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2010's post-apocalypse shooter Metro 2033 is supposed to be getting a full sequel. In the past, Danny Bilson, VP of the original game's publisher THQ, has referred to the sequel as Metro 2034. Now it looks like that title may be changing.

Spotted by the Twitter user known only as "superannuation", THQ has secured the rights to the new URLs "www.lastlight.com", "www.metrolastlight.com" and "www.metro2033lastlight.com". That would seem to suggest that the Metro 2034 title has been ditched. Bilson has said in the past that he felt that Metro 2033 didn't get much of a marketing push but that will change for the sequel. He's already said, " ... it's going to have a first-class marketing campaign that kicks off at E3."

Metro 2033's release in March 2010 was a little bit of an oddity in publisher THQ's lineup. The post-apocalypse first person shooter from developer 4A Games didn't get a lot of pre-release hype but still got solid reviews. Our sister site Joystiq chatted this week with THQ exec Danny Bilson who admitted, "It wasn't properly supported in all areas." He added, " ... when I say it wasn't fully supported, it was product development and marketing that didn't support it the way it should've been."

That won't be the case for the sequel, which currently has the name Metro 2034. Bilson said the sequel will deal with the gameplay issues that the first game had but retain the look and feel of the original. And as far as marketing and promotion, Bilson said, "... it's going to have a first-class marketing campaign that kicks off at E3."

It was supposed to be released over a month ago but today Steam owners of Metro 2033 are now finally able to download the Ranger Pack DLC for the post-apocalypse first person shooter. As promised the DLC is a free download for the PC version.

Just a reminder: The Ranger Pack for the 4A Games-developed game adds two new weapons to the single player game (the Heavy Automatic Shotgun and the Volt Driver). Two new gameplay modes are also added. The Ranger Mode reduces ammo and increases damage from weapons and attacks while the Ranger Hardcore mode takes away the HUD. Nine new Steam achievements have also been added.

This is the playable demo for Metro 2033. You play as Artyom, a survivor living in the shattered subway system in a post apocalyptic Moscow in the year 2033. The story is about intensive survival, and the fate of mankind rests in your hands.

Continue after the jump for system requirements.

Download Metro 2033 Demo (2.94 GB)
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Last May, it was revealed that 4A Games' recent post-apocalyptic shooter Metro 2033 would be getting a Ranger Pack DLC release. Today it was finally revealed that the Ranger Pack would be made available to Metro 2033 owners on August 3. Even better news is that the PC version of the game will be getting the Ranger Pack for free via Steam (console owners will be paying $3 for it).

The Ranger Pack adds two new weapons to the game, The Heavy Automatic Shotgun and the Volt Driver. It also adds the new Ranger gameplay mode to the title's single player campaign where ammo is reduced and all weapons and attacks, from both you and your enemies, are increased. There will be a variant to the mode, Ranger Hardcore, where the HUD in the game is removed.

Last March publisher THQ released Metro 2033 to the world. The post-apocalypse single player first person shooter from Russian developer 4A Games was one of the first PC games to support DirectX 11 graphics. Today comes word that THQ is already prepping a sequel, Metro 2034, to be released.

Computer and Video Games' chat with THQ VP Danny Bilson has the exec confirming that the sequel is in development and that it will support 3D when it's released. At E3 2010 THQ showed off a version of Metro 2033 running via 3D but on a special monitor that showed the 3D effect without the need for glasses. There's no word yet on when Metro 2034 will be released.

As promised a couple of weeks ago, the first downloadable content pack for the recent first person shooter Metro 2033 has been revealed via the game's Facebook page. The Ranger Pack will add some new content to the 4A Games-developed title including a new gameplay mode called Ranger Mode. In this gameplay mode your ammo is reduced but all weapons and attacks, from both you and your enemies, are increased. A variant of the mode, Ranger Hardcore, removes the HUD from the game.

The Ranger Pack will also add new achievements that total 250 Gamescore points and two new weapons; the Heavy Automatic Shotgun and the Volt Driver). Pricing and a release date for the Ranger Pack will be announced in the near future.

[Via VG247.com]

There are not many games that manage to pull off the S.T.A.L.K.E.R. atmosphere. In fact, it's arguable that STALKER is the only game that manages to do it with any modicum of grace. However, the Russians are not content to let a single developer sit on a post-apocalyptic Russian landscape first-person shooter (what a mouthful!). 4A Games has decided to take the challenge and make their own gritty, realistic, post-apocalyptic shooter. The result is Metro 2033, which arguably does the survivalist atmosphere much better than STALKER. However, there's a number of problems and gameplay differences that make Metro 2033 not so much of a competitor to STALKER. It's more of a companion game, set to showcase all the wonders STALKER could experience if it was completely linear instead of open-ended.

It looks like last month's release of Metro 2033 by publisher THQ won't be the final word on the post-apocalypse first person shooter. The game's official Twitter site has posted up word that the development team at 4A Games is working on some downloadable content for the title.

Exactly what that DLC will be like, or when it will be released, is still a mystery at this point. The latest "tweet" on the page states that the release is " . . . probably not what you expect, but we think the true Metro 2033 fans will love it." That certainly doesn't sound like it will be adding new levels to the title but we could be wrong.

Gallery: Metro 2033 DirectX 11 Screenshots

Metro 2033, an action game that takes place in post-apocalyptic Moscow, is available now and this trailer provides a glimpse at the horrors that await. The game supports all the latest PC gaming graphics features, like DirectX 11, Nvidia PhysX and 3D Vision.

Download HD Metro 2033 Launch Trailer (92 MB)
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