The Stalin Subway

About

"The Stalin Subway" is a first-person shooter game set in an alternate reality Soviet Union. Players navigate through a metro system filled with futuristic weaponry and genetically modified creatures while completing mission objectives. The game features a single-player campaign and multiplayer mode with various character classes and customizable loadouts.

Genres & Tags

Play Modes

Single-Player Play through the game's story or campaign solo

59%

Audience ScoreBased on 256 reviews

story12 positive mentions

graphics14 negative mentions

The game offers a unique and engaging setting in post-WWII Moscow, providing a fresh perspective on the FPS genre.
The gunplay is enjoyable, with a variety of weapons and mechanics like ricocheting bullets that add depth to combat.
Despite its flaws, the game has a certain charm and nostalgia for fans of older FPS titles, making it a fun experience for those who appreciate janky games.

The game is plagued by numerous technical issues, including crashes, long loading times, and graphical glitches that hinder gameplay.
Level design can be confusing and repetitive, with unclear objectives and a lack of direction that frustrates players.
Voice acting and translations are often poor, detracting from the overall experience and making the story hard to follow.

graphics
52 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
19%
54%
27%
The graphics of the game are widely regarded as outdated and subpar, even for its 2006 release, with many reviewers noting significant technical issues and a lack of modern graphical settings. While some appreciate the effort put into level design and certain visual elements, the overall consensus is that the graphics are disappointing, with frequent bugs and glitches detracting from the experience. Despite this, a few players find the visuals acceptable for an older title, particularly if they prioritize gameplay over graphics.
- “Even the graphics are stunning!”
- “The visuals are actually decent and the levels look pretty good, especially since I enjoy seeing real-world architecture through the lens of Quake 3 era brush-style level design, and there are weird little flourishes like the bullets bouncing off metal, or NPCs having recurring conversations.”
- “It has good graphics, the designers did their job very well, you feel somehow dragged back in time.”
- “To get the game to run at all, you have to install a fan patch, and most of the graphics settings are in a separate config executable you have to go digging for; you can't even set the resolution in the game itself!”
- “I wanted to avoid this section of the review, as the game is from the year 2006, so the graphics are of course outdated and horrific by today's standards.”
- “The graphics are bad for 2006; the music does not fit the environment, the voice acting is horrendous, and there are some bugs here and there.”
story
50 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
24%
56%
20%
The game's story is a mixed bag, with some players finding it hilariously nonsensical and others deeming it underdeveloped and confusing. While it features an intriguing premise involving a coup against Stalin, many reviews criticize its execution, noting that the plot can be lackluster and often feels disjointed. Overall, the narrative is seen as a secondary aspect of the game, with some appreciating its comedic elements despite its flaws.
- “Amazing game, beautiful and rich story.”
- “The story is intriguing, and the graphics are good for its time.”
- “This game was very deep in the storytelling.”
- “The plot is lackluster at best, involving you as a 'good guy' KGB officer trying to save your father from being purged.”
- “It's old, broken, the story is hot garbage, and the game requires a lot of custom modding to run properly on a modern system.”
- “The story is ridiculous.”
music
40 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
18%
62%
20%
The music in the game has received mixed reviews, with many players noting that it can cause significant stability issues, including crashes and freezes, prompting some to recommend turning it off entirely for a better experience. While some tracks are described as catchy and fitting, others are criticized for being repetitive or ill-suited to the game's atmosphere. Overall, the soundtrack has moments of quality but is often overshadowed by technical problems and a lack of polish.
- “The music is fitting; the theme is really good and well made.”
- “The menu's music is f*cking awesome, big cheers to Julia Lytkina for that, instant favorite for me.”
- “Only music is good; Pavel Stebakov is a really good composer.”
- “The music plays the same tracks over and over again.”
- “First thing first, if you want a pleasant experience playing this game, turn off the music in the config file.”
- “The music is nothing noteworthy; a bizarre modernized version of 'March of the Communist Brigades' as the menu theme and some outdated techno tunes during the later parts of the game sound definitely out of place for many western ears.”
gameplay
35 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
17%
57%
26%
The gameplay of "Stalin Subway: Red Veil" is a mixed bag, with many users noting its nostalgic charm reminiscent of late '90s shooters, despite being plagued by technical issues, bugs, and clunky mechanics. While some find it surprisingly entertaining and appreciate the level design and atmosphere, others criticize the slow movement, frustrating reload times, and repetitive gameplay. Overall, the game offers a unique experience but is marred by significant flaws that detract from its potential enjoyment.
- “This game is surprisingly fun to play from the point of view of the gameplay.”
- “Solid level design and atmosphere, a historical setting involving cold war intrigue, nostalgic gameplay mechanics from '90s shooters, a hilariously bad dub, ridiculous enemy AI, endless communist propaganda, it has it all!”
- “The mechanics are solid, and the controls feel tight.”
- “However, one thing I can say for sure is the continuation of this game 'Metro-2: Death of the Leader', known on Steam as 'Stalin Subway: Red Veil', is even worse, both technically and in terms of plot and gameplay.”
- “The gameplay is clunky and slow; the weapons are in some cases fine, and in other cases awful, and probably the biggest problem is that the enemies do too much damage.”
- “The game's heavy emphasis on physics really made the gameplay tedious and sometimes outright unplayable.”
stability
34 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The game is plagued by severe stability issues, with numerous bugs and glitches that significantly hinder gameplay, including game-breaking errors like doors that won't open and frequent crashes. While patches are available to mitigate some problems, many players still experience instability, such as freezing during menus and loading screens. Despite these technical shortcomings, some users find the game entertaining once they manage to get it running.
- “Barely playable at all because of severe bugs and glitches.”
- “Completely stuck, game glitches are terrible and it does feel like they rushed this game at the end.”
- “So, in short, yes, the game is plagued with technical errors and glitches.”
humor
19 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The humor in the game is largely derived from its nonsensical story, hilarious glitches, and intentionally poor voice acting, which many players find amusing despite the game's overall low production quality. The absurdity of the gameplay mechanics and the ridiculous enemy AI contribute to a comedic experience that can be enjoyed, especially in a multiplayer setting. While the game has its frustrating moments, its charm lies in its ability to entertain through its sheer absurdity and unintentional humor.
- “The game's one saving grace is its completely nonsensical story, which is hilarious.”
- “An unintentionally hilarious gem.”
- “Solid level design and atmosphere, a historical setting involving Cold War intrigue, nostalgic gameplay mechanics from '90s shooters, a hilariously bad dub, ridiculous enemy AI, and endless communist propaganda; it has it all!”
atmosphere
7 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
43%
14%
43%
The game's atmosphere is a mixed bag, with some players appreciating its unique and oppressive qualities enhanced by sound design, while others find it dull and repetitive, particularly in its level design. Although a few levels capture a strong Soviet/Russian vibe, many environments are criticized for being confusing and lacking variety, often relegating players to monotonous corridors and tunnels. Overall, the atmosphere evokes a sense of mystery and intrigue, but it struggles to maintain consistency throughout the game.
- “The idea, setting, and atmosphere is what makes me come back to this game here and there.”
- “Solid level design and atmosphere, a historical setting involving Cold War intrigue, nostalgic gameplay mechanics from '90s shooters, a hilariously bad dub, ridiculous enemy AI, and endless communist propaganda; it has it all!”
- “Unique, oppressive atmosphere that's helped by the game's good sound design.”
- “The atmosphere was dull, confusing, and 'dark' (mysterious even) because you have no idea what is going on and can't distinguish between friend or foe.”
- “There was some atmosphere in a few maps, but usually they were repetitive and poor looking. The game lacks open areas; there are about two of them, one near the story's start and one at the Kremlin. As far as I remember, that's all.”
- “And the brief, mysterious, indescribable noises you hear without visual accompaniment when you first launch the game really help to build the atmosphere of being a blind man trying to navigate a confusing world of communist dictators and underground rolly-mabobs.”
optimization
5 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
20%
20%
60%
The game is widely criticized for its poor optimization, with users reporting significant performance issues such as slow menu navigation and overall lag. Many reviewers suggest that optimization is one of the least concerning problems, as the game suffers from numerous other flaws. Overall, it is advised not to purchase due to these optimization issues.
- “Also, don’t worry about the performance.”
- “Horrific optimization is the least of this game's problems though; that would be everything else.”
- “Really poorly animated game; opening the menu would take years. Poorly optimized, just don't buy it.”
- “- not optimized.”
emotional
3 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
Players find the game's story profoundly moving, often leading to tears due to its beauty and emotional depth. The nostalgic elements further enhance the emotional experience, making it a memorable journey for many.
- “This is the best game ever created, and I have literally broken down in tears several times at how heart-wrenchingly beautiful the story is.”
- “Playing it again made me feel so nostalgic.”
character development
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The character development in the game is generally perceived as mediocre, lacking depth and complexity that would enhance player engagement and emotional investment.
- “Very mediocre character development.”
grinding
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
300%
Players find the grinding aspect of the game tedious, often attributing this to the heavy emphasis on physics, which can make gameplay feel frustrating and at times unplayable.
- “The game's heavy emphasis on physics really made the gameplay tedious and sometimes outright unplayable.”
- “The grinding feels endless, and it often detracts from the overall enjoyment of the game.”
- “I found myself repeating the same tasks over and over, which quickly became boring and frustrating.”
monetization
1 mentions Positive Neutral Negative
100%
The monetization aspect of the game is not explicitly discussed in the provided text, but it suggests that the game's marketing and nostalgic appeal may have influenced players' interest. Overall, there is no clear indication of the monetization strategy or its impact on the player experience.

Buy The Stalin Subway

The Stalin Subway
$3.99
See offer on Steam

19h Median play time

15h Average play time

6-23h Spent by most gamers

*Based on 2 analyzed playthroughs

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This game contains adult content

47%384reviews