Metro Exodus Complete Edition Review

Metro Exodus Complete Edition is a game that proves to be engrossing and incredible. The story, the gameplay and the level/game design make for an enjoyably addictive adventure. The quality of this title is well worth the money spent.

In Metro Exodus, you take on the role of Artyom, a survivor of what was once Moscow where people have become mutated and now reside in an underground society - that's been labelled as Hell on Earth. The campaign follows you and your band of survivors as they try to find somewhere 'better' than their current position; which takes them out into the land via their new train (Exodus).

It all starts when one day everything changes: something happens which makes everyone go berserk. People turn on one another and before you know it you've become separated from your family, and trying to find them is now your number one priority.

Exodus has an engrossing story; the voice acting is great (with some exceptions) plus most of the characters are likable - so much so in fact that I started getting attached to even random NPCs (like Pavel).

The story telling uses a nice mix of cutscenes, notes, audio logs and more: which all give you information about the world you're in and what's going on around you. The amount of detail that's gone into this world builder is impressive with just enough gaps left for fan fiction and speculation too!

Metro Exodus offers some beautiful environments to explore: each one is unique with it's own set of dangers and rewards. You get a good mix too, from gloomy snowy areas to lush green ones. Then there are the vast underground areas that house horrors around every corner, creatures who have mutated over time since the Great War, creatures just like people now - but not quite because they at times can be murderous!

One thing I did notice was some asset re-usage (from previous Metro titles). While it's great to see familiar places/things come alive in updated ways I would've preferred more variety.

In my playthroughs I noticed some other cheap or lazy design choices such as clipping issues and framerate dips . There were also glitches here and there which had me restart missions or reload saves (like getting stuck inside a rock). Still, when I was in the moment or exploring these issues didn't bother me much as I was having too much fun - but they should've been ironed out for the final release.

Metro Exodus offers all kinds of gameplay which is great. In this vast open-world you get to drive Artyom's homemade rail-car (back home) and after that: there are various vehicles to help you travel around, some can even be customised/upgraded! Then of course there's the shooting, which feels good and satisfies: with guns that feel unique to your character plus an arsenal of handmade gadgets at your disposal such as gas mask filters .

The handcrafted weapons contain all kinds of attachments for scavenging; whether you want to use a standard AK-74 or something more unique like the Helsing sniper rifle. There are some weapons that feel weak and ineffective but they're still fun to use.

When it comes to Metro Exodus's survival elements, I think they've been well done: you have to make sure your gas mask is charged when in the field, maintain your ammo clips, manage your medkits and food/water levels as well as keep an eye on Artyom's condition (by putting him back together again).

In regards to combat, there are areas where stealth can be used which helps if you don't fancy getting shot up - although at enemies spot you even when their back is turned.

I did enjoy Metro Exodus, it was a good trip back to the series though I didn't find it as good as the previous instalment. The gameplay is fun and interesting at times but for me the story-telling felt empty and parts of it were just plain ridiculous (in my opinion). Still, if you enjoyed previous games in this franchise then I have no doubt you'll like this too!