the team behind Metro 2033 seemed clear they wanted to make a linear story driven first person shooter (i.e. boring) where STALKER was moving more towards EASTERN BLOC FALLOUT w/better action, a survival horror tang, and less rpg. CoP was so good.
I never get the stories in these games. It's all "Captyan Vizali reporting: Bokyat simmonz a choppers for the radionuclear mutants recovers the chikibriki hey bro I gots a proposition I'd like you to consider listening to my speaking the proposition." Any story bits I can get from my objective and inventory screen.