THQ has picked up Ukrainian-based developer 4A Games’ post-apocalyptic subway shooter, Metro 2033.

Based on the best-selling Russian novel by Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro 2033 will place players in the steel-toed boots of Artyom, a young soldier born shortly before the apocalyptic event that turned the earth’s surface into a poisonous wasteland.  Now, 20 years later, you must make your way to the underground city of Polis, at the heart of the massive subway system, to warn other survivors of the impending threat posed by “The Darkness,” mutated creatures created by the nuclear fallout.

As you battle your way through the Moscow Metro, fending off monsters, you’ll also have to navigate the political and social dangers of the various station-states, each with their own allegiances and agendas. According to 4A Games, the non-playable characters in the game will also live out their lives independent of the player’s choices, setting it apart from other first-person shooter fare.

The PhysX-enhanced Metro 2033 is scheduled to released on Xbox 360 and PC in early 2010.