What I’m Playing this August
Metro 2033 Redux
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver (Redux)
Price: £6.00 (PSN)
Platforms: Xbox 360, Xbox One, PC, PS4
This is basically “what I’m playing until The Phantom Pain is released”, as having finished most of my games I’ve decided to give Metro 2033 Redux a go. I’m a big fan of shooters and Metro 2033 Redux is a good one, much like it’s successor, offering stealth and run-and-gun style combat in which you fight mutated creatures such as demons and human enemies like bandits, the ‘Red-Line’ and the ‘Fourth Reich’, all while trying to survive in Moscow’s metro system and above ground.
Seeing the game going cheaply on the PlayStation Store swayed me into playing through my second Metro experience having enjoyed the sequel; Last Light. I didn’t have the chance to play Metro 2033 as it never originally released for the PS3, so now that the game has been re-done for the current generation I don’t have an excuse not to.
Story
“In 2013 the world was devastated by an apocalyptic event, annihilating almost all mankind and turning the earth’s surface into a poisonous wasteland. A handful of survivors took refuge in the depths of the Moscow underground, and human civilization entered a new Dark Age.” – enterthemetro.com
The player, who takes control of young ranger Artyom, is then faced with constant threat from warring factions, bandits, monsters and radiation, all whilst managing things like flash light battery, weaponry and gas-mask filters. Not to mention the Dark Ones, the “next step in evolution”, who appear to the player via hallucinations, turning the game into a first-person shooter with survival horror elements.
Angry Birds 2
Developer: Rovio
Price: Free to download
Devices: iOS, Android
Angry Birds 2 is now available for iOS and Android, and is how I’m currently spending time away from the console.
“Boss Fights! Foreman Pig, Chef Pig and the infamous King Pig have snatched the eggs… again. Are you gonna let ’em get away with that? Let’s make some bacon!” – angrybirds2game.com
The game is similar to original in that you fire your feathered friends at greedy green pigs who have foolishly balanced themselves on wood/stone/ice platforms. There is a new bird; Silver, who can perform a unique attack and a new ‘arena’ where you can play a survival mode against other players on a leaderboard. The game’s levels are now split into screens generating multiple challenges, although levels can get huge, and the player can earn back bird cards to use against the egg stealing pigs.
The biggest let down with Angry Birds 2 is that it is now freemium and pushes for in-game purchases such as more lives and cards, which is a shame considering how the series started.
