Metro: Last Light Enemies Guide

In this installment of my Metro Last Light coverage, I will be going over the various enemies Artyom will encounter. Be sure to check out my other articles covering Tips, Weapons and Items, and my three-part walkthrough of the game (Chapters 1-10, Chapters 11-20, and Chapters 21-30).

Most of the enemies in Metro Last Light can be taken down with either stealth or direct combat. Some enemies can be ignored altogether if you choose to go pure stealth. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

Humans

• Standard: Your basic run-of-the-mill FPS enemies. Shoot them in the head for a one-shot kill. You can also choose to take them out silently from behind if you get close enough. There are a few varieties of standard human enemies with aesthetic differences. Some also will have minor armor that allows them to take extra shots but, for the most part, they are the same throughout the game.
• Armored: I like to refer to these guys as walking tanks. Shooting them in the head will deal more damage than body shots.
• Shielded: These only show up on the last chapter of the game. They are basically the same as the armored enemies above, but these have giant shields that allow them to withstand even more damage. Grenades are extremely effective in taking them out.

Mutants

• Watchmen: The most common mutant you will encounter. Any gun works well, but these guys like getting up close and personal. Either take them down from afar by using a weapon with decent range and accuracy or by using a shotgun once they get close enough.
• Spiderbug: Spider-bug, spider-bug, does whatever a spider-bug can… Sorry I just couldn’t resist…. The best way to take out a spiderbug is to point your flashlight at it and chase after it until it flips onto its back. At that point, you can either use a melee attack or shoot it.
• Shrimp: There are three basic kinds of shrimp you will meet. They are:
  ○  Common: These are the first type of shrimp you’ll  encounter. You’ll be on a boat and they will try to take you out by latching onto the boat and attacking you. Since this is a close-range situation, a shotgun works really well.
  Hatchling: Overall, not a threat. These little guys crawl around in the swamp-like areas of the game. Ignore them, unless they want to start a fight; then take ‘em out with a knife strike or a few bullets.
  ○  Amphibious: If you ask me, these are one of the most annoying enemies in the game. They are encountered in the outdoor, water-filled areas.They will either be patrolling an area and you can sneak by them if you wait for just the right moment, or they will pop out of the water and start attacking you if they sense an opening. They use their forearms as a shield, so circle behind them and shoot them in the back.
• Liana: A mutant hanging vine that will attack you when it senses you are near. These cannot be killed; just avoid them and they won’t pose any threat.
• Winged Nosalis: These bat-like enemies are only encountered in the Catacombs and Bridge chapters of the game. Overall, they don’t pose a huge threat, but they can be very annoying. They generally keep a distance from Artyom and screech to disorient you. Use a mid to long-range weapon to easily take them out.
• Demon: These giant winged beasts are the strongest normal enemies you will face in all of Last Light. They will fly around and dive-bomb you or they will pick you up and drop you on the ground. Either attack will do a good amount of damage, so be careful. Fighting one is completely optional; to do so, simply shoot it. Shotguns are probably the worst weapons to use since you want to keep as much distance between you and a demon as possible. Demons are constantly on the move so lining up a shot can be somewhat difficult. A sniper rifle works really well. Just keep your distance and keep shooting, they will go down eventually.

Bosses

• Bog Shrimp: The Bog Shrimp is the boss of the swamp section of the game; it is basically a big Amphibious Shrimp, so deal with it in that same way. The Bog Shrimp cannot be killed during the initial encounters, you can only hold it off. In order to kill it, you must wait for the final showdown at the church.
• Rhino: A boss that you encounter at the end of the Undercity chapter. You encounter this beast twice prior to it being put down for good. Both encounters are pretty much the same. The easiest way to take it out is to put the columns in between you and the Rhino. Therefore, when it charges at you, it will crash into the column instead. If it is still standing after all the columns are gone, start shooting it with your weapon of choice.
• Bear: The boss of the Garden chapter. During the fight, watchmen will be attacking this boss. Keep your distance and kill any enemies that come after you. Once the watchmen bring down the Bear, circle around behind it and wait for it to stand on its hind legs. When it does, use your most powerful weapon, shooting it in the back. Repeat this process until it runs off.
• Tank: The final boss of the game encountered during the D6 chapter. It cannot take any damage unless you target its weak points. I prefer taking out the red bar that connects the two wheels, thus keeping the tank stationary and allowing you to take out the other parts much more easily. Then focus on the main gun and, finally, the two wheels.