Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is a first-person shooter video game developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver in 2019. The game is the third installment in the Metro video game series, which is based on Dmitry Glukhovsky's novels. It is a sequel to Metro: Last Light and the book Metro 2035, and follows protagonist Artyom and his crew as they flee the Moscow Metro and set off with their allies on an intercontinental journey through Russia and parts of Kazakhstan on a locomotive called Aurora. The story takes place over a year, during which Artyom visits locations such as the Volga River and the Caspian Sea. The game improves on the gameplay mechanics of Last Light; it includes several miniature open world locations and has linear levels like earlier games in the series.

Starting in 2014, the game was developed by a team of around 150 based in Kyiv and Malta. The Exodus studio's main objective was to combine the core gameplay pillars of the Metro series with elements from S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadow of Chernobyl (2007), which prioritizes emergent gameplay and features a large, explorable space. The team experimented with open-world gameplay and excluded mission markers so that players can explore naturally. To keep the game immersive, the game had a minimalistic head-up display, as in-game information was physicalized through Artyom's gears and equipment. 4A collaborated with Glukhovsky on the game's story, which focuses more on Artyom's personal story and relationships, forgoing some of the supernatural elements found in previous games for a more grounded story.

Announced in June 2017, Metro Exodus was released for PlayStation 4, Windows and Xbox One in February 2019. An upgraded version of the game titled Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition was released for PlayStation 5, Windows, and Xbox Series X/S in May 2021. The game received generally positive reviews from critics, who praised its visuals, level design, gameplay and story. It has sold over 10 million units as of February 2024. Two downloadable expansions titled The Two Colonels and Sam's Story, each of which features a new playable character, were released in August 2019 and February 2020, respectively. In November 2020, it was announced that a sequel is in development.

Like earlier games in the series, Metro Exodus is a first-person shooter. The player controls player-character Artyom, who must leave the tunnels of Moscow and travel across the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the former Russian Federation and Republic of Kazakhstan while fighting against mutated creatures and hostile humans. The game occurs in one in-game year; environments change along with the seasons as the story progresses. Like earlier Metro games, Metro Exodus includes linear missions and introduces several large, open spaces for players to explore. A locomotive named the Aurora serves as the game's hub area, where players can converse with other non-playable characters. Using binoculars, players can identify points of interest in each of the game's map. Some areas are severely irradiated and a gas mask must be worn due to toxic air. Each gas filter lasts one minute each, and these must be replaced provided the player has more in reserve. Players must wipe off dirt and blood splatter that collect on the gas mask, which may crack if it is damaged, and players must temporarily repair it using duct tape. The game features a minimalist head-up display (HUD); information is usually displayed to the player through tangible objects. For instance, a timer on Artyom's wristwatch shows how long until the current filter expires; flashlight will flicker if it is running low on battery. A compass that displays the direction of their objectives can be attached to the wristwatch.

Players can use firearms such as pistols, shotguns, sniper rifles, and submachine guns, as well as air-powered weapons such as the Tikhar and the Helsing crossbow, to defeat enemies. Consumables such as Molotov cocktails and grenades can also be used against enemies. The player can carry three weapons at any one time. Players can swap their equipped weapons with those they find in the game world; weapons may also be dismantled for parts and resources, and they can be extensively customized; for instance, a laser sight may be attached to a weapon to increase its accuracy. Players must scavenge for resources as they explore the game's world. In addition to ammunition, players must collect "chemicals" and "materials", both of which are necessary for crafting new consumables and ammunition. Players can craft gas filters, medkits, and ammunition for air-powered weapons by deploying Artyom's backpack. Ammunition for regular weapons must be crafted at workbenches on Aurora. At workbenches, players can also permanently repair their gas masks and clean their weapons. Performance of uncleaned weapons will decrease and they may jam during combat. Through exploring and completing side activities, players will find new gears and upgrades; for instance, they will acquire night-vision goggles in the Volga River map and a motion tracker in the Caspian Sea level, both of which can aid the player in combat.

Players can approach their missions in a variety of ways. They can use stealth tactics such as turning off lights to remain hidden and throwing a can to distract enemies. Alternatively, they can use a lethal approach such as tossing a throwing knife at enemies to quietly kill them. Players are encouraged to plan before approaching a mission. The behavior of enemies, which are controlled by artificial intelligence, may change depending on the time of day. For instance, enemies patrolling a camp during daytime may retreat and sleep inside the camp at night, making infiltration easier. The game has a dynamic weather system, allowing players to take advantages of storms and rain, which mask the sounds of Artyom's footsteps. The time of day can be changed at safehouses in the game's world. Not all human survivors are hostile; some may provide valuable information and open up new points of interest, and some may join Artyom's crew. Subtle moral choices in the game provide karma; good karma can be gained by helping non-playable characters, speaking with survivors with Artyom's gun holstered, and sparing enemies who have surrendered. Karma affects the ending the player experiences. As players progress, they can find collectible items such as diary entries and postcards, which provide additional narrative lore to the game.

Metro Exodus is set in 2035, one year after the events of Metro: Last Light, on a post-apocalyptic Earth that has been devastated by a nuclear war. Many parts of the world are uninhabitable due to radiation, forcing humans to create communities to survive, and split into factions both peaceful and hostile, who often fight against one another and against aggressive mutant creatures that roam the surface and underground. The game continues the story from Metro: Last Light's "Redemption" ending. As in the two preceding games, the player assumes the role of Artyom, who flees the Moscow Metro and sets off on a locomotive called the Aurora with his allies on a journey to the Far East. The story takes place over one year, starting with a harsh nuclear winter in the Metro. Anna, another major character in the preceding game and the book Metro 2035, is now Artyom's wife. Miller, Anna's father and leader of the militaristic Spartan Order in previous games and novels, returns. Artyom's Spartan comrades include Alyosha, Damir, Duke, Idiot, Sam, Stepan, and Tokarev. Other characters who join the Aurora crew during their journey include an engineer named Yermak, a nurse named Katya, Katya's daughter Nastya, and a mechanic named Krest.

After the attack on D6, Artyom becomes disillusioned with the constant infighting and corruption within the Metro and leaves the Spartan Order. He becomes obsessed with proving other humans outside of Moscow have survived and makes numerous dangerous expeditions to the surface, despite Anna and Miller telling him it is futile. During an expedition with Anna, they witness a working train running on the surface. Before they can follow it, they and a couple of people who claim to be from outside Moscow are captured by Hansa soldiers. The Hansa soldiers execute the other prisoners, and Artyom is shot and Anna is taken hostage. Artyom survived the shooting; he follows the soldiers to rescue Anna and inadvertently destroys a signal jammer that was blocking all radio communications between Moscow and the outside world. Radio transmissions from all over the world begin to be received, and Artyom and Anna realize humanity has not gone extinct. They escape by stealing one of Hansa's locomotives that they later name Aurora.