Does it get better?

[Butt Spenza]

I'm like an hour in and the clunky controls, the bad gunplay and the bullet sponge enemies are kinda ruining it for me so far.

So, does it get better later?

[Memo S]

yes it does, so my experience and first impressions with this game is completely different than yours, i remember back in the days when this game first came out (the original version) my cousin bought it after finishing his courses at the university, he came back tired and i was just waking up so he went to sleep and warned me not to play the game after it finished installing so i couldn't resist, i wasn't like a hardcore gamer back then (only CS 1.3 and sometimes Fifa after school) by the time he woke up i was at chapter 5 and begged him to not get angry and let me finish the game. since then i played the original couple of times and redux 5x and now i'm playing for the sixth to get the feel back before embarking on my first playthrough of exodus.

this game single handedly ignited my love back for single player gaming. and for me its sequel Metro Last Light is the greatest game that i have ever played to this day. the story of a post-apocalyptic radioactive nuclear wasteland of Moscow, the immersion, the atmosphere, that feeling of dread when you walk alone in the dark tunnels of the metro and that feeling of relive when you reached populating stations and eavesdropping to the locals stories, the felling of anticipation when you about to go to the surface ect ect.... it's unlike any other. also the stealth in this game is satisfying as hell

Edit... one important note the best way to play this game for me is Survival and then Ranger hardcore and setting the aim difficulty to hardcore also, i think this way enemies becomes less of a bullet sponges. don't watch any videos figure it out yourself what playstyle suits you best (i take the stealth approach to everything)

[♠.brT]

The controls remain the same throughout the game. I don't know what problem you have with the controls though, care to elaborate?

The gunplay also doesn't change, it's what it is, again i'm not sure your issues with the gunplay.

Bullet sponges are probably a reflection of the difficulty setting you picked. Normal reduces damage dealt across the board, this goes both ways, so player damage as well as npc damage get reduced.

So to avoid bullet sponges, go with the harder difficulty setting.

[Butt Spenza]

I kinda dislike the entire character controls.
Suddenly you almost stop moving because there are like two small stones or 5 cm of water on the ground.
Or you are moving with your average 5 km/h when suddenly superfast mutants spawn everyhwere around you and it's pretty much Doom Eternal but with an 85 year old protagonist and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ gunplay.
It feels like it's trying to be realistic but it's just annoying instead.

I'll give it another go this weekend though.

[Good Old Jim]

Clunky controls? Just wait until your fighting with a small child on your back

[Foxxy Renamon]

Originally posted by Butt Spenza:

I kinda dislike the entire character controls.
Suddenly you almost stop moving because there are like two small stones or 5 cm of water on the ground.
Or you are moving with your average 5 km/h when suddenly superfast mutants spawn everyhwere around you and it's pretty much Doom Eternal but with an 85 year old protagonist and ♥♥♥♥♥♥ gunplay.
It feels like it's trying to be realistic but it's just annoying instead.

I'll give it another go this weekend though.

Also remember that this is a remaster of an older title. It's not gonna be as fluid as say, Titanfall 2. It's meant to be a slow paced game, so the clunky movement is honestly a better part of the game, especially later where you need to be careful where you step.

[Lexark]

if you don't like what's going on now, i cant say itll get any better for you. i wouldnt say the enemies are bullet sponges tho, nor is the gunplay "bad." the controls can be clunky at times, but not consistently, and usually theyre pretty solid (except for when you have a child on your backo r something).

regarding enemies being bullet sponges, a well-placed bullet to the head will take most out easily. my revolver can 1-shot most mutants, besides demons and librarians, but my fully pumped pneumatic rifle can 1-2 shot demons, which is quite an accomplishment. some humans can absorb lots of bullets, but aim for the head, they'll go down in a shot or two depending on whether or not they have a helmet.

the gunplay isnt bad either. with decent sensitivity, you can hit most your shots if you know how to aim. if you dont know how to aim, then thats not bad gunplay, thats just a lack of skill unfortunately. im by no means a god at FPS games, but i am a veteran at them, so i know how to hit my shots, so i can take most enemies out easily. guns handle well enough, ammo is common but not too common, and damage is pretty solid and balanced (usually).

the controls arent clunky either. like someone above me said, this is a remaster of an older title, so thats likely where the source of your issues with the controls lie. its not so much that theyre clunky though, id argue theyre just slow, which isnt a criticism: its just an observation. and thats fine, because thats the way the game is meant to play, but you can still sprint really fast when you need to.

either way, if youre having trouble, my recommendation is to lower the difficulty. this game is absolutely amazing in terms of both story and atmosphere, and i think those two things alone justify playing it through the end, even if you dont like the gameplay. ive never played another game that can match the atmosphere of metro 2033: besides, of course, last light and exodus. the story, too, is both familiar, unique, and refreshing. its worth playing through till the end.

[emily_008]

I kinda know what you mean - the first time I played it a couple of years back (the original, that is, not the redux version), I gave up after... one to two hours, because it seemed like I was just walking from shooting-gallery-room to shooting-gallery-room, and the shooting wasn't even enjoyable! :-(
Yet I always suspected that is maybe was just the beginning that is that awkward, so today I gave it another try - and it actually gets better! It takes 2 to 4 hours, though. But then the more stealthy passages begin, and the locations get a little bit more mixed up, and you feel smart for getting past traps.
The gun controls still feel VERY clunky, but you get weapons that tend to do at least SOME damage. It seems to be more of a stylistic choice to start the player off with SUCH ineffective guns.

So I would suggest playing for about 4 hours. It should have clicked by then.

[Butt Spenza]

Thanks for your advice guys, I'll give it another try!

[Scarlet]

It does get better, for me this game is very good, in order to play this game you must set difficulty to hard and play it on survival mode that way you'll have a great time.

[Eagle1]

IF you meet a mutant gorilla in the library which is called a "librarian" try to avoid it instead of fighting it. That thing is the biggest bullet sponge. Not everything needs to be killed in this game, it can be avoided to some extent.

[Foxxy Renamon]

Originally posted by Eagle1:

IF you meet a mutant gorilla in the library which is called a "librarian" try to avoid it instead of fighting it. That thing is the biggest bullet sponge. Not everything needs to be killed in this game, it can be avoided to some extent.

Quick word of advice for the librarians. UNLIKE a Gorilla, you do NOT want to break eye contact with them. Stare directly into his eyes and back away slowly if it approaches you.

If this doesn't work, the only weapon that will effectively take one down at that point in the game is the Helsing. So if you find one, KEEP IT.

[cold]

Originally posted by Eagle1:

IF you meet a mutant gorilla in the library which is called a "librarian" try to avoid it instead of fighting it. That thing is the biggest bullet sponge. Not everything needs to be killed in this game, it can be avoided to some extent.

Disagree, I fought all the librarians. Incendiary grenade and then a good helping of Helsing bolts made quick work.

[McLovin 老外學中文耐心]

First time through I remember being much more afraid of librarians (and other mutants) and tended to spam bullets in panic, not really aiming. Well placed headshots not only down your enemies faster, but conserve ammunition (a bigger part of the game when on Ranger Hardcore). Another big part of the game is stealth. Played stealthily, you may not even have much gunplay until it's down to the last few guys. Knock-out and knife all the perimeter guards, then light up the last few guys. Save grenades for packs of mutants, where stealth isn't an option.

Also, try reloading a chapter with a market, and try replaying some combat with different guns. If you don't like the combination, reload the market save and get a different one. For sure I have a favourite weapon setup, and it changes up the gunplay (and way I approach combat). First couple chapters you may only have Bastards, Revolvers, and Duplets. But many chapters have "secret" hidden stashes where you can get the "late game" weapons available in stores, but MUCH earlier in the game. Don't like the spray of the Bastard? Try an AK or Tikhar. Revolver not fun? Try maxing out the attachments. Keep in mind, you don't need to spend money on 3 weapons. You should often be selling your guns and just focus on improving one weapon. You will pick up more guns through each level. Rinse, and repeat.

I've played all Metro games, multiple times each, and each time I like to take a new approach. Sometimes I challenge myself with 100% stealth. Or Revolver only. Or I put on Spartan mode and gun down everything! But my favourite, and in my opinion the "authentic" Metro experience, is Ranger Hardcore with good ending. Makes it more challenging, but all the more satisfying.

SPOILERS: Like someone said above, not everything needs to be killed. That's kinda the point of the story...if you choose that path. You can sneak past all the soldiers on Frontline, spare the baby mutants in their nest, and take cover from demons. When stealthing against humans, wait until they finish their conversations. Not only may you learn important information, but after they finish talking they usually part ways, letting you pick them off one by one. Artyom essentially becomes a "special ops" soldier through the series, kinda well known for sneaking and infiltrating.

[Khaotik_Neutral]

i myself was royally disappointed with the game with the checkpoint saving death loop and pretty linear exploration but the story is great. finished it in like 16 hours with about 100 deaths due to all types of stupidity lol

[Yo, Rour]

Try spartan mode.