Metro Exodus has been in the works for many years after the success of Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light. The game will expand on the post-apocalyptic survival series in a massive way by introducing an actual functional train that transports the player across the lands but it’ll also have a meaty story.

Speaking with Official PlayStation Magazine UK, Deep Silver’s Executive Producer Jon Bloch talked about how Metro Exodus’ script is incredibly large.

“To put this into perspective, Metro Exodus’ script is larger than both Metro 2033’s and Last Light’s combined, including all DLC.” said Bloch. Bloch continued by talking about how the world of Metro is vast and there is so much that players will uncover in their journey in Exodus.

“We will encounter new societies, religions, ways of life, environments, monsters, and mutants. Some will seem familiar in some ways, and some will be completely new. As life continued after the apocalypse, it evolved in different ways outside Moscow. Some areas are irradiated in similar ways to Moscow, and some areas are clear of any toxins or destruction.”

The gameplay has also opened up in Metro Exodus with dynamic weather, large open areas, and a day/night cycle, giving it a more sandbox type of feeling. The environment and setting will play a significant role in enemy encounters amongst other things, according to Bloch.

“Choosing when and how to approach different situations will have measurable effects on the player’s experience while completing tasks. Approaching a bandit camp at night might prove advantageous to a more stealthy player, but there may be more bandits around to have to deal with.”

Metro Exodus is currently scheduled to release in 2018.