Gamers owe a great debt to publishers Deep Silver for taking up 4A Games' Metro Last Light. When THQ disbanded, it wasn't clear what would happen to Metro 2033's sequel, but here it is and it's much better than its predecessor.

Metro 2033 was a competent game, and managed to combine the feel of the STALKER series with a more traditional first person shooter/non-open narrative. However, it had some issues, like a slightly high difficulty level even on normal and uneven pacing. Metro Last Night corrects all that. For my money, this is an excellent game - very compelling and approachable, though it may be too easy for some in default settings, but you can always go it Ranger Mode on hard difficulty, which should present quite a challenge for those thus inclined. Or you could just get this, which I just did after months of deliberating.

When considering the technical side of things, Metro Last Night is a very pretty offering, giving Crysis 3 decent competition. The world may not be as visually detailed, but level design is excellent and the single player campaign flows seamlessly across surprisingly diverse subway-system and above-ground locations. I played over two hours without even noticing it. There is some room for exploration, finding collectibles, and as before, listening in on numerous conversations, which all help flesh out the world.

One issue I found was the opponent AI - let's just say it isn't the best, but then that could be due to me playing on standard difficulty.

Story-wise, we're still Artyom, now a member of the elite Sparta ranger corps, who remains silent in-game but offers spoken exposition during loading screens. He's once more on a mission that involves saving whatever's left of humanity in the Moscow area, as rival factions gear up for possibly one final conflict. So it's yet again into the fray for Artyom, who's typically joined by an ally or two on his adventures. Metro Last Night is simply more of a rewarding and fun experience than 2033, though less hardcore in many ways. I highly recommend investing in this!

As usual, pics speak a thousand words...

The intro movie begins with Artyom as a small child, remembering growing up in the ruins of civilization.

And flashing back to before the nuclear war that was the downfall of the human race, including fading memories of his mother.

We also get to see the missiles going out and the ensuing destruction of Moscow.

And then catch up to Artyom as an adult, 20 years later. Of course, we still don't know what he actually looks like.

Nice opening sequence - quite literally! 

Relatively bare settings page in-game, though more options are available via config files. As shown here, the game ran at 30-40 frames, with occasional drops. When I changed SSAA to 2X, it immediately went 60+ smooth.

It's great to be reunited with characters from the first game, like Khan and Miller. The English language performances are quite good, but if you want the real deal then clearly Russian voice is the track to choose.

Every location is populated with NPCs that serve as exposition, showing you more about the world and its people. It's very well done, and some of the conversation sequences you hear others go into are lengthy and superbly written.

Weapons are greatly improved over Metro 2033. They handle better, look better, sound better...and at least in the first couple hours of the game, ammo is definitely not scarce (Ranger mode makes it much harder to find). Each gun is very distinct, and you'll quickly find that there's no go-to weapon that can basically do everything.

Along the way to his first mission briefing, Artyom sees more of the classified D6 base that was such a pain to liberate in the previous installment, and which now serves as homebase for the rangers.

The story? Not the most original, but still engrossing. As is usually the case, perfectly playable even if you didn't do the first game, but you will be missing out on much.

Last Night doesn't say much about being DX11.1, but the lighting effects are nice. It is somewhat of a visual feast.

It's outside that the true beauty of the artwork becomes apparent. Much more diverse than previously, but your trusty .50 cal lighter and odd compass gizmo are definitely back!

As before, Artyom needs to take on both mutants and hostile humans, mostly from the Reich and Communist factions. One of my biggest concerns with Metro 2033 was its slightly unforgiving difficulty, which has been corrected here.

Stealth is important, with most environments using light and shadow to show you where to tread for safety. The device on Artyom's left hand lights up blue if he's visible, making it easier to judge whether or not you'll be spotted, though in a realistic manner that's not 100% consistent. I don't think you can actually finish the game without firing a shot or anything like that, but you can certainly minimize exposure to opponents.

So that's the start of this one. I think Metro Last Night is a major game, and recommend you get it. You'll be supporting a franchise we almost lost, a small studio, a relatively new publisher, and of course you'll also enjoy a highly competent game.

Do svidaniya!

Related articles:

1. Video: GTX 670 DirectCU Mini Benchmarks & Performance
2. Video: Get Your Mini-ITX Fix
3. Unboxing & Overview Video: Maximus V Formula ThunderFX

PewPewPew! It's time to shoot some aliens. Hit 6 of each in 90 seconds to win, but you can only kill each one using the right ASUS LCD monitor tech. Hit the link for gaming action.

If you're not fussed with Flash gaming, then at least check out our new HTML5'd gaming monitor micro-site. I guarantee you'll spend at least 3 minutes just playing with scrolling up and down!

While we're dedicated to ROG and occasionally TUF news, we wanted to cover the more 'lifestyle', feature-driven ASUS motherboards this one time. ROG is, on the surface, all about performance, overclocking and gaming, we also endear an infatuation with the fantastic modding community who wield ROG kit with awesome effect.

In that mindset then, we feel it's worth our ROG fans taking note of the new ASUS motherboard styling: they've gone gold.

ASUS motherboards have worn the cool blue theme for several generations, and if you were PC DIYing all the way back to P55-era you'll remember them. It has become associated with ASUS' advanced design on everything from Deluxe and Premium ATX boards to tiny mini-ITX. However, the team felt it was time to freshen up. But how?

ASUS Design Team

As part of ASUS' philosophy of innovation (a chance to try out something utterly new), ASUS Design Team chose a color that would easily  differentiate it from other brands; the metallic gold heatsinks, slots and connectors are color-matched to give it a striking and uniform two-tone design, which will stand out against a typical black case in any new build.

Gearing Up

ASUS’ Design Team has combined advanced material and mechanical engineering, to give an outstanding visual effect. The new heatsinks have a gear-like shape, echoing the workings of the finest watches, while their larger surface areas offer the best heat dissipation.

The redesign aims to bring a powerful awareness to its heatsinks, which are typically treated as commodity parts by other brands. Multi-tiered shapes and fine threaded polishing imbue the new gold heatsinks with a deep luster, contributing to motherboards that are as visually stunning as they are designed to be stable, reliable, and loaded with unique features.

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Since its reveal earlier this year, the ASUS Geforce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini has been making some serious waves in both the small form factor and gaming communities. Its reduced size, but full-fat performance make it the perfect balance for small PCs, and that's what some of your favorite review sites say. Check out the reviews below for this awesome little card:

Sweclockers: ASUS Geforce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini Review

"Asus makes a very interesting move when they launch Geforce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini and opens up a whole new class of performance for extremely compact construction. Where many have been waiting for someone simply use the short circuit board from Nvidia's reference model in a more efficient way, Asus takes this to a new level with a customized layout and lavish components without for that matter sacrificing the shrunken size."

You'll need Google Translate to read this Swedish review, with Sweclockers giving he GTX 670 DC Mini their coveted excellent award. 

TechPowerUp: ASUS GTX 670 DirectCu Mini 2GB Review 

"ASUS pulled off the seemingly impossible with their GeForce GTX 670 DC Mini. They managed to release a high-end gaming-grade graphics card that fits inside a mini-ITX case. NVIDIA laid the foundation for this by engineering their GK104 graphics chip to use as little power as possible and designing their reference GTX 670 with a short PCB. ASUS only had to devise an equally compact cooling solution that could handle the card's heat generation."

You can check out the glowing 31 page review here, where TechPowerUp awarded the GTX 670 DC Mini an almost perfect 9.7 out of 10.

VR-Zone: ASUS GTX 670 DirectCu Mini 2GB Review

"The vapour chamber block sitting on top of the GPU is touted to be more efficient than the regular copper heatpipe designs. Sticky thermal transfer tape covers the various memory modules and VRMs. On top of a dense array of die-cast aluminium fins sits Asus's new CoolTech fan, which is a hybrid axial-blower blade design with a DC 12V 0.5A motor and boasts of superior acoustics without compromising airflow."

You can check out the full review here.

Hardware Zone Singapore: ASUS Geforce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini OC - Compact Form Factor Without Compromises

"The performance levels of the card were almost in line with our expectations and in its overclocked state, the card enjoyed decent gains that  averaged around 11%. The card is also versatile as it can fit into mini-ITX and mATX PC chassis, ideal for gamers who seek to build a powerful gaming system with a small footprint. It is also convenient for small footprint HTPC builders who would like to have a compact gaming-grade capable graphics card to game on the big screen without dragging in a full fledged rig."

You can check out Hardware Zone Singapore's review here!

Guru3D: ASUS GeForce GTX 670 DirectCU Mini review

"If mATX and Mini ITX is your thing you should seriously opt for a card like this. If you can spot it in etail you can be the happy owner of it for roughly 350 EUR. For its purposes and small form factor intentions as such we can very much recommend it."

You can read the full Guru3D review here!

Hardware.info: ASUS GTX670 DirectCU Mini OC review: pint-size GTX670

"It's an impressive feat that ASUS was able to design such a small GeForce GTX 670. It's a smart move, in our opinion, as compact Mini-ITX systems are gaining in popularity. The ASUS GTX670 DirectCU Mini is by far the fastest graphics card in this size, so if you're building a compact gaming PC that can't fit standard high-end cards, this is an excellent option."

You can read the full Hardware.info review here!

Are you planning on using a GTX 670 DC Mini in your next small-form-factor build? Let us know in the forums! 

If you've previously followed our UEFI boot/install guide, here's a BIOS guide to the next step: building a RAID array with UEFI.

1. Under the Advanced menu, configure the SATA to [RAID Mode].

2. Under the Boot/CSM section, set [Boot from Storage Device] from [Legacy OpROM First] to [UEFI Driver First], then press the “F10” key to save and exit.

3. Upon the next POST, re-enter the BIOS again, then you will see the following differences in BIOS options:

• For X79 series (Rampage IV), you will find the [Intel(R) Rapid Storage Technology] menu under the Advanced menu, which did not show up before.

• For Z77 series (Maximus V), just press the right key from the [Tool] tab and you will reveal additional UEFI options:

• Now make the desired changes. You can create either create RAID volumes:

• Or delete them:

• Or check the drive status:

After everything is done, press F10 to save and exit, then install 64-bit UEFI Windows onto your RAID array as we described previously.

Enjoy!

If Photoshop is not your thing, then how about you grab your phone and try your hand at some video? The ROG team has just launched a new competition to win a StarCraft II: Heart of the Swarm collectors edition, plus 14 runners up will receive ROG Polo Shirts and USB drives.

Note that you DON'T have to own ROG hardware to take part, and entries will be evaluated by the ROG team on creativity and passion.

You dont need professional hardware, use your smartphone or webcam to record the video!

To get you started and give you ideas, pick from one of the four categories:

• How ROG helps my gaming
• The Ultimate Fighting Machine
• Pride of the Republic
• History and Future (it's our 7 year anniversary)

See our competition page here for more details, and once you've recorded your video, drop the YouTube link in this thread. The competition runs until May 31st. We look forward to your entries!

1. Abstract ROG

2. Republic of Gore

3. The ROG Blooms Dark

3. The ROG Blooms Light

4. Vortex ASUS ROG Red

5. ASUS ROG - Blue Design

6. ASUS ROG Colorful

7. ASUS ROG Eagle

8. ASUS ROG Eyes

 9. ROG Silver

10. Why ROG? (2560 x 1600)

10. Why ROG? (2560 x 1440)

11. Beauty of ROG (2560 x 1440)

11. Beauty of ROG (2560 x 1600)

12. ASUS ROG Carbon

13. ASUS ROG Grunge

14. ASUS ROG Metallic Glow

15. Rule the Game

16. Red Zone

17. 7 years of ROG (Red)

18. ROG Blue

19. 7 years

20. ROG Heart of ASUS Philosophy (2560 x 1440)

20. ROG Heart of ASUS Philosophy (2560 x 1600)

21. Choice of Champions (5760 x 1080)

21. Choice of Champions (2560 x 1440)

21. Choice of Champions (2560 x 1600)

22. The Choice of Enthusiasts (2560 x 1440)

22. The Choice of Enthusiasts (2560 x 1600)

23. The Choice of Gamers (2560 x 1440)

23. The Choice of Gamers (2560 x 1600)

24. Beyond the Stars

25. ROG Red

26. ROG Blue

26. ROG Green

26. ROG Grey

26. ROG Orange

26. ROG Pink 

26. ROG Red 

27. Maximus V Formula (2560 x 1600)

27. Maximus V Formula (2560 x 1440)

 27. Maximus V Formula (5760 x 1080)

28. ROG Madness

29. ROG Metal

30. ROG Explosion

31. ROG Metal

32. ROG Metal Red

33. ROG Clean 7

34. ROG G72 & G75

35. ROG Blue

36. Infested ROG

37. ROG Dark Red

38. Morphing Innovation

39. Break the Illusion

40. Red ROG

41. ROG G74

42. Half Full

43. Be One of Us!

44. Untitled

45. Metal ROG

46. Carbon ROG

47. An Eye for an Eye

48. Flare Glare

49. Power Up

50. Red Fusion

51. Double Power

52. 7 years of gaming (dark)

53. 7 years of gaming (light)

54. ROG Fury

55. ROG Fury Mouse

56. Big Time Small

57. GOR

58. Neon ROG

59. ROG Hex

60. ROG Hex-Hex

61. ROG Eye

62. CF Red ROG

63. CF Black-RED ROG

64. Revelation

65. Renovatio - Black

65. Renovatio - Blue

65. Renovatio - Green

65. Renovatio - Red

66. 7tino

67. Bruzz

67. Bruzz Black

68. Electrifying Blue

68. Electrifying Red

69. ASUS Eerie Glow

70. ROG Shield on Wall

71. ASUS Pure ROG

72. ROG CodeGear

73. ROG Arrival

74. ROG Gateway

75. ROG Universal

76. ROG Fractal

77. ROG Core

78. ROG Magma

79. ROG Seven

80. Forged by ROG

81. The rest was kindle

82. ROG Stone Metal (2560 x 1440)

82. ROG Stone Metal (2560 x 1600)

82. ROG Stone Metal (5760 x 1080)

83. Diagnosis: Gamer

84. Diagnosis: Gamer

85. 7 Years Pure Power (Speacle)

86. 7 Years Pure Power

87. Full ROG WT

87. Full ROG WT (Dark)

87. Full ROG WT (Red)

87. Full ROG WT (Blood Red)

88. ROG Critical

89. ROG Biohazard

90. ROG is not a Mac

91. ROG Crosswalk

92. ROG Keyboard

93. ROG Mobo Sketch

94. Think ROG

95. Light Grunge

96. Light Grunge (Spark)

97. 7 years of Champions

98. ASUS ROG Pro

99. 2013ROG7cp

Had the day off yesterday so it was time for some much-needed gaming. Two games unlocked for PC May 1st/2nd. The more renowned and anticipated of the two must surely be Far Cry 3 Blood Dragon, the tongue in cheek cyber ninja shooter that takes place in the fancy future of 2007.

While we've only known about this one for a month or so, it quickly became a hot item thanks to its association with Far Cry 3 and the clearly humorous approach.

Zeno Clash II also came out yesterday, and is in many regards the complete opposite of Blood Dragon. It's an indie title, very few people have heard about it, there's little chatter involved, and the humor (if any) is subtle and implied, not in your face like with Blood Dragon.

We'll start with the more famous release, which indeed is quite hysterical. Most of you have probably seen the videos online, so you know it pokes fun at 80's cyborg movies and gaming conventions (like tutorials). Most of it is pretty obvious stuff, but it is very funny. It's possible this was supposed to be just a Far Cry 3 mod or DLC. Blood Dragon is an FC3 re-skin, featuring neon colors instead of Rook Island. It's got the same controls, the same opponent animations, the same detection meter, the same...you get the picture. I didn't check, but it won't surprise me if the voice actors are the same, too.

IMPORTANT NOTE:

One more thing Blood Dragon has in common with Far Cry 3 is the rather perplexing save system. Keep in mind checkpoint reached DOES NOT mean progress saved. Just like in the main game, Blood Dragon only properly saves when you fully complete a mission and the identical "saving..." wording appears on screen. Sorry for the pun, but save yourself the grief of playing the first hour or so three times before realizing this - as just happened to yours truly! You'd think Ubisoft would make this friendlier and simpler seeing as Blood Dragon is more of a lighthearted experience, but I suppose that's what you get when the code is basically untouched from the parent game!

Of course, Blood Dragon has none of the moral dilemma displayed in its source game, it's a comedic shooter, and everything's either over the top or pared down when put next to FC3. One problem I did have when downloading it from Steam was that initially the file was 500MB, which took a few minutes to install. When I tried to run it, it said missing executable. Then a couple of minutes later a 2.4GB file began downloading, and then the game ran. This lends much credence to speculation that Blood Dragon is an FC3 skinjob, but that's besides the point. For $15, this is a cool game and I applaud Ubisoft for not making Far Cry 3 ownership a requirement.

Yes, maybe captions are not the way to go with Blood Dragon. Besides, it has a great coin-op arcade era-styled attract sequence of the "all your base" variety, which tells of how in the future (again, that's 2007), WWIII has left the world in ruins and called for the creation of a cyborg force. Our hero Rex Colt is one of these guys, bionic glowy-red eye and all.

I didn't get FAR into it, but it does start with a bang. Possibly a shout out to action movies, or just another helicopter side gunner sequence....this instance does have exponentially more things blowing up, though. When that's done, the game proper commences, with the by-now famous joke tutorial section.

Go beyond the faux tutorials and Blood Dragon is essentially Far Cry 3 in new clothing, except it has a very simple leveling system, and you get to carry tons of weapons right from the start. All of them have appropriately OTT names, naturally. The action is identical to Far Cry 3, and feels slightly sluggish using the Xbox controller on PC, which shouldn't happen. For graphics settings, Blood Dragon uses those you have for Far Cry 3, if any (surprise), but generally seems to run better due to less complex assets.

Gunplay is good if a little stiff, and the AI is just as effective as in Far Cry 3. Some stealth is advised. Go into it guns blazing like a REAL 80's action hero, and you won't last long even on easy. Perhaps that's part of the message.

Blood Dragon is definitely a must-play release, especially at its price point. If you're not a big shooter fan, have some odd aversion to nostalgia, or simply don't like cyborgs, then maybe avoid it, but otherwise it's bolts of fun.

Onwards to Zeno Clash II! Should you find Blood Dragon too obvious, this game is the antidote. It's the sequel to one of the most artistic and surreal games in recorded history, and maintains that fully. Actually it goes beyond it, with even more outlandish and beautiful designs. But, now we have more of a story, and play mechanics are much better.

Zeno Clash II is a first person brawler and shooter with a weirded-out story and oddball characters. The sequel does have very good navigation, and a somewhat open world design. Maps are huge, and you're free to move around them as you see fit - for the most part. There are some decision moments, and character development. You can even enlist allies along the way, who fight on your side as AI or human co-op partners. In short, developers ACE Team have really put a lot more content and features into their second foray. But best let the pics speak for themselves!

All in all, it was a good day of gaming, even if I didn't spend that much time actually playing. Two great games, each in its own way. I do recommend you check both of them out, they're on your favorite online PC game retailer as we speak. Did you pick up either of these titles? Let us know in the forums!

AMD just launched its fastest Radeon to date: the HD 7990. If you missed out on an (faster, cooler, quieter) ARES II recently, this is the next best thing! Hit the PR button below for the full details.