Metro: Last Light

Metro: Last Light from 2013 follows on from Metro 2033 and returns the player to the post-apocalyptic Moscow underground as Artyom, who, after the destruction of the Dark Ones' faction, sets out to find out whether the last member of this mysterious species survived. Studio 4A Games kept the series' characteristic mix of stealth action, horror atmosphere, and survival with limited ammo and gas mask filters, but streamlined the gameplay compared to the first game - enemy AI is better, transitions between tunnels and the surface are smoother, and the balance between quiet stealth and direct firefights is improved. The story also offers moral choices that affect one of two possible endings, and retains the distinctive system in which rare military-grade rounds serve as both the strongest ammunition and the game's currency with traders.

The PC version was the technological flagship of the release - it ran at a higher resolution and with more detailed textures than the console versions and used advanced DirectX 11 effects, including volumetric fog, terrain tessellation, and physically simulated smoke and fire via NVIDIA PhysX technology, which could additionally be enabled on compatible cards. The game was one of the graphics benchmarks of its time, much like Metro 2033 before it, and placed heavy demands on hardware at maximum settings, while running decently even on older systems at lower settings, without needing the latest graphics card.

Compared to the console versions, the PC edition offered players the full range of graphics settings, selectable resolution, and more precise mouse-and-keyboard controls, which was especially useful in ranged combat and fine headshot aiming. Content-wise, none of the versions differed - the story, missions, and all dialogue remained identical on PC, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360; the difference was purely in graphics, controls, and how smoothly it ran on the given hardware. The PC was also the only platform where the game could be further enhanced with unofficial community texture packs.

Why play: For the full range of graphics settings, precise mouse-and-keyboard aiming, and the option to enhance the game with unofficial community texture packs, without the story or missions differing in any way from the console versions.