Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is the third installment of the post-apocalyptic series from the Ukrainian studio 4A Games (founded in 2005 in Kyiv; since 2014 with offices in Kyiv and Malta), set in the universe of Dmitry Glukhovsky. Artyom and the Spartans of the Order discover a working radio signal and learn that the world beyond the Moscow metro has not been destroyed. On the commandeered armored train Aurora, under the command of Colonel Miller, they head east and cross four semi-open regions: the Volga, the Caspian, the Taiga and the Caspian Desert. Each has its own ecosystem, faction and story arc of 4 to 8 hours.

The main difference from Metro 2033 and Last Light is the move from linear tunnel levels to semi-open zones of 1 to 3 km² with a camp base, side quests and a day and night cycle. Each region is populated by distinctive factions: the religious sectarians of Silas's Jehovists on the Volga, slave owners on the Caspian, and forest savages in the Taiga. The mutants include the Lyuty (mutant dogs), the Demons (flying predators of the Volga) and the giant Master of the Caspian.

Survival rests on details: cleaning the gas mask by hand, sharpening the knife, managing filters in the inventory, and charging the pneumatic Tikhar with a lever. Crafting is available at workbenches on the Aurora and in base zones. The morality system tracks how the player treats people and affects the ending. You can switch between stealthy and aggressive styles tactically: mutants you avoid, humans you knock out or cut down.

The armored train Aurora serves as a living hub between regions: as the story progresses, new companions appear on board, including Anna (a sniper, Miller's daughter), Stepan (a mechanic with a guitar) and the American marine Sam. The soundtrack was written by Alexey Omelchuk, the composer of the whole series. The ending is colored by Viktor Tsoi's song "Aurora" as a musical leitmotif.

The game was released on February 15, 2019 and received a Metacritic score of 85/100 on PC. On Steam it holds an "Overwhelmingly Positive" rating since its release in February 2020. By February 2024 it had sold over 10 million copies. The Enhanced Edition of 2021 with full ray tracing is a free update for owners of the base version, but it requires a graphics card with RTX or RX.

The Russian voice-over is the original production version, not a dub: 4A Games originally developed the game with Russian as the main language, and Dmitry Glukhovsky wrote the franchise in Russian. The next game in the series, Metro 2039, is in development at 4A Games.

Metro Exodus is a post-apocalyptic shooter with role-playing elements from the Ukrainian studio 4A Games, set in the universe of Dmitry Glukhovsky. The full Russian voice-over is the original production version, not a dub.