Ever sat on a war game console, synced in, tapping away on some key combinations with the sole purpose of staying alive, commanding troops, killing electronic enemies, gathering loot and leveling up but a minute into the game, it felt like you are watching an epic movie with you as the actor? Yea, that is what Metro Exodus feels like. It is an epic design with a rich storyline that blurs the gulf between a well-written movie script and a game.
Tired of living within the dark horrors of survival underneath the earth’s surface, Metro Exodus brings the adventure, gut splitting, gun-throttling, head spinning fun to the surface of a decimated post-apocalyptic world.
It is still a single player cognac robed in all the tensed glories of yesteryears. However, in a deft move to stand out from the crowd, which it did achieve and stole our hearts, it pelted us with a human touch, unlike others who went with the wind of these times and upped the playing tempo. If you are a run and shoot person, hyper-energy gamer, Metro Exodus might be boring for you because it preaches the gospel of going slow and staying low. Rush; get caught, get shot. For a series that is seeing the glorious light of morning dawn for the first time, its graphics are super dope too.
Metro Exodus comes drenched with the subtle touch of human life and experiences, abandoning the supernatural pace set by its dark-skinned predecessors. Its level affords you some good room to ease up before turning up the heat.
The Outer World
Exodus took the reins from Last Night (no I did not forget the Metro) after the irradiation of the earth. Its main acts – Artyom, Anna his wife and a handful of Spartan Rangers that survived with Colonel Miller as leader rode on train Aurora seeking for a safe haven and to protect what was left of the Moscow citizens.
The train ride takes you on an all-round emotional voyage at each stop. Pelting your sense of sight with plush and lush one moment but dust and dale the next. From the super cold towns dressed in the white robes of snow to the sand dung of desert land to the rich greens of the forest. Each inhabited by what was left of human life; assorted blends of unfriendly mutants and a handful of humans. They would have settled in Moscow but after encountering deadly mutants, had a change of mind. This and the crew trying to figure out what lead to the nuclear war gave rise to their rolling stone life.
However, do not get carried away by the earth’s surface exploration, some tasks/game objectives still require you to go back to your roots – underground as you progress. I should warn you, though, that the subterranean feel more baleful and creepier than ever in Metro Exodus now thanks to improved technologies in sound quality and lightning special effects. You might want to get rid of your heart and headset.
As I told you in the intro paragraph, playing this game feels like watching an interesting movie because of its long off game cut scenes. They help you to get to know each character in this movie-game adventure, their talents, personality traits, etc. The cut scenes also help to heighten the tension you feel when these characters are in the middle of an action scene. I did notice a little glitch to the cut scenesin the programming; characters do interrupt themselves when talking. Also, there was a side mission I got stuck on for hours because I had skipped the main story and not until I watched it, I could access the mission. You would not imagine how relieved I was!
Metro in a Different Light
Did you ever imagine a metro game without the factions and political tussles? Well, Exodus not only took us to the surface, but it also took out the factions. No more Red Army nor Fourth Reich. Our protagonist Artyom has rather become a truly social being meeting all sorts of new, friendly and hostile groups as we explore along in cool awe. The environment is littered with loads of awful evil and magnum surprises. With Metro’s knack for darkness, even though we are on the surface, we are still plunged into outer darkness within a lot of buildings. Do not forget your flashlight nor the fact that its glow attracts enemies. Cannot find the map anywhere on the screen? Well, that is because there is no on-screen map. Rather, you are prodded with the flicker of candlelight in a distant cabin and for your next objective, check Artyom’s wrist for a compass needle.
Before you dive into the world of Metro Exodus, know that the enemy is always lurking in form of hostile air and mutants and your fight is not just with the enemies but also the environment.
