Metro: Exodus | PS4 Review

Three games into their Metro series, 4A Games knows how to lay on the despair. It’s not a kind world in post-apocalyptic Russia. The tunnels are dirty and crowded, the city is irradiated, and there’s always a horrific mutated monster right around the corner. In spite of this, Artyom has never given up hope. This is a man who has seen the worst the world has to offer, but feels compelled to prove humanity can do better. Metro: Exodus is the end of this trilogy, and the developers have done right by the world they’ve created.

Homeward Bound

The biggest difference with this entry is that the metro tunnels of Moscow are abandoned. Replacing this is a new home: The Aurora. This massive train allows Artyom to finally take his family in search of a safe place to rebuild. They hope to find somewhere on the surface that is safe from radiation and far from people that would do them harm. They quickly learn that the world isn’t much better outdoors.

Obviously I don’t want to spoil too much, but Metro: Exodus is unafraid to remind you how terrible humanity is. Every time things are looking up for the crew of the Aurora, the world beats them right back down. This isn’t too say there isn’t brightness in the game. Short chapters in between main areas allow you time to learn about this crew. You’ll grow to like these characters, and be happy to see their happiness.

And Not a Word Between Them

Not to say the story is perfect. Artyom’s presence as a silent protagonist is much more pronounced here than in past games. This is a married man who never speaks to his wife. Who refuses to speak back against his overbearing father-in-law. The believability is stretched even further by the fact that we know Artyom can speak. He speaks during every loading screen of the game. I understood slightly in Metro 2033 when he was the low man on the totem pole, but here in Exodus he’s practically a legend. It’s jarring, to say the least.

There’s a lot of horrific things you’ll see in the game, but it’s all in service to the larger themes. The final chapter is a particularly atmospheric highlight. I haven’t played a last level that compelling in a long time. Everything comes together by the end of Metro: Exodus in impressive fashion.

He Ain’t No Gunslinger

Less impressive is the gun handling. I understand this game doesn’t want to be an FPS. It’s not interested in shooting as much as it is story and worldbuilding. But you will inevitably get into gun battles, and it’s pretty frustrating when death and damage don’t feel like your fault. There’s a noticeable input lag on everything you do, something that prevents the gunplay from ever being fun. Your brain will compensate for it after a few hours, but it will never make the shooting feel tremendous.

Exploring is still great in spite of the control issues, however. The Metro series has always done a wonderful job of dressing the world in dread. Whether it’s the need to change air filters in your gas mask or walking by a corpse pile, the world constantly reminds you it’s long past been killed. There’s a great push-and-pull here that other post-apocalyptic games only ever hint at.

You could be down to your final bullet, and staring down a doorway. Your air filter is about to run out, and you know mutated creatures roam the area. That building could have the air filter you need, or even more bullets. But is it worth the risk right now? What if the enemy inside takes two bullets to take down? This feeling of foreboding is constant as you explore the open levels on the surface, and it leads to you actually fighting to survive. It’s also worth mentioning that items have no shine to indicate their presence. Things blend into the environment, making it all the more important to pay attention.

Gun Control

There’s resource gathering and crafting in the game as well, but it’s pretty bare-bones. It’s simple and uncomplicated, which was fine by me. More interesting, however, was the weapon customization. Though the weapons themselves may be few, they’re highly modifiable. Going with a bigger magazine could help with reloading, but it will cost you stability. That night vision scope will help in the dark, but it’s going to blind you near light sources. There’s a cost to everything in Metro, and it’s nice the game put its confidence in you to figure it out.

The game itself is very pretty to look at, but one thing kept killing the presentation. The audio mix is a complete mess. Voices are far too quiet when even a minimal distance away, for instance. Characters are also constantly talking over each other. This could be a stylistic approach, some kind of “other people are talking to each other even if they’re not talking to you.” Even if that is the case, and I’m not sure it is, it’s wildly distracting.

Goodbye, Artyom

Metro: Exodus is the perfect example of why playing a game to completion is so important. The characters grow as the game progresses. Stakes are constantly being raised, but remain personal. The darkness of humanity is explored, but so is the light. As you play more, you become more invested in everything going on.

I missed the cold tunnels of the metro at first, but by the end of the game The Aurora was my new home. I was elated to see Artyom’s journey reach a worthwhile destination. You will be too.

This review is based on a PS4 copy of the game provided by Deep Silver for review coverage purposes and is also available on Xbox One and PC via the Epic Games Store.