In 2002, a Russian author by the name of Dmitry Glukhovsky published his first novel known as Metro 2033, his take on the post-apocalyptic setting. It followed a man named Artyom as he and his friends survived the mutant-filled tunnels of the Moscow Metro several years after the nuclear bombs dropped. Metro 2033 was originally intended to be an online interactive experience, however this didn’t prevent it from gaining traction. Hundreds of people fled online to check out what Metro 2033 was about and luckily Dmitry’s work slowly became a massive success. Eventually in 2005, Dmitry’s novel would be published physically for the world to see and Metro 2033 soon became one of the most best received books in Russia. It had an entire cult following in its footsteps and even dawned two sequels that were as successful as the original.
It wouldn’t be long until the western audience would gain access to Dmitry’s apocalyptic trilogy and an unexpected surprise. In 2010, not only was the acclaimed book translated into English so that more people could get into it, but a game studio known as 4A Games decided to partner up with Dmitry and make a game based off his novel. The game was directed by Andrew Prokhorov who previously worked on another Russian post-apocalyptic game known as S.T.A.L.K.E.R and would take direct inspiration from it. When Metro 2033 finally came out it was received pretty well. It wasn’t as popular as other first person shooters at the time like Halo: Reach or COD: Blacks Ops, but it did garnish an audience. Three years later 4A Games released a sequel named Metro: Last Light and it was received even better than Metro 2033. Plus one year later, 4A Games remade both titles for modern consoles so that they could run smoother and play better. Dubbed as the Redux versions, the video game adaptations of the Metro series were becoming a massive success as people praised the games for their claustrophobic atmosphere and tense survival focused gameplay.
After the release of the Redux versions of the first two games, 4A Games began working on the next biggest entry in the series, one that would finish it off as a trilogy. This time however, they wanted to change direction and stray away from the linear cramped level design of the previous two games. During E3 2017, 4A Games announced Metro Exodus which was a step up to what they already had done. The demo they showcased had stunning visuals, open ended level design, creatures never seen before, and so much more that made the game look so promising. Metro Exodus was delayed a few more times during development and drew in a bit of controversy. There was the fact that it had the longest development time out of the trilogy, how the release date would constantly change until an official one scheduled for early 2019, and apparently when the game was near it’s official release date the publishers of the Metro series decided to make the decision to swap the PC version from Steam to the Epic Game Store. Fans hated that the product was no longer available on Steam which is the store a majority of PC gamers would buy their games through, so they ended up boycotting the game and even reviewing bombing previous entries in the series.
This didn’t stop 4A Games from finishing Metro Exodus, because on February 15th they released the final version of their game. There was another huge problem during release, Metro Exodus was coming out around the same time of three other big Triple A releases. Far Cry: New Dawn, Jump Force, and Crackdown 3. However, unlike those games Metro Exodus wasn’t sh*t and ended up exceeding expectations. Exodus sold 50% more copies than its predecessor and is even considered one of the best entries in the series. A bowtie to mark 4A Games and the legacy they have created. I for one can confirm to you that Metro Exodus is an amazing game and that you should pick it up. I haven’t got the chance to play any other new games this year, and sure as hell don’t have the money for any of them either. I’m not the type of person to buy a game at launch, especially when they're sixty dollars and I don’t know what I’m buying is actually worth the money. While I do look up reviews about every game I decide to play I want to be careful about what I spend my money on. That’s why half the titles I review on this website are older games from previous years. I’m not trying to be cheap, but I’m not trying to be stupid and spend my money rapidly. So I haven’t purchased and played Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Devil May Cry 5, the Resident Evil 2 Remake, and not even smaller independent titles like Katana Zero or My Friend Pedro yet. Eventually I picked Metro Exodus on sale at one of my local retailers and I decided to buy it. Immediately when I loaded up the game my mind was blown with the level of immersion.
For a studio that has less money and funding than other companies like Electronic Arts and Activision, they know how to make a confident first person shooter. They aimed for a goal, worked up to it, and they came out and exceeded what they originally planned. Metro Exodus knows how to change up it’s pace of gameplay so that you won’t get tired of it during the 15 hour runtime, and let's the player forge their own playstyle without being forced into a specific type. It’s the type of game that yells the question, ”Hey, what if we let the player have fun while also telling a decent narrative?” So why is Metro Exodus so awesome and why do I recommend it so much? Well let’s put on our gas masks, convert our simple handgun into an automatic assault rifle, and prepare to journey into the great unknown. Full steam ahead my comrades!
Story
Following the events of Metro: Last Light, Artyom fully recovers from his terrible injuries and resumes his duty as a Spartan by protecting the many citizens who live in the Moscow Metro. He’s now married to a woman named Anna, the daughter of Miller who is the captain of the Spartan Order. Ever since he was a little boy Artyom has dreamed of one day leaving Moscow and discovering new life out there in the world. Miller tells Artyom that there is obviously no life left after the bombs dropped, and Anna tries to convince Artyom to listen to her father so they won’t get into further trouble. Yet Artyom continues to believe that there is a place to settle down with clean unpolluted air where they can all live peacefully without being attacked by mutants and bandits.
Each day Artyom and Anna come up to the surface to see if they can radio someone or find something out there, but as Miller has suggested there is no one there to answer Artyom’s call. One day during one of Arytom’s personal patrols he spots a working train running in the distance. Anna and him scout out ahead to figure out what it is. They are eventually ambushed by a group of strangers and shoved into a crammed vehicle where they meet two outsiders who aren’t from Moscow. They state that there is in fact other life outside of Moscow, proving Artyom’s suspicions and dream right. Artyom and Anna are separated, they find themselves inside of a large complex filled with radio signals preventing the people of Moscow from discovering life outside of Moscow, and they blast their way out with the help of one of the train engineers, Yermack.
They blow up the signals, steal one of the trains, get reunited with Miller and the rest of the Spartan Order, and Miller spills the truth that he knew that there were radio signals preventing others from finding life outside of Moscow. He was given orders to protect the people of Moscow by not letting them leave and discover the other possible horrors of the world. Realizing that they just shot up an entire complex and that they are now probably wanted criminals in Moscow, Anna and the entire Spartan Order decide to follow Arytom’s dream and seek new life outside of Moscow. Somewhere that isn't polluted by radiation, overrun by mutants, and hopefully safe. Artyom, finally given the opportunity to do what he wants, decides to follow his dream and hopefully establish a new life for himself. The journey will be long though as there are several new gangs, beasts, and factions that will try to stand in their way.
Gameplay
Metro Exodus seems like it plays like any ordinary first person shooter at first like Battlefield or Call of Duty, but unlike those two it doesn't rely so much on linear level design and cover base shooting. Actually the game is less generous with supplies and weapons and forces the player to scrounge for supplies and make use of whatever they have at the moment. The game is constantly switching between linear driven sections and big open ended maps which adds a bit of variety. The linear levels are quick and get important story moments out of the way, and the open ended levels reward the player for exploration and let them search for the resources they need to survive.
Each level has different objections and enemies that pummel you along the way. The many wastelanders who come in groups and try to gun you down, and terrifying beasts that will soak up ammo and require different strategies to beat. However, Arytom isn’t defenseless as he has many tools at his disposal. With easy access and understanding, Arytom can customize the many weapons he has and perfect them for whatever situation he is in. He can even modify certain weapons into different classes, allowing him to fit the current scenario. You can turn a simple handgun into a suppressed long ranged automatic assault rifle good for sneaking around or laying down fire. Maybe you want to snipe enemies from afar or maybe plow down foes with a highly powerful double barreled shotgun. The way your weapons play depends on what mods you equip them. Besides that Arytom can also throw items from a distance to either cause a distraction or take out foes from afar. He has throwing knives capable of killing enemies instantly with a well placed headshot, molotov cocktails good for setting groups ablaze, explosives, and empty tin cans good for distraction. If you are low on certain resources or ammo you can craft them at workbenches or pull out your bag.
Unlike most games which require a shopping list of supplies to make the one or two items you need, here there are only two types of resources. Metal scrap and nuclear substances. They are pretty common to find as long as you carefully search every nook and cranny. By gathering these materials, Arytom can use them to craft ammunition, throwable weapons, medkits, repair his gas mask, and much more. So always check your surroundings and scavenge for whatever supplies you can find. Who knows when you’ll need them? You also want to be aware of enemies and where they may come from. You may be walking out in the open and a group of bandits ambush you from some ruined buildings. You’ll be walking down a linear corridor and a giant hairy beast pops up around the corner. Always be aware of your surroundings and be ready.
Besides that there really isn’t much else to say about Metro Exodus’ gameplay. There are a few side missions and tasks that can be assigned to you, but they are easy to miss and the items needed to complete them are in odd locations. With a powerful arsenal at your disposal, instincts on your shoulders, and friends standing by your side you should be able to face the dangers that lie in the great unknown.
Thoughts
Metro Exodus is an amazing first person shooter that strays away or redefines the trends most modern first person shooters would follow. Metro Exodus has weapon reloading, limited movement, and is tactical at times. Yet, the game notifies these restrictions and creates an experience that is tense and methodical. The player is never too weak where they have to run from every fight, but they don’t feel so powerful that they can empty round after round of ammunition into every foe they stumble upon. The focus on survival is what makes the world of Metro Exodus deadly and immersive. The environments are gorgeous, almost being photo realistic. You'll wander across a snowy lake, desert plains, and a forest brimming with prewar ruins. It's really beautiful stuff. The story is well told, constantly pushing you forward with rising conflict and discoveries that make you question what will possibly happen next. The characters aren’t as memorable as some of the other games I’ve played, but at least they are not dead husks that just stand around and shout at the player.
I really like the level design in this game. As I’ve stated earlier, the linear levels are quick and don’t lag on too long and the open levels offer enough space to work with. There are a butt ton of secrets to be found within each level and the game heavily rewards you for straying off the beaten path. The controls are tight meaning when you aim you're not firing all willy-nilly. I like how crafting is handled in this game. I heard that Metro Exodus ditched the trading system from the previous where you trade specific ammo types for the ones you want. Crafting works in Metro Exodus, because it’s simple and doesn’t require you to search so damn much. The guns are all satisfying to use each packing the punch they need. I swear, the shotgun here in one of the best I've used. The game lasts about ten to fifteen hours long depending on how much you decide to dink around which isn’t a bad run time for a shooter such as this.
Metro Exodus is just a really good game and even though it’s drastically different from the other two games the direction it took wasn’t a bad one. There are however a few downsides I had with the game. The frame rate dropped once in a whole due to how much the game has to process. Loading times sucked, but yet again the game needs time to load the environments and knowing the developers they will patch this up. Finally I really don’t like how the game handles moral choice or how it communicates them towards the player. Maybe I should have listened to my companions more carefully when they told me not to shoot up every person I met, but yet again this is the apocalypse. Some of the factions you meet along your journey are just beyond crazy and they gun you immediately once they spot you. You have to do whatever you need to do to survive, so it’s a natural reaction to pull out your gun and defend yourself. Guns being the only way to fight back. I shot up cultists, cannibals, slave owners, forest dwellers, I mean what do you expect it’s the apocalypse? If you're going to give me a gun then of course I’m going to use it to defend myself.
Besides those minor problems, Metro Exodus overall is really good and it perfectly executes each tense moment without having to strip away what makes it a fun survival focused first person shooter. If they were to tweak some of the minor bugs, framerate drops on consoles, and loading times this would be a perfect modern first person shooter. In the end I am giving Metro Exodus a 9/10 for excellence at best.
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