Review
Played on: Xbox One X
Released: 2019
Released: 2019
Introduction
For me there's always been something special about the Metro series, ever since I played the first one back on the Xbox 360. I later went back and played both the first and the second game in their Redux remasters, read review here. The post-apocalyptic setting in Moscow, with it's claustrophobic and monster filled underground tunnels and passages, gave way for some of the best story driven first person shooters in recent times. It combines tactical gun combat with survival horror elements, giving you a chilling feeling of desperately keeping alive.
When they announced Metro Exodus, with a fantastic and visually jaw dropping trailer at E3 last year, I was thrilled to get back into this universe. Sadly, I didn't jump on the bandwagon immediately as I was occupied with other games when it released. But I've finally completed it recently and here are my thoughts on the third Metro game.
When they announced Metro Exodus, with a fantastic and visually jaw dropping trailer at E3 last year, I was thrilled to get back into this universe. Sadly, I didn't jump on the bandwagon immediately as I was occupied with other games when it released. But I've finally completed it recently and here are my thoughts on the third Metro game.
Plot and setting
Exodus continues the story of the series main hero, Artyom. He's still living in the Metro system of post-nuclear war Moscow with his girlfriend Anna. This time around Artyom is desperately seeking to contact the outside world through radio, which accidentally leads him and his special force team on a journey with a huge steam train.
This train serves as the games main hub as you travel across Russia, each location you stop at represents a new season of the year and a scenery change. These locations work as separate open world maps, where you have a set of main missions and lots of smaller optional tasks to explore. I found this layout of the game excellent and the story is really interesting to follow. I loved the whole road trip on a steam train scenario and the really interesting places you visit along the way!
This train serves as the games main hub as you travel across Russia, each location you stop at represents a new season of the year and a scenery change. These locations work as separate open world maps, where you have a set of main missions and lots of smaller optional tasks to explore. I found this layout of the game excellent and the story is really interesting to follow. I loved the whole road trip on a steam train scenario and the really interesting places you visit along the way!
Gameplay and features
Although I'm fairly used to how the Metro games play by now, it's a slight change of mindset going from the more traditional war shooters to these games. Exodus feels much like the previous entries: gunplay is powerful and realistic, a little slower moving and paced, with wear and tear affecting how your gun performs. There's also the intense air powered, pump gun, with metal balls for ammo, to use for quiet, yet deadly attacks.
The game rewards you for being stealthy in a simple and dynamic way by using crouching, keeping hidden by walls and foliage, avoiding using a torch and of course silencers for weapons. Whenever you're detected it shifts to a more typical gunfight. It doesn't punish you for either approach, it's all about what you prefer.
The shooting feels solid enough, but the actual traversal of your character still has this slight janky feel at times. Getting stuck, every so often, you get yourself out but it kind of feels a bit rough. Don't get me wrong, it's nothing close to bad, it just needs a bit of polish to get a better movement flow.
Scavenging the environments, being rewarded for exploring the open worlds question marks on the map, is rewarding but very necessary as there's limited ammunition and supplies. The Metro series has always leaned towards a survival horror approach. Gunfights still feel incredibly intense and vulnerable. Wearing a gas mask with heavy breathing, hearing the glass break and seeing blood splatters as you desperately try to take down cautious enemies. Depicting desperate and harsh environment is something the game excels at.
The shooting feels solid enough, but the actual traversal of your character still has this slight janky feel at times. Getting stuck, every so often, you get yourself out but it kind of feels a bit rough. Don't get me wrong, it's nothing close to bad, it just needs a bit of polish to get a better movement flow.
Scavenging the environments, being rewarded for exploring the open worlds question marks on the map, is rewarding but very necessary as there's limited ammunition and supplies. The Metro series has always leaned towards a survival horror approach. Gunfights still feel incredibly intense and vulnerable. Wearing a gas mask with heavy breathing, hearing the glass break and seeing blood splatters as you desperately try to take down cautious enemies. Depicting desperate and harsh environment is something the game excels at.
Video
The last time I played a Metro was with the Redux versions on a PS4, with a 1080p@60fps presentation, so it's a little sad seeing Exodus on a Xbox One X only supporting 4K@30fps and no 1080p@60fps mode. That said, the visual representation is once again absolutely stunning. Exodus is a huge leap up from the old games and a beautiful game to behold in super sharp 4K.
There's so much detail in the environments, especially natural elements like water, trees, grass and foliage. Depicting nature works incredibly well here. The day and night cycle and weather effects add immersive effects to the experience and the lighting is very well implemented. There's tons of small detail everywhere too, with lots of items and litter scattered about on the ground and worn down locations everywhere. The transition from outdoor to indoor areas is seamless and further showcase how well the game handles both.
I really enjoyed how well this game depicts being outdoors in various locations combined with the seasons. We have lakes, cities, woodlands and deserts, combined with orange autumns and ice cold winters. Stunning visuals with tons of atmosphere all round. The enemy design is creepy too, with mutated animals and monsters scaring the hell out of you!
There's so much detail in the environments, especially natural elements like water, trees, grass and foliage. Depicting nature works incredibly well here. The day and night cycle and weather effects add immersive effects to the experience and the lighting is very well implemented. There's tons of small detail everywhere too, with lots of items and litter scattered about on the ground and worn down locations everywhere. The transition from outdoor to indoor areas is seamless and further showcase how well the game handles both.
I really enjoyed how well this game depicts being outdoors in various locations combined with the seasons. We have lakes, cities, woodlands and deserts, combined with orange autumns and ice cold winters. Stunning visuals with tons of atmosphere all round. The enemy design is creepy too, with mutated animals and monsters scaring the hell out of you!
Update: Metro Exodus has since been updated for the current generation, Xbox Series X/S and PS5, and I have played it through on the Sereis X. Resolution is dropped to 1080p but it's 60fps and supports ray tracing. In fact, the whole lighting engine has been massively updated and makes it look stunning in a completely new way.
Audio
Tense and atmospheric music and sound use, some of the calmer more melodic tunes in menus and on the train are soothing and fit the setting well, otherwise a fairly standard music score. Distinct and heavy weapons sounds combined with a lot of environmental sounds too. Once again Dolby Atmos support really brings out the 3D placement of sounds, helping you locate threats quicker.
Some people complain about the voice overs being native Russian language actors speaking English with a heavy accent, but somehow they have grown on me through the old games and I recognise many of the voices. It doesn't feel like comedy Russian accents either, but genuine. I think they do a good job, and I prefer to listen to dialogue rather than reading subtitles if you switch to the Russian audio. The latter being a more authentic experience I guess, as I can understand the English audio can put some people off.
Some people complain about the voice overs being native Russian language actors speaking English with a heavy accent, but somehow they have grown on me through the old games and I recognise many of the voices. It doesn't feel like comedy Russian accents either, but genuine. I think they do a good job, and I prefer to listen to dialogue rather than reading subtitles if you switch to the Russian audio. The latter being a more authentic experience I guess, as I can understand the English audio can put some people off.
Summary
Being built more about survival than point and shoot like other first person shooters, Metro Exodus does an excellent job at keeping it's fans happy. This game will indeed meet all your expectations from the previous games plus more. For newcomers it's still a fairly brutal and unforgiving experience, both in gameplay and the relentless, dark story.
It's not a series for everyone, it's more about taking a slower approach to combat and being tactical than running in guns blazing. Soaking up the atmosphere and searching through the environments for much needed items and supplies to keep alive.
The less linear and open approach is nice welcome to the series and I really liked that it went for this approach with moderation. Instead of throwing a huge, single map to the player, each area is perfectly portioned out as a smaller area to explore and get your bearings around. It's a wonderful middle way in a crowded open world market.
While a lot of the scenarios and experience feel very familiar, perhaps a bit over used within the Metro series, I still end up feeling that this might be the best one so far. The last part towards the end is so intense I don't think the series has gone so far yet. I literally had to gasp for air towards the end.
My favourite Metro so far then? Yes, I believe so!
It's not a series for everyone, it's more about taking a slower approach to combat and being tactical than running in guns blazing. Soaking up the atmosphere and searching through the environments for much needed items and supplies to keep alive.
The less linear and open approach is nice welcome to the series and I really liked that it went for this approach with moderation. Instead of throwing a huge, single map to the player, each area is perfectly portioned out as a smaller area to explore and get your bearings around. It's a wonderful middle way in a crowded open world market.
While a lot of the scenarios and experience feel very familiar, perhaps a bit over used within the Metro series, I still end up feeling that this might be the best one so far. The last part towards the end is so intense I don't think the series has gone so far yet. I literally had to gasp for air towards the end.
My favourite Metro so far then? Yes, I believe so!
