Metro Awakening, developed by Vertigo Games, transports players back into the haunting, atmospheric tunnels of Moscow’s underground, for you’re doing so from a first-person VR experience for the first time. It’s full of that familiar Metro atmosphere, making this one both chilling and immersive. Set in the year 2028, you take on the role of Serdar, a doctor navigating the treacherous, radiation-filled Metro to find medication for his ailing wife. Along the way, he faces the grim remnants of humanity and mutated horrors lurking within this underground refuge – a setting that brings the familiar tension and mystery of the Metro series into virtual reality very effectively on the Quest, PSVR2 and PC.
The story premise of Metro Awakening is compelling, especially for fans of Dmitry Glukhovsky’s Metro universe, as it emphasizes a journey of personal survival and spiritual awakening amid societal collapse. Serdar’s journey, set before the events of the previous games, is more than a quest for medicine; it’s a descent into a nightmarish landscape filled with bandits, mutants, and ghostly apparitions. This intense atmosphere is one of the game’s strongest features, enveloping players in darkness and eerie silence that amplifies every faint sound or flickering light, pulling you deeper into a sense of isolation and dread.
Gameplay mechanics in Metro Awakening blend stealth, exploration, and combat in ways that work well within the VR medium, though not without limitations. Stealth sequences are tense as you creep past enemies, utilizing makeshift weapons crafted from materials you find along the way. Ammo is limited, forcing players to adopt a survivalist and careful approach to combat, relying on stealth and strategy over brute force. The decision to make ammunition scarce feels in line with the game’s harsh setting, but for some players, this scarcity can tip from thrilling to frustrating, especially in moments when resources run out mid-battle and your last save point doesn’t give you an option to stock up either.
The controls in VR generally translate well, with smooth hand tracking and intuitive interactions like reloading your weapon or using a flashlight. However, there are occasional moments when actions feel cumbersome, particularly during fast-paced scenes where precision is required while under fire. The immersive feel of handling a gas mask or torch is satisfying, but handling and reloading your guns can be hit and miss when you’re in a hurry. Still, these moments do little to detract from the overall experience, as they are generally minor compared to the intensity of the gameplay.
Visually, Metro Awakening achieves a high level of realism that deepens immersion, with dark, decaying environments, detailed textures, and shadow effects that make each area of the Metro feel alive – or hauntingly empty once you move away from people. The volumetric lighting, flickering lights and eerie shadows elevate the tension, effectively conveying the claustrophobic horror of the tunnels. While performance is solid on (PC-powered) headsets, the game doesn’t look quite as sharp on Meta Quest devices, where graphical fidelity can drop, slightly pulling players out of the experience – mostly in the more well-lit environments. Audio complements the visual atmosphere, with sound effects and ambient noises that add to the feeling of isolation, though some repetitive background sounds do pop up.
One of the most distinctive aspects of Metro Awakening is its focus on supernatural and psychological horror, which sets it apart from the typical VR survival experience. The VR format amplifies these eerie encounters as you navigate areas haunted by ghostly figures and strange sounds, creating a heightened sense of vulnerability. Yet, while this unique approach to horror is generally effective, it may not be as universally appealing to those who prefer action-oriented gameplay over psychological dread. The Metro games were never straight up shooters, and Awakening amplifies that through its highly immersive VR approach.
In conclusion, Metro Awakening captures the essence of the Metro series while bringing an unsettling twist through VR. The haunting narrative, resource-driven gameplay, and immersive mechanics make for a solid VR adventure, even if occasional control issues and visual limitations on lower-end devices affect the experience slightly. Fans of survival horror and atmospheric storytelling will find Metro Awakening a gripping journey, one that demands resilience in the face of both human and supernatural horrors. While it may not redefine VR gaming, it certainly adds a new, chilling chapter to the Metro legacy and it’s one of this seasons top VR titles to check out.
Score: 8.0/10
Press Play Media 