Metro Exodus Review
Survival first person shooter fun.
Metro Exodus is the third game in the Metro series from 4A Games. Based on the novels by Dmitry Glukhovsky you play as Artyom trying to find survivors of the Last War on the surface of post-nuclear war Russia. Together with his wife Anna and comrade soldiers aboard Aurora you travel across different parts of Russia encountering mutants, other crews of soldiers and survivors.
Where as the previous instalments took place below the surface in the winding tunnels of the Metro, Exodus takes place above ground on the surface allowing us to experience the changing seasons and day night cycle. Your actions effect the game too with different endings based on the choices you make throughout the game which is a neat effect.
Gameplay
The game is a first-person shooter survival stealth game. It has a focused narrative where you see the world from Artyom’s perspective. It’s full of action set pieces, interesting characters and incredible world building.
Survival is a big part of the game where you have to scavenge ammo, weapons and parts to stay alive. Resources are generally scarce so don’t waste what you pick up. The game includes dynamic weather, a day-night cycle and environments that change with the seasons as the story progresses. The game moves through Winter, Spring, Summer and Autumn.
Although many of the missions are linear there are open world elements to the game. As you travel across Russia you get to know your crew. Character development and world building is a great feature of the game. You can hang out with the crew and listen to their stories or you can head out on missions.
Graphics & Audio
The graphics and audio are fantastic on console. I played on PS4 with a headset the whole time and felt fully immersed in the world. The PC graphics however are really pushing the boundaries – go check out Digital Foundry’s analysis over on their website.
The audio really brings you in with the stealth elements as you hear soldiers and mutants creep around buildings and out in the world.
Summary
I’m new to the Metro series. For one reason or another I missed the other entries and I’m keen to go back and see what I missed. The single player focus was refreshing and the game play in places was fun. If stealth games are your thing then I could definitely recommend this to you. Building weapons and load outs has a certain depth. The action set pieces are super fun and often breath taking.
At times the game can be frustrating with ammo and materials very rare out there in the world. I didn’t find the UI very intuitive leading to losing a few hours of progress which dented my motivation to continue. The game can feel a little bleak at times and also if you progress through story missions then you can’t go back, so make sure you explore all you want before you progress.
Overall I’m glad I picked up the game and enjoyed the story. If stealth if your game then I’d fully recommend picking this one up, if not then perhaps give it a miss.
| Graphics | 90 |
| Audio | 80 |
| Gameplay | 80 |
| Replay | 75 |
| Fun | 75 |
| Value | 80 |
| Score | 80 |