izigame.me

Incredible game. My favorite in the METRO trilogy, and compares favorably even against the great S.T.A.L.K.E.R. Shadow of Chernobyl. Some things I think this game does exceptionally well:
Characters: The characters in this game are superb. The dialogue and backstory is so well done for each of them that I just stood around for probably several hours listening to everyone talk, until they truly ran out of all of their lines (which is a surprisingly long time). So much care and effort went into this and it shows.
Ambiance and music: Exceptional all around. I cannot believe they licensed music from my favorite Soviet rock band Кино, and the guitar tracks throughout the game are well done too. If you go searching for it, you can find side stories which aren't even emphasized in the main game (such as listening to different people on the radio conversing with one another), which just adds so much to the ambiance. The ambient music is great too and I found myself turning it up in the settings.
Graphics: The best I have ever seen from a video game. Absolutely stunning in the enhanced edition, especially with everything on its maximum and with HDR. I recommend using the steam launch option (-deependark) to make the game truly dark and not just gray in dark sequences (if using HDR).
Compared to other METRO games: I thought the free roam aspect of most of the levels is excellent and reminds me so much of the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. series which I love. The game does it super well and I spent so much time exploring every nook and cranny throughout each of the levels, just as I did in S.T.A.L.K.E.R. The game is not as scary/spooky as the previous two METRO games which I personally didn't mind. It is also easier to play the game stealthily, most likely due to the large, free-roam maps.
If the new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game is anywhere near as good as this game, it will be a home run. Congrats to 4A Games for creating such a masterpiece.
Two Colonels DLC:
Fantastic, truly amazing addition to the game. As a Romanian, it reminds me of when the Russians installed a communist government in Romania after WWII, where everything belonged to the state and even things that are rightly yours. My great grandfather had built a house and several smaller buildings for my parents to live in, which were quickly stolen from him due to the communists. There were portions of the DLC which strongly reminded me of that, and how things were done "for the good of everyone" when it was really only for the good of the ones in the top of the party. Superb story telling and environments; I actually enjoyed the non-action portions of this DLC more than the ones with action.
Sam's Story DLC:
Much longer than I expected! Similar in feel to the main game with more open areas and places to explore. I actually think the exploration here is really good, and it guides you through a few pretty specific paths even though it feels like you are traveling all over. I actually had to make sure I went everywhere by checking the map due to how open it feels (there are places you can miss accidentally). I thought the story was great and the new characters that were introduced are quite genuine and well done. Two new weapons as well which are great. Overall, I would recommend getting it as well.