When it comes to playing games, ambience is key. Electronic Arts' Dead Space is scarier with the lights off, while DJ Hero is much more enjoyable with a subwoofer. Those minor changes, however, don't compare to what THQ did for next year's post apocalyptic shooter, Metro 2033. Instead of locking us in a hotel room with the game, the company invited us to Moscow, Russia to blast virtual monsters over 100 feet beneath the surface, inside Joseph Stalin's nuclear bunker. Walking down 18 flights of stairs, inhaling massive amounts of dust and blowing into our hands to keep warm were small prices to pay for wandering around the massive bunker, but despite the excellent first impression, there was a game to play, and thus far, it shows a lot of promise.

You can't explore Mother Russia without a handy gas mask.

Based on Dmitry Glukhovsky's online novel of the same name, Metro 2033 takes place in Russia's underground Metro station, which doubles as a nuclear bunker (no really). After the United States vaporizes Russia, the remaining survivors create new lives underground, with various factions occupying different stations. Monsters lie in wait, and the game chronicles the Russians' battle to stay alive while battling mutants and mysterious creatures known as the Dark Ones; what they are remains to be seen.

Much like Bethesda's Fallout 3, the game features a deep story full of unique characters. Some are obviously helpful than others (a key comrade, Bourbon, helps you complete a few missions), but all of them tie into a narrative rich with detail. Almost everyone has a story to tell, whether you want to hear them or not (some characters automatically begin talking when you're near), while others help you purchase weapons or trade in currency to buy the world's most expensive commodity, ammunition.

On that note, don't expect an arsenal of high tech weaponry. Survivors scavenged what they could find, and you'll carry crudely designed and old looking guns that lack some of the modern conveniences found in other shooters, such as holographic sights and grenade launchers. That said, you'll still have access to a shotgun and assault rifle.

"It's probably best if we all split up. That always seems to work in horror movies, right?"

As it turns out, you'll need every bullet, since the game's mutants can take several rounds before dying. Thus far, we've only encountered a handful of monsters, including beasts that fly, and all of them had us backpedaling like mad, unloading multiple clips in the hopes of making it out alive.

In addition, developer 4A Games has done a good job with the environments. The underground reminds us of the film, Demolition Man, with people eating whatever they can find while wearing tattered and dirty clothes. The tunnels are dark, dingy and spooky looking, with survivors frantically running from their enemies and making a getaway on a rickety mine cart.

As for the outside, buildings and other structures lie in ruins, blanketed by a never-ending snowfall. Due to the radioactivity, you can't survive long without donning a gas mask, achieved with a simple button press. Doing this puts a realistic filter across the screen, and if you take bullets to the face (never a good idea), the glass will crack.

Unfortunately, and despite playing the game for several hours, we still have lots of questions and concerns about Metro 2033. THQ needs to fix the shooting (it's a bit jerky), and the lack of online play means the developers need to step up their game (literally) to make sure that the single player campaign shines. That said, they have great source material to work with (having a Russian protagonist instead of an American beefcake adds an interesting wrinkle to the proceedings), and we look forward to going underground again with a final build of this monster filled shooter, which will make its worldwide debut next year.

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