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Metro Exodus marks a significant departure for the series, venturing beyond the claustrophobic tunnels of the Moscow Metro into a vast and diverse landscape. Nine years after the relatively humble beginnings of Metro 2033, Exodus expands on the series’ unique post-apocalyptic world and compelling narrative, offering a journey that is both beautiful and challenging.

While Metro 2033 offered a unique gameplay experience centered around the dark tunnels of the metro and a compelling post-apocalyptic narrative, it struggled to gain commercial success in a market dominated by larger franchises, partly due to its release limited to PC and Xbox 360. Metro: Last Light, released three years later, achieved greater success, continuing Artyom’s journey and delving deeper into themes of religion, human nature, and survival.

Five years after Last Light, 4A Games released Metro Exodus. Despite controversy surrounding its Epic Games Store exclusivity, Exodus remains a notable title. This game signifies a literal exodus, leaving the cold, oppressive Metro tunnels behind for new horizons.

Embracing the Open World

Metro Exodus Moscow

Following the events of Last Light, Artyom continues his desperate search for life outside the Metro. A chance encounter with Anna triggers a chain of events, revealing long-held secrets and challenging everything players thought they knew about the Metro. The storytelling in Exodus is slower paced than its predecessors, delivering information in a concise and manageable way. While newcomers might not grasp every nuance, the narrative avoids overwhelming the player.

Exodus offers a varied pacing, shifting between moments of quiet introspection and intense action sequences. This dynamic approach alleviates the oppressive atmosphere that permeated the previous games. Returning characters add depth to the story, exploring themes of human resilience and expressing a range of emotions. Anna and Guil prove themselves as capable as their male counterparts, and Colonel Miller makes a memorable return.

Metro Exodus Volga

The game’s environments are as diverse as its pacing, ranging from the frozen ruins of Moscow to the humid swamps of the Volga and the arid Caspian Desert. Each location presents unique challenges and rewards, maintaining the series’ signature atmosphere. The open-world design introduces new gameplay elements, including exploration, side quests, and a dynamic day-night cycle. While the game retains some linear levels reminiscent of Last Light’s D6 level, the expanded environments offer a refreshing change of pace.

4A Games continues its tradition of stunning visuals. Exodus was one of the first games to implement Nvidia’s Ray Tracing and DLSS technologies. While these features enhance the visual fidelity, particularly in outdoor environments, they can also create a slight blur. Even without these technologies, the game’s graphics remain impressive, with detailed environments, realistic lighting, and impressive weather effects. However, character animations during dialogue sequences remain somewhat stiff, detracting slightly from the emotional impact.

Refined Combat and Crafting

Metro Exodus Combat

Exodus retains the series’ blend of gunplay, stealth, and survival, but refines the formula to suit the expanded world. The open environments encourage exploration to scavenge for resources, including ammunition, crafting materials, and gas mask filters. Unlike other shooters, Exodus emphasizes resource management, limiting ammunition and forcing players to conserve their supplies. Stealth remains a viable option, allowing players to bypass enemies and avoid open confrontations.

The stealth mechanics have been improved, offering more opportunities for silent takedowns and strategic maneuvering. Timing is crucial, as daytime infiltration is significantly riskier than nighttime operations. Conversely, aggressive assaults can sometimes lead to enemy surrender, conserving ammunition and resources. The currency system based on ammunition has been replaced with a crafting system. Players collect Metal and Alchemy resources to craft essential items and upgrade weapons.

Metro Exodus Crafting

Weapon customization is a key feature in Exodus. Players can scavenge parts or dismantle enemy weapons to create their ideal loadouts. The pneumatic Tihar rifle stands out, offering versatile ammunition types and silent operation, making it ideal for both stealth and open combat. The expanded world introduces new enemies, from familiar mutated creatures in the Metro to larger, more aggressive foes in the open world. The Tsar Fish, a terrifying aquatic predator, is a particularly memorable encounter. While the AI has some limitations, especially during stealth sequences, the satisfying gunplay compensates for these shortcomings.

Technical Hiccups and Frustrations

Metro Exodus Bugs

Despite its visual prowess, Exodus suffers from technical issues. Crashes, loading screen freezes, and graphical glitches can detract from the overall experience. The lack of cloud saves is also a significant oversight for a $60 title, requiring players to manually transfer save files between devices. These technical shortcomings diminish the game’s polish and can be frustrating for players.

Conclusion: A Bold but Imperfect Journey

Metro Exodus is a bold and ambitious entry in the series, offering a compelling narrative, stunning visuals, and refined gameplay. The expanded world and open-ended levels provide a welcome change of pace, while retaining the series’ signature atmosphere. However, technical issues and the lack of cloud saves mar the experience. Despite its flaws, Exodus remains a worthwhile journey for fans of the series and newcomers alike.