Parents' Guide to

Metro 2033

By Marc Saltzman, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 18+

Gritty, mature sci-fi shooter with blood, not gore.

Game Windows, Xbox 360 2010
Metro 2033 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this game.

  • Metro 2033 Game: Screenshot #1
  • Metro 2033 Game: Screenshot #2
  • Metro 2033 Game: Screenshot #3

Community Reviews

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age 15+

Based on 4 parent reviews

Bryce P.
Bryce P. Parent of 11 and 11-year-old
November 15, 2017
age 13+

Good for tweens and teens

I think you should get this game some characters are major role models. there is some minor swearing but it doesn't happen very often. There is also a setting to turn the swearing off so you can't hear them swearing. The violence isn't at all that bad its just minor blood its not like they explode or get cut in half it just has a little bit of blood, there are a couple jump scares here and there but other than that its okay.

This title has:

Great messages
Great role models
Easy to play/use
eliram874
eliram874 Adult
September 5, 2017
age 18+
Maah review is innacurate. There is not too much sex, but there is many sexual comments if you choose to go to a woman who pretends to sells herself. However there is a problem that if you pay her your charracter will cover his eyes as she pulls something that she wers down ( it is barely visible since the screen blurs but it fades out completely to pitch black, just to find that your charracter was tricked and a man punches you in the face for being a pervert and they steal your currency). I know this because when a friend played it he showed me every aspect of the game before I decide to buy it. I was about to turn off but it passes to quickly everything within 3 seconds of fade out. The game is violent few gory scene especially one me ever on the hospital but it is minimal. The violence it is high. The stabbing is fake except when one throws the knife to an enemy. But you do make he holes in the bodies with slight red blood the blood easily fades out. In this game you must kill enemies that are of both human and monsters. There is 4 blasphemies. Music is good, well thought storyline. This game is for adults not children nor teenagers. There is suggestive themes when you encounter with a lady as described earlier, that you see in the bar and meet her eventually to an alley. (Who pretends to sell her body) (you can skip that part by choosing not to pay her nor even get to close to her) There is elements that are of spiritual concern. (Such as you find out that the dark ones are supposebly good in the game if you have the good ending. Which are like alien creatures) As far as positively there is absolutely nothing positive with the exception of giving bullets to the poor ( which the bullets are currency in game and that you save a child to hand him to his mother) One positive note is that the game despite all what you fight it has an anti war message if you choose to do good deeds in the game. Profanity is to many fjords there is no way to filter it out same the blood there is no way to remove it, there is no filter.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much swearing
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking
See all 4 parent reviews

What’s It About?

The only thing worse than a nuclear war that decimates most of the Earth's human population is mutant creatures attacking whoever is left standing. This is the premise behind THQ's METRO 2033, an atmospheric first-person shooter with elements borrowed from the \"survival horror\" genre. Based on a novel by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, the story-heavy game is set in a post-apocalyptic Moscow, 20 years after a deadly world war in the year 2013. Much of the action takes place in dark subway tunnels, which have served as a home for thousands of survivors. As Artyom, who was raised underground, you'll also venture to the toxic surface by donning a gasmask and welding weapons to ward off mutant assaults. As we learn fairly early on in the game, the biggest threat to the Metro survivors are called \"Dark Ones,\" a new breed of mutants with psychic powers, capable of killing humans even from a distance.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (4):
Kids say (14):

Yes. As with most first-person shooters, you'll cautiously move about 3D environments, shoot enemies who jump out at you (mutants and humans), pick up heath packs and ammunition, and talk with various characters who give you story elements or mission instructions. But Metro 2033 also delivers a dark and dangerous world, so don't play this game if you're not a fan of surprises lurking in the shadows.

The game isn't a flawless adventure, however. While the visuals look good for the most part, there are a number of odd graphical glitches, including "popping" textures on the wall that move when you walk past and some choppy character animation. Thankfully, these issues don't mar the experience much. Another problem is the difficulty of switching between weapons in the Xbox 360 version, as you must cycle through them in a linear fashion at the top of the screen. Shortcomings notwithstanding, Metro 2033 is a gritty shooter with a strong narrative and atmosphere. Fans of sci-fi fiction or first-person action might just consider this title the sleeper hit of the season.

Platform Note: The Xbox 360 and PC versions of the game are the same.

Online interaction: There is no online play but there is DLC (downloadable content) planned for this game.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Metro 2033 fuses first-person action with "survival horror" elements and if the combination of game genres works. Is it good for game developers to experiment with these hybrids or will games be more enjoyable when you know what to expect from that type of game.

  • How faithful is the game to the best-selling book of the same name? Does it enhance the game when it's based on fiction from another medium?

Game Details

  • Platforms: Windows, Xbox 360
  • Available online?: Available online
  • Publisher: THQ
  • Release date: March 13, 2010
  • Genre: First-Person Shooter
  • ESRB rating: M for Blood, Sexual Themes, Strong Language, Use of Drugs, Violence
  • Last updated: June 29, 2020

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