It's been more than three years since Metro 2033 launched, so developer 4A Games has had quite a bit of time to polish and tweak its follow-up, Metro: Last Light. The result is a shooter full of chilling atmosphere and hair-curling intensity, but plagued with niggling head-scratching moments and glitches that keep it from being brilliant.

The sequel returns you to post-apocalyptic Moscow where nuclear winter and radiation still keep everyone underground in the world's largest fallout shelter, the city's subway system. The player returns as Artyom, the hero of the original game who is still on the trail of the mutant, but sentient Dark Ones. The political drama is ramped up significantly this time, with a story that shows that man has learned little from almost being wiped off the face of the planet once. The player must sort through the intrigue, while asking the cliched question of who is the greater monster in a world of man and mutant.

Read more: Watch your filters and ammo »

No one gets surprised when a publisher announces retailer-exclusive pre-order bonuses for their AAA game. However, very rarely do publishers go on record to admit that retailers are strong-arming them into the practice. But that's exactly what Metro: Last Light publisher Deep Silver did while explaining its partitioned ranger DLC.

Available for free with pre-ordered copies of the game, Koch Media global brand manager Huw Beynon explained that "offering game content as a pre-order exclusive is a requirement by retail."

Read more: Why they can't go below $5 for DLC »