in an era where most first person
in an era where most first person

shooters seem to be intent on constantly
shooters seem to be intent on constantly

upping the tempo Metro Exodus is
upping the tempo Metro Exodus is

refreshing in its demand that you take
refreshing in its demand that you take

your time this is not a run-and-gun
your time this is not a run-and-gun

experience it's a stay low and go slow
experience it's a stay low and go slow

crawl through some of the most
crawl through some of the most

atmospheric and detailed rich settings
atmospheric and detailed rich settings

I've ever experienced in a story-driven
I've ever experienced in a story-driven

shooter with a storyline that sidesteps
shooter with a storyline that sidesteps

the supernatural themes of its
the supernatural themes of its

predecessors in favor of focusing on a
predecessors in favor of focusing on a

more affecting human experience and
more affecting human experience and

level design that affords you
level design that affords you

significantly more freedom without ever
significantly more freedom without ever

giving you too much room to relax
giving you too much room to relax

Metro Exodus feels like the full
Metro Exodus feels like the full

realization of this franchises potential
realization of this franchises potential

[Music]
[Music]

picking up two years after the events of
picking up two years after the events of

Metro last light the largely
Metro last light the largely

self-contained story of Metro Exodus
self-contained story of Metro Exodus

follows the plight of main protagonist
follows the plight of main protagonist

Artyom his wife Anna and the crew of
Artyom his wife Anna and the crew of

surviving Spartan Rangers as they set
surviving Spartan Rangers as they set

out from nuclear war ravaged Moscow in
out from nuclear war ravaged Moscow in

search of safe harbor aboard the train
search of safe harbor aboard the train

Aurora that mobility brings a dazzling
Aurora that mobility brings a dazzling

variety of settings we've never seen in
variety of settings we've never seen in

a Metro game taking you from snow
a Metro game taking you from snow

blanketed sprawls of urban decay to sand
blanketed sprawls of urban decay to sand

swept deserts and lush forest settings
swept deserts and lush forest settings

each populated by a healthy variety of
each populated by a healthy variety of

deadly mutants and pockets of humanity
deadly mutants and pockets of humanity

both friendly and hostile these levels
both friendly and hostile these levels

are also far more open than what we've
are also far more open than what we've

come to expect from the previous two
come to expect from the previous two

metro games but that's not to say you
metro games but that's not to say you

won't spend a considerable amount of
won't spend a considerable amount of

time exploring the traditional dank
time exploring the traditional dank

underground corridors many story
underground corridors many story

objectives still require you to descend
objectives still require you to descend

into the sorts of dread fields
into the sorts of dread fields

subterranea that the metro series was
subterranea that the metro series was

built upon and thanks to a generational
built upon and thanks to a generational

jump in lighting effects and
jump in lighting effects and

high-quality ambient audio they feel
high-quality ambient audio they feel

more ominous and claustrophobic than
more ominous and claustrophobic than

ever up on the surface the largest
ever up on the surface the largest

sandbox tile levels relax the leash and
sandbox tile levels relax the leash and

let you sniff around with more freedom
let you sniff around with more freedom

stuffing your way through enemy camps
stuffing your way through enemy camps

and abandoned houses that can be scoured
and abandoned houses that can be scoured

for precious resources but even when
for precious resources but even when

you're out in the open
you're out in the open

Metro Exodus finds ways of keeping your
Metro Exodus finds ways of keeping your

anxiety levels in the red by obscuring
anxiety levels in the red by obscuring

your surroundings with intermittent
your surroundings with intermittent

sandstorms in the caspian desert level
sandstorms in the caspian desert level

or introducing packs of snarling dogs in
or introducing packs of snarling dogs in

a forest valley section that can attack
a forest valley section that can attack

from any direction and have you
from any direction and have you

frantically scrambling for higher ground
frantically scrambling for higher ground

with factors like these in play Metro
with factors like these in play Metro

Exodus successfully manages to put you
Exodus successfully manages to put you

in wide-open spaces without ever giving
in wide-open spaces without ever giving

you too much room to breathe
you too much room to breathe

Metro Exodus does away with the
Metro Exodus does away with the

ammunition based currency system and
ammunition based currency system and

weapons merchants from its predecessors
weapons merchants from its predecessors

in favor of work benches and a backpack
in favor of work benches and a backpack

that can be used to craft certain items
that can be used to craft certain items

on the fly
on the fly

I found the backpack to be an invaluable
I found the backpack to be an invaluable

addition to the Metro Exodus experience
addition to the Metro Exodus experience

particularly since it also brings with
particularly since it also brings with

it the ability to swap out weapon parts
it the ability to swap out weapon parts

without returning to a base allowing you
without returning to a base allowing you

to tweak your arsenal to suit each enemy
to tweak your arsenal to suit each enemy

encounter human enemies seem noticeably
encounter human enemies seem noticeably

smarter in Metro Exodus communicating
smarter in Metro Exodus communicating

with each other during a firefight and
with each other during a firefight and

intelligently maneuvering around to
intelligently maneuvering around to

flank but it's the scraps with mutants
flank but it's the scraps with mutants

that provide the stiffest combat
that provide the stiffest combat

challenge the gunplay is nice and
challenge the gunplay is nice and

crunchy and there's a broad range of
crunchy and there's a broad range of

mutant enemy types to tackle from the
mutant enemy types to tackle from the

humanimal 's that camouflage themselves
humanimal 's that camouflage themselves

in the desert surroundings and surprise
in the desert surroundings and surprise

you at the last minute to the light
you at the last minute to the light

fearing spider creatures that must be
fearing spider creatures that must be

weakened with the beam of your
weakened with the beam of your

torchlight before you can finish them
torchlight before you can finish them

off each mutant type requires its own
off each mutant type requires its own

unique strategy to overcome which means
unique strategy to overcome which means

combat in Metro Exodus rarely becomes
combat in Metro Exodus rarely becomes

mired in repetition since so much of
mired in repetition since so much of

your time in Metro Exodus is spent on
your time in Metro Exodus is spent on

tents and lonely excursions away from
tents and lonely excursions away from

the Aurora the playable vignettes aboard
the Aurora the playable vignettes aboard

the travelling train that bookend the
the travelling train that bookend the

main levels give you an opportunity to
main levels give you an opportunity to

relax and bond with the rest of the
relax and bond with the rest of the

characters I relished the chance to get
characters I relished the chance to get

to know the crew a little better as the
to know the crew a little better as the

journey went on and I became more
journey went on and I became more

invested in their individual flights as
invested in their individual flights as

a result even despite the inconsistent
a result even despite the inconsistent

quality of the voice acting
quality of the voice acting

I also enjoyed pulling on the train
I also enjoyed pulling on the train

whistle to literally let off steam
whistle to literally let off steam

perhaps I enjoyed it a little too much
perhaps I enjoyed it a little too much

while bonding with these characters
while bonding with these characters

ensures that the plot delivers an
ensures that the plot delivers an

emotional payoff the lack of any main
emotional payoff the lack of any main

antagonist in Metro Exodus means there's
antagonist in Metro Exodus means there's

no climactic showdown to speak of at the
no climactic showdown to speak of at the

story's end after surging forward with
story's end after surging forward with

slow-paced yet sustained momentum for
slow-paced yet sustained momentum for

the bulk of its 20 hour runtime Metro
the bulk of its 20 hour runtime Metro

Exodus ultimately grinds to a halt as
Exodus ultimately grinds to a halt as

opposed to going out with a bang I was
opposed to going out with a bang I was

compelled towards its conclusion by the
compelled towards its conclusion by the

strength of its story and I was altom
strength of its story and I was altom

utley satisfied with how it resolved but
utley satisfied with how it resolved but

I can't help but feel that the most
I can't help but feel that the most

exciting moments of Metro Exodus are
exciting moments of Metro Exodus are

centered around its middle act Metro
centered around its middle act Metro

Exodus takes the fear-inducing formula
Exodus takes the fear-inducing formula

of the series and transplants it into
of the series and transplants it into

expansive sandbox like levels without
expansive sandbox like levels without

losing any of the oppressive tension
losing any of the oppressive tension

that makes the franchise memorable and
that makes the franchise memorable and

distinctive among post-apocalyptic
distinctive among post-apocalyptic

first-person shooters it's a frequently
first-person shooters it's a frequently

exhilarating and densely atmospheric
exhilarating and densely atmospheric

journey across a russian dystopia
journey across a russian dystopia

brimming with detail and deadly
brimming with detail and deadly

inhabitants and well worth the trip for
inhabitants and well worth the trip for

its consistently effective use of
its consistently effective use of

survival horror and hair-raising action
survival horror and hair-raising action

for more on Metro Exodus check out 10
for more on Metro Exodus check out 10

minutes of gameplay and the unboxing of
minutes of gameplay and the unboxing of

the Spartan collector's edition
the Spartan collector's edition