When THQ went belly-up in December and all of its IPs were chopped up and sold off, the Metro franchise was picked up by Koch Media publishing label Deep Silver (along with Saint's Row), famous for its Dead Island series.

● Great gunplay ● Stealth! ● Interesting characters

● A bit too linear ● Campaign a tad short for retail

We can't think of many sequels that'd make the first game's "bad" ending canon, but Metro: Last Light isn't afraid to go there. In the harsher of Metro 2033 's two conclusions, hero Artyom allowed the psychic mutants known as Dark Ones to be wiped out after he learned, too late, that they weren't...

+ Its fascinating; beautifully realized world is a blast to explore; + Combat's a lot of fun; whether you're sniping hapless guards or unloading on insanely tough mutants

? Why is seemingly half the cast voiced by Steve Blum

It is time to return to the Metro. Find out how 4A Games' follow-up fares in our full review.

+ Great atmosphere; + Visuals are stunning; + Survival horror has returned; + Immersion

Story fizzles early; Awkward addition of nudity

A while back I reviewed Ukrainian developer 4A Games' cult hit Metro 2033. Based on a series of best selling Russian novels, Metro was one of my favourite games of 2010. It was flawed, but it was beautiful. Now the Kiev-based studio is back with a sequel, Metro: Last Light.

Metro 2033 was a gorgeous looking game when it released in 2010, and surprisingly technically refined considering it origins with the small Ukrainian PC developer, A4. Now, 3 years later, A4 has returned with " Metro: Last Light ", to continue the story of the Metro and further demonstrate its...

Metro: Last Light is an awkward game. It's a game that, ironically enough, exists between two states of being. While playing 4A Games' latest moody first-person shooter, I was completely immersed in the post-apocalyptic setting and totally engrossed in the dire narrative thanks in no small part to...

Metro: Last Light provides a slice of post apocalyptic adventure with a ton of character and detail. Games Xtreme braves the spooky tunnels of Last Light to find out why.

Metro: Last Light should have been fantastic. Instead, 4A Games has delivered a broader, less interesting, less cohesive title that borrows from elsewhere when it should have built upon its own unique qualities. There's still plenty to love, but it's a wasted opportunity.

Developer 4A Games and THQ were hard at work preparing Metro: Last Light for release over the past couple of years, when the publisher went bankrupt, but luckily for fans, Deep Silver stepped in to see the project through until the end and make sure the game was released.

Metro: Last Light is the best lap dance simulator of 2013. I have not played all the others in what I'm sure is an extremely crowded sub-genre, but I am confident it is the best.