

It's something that Metro Exodus gets right that so many other open-world games get wrong, and I commend 4A Games for its efforts in this area. It deepens my connection with the setting, and since I know my actions will have a genuine impact on the world, the story, and its characters, it leads me to carefully consider the choices I make throughout my playthrough.

It's true that game worlds don't have to be responsive to be fun to interact with, but the fact that Metro Exodus reacts to your presence in so many different ways is what makes it feel so alive. In the game's first level, The Volga, giving one of your comrades a guitar you can take from a bandit-controlled tower will lead to that character playing songs for you and your allies for the rest of the game. If you choose to attack a bandit camp, you may find your safehouse surrounded by enemies seeking revenge next time you wake up after sleeping through the night.

Certain NPCs will appreciate it when you save them from captivity or keep your weapon lowered when interacting with them, rewarding you with a place to rest, useful information, crafting supplies, and even some key items that can be used to unlock new areas in the open world. The game also responds to your choices in many smaller ways as well.

Metro Exodus responds to your actions in a number of big and small ways. Conversely, if you help members of those groups and interact with them non-lethally whenever possible, they'll remember that, too, and will show their appreciation with a guarantee that you can pass through their territory safely. For example, if you choose to be hostile towards groups that you might otherwise be able to strike a truce with later on, they'll remember that you killed their members and will retaliate. I've found that the settings in most other games generally don't "push back" when you do something noteworthy, but Metro Exodus' world responds to your actions in a number of ways, both big and small.įor starters, the way you choose to deal with the various factions you find while traveling through post-apocalyptic Russia can have a massive impact on how those factions treat you and your allies. Metro Exodus' world is also significantly more responsive than many other open-world games, which makes your actions within the setting feel like they matter and have impact. Source: Deep Silver (Image credit: Source: Deep Silver) There are plenty of audio recordings and snippets of lore you can find as well, all of which add to the character of the area you're journeying through. Almost every location in the game has something of value to find, ranging from weapon attachments and crafting materials to permanent upgrades for Artyom's suit, helmet, or gas mask.
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Is that structure a safehouse where you can rest, or a den full of mutants? Is it a bandit camp, or a large cache of useful supplies? You won't know until you go there and find out, and that's what makes Metro Exodus' world so fun to explore.ĤA Games also did a great job making sure that players would be handsomely rewarded for going off the beaten path. The game never tells you what to expect from each of its locations, keeping the player on their toes. Your map starts off completely blank, and while you can get a rough idea of where points of interest are by getting to high ground and scoping out the area with your binoculars, the only icon you'll ever get on your map is a question mark. Metro Exodus solves this issue by smartly limiting how much information the player can get their hands on before they adventure around its levels. Many games either tell you what and where everything is ahead of time with map icons or don't reward players well for investigating every nook and cranny, making the game world boring and unfulfilling to explore. Secondly, Metro Exodus does an excellent job of promoting the joy of discovering things in its open levels, which is crucial for open-world games to get right.
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Source: Windows Central (Image credit: Source: Windows Central)
