Similarly, CPU usage is fine-tuned for maximum performance, allocating tasks such as the rendering of physics effects or the playing of sound to any available CPU thread instead of pre-determining the rendering of physics to thread two, and sound to thread three. More impressive still is the fact that there are no streaming texture errors, or instances of textures visibly popping from low to high quality as the player moves through the world. Ordinarily, this level of detail would require gigabytes of system memory and GPU VRAM, but thanks to a highly efficient streaming system Last Light’s world uses less than 4GB of memory, and less than 2GB of VRAM, even at 2560x1440 with every setting enabled and maxed out. What we will be looking at today is 4A’s self-titled 4A Engine, which powers the technology behind Last Light’s astounding graphics, and those that dropped jaws in 2010.ĤA Games’ proprietary 4A Engine is capable of rendering breathtaking vistas, such as those showing the ruined remnants of Moscow, as well as immersive indoor areas that play with light and shadow, creating hauntingly beautiful scenes akin to those from modern-day photos of Pripyat’s abandoned factories and schools. These refinements will undoubtedly be discussed at length in the many reviews hitting the airwaves this week, but I will say that I haven’t been as engrossed and immersed in a first-person shooter and game world for quite some time. That isn’t to say 2033 was lacking, but unlike most blockbusters which come from seasoned developers with several titles under their belts, 2033 was the first release for the Ukrainians at 4A, and was built on a comparatively small budget to boot. Having done what was asked of him in 2033, regardless of the repercussions, Artyom must now explore long-forgotten sections of Moscow’s underground metro railway to confront his greatest fears, and to save what’s left of his post-apocalyptic world.Īs one might expect, every element of 2033 has been improved and iterated upon for Last Light, which is a superior game in every regard. Unsurprisingly, a sequel was commissioned, and tomorrow it finally goes live on Steam following three years of development.Ĭalled Metro: Last Light, this long-awaited sequel offers a direct continuation of Metro 2033’s story, putting the player in the shoes of Ranger Artyom once more. The story, too, was a cut above the rest, having been adapted from a Russian novel that went viral online before becoming a best-selling published work.

By Andrew Burnes on Mon, Featured Stories,ĤA Games’ Metro 2033 was a smash hit in 2010, impressing PC gamers with its incredible graphics and unique gameplay, which bucked the bombastic trend that permeated the ever more explosive shooters of that era.

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