one when Artyom dies at the end? Exodus existing at all must require the Dark Ones to have saved the day.

Yeah, you're actually right, my bad

Honestly I don't like how one dimensional the bad ending is. I'd rather have the "bad ending" be Artyom turning the group into some oppressive tyrants or something along those lines. A dungeon keeper "It's good to be bad" vibe. Though that might just be me. This in video games is generally kind of annoying. Usually the "Good" moral choice is just objectory better. Well I like playing as a mustache twirling bastard sometimes. It's a shame very few games accommodate that (props to New Vegas for that tho)

I feel like the first game should have ended with you firing the rockets either way, the difference being whether or not Artyom acknowledges the moral ambiguity of his actions, maybe a few extra lines or cutscenes to show this. I guess not everybody would be happy with character development differences for an ending, tho.