Metro Exodus starts of fairly similarly to where the first two games in the series left off. But after an exciting prologue, things open up vastly to what feels like a completely different game. Indeed, the game starts with an exodus from the metro, on to a train. Here, it turns into a thrilling post-apocalyptic road trip (actually, a rail trip), with a few stops along the way.
The game broadly has 4 different regions, interspersed with minor levels in between. These minor levels have some remarkable moments and never feel like filler content - indeed, they successfully mix things up offering something quite different to the major levels. The four levels themselves are vastly different from each other, in wildly different environments. This offers a feeling of traveling through a considerable space and time, that's often missing in games with one open world. Leaving the titular metro system does feel like a different experience, though the game's signature gameplay carries over. There are no UI elements in the game - everything is diegetic. In general, there's a focus on realism over convenience, reminiscent of Kingdom Come: Deliverance or Red Dead Redemption II. The animations are slower and more realistic than your average FPS, and ammunition is rare. Depending on the difficulty level you play, Metro Exodus indeed becomes more of a stealth game than a shooter.
The first region offers the first glimpse of Metro Exodus in an open ended environment, and it does work remarkably well. There's definitely much more opportunity for stealth, and other strategy. Going in all guns blazing will never work in this game, so you have to tread every step with caution. That's what makes the game so thrilling. While there are some jump scares, the game relies largely on atmosphere, with some incredible visuals and eerie soundscapes and music. The lighting and shadows are sublime - especially with ray-tracing on PCs - and aids to add gameplay immersion. It's not just about realism, but rather, the controlling what the player can and cannot see. This is what builds tension.
New to the series are side missions. While on the surface they seem to follow the open world formula of go-there-do-this-fetch-that, there are only a few of them, and they are written very well. Due to strong writing, a fetch quest is no longer about fetching, but rather, getting something for a character that leads to an emotional reward. While traversal is similar to open worlds, once you reach a certain destination, the game takes over in a more scripted, linear approach at times, particularly in the interior locations. This is where the vibes of the older Metro games return, just with far more polish and confidence. Overall, the formula works well for the first two major levels.
The third region is the high point of the game, and one of the finest stealth levels I've ever played. This area is much less open than the others, and brilliantly combines some of the freedom of the open world, with a highly tactical infiltration mission. This does remind me of Crysis, albeit more stealth-oriented. In the end, you feel like you have plenty of freedom and choice, but the level is designed so excellently it also drives you down a scripted path. I won't spoil anything, but this Taiga mission is one for the ages. The final area feels like kind of unexpected - definitely a return to classic Metro. While the first two missions are very good, the last two ratchet things up to a level of rare excellence.
Metro Exodus' writing is strong throughout, though the English voice acting is rather suspect at times. It's light on plot, as you'd expect a Metro game, but it's focus on moments and sequences pays off very well. I'd definitely recommend playing the game with Russian voice and English subtitles. The game is anchored around the train, and there's a sense of camaraderie that's reminiscent of Red Dead Redemption II's camps, or The Outer Worlds' The Unreliable.
This is a rare example of a modern game reinventing a beloved series with new elements, while retaining all of its spirits. It's the best game in the series, and the higher budget is evident across the board. Though the game is ostensibly a first person shooter, if you're unfamiliar with the Metro series, do expect more of a stealth experience. I'm going to play the DLCs soon, and will review them in the coming weeks.
