Metro Exodus review

Metro Exodus is the third game in the epic, story-driven first-person shooter series from 4A Games and Deep Silver. Available for both Xbox One and PlayStation 4, Metro Exodus was first announced during Xbox’s E3 2017 briefing. The game continues the story based on Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novel Metro 2033 and takes place above ground.

With elements of both survival horror and stealth, Metro Exodus looks to quite possibly be the best in the series yet. After almost two years of patiently waiting, I was more than excited to finally get my hands-on Metro Exodus.

Metro Exodus Details

Platform: PlayStation 4 and Xbox One
Reviewed on: PlayStation 4 Pro
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver
Genre: First-person shooter
Modes: Single-player
ESRB Rating: M (Mature 17+)

Life outside the Metro

Metro Exodus takes place in 2036, just three years after the events of Metro Last Light. You re-assume the role of Artyom as you embark on an epic journey across Russia in a post-apocalyptic world. For the past 20 years, it was thought that only a small group of people survived the nuclear war.

After taking refuge underground in Moscow and building the Metro, many believed that the rest of the world was an uninhabitable barren wasteland. Frustrated with the status quo, Artyom is determined to find life above ground. After several trips to the surface with no luck, Artyom and his wife Anna witness a working train whiz by them.

While trying to chase down the train, both Artyom and Anna are captured by Hansa soldiers. While at the soldiers’ base, Artyom unknowingly destroys a signal jammer that has been blocking all the incoming and outgoing signals from Moscow. It is then that both Artyom and Anna realize that there is life on the surface and that the war is still going on.

While I would love to tell you more about Metro Exodus‘ story, I don’t want to spoil the surprises that lay ahead for you. From the very beginning to the end when the credits rolled across the screen, I was literally glued to my chair. One element of the game’s story that I found strange is that Artyom never speaks a single word during the whole game.

Gameplay stays close to its roots with some enhancements

Although Metro Exodus takes place above ground with large open areas to explore, its core gameplay remains almost the same as in previous games. Stealth plays a big roll in determining your success in the game. Resources are limited, so you have to be careful and use them wisely.

Though, I did find in a pinch, you can often blast your way out of sticky situations. Unlike previous games, weapons can now be upgraded and moded in the field to suit your particular playstyle. There are a variety of attachments for your weapons and by collecting materials you can craft ammo, grenades, medkits, and more.

To keep your weapon in tip top shape, you’ll have to clean it to keep its accuracy. In the areas that are toxic, you’ll have to wear a gas mask. As a result, you’ll have to manage the filter on your gas mask and make sure that you have enough filters with you at all times.

Controls can be somewhat daunting at first. As you can see in the picture below, Metro Exodus uses every single button on your controller and then some. To be honest, there were times where I forgot what combination of buttons I had to press.

A visually impressive world to explore with a few hiccups

Visually, Metro Exodus looks great. The changing seasons and time of day give each and every location a unique look. Many times, I found myself stopping to look around and admire my surroundings. However, there are a few issues that I couldn’t help but notice over my time with the game.

There were several times where textures on walls, floors and sides of buildings were flickering and clipping. There was even an instance where the steam from a train caused slow down on my PlayStation 4 Pro. A few times enemies would be wiggling or jittering on the ground long after they were dead.

Granted none of these issues are game breaking, I was surprised to see them pop up through out the game. Hopefully these issues can be fixed with future updates. Overall, I was impressed with the world and visuals 4A Games were able to create.

The game’s audio does a decent job of setting the mood but for the most part its non-existent and what is there isn’t memorable at all. The characters are voiced well but at certain points the dialogue between characters can get a bit cheesy. In all honesty, I’m not really sure if 4A Games could have done any better than they did based on the nature of the game.

Metro Exodus is a great addition to the series and the best yet

Metro Exodus gives closure to key characters in the series that we have been following in previous games. The story is well paced and everything you do in the game has a purpose. While gameplay remains close to its roots, the ability to upgrade and mod your weapons in the field is a nice addition.

Several graphical glitches and a few bugs are still present in the game at the time of this writing. Though it’s nothing that will keep you from enjoying the game. If you are a fan of first-person shooters, love a bit of stealth and survival horror thrown in, and a good story, you’ll enjoy Metro Exodus.

+ Entertaining story
+ Beautiful visuals
+ Enhanced gameplay
+ Open world is fun to explore
+ Multiple endings make you think twice about your actions

– Lengthy load times between levels
– Several bugs and graphical glitches are present in the game
– Artyom doesn’t speak or say a word the entire game

OVERALL ASSESSMENT OF METRO EXODUS

Gameplay: 4/5
Graphics: 4/5
Sound: 3.5/5
Lasting Appeal/Replayability: 4/5

Overall Rating 3.9/5 (78%)

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Buy Metro Exodus Gold Edition Digital Download for Xbox One
Purchase the Xbox One X 1 TB Metro Saga Bundle

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