Metro Exodus

Metro Exodus is a first-person shooter video game developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver in 2019. It is the third installment in the Metro video game series based on Dmitry Glukhovsky's novels, following the events of Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light. The game received positive reviews from critics.

Metro Exodus
Developer(s)4A Games
Publisher(s)Deep Silver
Director(s)Andrew Prokhorov
Producer(s)Mykola Muravskyi
Designer(s)Viacheslav Aristov
Programmer(s)
  • Oles Shyshkovtsov
  • Alexander Maximchuk
  • Vlad Gapchych
Artist(s)Sergei Karmalsky
Writer(s)Andrei Paskhalov
Composer(s)Alexei Omelchuk
SeriesMetro
Engine4A Engine
Platform(s)
Release
  • Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, Xbox One
  • 15 February 2019
  • Stadia
  • 19 November 2019
Genre(s)First-person shooter, Survival horror
Mode(s)Single-player

Gameplay

Metro Exodus is a first-person shooter game with survival horror and stealth elements. Set in the post-apocalyptic wasteland of the former Russian Federation and Republic of Kazakhstan, the player must cope with the new hazards and engage in combat against mutated creatures as well as hostile humans.[1][2] The player wields an arsenal of hand-made weaponry which can be customised through scavenging materials and a crafting system.[2] The game features a mixture of linear levels and sandbox environments.[3] It also includes a dynamic weather system, a day-night cycle, and environments that change along with the seasons as the story progresses. It is set over the course of one whole in-game year.[2][3]

Synopsis

Setting

Metro Exodus is set in the year 2035, one year after the events of Metro: Last Light, on a post-apocalyptic Earth that has been devastated by a nuclear war.[2] The game continues the story from Metro: Last Light's "Redemption" ending. Similar to the previous two entries, the player assumes the role of Artyom, who flees the Moscow Metro and sets off on a continent-spanning journey with his allies to the far east, on a locomotive called the "Aurora". The story takes place over the course of one year, starting with a harsh nuclear winter in the Metro. Another major character, returning from the previous game and the book Metro 2035, is Anna - who is now Artyom's wife.[3] Miller, Anna's father and leader of the Spartan Order, also returns from previous games and novels.

Plot

After the attack on D6, Artyom becomes disillusioned with the constant infighting and corruption within the Metro and leaves the Spartan Order. He soon becomes obsessed with proving that other human survivors exist outside of Moscow and makes numerous dangerous expeditions to the surface, much to Anna's concern and Miller's frustration. However, on one such expedition with Anna, they witness a working train running on the surface. Before they can follow it, they are captured by Hansa soldiers along with a couple of people who claim to be from outside of Moscow. The Hansa soldiers execute the other prisoners and Artyom is shot and left for dead. Surviving the gunshot, Artyom follows the soldiers to their base to rescue Anna, and in the process inadvertently destroys a signal jammer that was blocking all communications going in and out of Moscow. Radio transmissions from all over the world begin to be picked up, and Artyom and Anna realise humanity has not gone extinct. They escape by stealing one of Hansa's trains, the "Aurora", with the aid of a defected Hansa train engineer called Yermak.

As the train leaves, the Spartan Order moves in to retake it and are shocked and confused at Artyom and Anna's presence. Knowing that Hansa will have all of them put to death for knowing the truth, Miller concludes that the Spartans' best chance of survival is to flee Moscow. Once outside the city, he reveals to the others that while many of Russia's cities were bombed, the war did not end and NATO proceeded to occupy what was left of the nation. To prevent more bombs from being dropped on Moscow, the Russian leadership decided to secretly jam all communications to make the outside world believe nobody had survived. They then receive a radio broadcast from Moscow Defense Command calling for survivors to rally at the "Ark" located at Mount Yamantau and Miller decides to head there, believing that the Ark is where the Russian government has rebuilt itself.

After crossing the cult-controlled Volga River, the Spartans reach the Yamantau base and discover that the base's service crew have devolved into cannibals luring survivors in with the false promise of safety. Artyom and the Spartans manage to fight their way out and escape, but Miller's faith in Russia is shattered when he discovers that the government never took refuge in Yamantau, or even survived the war, and thus the Spartans are left wondering what to do next. Using a map they recovered from Yamantau, they decide to travel to a satellite communication center near the Caspian Sea in the hopes of gaining access to a satellite to find habitable land to settle. At the dried up remains of the Caspian Sea, the Spartans steal water and fuel from the local bandits while obtaining an updated satellite map.

As the Spartans continue on their journey, Anna begins to cough up blood, fearing the cause was accidentally breathing poison gas during the journey. They decide to scout a nearby taiga forest valley to see if it is suitable to settle. While scouting the forest, Artyom is caught between two rival survivor factions, and he discovers that the dam protecting the valley from radiation is on the verge of failing, making the area uninhabitable. Artyom returns to the train to learn Anna's condition has worsened. The only chance to save Anna is to find the antidote in Novosibirsk, but the entire city is heavily irradiated.

Miller and Artyom decide to head into the city alone to search for the antidote despite the risk. They enter the Novosibirsk Metro and find a young boy named Kiril, one of the last of the Novosibirsk survivors. Kiril explains that his father left on a mission to obtain a map marking the location of a clean, habitable area. Miller decides to go find the map while Artyom heads out to find the antidote. He manages to recover the antidote, but is gravely wounded by a mutant and absorbs a heavy dose of radiation. Artyom, Miller, and Kiril return to the train with the map and the antidote, but Miller dies of radiation poisoning on the way back after using a dose of anti-radiation serum meant for himself to save Artyom. The rest of the Spartans donate their own blood to give Artyom a critical blood transfusion. Anna is cured with the antidote and with the map, the Spartans settle on the shores of Lake Baikal, which is completely free from radiation.

Artyom's ultimate fate depends on the choices the player made during the journey. In the bad ending, Artyom dies from the radiation poisoning, and the Spartans and a grieving Anna hold a funeral for him and Miller while Artyom's spirit awakens on a dilapidated version of the Aurora. Artyom, along with the spirit of Miller and other characters, remain in this ghostly purgatory for eternity. In the good ending, Artyom survives. Miller is buried and Artyom is selected to take his place as leader of the Spartan Order. Now that they have a home, Artyom decides to return to Moscow and reveal the truth of the world to the survivors of the Metro.

The Two Colonels

While Artyom goes to find the cure for Anna's illness in Novosibirsk, Miller begins retracing the steps of Kiril's father Colonel Slava Khlebnikov to find the satellite map. One year prior, Khlebnikov works as a soldier protecting the Novosibirsk Metro while raising Kiril. Meanwhile, the Novosibirsk Metro government, OSKOM, makes plans to evacuate the Metro but there isn't enough anti-radiation serum to protect the entire population. As a result, OSKOM begins forcibly confiscating serum from the populace, causing civil unrest. Civil war soon breaks out in the Metro, forcing Khlebnikov to defend OSKOM headquarters from the rebels. However, General Tolya deploys poison gas during the battle, killing almost everybody in the station. When Khlebnikov confronts him, Tolya reveals that OSKOM leadership has already taken what serum is left and fled, deciding to flood the Metro with poison gas to mercy kill the rest of the population. However, bitter that he was left behind, Tolya orders his men to destroy the OSKOM evacuation train before committing suicide. With no other choice, Khlebnikov descends into a mutant-infested bunker to retrieve the map leading to Lake Baikal. He finds the map, but succumbs to radiation poisoning after losing his serum dose. In the present, Miller enters the bunker and finds Khlebnikov's body and the map. He assures Khlebnikov that he did not die in vain, and promises to get Kiril out of Novosibirsk before leaving.

Sam's Story

After the Spartan Order settles in Lake Baikal, one of the Spartans, U.S. Marine Samuel "Sam" Taylor, decides to find a way to return to his home in San Diego to see if his father survived the nuclear war. Parting ways with the Spartan Order, Sam travels to the port city of Vladivostok where he meets Captain Eduardo "Ed" Baranov. Baranov points Sam to an intact nuclear submarine, the Mayflower, which can take Sam back to the United States. However, Sam and Ed are separated by a mutant attack and Sam is apprehended by men working for Tom, a fellow American. Tom explains that he was an arms dealer who was stranded in Russia after the nuclear bombs fell, and asks Sam to find Ed since he is the only person who knows how to refuel the Mayflower. Ed does not trust Tom's intentions with the Mayflower, especially since it is still armed with nuclear missiles and his crew has gone missing, but Sam convinces him to negotiate a deal with Tom. Sam and Ed travel to a nearby abandoned naval base to recover the fuel rods needed to power the Mayflower. However, Ed is still mistrustful of Tom, and he asks Sam to use the opportunity to sabotage the Mayflower, even if it means sacrificing his chance to return home. Suddenly, Tom's lieutenant Klim betrays him and attacks the Mayflower, forcing Sam, Ed, and Tom to work together. Sam kills Klim and the Mayflower begins to sail out of port. Sam then has the choice of sabotaging the Mayflower or leaving it intact.

If Sam does not sabotage the Mayflower, Tom takes him to San Diego as promised with the firepower of the Mayflower at his command. If Sam sabotages the Mayflower, the submarine explodes and sinks, killing both Ed and Tom. Sam remains in Vladivostok, but is happy knowing nobody can use the nuclear weapons the Mayflower was carrying and resolves to find another way back home.

Development and release

Metro Exodus is developed by 4A Games.[3] Development of the game began in 2014 at 4A Games' studios in Malta and Kiev.[2] The game uses the 4A Engine.[4] Metro Exodus was announced on 11 June 2017 at Microsoft's press conference during E3 2017.[3] The game was released for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One on 15 February 2019,[5] followed by a Stadia version on 19 November 2019, as part of that system's launch.[6] The first expansion pack, The Two Colonels, was released on 20 August 2019,[7] followed by the second expansion, titled Sam's Story, on 11 February 2020.[8]

The game features a Dolby Atmos soundtrack.[9]

Epic Games Store controversy

On 28 January 2019, it was announced that the PC release would be exclusive to the Epic Games Store for one year, with the publisher citing the platform's more favourable revenue split. The game's pre-sales were discontinued on Steam following the announcement, with existing Steam digital purchases still being fulfilled.[10][11][12] The decision caused controversy, and resulted in a large number of players calling for a boycott of the game and review bombing the franchise's previous games on Steam.[13][14][15][16] The physical retail editions of the game, previously announced for Steam, were also changed to use Epic Games Store, despite many copies already being preordered by customers. One of the game's developers was criticised in the gaming press for stating on a forum that if Metro Exodus did not sell well on the Epic Games Store, its sequels may become console exclusives. 4A Games released a statement that these views did not represent those of the company.[17][18]

Reception
Reception
Aggregate score
AggregatorScore
Metacritic(PC) 82/100[19]
(PS4) 80/100[20]
(XONE) 82/100[21]
Review scores
PublicationScore
Game Informer8.75/10[22]
GameSpot8/10[23]
IGN8.5/10[24]
PC Gamer (UK)78/100[25]

Metro Exodus was released to "generally favourable" reviews, according to the review aggregator Metacritic.[19][20][21]

Sales

In its release month, Metro Exodus claimed the number two on the UK's sales charts. Metro Exodus also sold 50% more copies than its predecessor, Metro: Last Light.[26] In Japan, approximately 17,513 physical units for PS4 were sold during its launch week becoming the number 7 selling game of any format.[27]

Up to the end of its release quarter on 31 March 2019, the game generated €58 million for publisher Deep Silver.[28] After the release on Steam on 15 February 2020, the game sold more than 200,000 copies within a couple of days.[29]

Awards
YearAwardCategoryResultRef
2017 Golden Joystick Awards Most Wanted Game Nominated [30]
2018 Game Critics Awards Best PC Game Nominated [31]
Best Action Game Nominated
Gamescom Awards Nominated [32]
Golden Joystick Awards Most Wanted Game Nominated [33]
2019 Develop:Star Awards Best Visual Art Nominated [34]
Game of the Year Nominated
Golden Joystick Awards Best Storytelling Nominated [35]
Best Visual Design Nominated
Titanium Awards Best Action Game Nominated [36]
The Game Awards 2019 Nominated [37]
2020 23rd Annual D.I.C.E. Awards Outstanding Technical Achievement Nominated [38]
NAVGTR Awards Graphics, Technical Nominated [39]
Pégases Awards 2020 Best International Game Won [40][41]
16th British Academy Games Awards Technical Achievement Nominated [42]
gollark: Yes, it does.
gollark: Do you not also need to poke at `io`?
gollark: Because I'm lazy!
gollark: I have one, but it ends up having to basically run the entire BIOS again to rebuild the environment, and is now quite tightly coupled to potatOS.
gollark: And I think <@111572502722920448> said something about making their own sandbox thingy. They definitely have an old and kind of bad but working one available.

References
  1. Dunn, Jeff (11 June 2017). "'Metro Exodus' is a gorgeous action-adventure game coming to Microsoft's new Xbox One X". Business Insider. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  2. Parfitt, Ben (12 June 2017). "Metro Exodus takes the series open world". MCV. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  3. Alexander, Julia (11 June 2017). "Metro Exodus developer calls sandbox survival game 'most ambitious project yet'". Polygon. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  4. Geoff Keighley. Metro: Exodus Developer Interview on YouTube. (11 June 2017).
  5. Brown, Fraser (13 December 2018). "Metro Exodus brings its release date forward by a week". PC Gamer.
  6. McWhertor, Michael (18 November 2019). "Google adds 10 more games to Stadia launch lineup". Polygon. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  7. Purslow, Matt (19 August 2019). "Metro Exodus DLC The Two Colonels Releases Tomorrow - Gamescom 2019". IGN. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  8. Wakeling, Richard (11 February 2020). "Metro Exodus' Second Major Expansion Is Out Now; See The Launch Trailer". GameSpot. Retrieved 6 April 2020.
  9. https://news.xbox.com/en-us/2017/11/13/xbox-one-x-windows-sonic-dolby-atmos-feature/
  10. Knezevic, Kevin (2 February 2019). "Metro Exodus Leaving Steam For Epic Games Store Seems Controversial Even Inside THQ". GameSpot. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  11. Kuchera, Ben (28 January 2019). "Metro Exodus ditches Steam to become an Epic Games Store exclusive". Polygon. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  12. Roberts, Samuel (28 January 2019). "Metro Exodus will only release on the Epic Store, but Steam preorders will be honored". PC Gamer. Retrieved 28 January 2019.
  13. "Metro Games Review Bombed on Steam After Epic Store Announcement". Game Rant. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  14. "Metro creator on Epic Games controversy: 'I am standing by and watching [the franchise] being killed'". GameRevolution. 30 January 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  15. Grayson, Nathan. "After Epic Store Deal, Steam Users Review Bomb Metro Games". Kotaku. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  16. Chalk, Andy. "Players protest Epic's Metro Exodus exclusive by review-bombing the series on Steam". PC Gamer. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
  17. Palumbo, Alessio (3 February 2019). "[UPDATED] Metro Dev: If You Boycott Metro Exodus Because It's Not on Steam, Chances Are the Next Metro Won't Be on PC At All". Wccftech. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  18. "Metro Exodus Developer Threatens Skipping PC in the Future if Steam Fans Boycott". DualShockers. 2 February 2019. Retrieved 3 February 2019.
  19. "Metro Exodus for PC Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  20. "Metro Exodus for PlayStation 4 Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  21. "Metro Exodus for Xbox One Reviews". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  22. Bertz, Matt (13 February 2019). "Metro Exodus Review – Stepping Out Of The Shadows". Game Informer. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  23. Higham, Michael (13 February 2019). "Metro Exodus Review - Bound By Blood". GameSpot. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  24. Ogilvie, Tristan (13 February 2019). "Metro Exodus Review". IGN. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  25. Kelly, Andy (13 February 2019). "Metro Exodus review". PC Gamer. Retrieved 13 February 2019.
  26. Dring, Christopher (17 February 2019). "UK Charts: Far Cry New Dawn is No.1, but Metro Exodus is the real winner". GamesIndustry.biz.
  27. Romano, Sal (20 February 2019). "Media Create Sales: 2/11/19 – 2/17/19". Gematsu.
  28. Wingefors, Lars (20 May 2020). Full Year Report & Q4 Webcast Presentation - Embracer Group (Video). Embracer Group. Event occurs at 22:27. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  29. Batchelor, James (20 February 2020). "Metro Exodus off to strong start on Steam, despite Epic exclusivity". GamesIndustry.biz. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  30. Gaito, Eri (13 November 2017). "Golden Joystick Awards 2017 Nominees". Best in Slot. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  31. Watts, Steve (5 July 2018). "Resident Evil 2 Wins Top Honor In E3 Game Critics Awards". GameSpot. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  32. Keane, Sean (22 August 2018). "Gamescom 2018 award winners include Marvel's Spider-Man, Super Smash Bros. Ultimate". CNET. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  33. Hoggins, Tom (24 September 2018). "Golden Joysticks 2018 nominees announced, voting open now". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  34. Blake, Vikki (16 May 2019). "Shortlist for Develop:Star Awards 2019 revealed". MCV. Retrieved 18 June 2019.
  35. Tailby, Stephen (20 September 2019). "Days Gone Rides Off with Three Nominations in This Year's Golden Joystick Awards". Push Square. Retrieved 20 September 2019.
  36. "Titanium Awards 2019". Fun & Serious Game Festival. Archived from the original on 21 November 2019. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
  37. Winslow, Jeremy (19 November 2019). "The Game Awards 2019 Nominees Full List". GameSpot. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
  38. Chalk, Andy (13 January 2020). "Control and Death Stranding get 8 nominations each for the 2020 DICE Awards". PC Gamer. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  39. "2019 Nominees". National Academy of Video Game Trade Reviewers. 13 January 2020. Retrieved 18 January 2020.
  40. "All the categories (2020)". Pégases Awards. 7 February 2020. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
  41. "Pégases 2020 : La liste des vainqueurs par catégorie". Jeuxvideo.com (in French). 10 March 2020. Retrieved 10 March 2020.
  42. Stuart, Keith (3 March 2020). "Death Stranding and Control dominate Bafta games awards nominations". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 March 2020.
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