And we thought London Underground was bad. Here’s hoping no other ‘passengers’ make direct eye contact with us.
When there’s nowhere left to run, sometimes all you can do is go back to the beginning. Metro Awakening presents a prequel to the subterranean scares of Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky’s post-apocalyptic novel series – with a gripping twist. Like in 4A Games’ previous adaptations, you’re stealthing and scavenging through derelict tunnels criss-crossing beneath Moscow, though this time you’re scrabbling for survival in a fresh VR vision from Vertigo Games.
Metro’s retrofitted tech comes into its own in VR. Donning your respirator, dispensing spent shell casings, and cocking the Shambler shotgun all takes on a pleasing tactility thanks to the Sense controllers. It really sells the stakes of life in mutant-ridden Moscow, to say nothing of the pants-ruining effect monster attacks now ‘enjoy’ in VR. Picking your way forward through abandoned train carriages in the dark, it’s difficult to predict what you’ll find – or what will find you.