Metro Exodus takes the series’s hook of exploring the desolate metros of post-apocalyptic Russia and propels protagonist Artyom into the wastelands for a semi-open-world journey for survival.

What is Metro Exodus?

Continuing the legacy of its source material, Metro Exodus is a sequel to both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light. Based on an original story by Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro Exodus is a first-person shooter survival horror game set in the ruined wastelands of Russia following nuclear war.

As in the previous entries in the series, developer 4A Games is seeking to preserve the essence of what made Metro 2033 successful in the first place. Focusing on a narrative that drives players across the Russian landscape offers the developers a chance to highlight the significance of the franchise’s overall setting. Metro Exodus presents itself as a unique opportunity to experience a familiar idea, but in a new environment.

Set after the events of Metro: Last Light, Metro Exodus features Artyom on a year-long journey across the desolate wastelands of Old Russia, seeking to uncover the ruins of civilization left behind after the nuclear winter. Throughout the game, players will visit a variety of settings within Exodus’s open-world, with Artyom travelling aboard an armored train named the Aurora. This train acts as a moving settlement, where players are accompanied by a small band of survivors also seeking refuge. Over the course of the game, players will upgrade the Aurora, providing new weapons and upgrades to its NPCs.

4A Games decided upon the inclusion of a traveling settlement rather than a traditional base-building mechanic to accompany the game’s migration ideology. However, the team promises that the open-world wasteland will not abandon the tension-driven atmosphere of previous entries in the franchise. The outdoor landscapes of Metro Exodus will still feature numerous opportunities for players to explore ruined cityscapes and underground metros.

Why are we excited?

Metro Exodus is both a departure from the series’s roots and an embodiment of its primary ideology. Abandoning most of the linear design of previous Metro titles, Metro Exodus feels like a breath of fresh air, albeit if one can consider nuclear pollution to be fresh.

Witnessing nature take hold of an environment that was once inhabited by humans and technology has something of the incredible about it. In 2033 and Last Light, players were only given a small glimpse of post-nuclear Russia, with those games inevitably forcing Artyom back underground. With Metro Exodus, players will now be able to experience the true horrors of what lives on the surface.

The Metro game franchise deserves special recognition within the industry due to its ability to make an old premise feel new. Many titles focus on post-nuclear wastelands, but few are able to take the experience outside of American borders and make it as interesting as Metro. The Fallout games are fun when considering their scope, but they always lack an intriguing story and setting.

From underground tunnels to a semi-open wasteland, the Metro franchise has found beauty within its rustic industrial design, while simultaneously conveying a story that is sure to stick with many players.

What is potentially most interesting about Metro Exodus is the story it seeks to tell. The game takes place after Metro: Last Light’s “enlightened” ending, which is considered to be the canon ending. Artyom is now married to Anna, and players follow them on their journey across Russia to find a safe place to live. Seeing how 4A Games tackles the concept of a “safe place to live” will be interesting because, if previous entries in the series are any indication, the safest place in this post-nuclear world is underground.

Metro Exodus’s announcement at E3 2017 came out of the blue, with many fans believing that Metro: Last Light was to conclude Artyom’s story. Since the video game series has departed from the novelizations since 2033, Exodus is sure to take the series to an interesting place, and perhaps gamers will finally see a conclusion to Artyom’s journey.

When can we play it?

Metro Exodus is set to release on February 15, 2019, a week sooner than its original launch date of February 22. Players will be able to experience Metro Exodus on PC, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. Anyone looking to catch up on Metro’s story so far can check out the Metro Redux collection on the aforementioned systems, which combines both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light.

Are you as keen for this long journey across Russia as we are? Let us know in the comments below, and make sure to come back tomorrow when we shine a light upon an unexpected entry in a franchise that has proven unafraid of tackling all manner of different settings.

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