Metro Last Light Nightfall Bug
Alyssa Dipiero
it starts out as very tense moment. It all starts in a dark tunnel in the metro full of scaffolding. I walk up to the boat dock, intending to attain passage over the water. A single Nosalis peeks out at you from some scaffolding, and hides into a hole in the wall, foreshadowing what is to come. To call the boatman, you must pull a rope, ringing a series of bells until the rope shakes the last bell, signaling the boatman. You can see where this is going.
Of course, this might have had something to do with me playing on hardcore difficulty. Maybe it was perfectly doable and still perfectly tense on normal. But then again, I was not having much trouble with things up to that point. I eventually got past this boat dock, after discovering the quadruple-chambered shotgun and loading from the autosav__e yet another few times.
As the name intends, all of humanity was forced to live in underground metro stations after the nuclear war in 2013. Mutants and radiation dominate the surface. Life in the metro is as one would expect; cramped, cold, tiring, sad, but a sense of comfort is born in the confines of metro stations, in which everyone knows one another.
The game is challenging, unlike most modern shooters. You die somewhat easily, and the bullet count is quite realistic. There are also very heavily armored opponents that take a long time, or great precision to kill. Realistic gunplay and menacing mutant foes add to the difficulty. But thankfully, stealth is encouraged. You can go through all but two or three action sequences without alerting anyone, and the game provides alternate paths for sneaking. Also included are non-lethal takedown and stealth kill options, which are quick-time events activated when approaching an enemy.
Seeing as how stealth is emphasized, I wish melee weapons were a part of the game. Regardless, stealth gameplay works very well as it is. In addition to all of the above, you can disable nearly every synthetic light source for sneaking. Combat AI is good too, using cover, flanks, though like most games, they do this all while trying to approach you. Only scripted enemies actually try to fight you from a distance.
The game is quite balanced; any stealth sequence can be taken on as a one man army, but doing so would be quite foolish. It also has its action sequences in which stealth is not an option. There are the usual categories of weapons: pistols, assault rifles, sniper rifles, shotguns, thrown (knives and explosives), and one gatling gun. In addition, the unique and innovative pneumatic weapons from Metro 2033 return.
Metro 2033 is known for having some remarkable locations with real cinematic presentation, such as Polis, the Library, and much more. Although Last Light has less of a cinematic presence overall, the game takes you to the most interesting, and most creepy, locations yet.
I think that pretty much sums up the gameplay section. There are no major gameplay flaws at all. My only real complaints are that the vision of human enemies is too poor, and that I would have loved the addition of melee weapons and perhaps changeable outfits.
Sandy, the hurricane-turned-superstorm, has left dozens dead, millions without power and thousands in need of rescue from rising waters as it slowly moves north and west from the Mid-Atlantic to pass over the Great Lakes and into Canada.
-- Deaths: The toll continues to climb. The day began with reports of at least 16 deaths. By nightfall, the Associated Press was reporting that at least 48 people had died in the U.S. alone.
-- Some Signs Of Recovery: In Washington, D.C. there were some signs that life was getting back to normal. The city's subway system is up and running and the U.S. Office of Personnel Management announced federal agencies will reopen on Wednesday.
-- Transportation: "Airlines canceled around 12,500 flights because of the storm, a number that was expected to grow," the AP says. New York's LaGuardia Airport may not reopen for several days. Amtrak service in the Northeast has been canceled for at least another day. Public transportation remains out of service in New York City.
-- Schools And Stocks: Schools remain closed across much of the region from Virginia north. The financial markets in New York, however, announced they will be open for trading on Wednesday, The Wall Street Journal reports.
-- The Blizzard: Sandy also brought a massive amount of snow to higher elevations in West Virginia and surrounding states. About two feet of snow fell in some places and about 200,000 customers are now without power in West Virgina, where the temperatures are well below freezing.
-- And The Forecast? The National Weather Service says Sandy has weakened significantly with maximum sustained winds at 45 mph. The storm will continue moving toward the northwest across Pennsylvania tonight and into Canada on Wednesday.
-- Deaths: The toll has grown, as feared. The day began with reports of at least 16 deaths. The New York Times, which has kept a fairly comprehensive tab, now puts the death toll at 38.
-- Rescues: Authorities are trying to get hundreds of people out of Atlantic City, N.J., where waters are high, and some towns in northern New Jersey where a berm was overwhelmed by rising waters. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie says the damage along parts of his state's coast is "beyond anything I thought I'd ever see."
-- Transportation: "Airlines canceled around 12,500 flights because of the storm, a number that was expected to grow," the AP says. New York's LaGuardia Airport may not reopen for several days. Amtrak service in the Northeast has been canceled for at least another day. Public transportation remains out of service in New York City. Philadelphia hopes to have some of its services restored later today. Subway and bus service around Washington, D.C., are expected to be restored in part later today and in full on Wednesday.
"SANDY HAS SLOWED IN FORWARD MOTION AND IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE ITS WESTWARD TRACK ACROSS SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON...AND SHOULD TAKE A TURN TOWARD WESTERN NEW YORK TONIGHT. THE CYCLONE WILL MOVE INTO CANADA ON WEDNESDAY. MAXIMUM SUSTAINED WINDS ARE NEAR 45 MPH."
Washington, D.C. is slowly getting back to normal. The city's subway system has started running again and U.S. Office of Personnel Management announced that the federal agencies will reopen on Wednesday.
President Obama made an impromptu visit to the headquarters of the American Red Cross in Washington. According to a pool report, Obama spoke at a podium in a conference room, where he was flanked by Red Cross employees.
"POTUS urged government response officials to cut through bureaucracy and red tape to get assistance to states and localities as quickly as possible. He also slipped in a campaign slogan by telling officials to 'lean forward' to help those in need. He ignored a shouted question at the end about when he'll resume campaigning. He could be heard joking with employees afterwards to 'get back to work.'"
"It is still moving north," he said. "There are still communities that could be affected. So I want to emphasize there are still risks of flooding, there are still risks of downed power lines, risks of high winds."
-- Deaths: The toll has grown, as feared. The day began with reports of at least 16 deaths. But that total was based on earlier reports, which included word of five deaths in New York. Later this morning, though, New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg said there had been 10 deaths in his city alone.
-- Schools And Stocks: Schools remain closed across much of the region from Virginia north. The financial markets in New York will be closed for a second straight day. According to The Wall Street Journal, the New York Stock Exchange is aiming to have its trading floor open on Wednesday.
64591212e2