As gamers, we have plenty of options when it comes to post-apocalyptic excursions. Do we want to see bombed out North American cities populated by Ghouls and ’50s-chic? How about one of several deserts soaked in neon? Do you want robot animals to hunt or just a story about the folly of humanity? What about more zombies than you can shake an expensive camera and/or barbed wire bat at? Whatever your preference, each game in this vein offers something unique. As far as that goes, they don’t come any more unique than the Metro series. With the release of Metro Exodus upon us, let’s examine exactly what about these games makes their fans so devout.
Of course, franchises evolve over time, and that’s definitely the case for Metro. The first two games were linear affairs, while Exodus expands things out into an open world. This mitigates some of the series’ notorious difficulty, and that’s not all Exodus is doing to welcome new players. Be it the end of bullets as currency or the introduction of familiar zombie-esque opponents, the developers are doing a lot to make sure people warm up to the series.
It’s a careful balance. You don’t want to erode what made fans flock to you in the first place, but bigger games demand more eyes if they’re going to thrive. From what we’ve seen, it looks like Metro Exodus strikes a good balance between the two extremes, but it will ultimately be up to players to decide. Whether you mourn the loss of bullet bucks or welcome the player choice and easier gameplay, it’s great that Metro continues on as a weird beacon in a sea of battle royale game. When I take down my first bear in Russia this time around, I’ll be sure to remember that.
Metro Unique
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Why Metro is the most unique FPS series around
You have plenty of choices when it comes to your post-apocalyptic gaming dollar. There are also plenty of similar options out there, with the same sarcastic wit and over the top attitude. Why settle for the ordinary when you can latch onto one of the unique shooters around? Here's everything that makes Metro stand out from the competition. -
Russian Vistas
Perhaps the most defining trait of the Metro series is its Russian roots. Metro is authentically Soviet, based on a series of novels written by Dmitry Glukhovsky and translated from the tongue of the motherland. You can hear said tongue all over the games as well as you explore bombed out authentic Russian locales. -
Russian Wildlife
Prowling those locales are mutated giant versions of some of Russia's signature predators. In what other series will you be fighting giant grizzlies and flying "demons" based on bloodsucking bats. Exodus introduces mutated Russians into the mix, but the bestiary is already pretty expanded, so we won't fault them too much for going to the oft-used zombie well. -
Mother Russia Reborn
Whether it's the underground tunnels of the first games or the open world locations of Exodus, you just don't see such a wide range of locations in this type of game. Metro's Russia can be harsh and uninviting and it can also be colorful and hopeful. It all depends on what the game needs and the series has always been flexible enough to accommodate the wide array of locations -
Buy Things With Bullets
This system has been bred out of the newest entries of the series, but we'd be remiss if we didn't touch on one of Metro's original unique quirks. In the original games, part of the brutal difficulty came from your gun ammunition doubling as currency. Do you want that upgrade or do you want to shoot the mutant attacking you? -
Gas Mask Gripes
Of course, instead of an upgrade, you might want to procure a repaired gas mask. The outside world of Metro is a scary place, and you'll need a breathing apparatus to full explore above the tunnels in early games. It adds an additional resource to the proceedings, an important wrinkle to worry about when you're fleeing from mutants. -
Metro's Brutal Difficulty
Between gas masks and bullet currencies, the early Metro games gained a reputation for being brutally difficult and altogether unforgiving. Exodus gives players more options, but there are still some pretty tough challenges in there if you crank the difficulty as high as it can go. -
The Thinking Person's Shooter
Fans of the series will say that the brutal difficulty curve can easily be mastered with some planning and strategy. This is a far cry from more bombastic first-person shooters, even with Exodus's focus on accessibility. You need to manage resources and consider each battle. Is it really worth risking your neck to take out these enemies? Or can you sneak past them? -
Focus on Story
You may not think it's worth it at the moment, but then you remember that you want to see out Metro's narrative. The series has always had a unique narrative, and Exodus takes it to the next level with complete story focused scenes. -
Stalwart Companions
When boarding the train you ride all across Exodus' open world, you meet with a crew of likable companions. Their reactions to the world change as you shape it, morphing depending on how cruel or kind you end up being while under fire. It's a very engaging way to tell a narrative. -
Weapon Customization
Your train is also home to your weapon bench, where you can tinker with your tools of war to your heart's content. Metro has always had unique weapons, but Exodus' custom weapons are truly a step beyond. Similar in scope to Crysis, it's just one more reason why everyone should give this unique series a proper shot.
