Despite the fact that it could very well have never been published due to THQ’s bankruptcy, Metro: Last Light is out today. The game was originally supposed to come out last year but was delayed by almost a year until today when it was released by new publisher Deep Silver.

While Metro 2033 was a cult hit, that doesn’t absolve 4A from some sins committed in making this game. Chief among them is restricting Ranger Mode, a harder difficulty mode that 4A touts as “the way the game was meant to be played,” to a pre-order bonus and DLC add-on. That’s about as dirty a cash grab as you’ll find.

GamesRadar (90%): Subtlety is what makes Last Light such an exceptionally immersive game. It nails the core tenets of a shooter, then forces you to react to enemies in ways outside of simply taking cover. It plops you in a post-apocalyptic world, then fills it with tons of minor but substantial details, like the shadows of once-living people now permanently nuked into stone walls.

Polygon (85%): 4A Games has built a strange, complex world with Metro: Last Light. It’s a grim vision of the future that still inspires hope. It’s a hand-wringing, apologetic shooter that offers great gunplay alongside more peaceful options. Last Light has every opportunity to be bloated and inconsistent, but it never succumbs to the pressure of its own expectations — and that’s worth tolerating a few frustrating technical hiccups.

PC Gamer (80%): When you get to wield some autonomy, the game creates brilliantly panicky, desperate gun battles and heart-in-mouth stealth escapades – but it’s worth it for the ride, even when your hand isn’t always on the tiller. We’ll just have to keep hoping for a game where the scenes of highest drama are played by you rather than before you.

Machinima (75%): By cycling through scripted AI encounters, combat sections, and low-key free-roam areas, Metro: Last Light is a dour, Russian themed take on Half-Life 2. Only problem is that none of those aspects work together in a mutually beneficial way. Last Light isn’t as gameplay-dense an action / stealth experience as Dishonored and it’s not as impossibly polished as Call of Duty. If you enjoy directed single-player experiences, you can’t go wrong with Last Light… just don’t expect the most focused or deep experience.

Destructoid (70%):  Last Light is also a fine game on its own, and if we’re to judge it without the shadow of 2033 looming overhead, we can say it’s a game packed with structurally sound combat, a rewardingly fluid narrative, and an atmosphere that runs the gamut from intriguing to chilling. As a default experience, Metro: Last Light is a good game that forgets why Metro 2033 was a great one.