Incase You Missed It: Metro Exodus

 

                                                    Metro Exodus

                                                                            

 

 

Metro as a series is one you have most likely played or have seen all over any digital store front due to it generally being a discounted title. But don’t let that fool you, the Metro trilogy (2033, Last Light & Exodus) are high quality atmospheric FPS games set in post-apocalyptic Russia in you guessed it, the metro. The first two games are quite linear in scope with some player choice along the way, while Exodus turns all that one it’s head. Exodus while starts as a linear experience opens more and more as the story progresses. The story follows Artyom a Ranger in the Spartan Order, as he journeys through the dangerous monster and human ridden expanse of the Moscow metro tunnels, trying to basically just stay alive 99% of the time. His story does expand exponentially with each subsequent title in the series. But this post is all about Exodus so let’s dive in.  

                            

                                                                      Story          

                                                    

The overarching story of the series is about surviving in a post-apocalyptic hellscape that is Russia, I mean the Moscow Metro tunnels. Fighting crazy and hellish spawns of monsters and President Putin’s perfect soldiers. Exodus brings new light to the entire series by very early on, showing that the people of the Metro are not alone in the world. That their radio signals and any attempt at reaching anyone else in the world was being stopped by their fellow Russians outside of the Metro. So Artyom and Anna are out on a scouting mission they discover that there was a train traveling across the ground topside. They embark on out and eventually through many ups and downs find themselves upon a train with other members of their Spartan Order to discover some place safe for their people to settle away from the harsh world they’ve only known for the past two decades. They meet abdominals of both human and monster amongst the ruined world, leading to some very cinematic and climatic moments I will surely not be forgetting any time soon.

 

                                                                       Gameplay

                                              

The gameplay of Exodus is very similar to most first-person shooters, shoot shit and don’t die. Metro has always added many layers to the simple formula most FPS titles have stayed away from in the past. You have a gas mask, which requires filters and upkeep from damage. You must search for ammo, as most of these places have been picked over for the past 20 years. When you reach a new open area, someone will point out points of interest among the area but don’t baby the gamer by myself sure they’re paying attention. This time around you can drive cars, use ziplines, use little boats which I don’t recommend due to what lies behind the waves. Exodus steps up every aspect of the previous games, it’s scary, more intense and most of all more atmospheric.  

                                                       

                                                            

Atmosphere 

                I’m always looking for a game that doesn’t feel like a game, y’know? You start the game and it’s something you could get lost in, something to really sink your teeth in, well this is that game. I forgot I was playing a game. The world is fully realized, you feel the tension of every time Artyom is in the middle of an encounter and his gas mask starts to break or your gun jams. The sense of dread is there, and you feel as panicked as Artyom’s grunts. The environment around you deteriorates your gun’s ability which results in those gun jams. You must clean your guns regularly to maintain proper use from wear & tear, dirt, sand and water. The way the rain hits Artyom’s gas mask and effects his vision, or a sandstorm blocking out the sun and reducing visibility to mere feet before his face, is always keeps the player on their toes. During each open world phase of the game, you do missions with a specific member of the Spartans. You grow fond of your comrades as you fight your way through mission after mission only to discover how they’re doing with all the twists and turns the story has thrown at them. Your decisions throughout the story do affect the result, along with a subtle moral system you may not realize is in place along the way.  

                                                   
                                                             Conclusion

                                                                    

I don’t give games a score; I find that it diminishes a game. I’m more of a should you play this game or shouldn’t you. I have a habit for liking games most people don’t, eyes looking at you (Evolve, Anthem, Paragon, Agents of Mayhem) but Metro is a series I’ve always enjoyed for its story, gameplay and atmosphere. With each title the series is elevated to another level, and I think Exodus is Metro at it’s finest. I would recommend these series to anyone who doesn’t mind a good ol’  occasional jump scare.