The Deus Ex series occupy an eminent position in gaming for its legendary fusion of the shooter and RPG genres while seamlessly amalgamating two awesome literary genres, Gibson-esque cyberpunk and Robert Anton Wilson-level conspiracy theories, into an immanentizing of the eschaton unlike anything ever seen. Human Revolution reprises this storied framework while treating the themes of transhumanism and existentialism with arguably more narrative rigour. The game isn’t interested in cybernetics as merely a fun backdrop, but instead treats human enhancement as the serious ethical issue that it is. The result is a game that gives players the chance to fully explore his or her philosophy and guiding ethics. Choices in Human Revolution don’t just ask, are you good or evil, but what do you believe? Therein lies Human Revolution’s brilliance.

Mass Effect 2 takes the excellent character development and expert writing of the first game and refines them alongside the now-streamlined gameplay elements, while skilfully expanding the scale of the universe and substantiating it. Its cast of characters possess a depth to them that is rare in modern games, the narrative darker and more personal, the ingenious and extensive elaboration of the universe’s lore polished and captivating, the game as refined a hybrid of the shooter and role-playing genre than before. It is indubitably compelling, emotionally enthralling, intelligent and deeply rewarding in a fashion few games in the market offer; a testament to BioWare’s design competency and their true dedication to the development process through care and creativity.

Most games that have originated from Eastern Europe tend to have a knack for the atmospheric and immersive, with the STALKER games being excellent examples. Metro 2033 – developed by a Ukrainian developer – is no different and 4A succeeds in crafting an eerily oppressive atmosphere and world that is both stunningly genuine and bleak, rivalling even Half-Life 2’s Orwellian ambience in impact. What’s of interest here is the game’s origin in a hit Russian novel and as such, it feels distinctively dystopian in a way no American developer can emulate, its world lovingly made to come to fruition as pure quality. Flimsy weapons and scarce ammunition further lend an air of despondency, but sadly it comes at a price with underwhelming shooter mechanics and terrible stealth implementation.

That said, Metro 2033 is a bright promise of the ingenuity these developers have in crafting believable worlds. What STALKER has pioneered in immersion and atmosphere, Metro 2033 does it better.