Did you know you can purchase the entire Metro trilogy of games for less?? than $7 on Steam? Well, today is the last day you can do it. There are less than 24 hours to save about 90% on three of the best niche post-apocalyptic games to grace th?e last 14 years.

The entire Metro saga is on sale to celebrate the release of Metro Awakening, which launched for VR devices on November 7. But if you're not really a VR player and still fancy a tour through an apocalyptic wasteland, now's a good time to consider grabbing the games that came before it �if you don't already own them. ??Personally, playing VR games makes me feel a bit queasy after a while. I'm fine fighting mutant bats as my air supply slowly dwindles, but I'm happier doing it without the added nausea.

Metro Saga Steam sale includes three games, DLC, all for 90% off

The Metro Saga Bundle includes the trilogy of games along with DLC. The first game on the list is 2014's Metro 2033 Redux, a remaster of the 2010 original. It's paired with the direct sequel Metro Last Light Redux, which again remasters the base game while including 10 extra hours of gameplay via its DLC. Finally, we have Metro Exodus Gold Edition, upgrading the base game with ray tracing features and including the DLC episodes Sam's Story and The Two Colonels. For those wondering, the whole shebang comes in at roughly 45 hours if you ignore the e???????????????????????????xtra stuff. It's a lot of game for less than a tenner.

The sale may have flown under the radar for some folks, especially since there's another game set in a post-apocalyptic Eastern Europe that's coming in hot. STALKER 2 is just around the corner, launching on November 20. But if you're looking to explore some hellish badlands on the cheap, or if you're worried about your PC catching on fire, the Metro Sag??a Bundle is a good alternative. The games are fantastic, and you may enjoy them more by knowing you didn't need to break the bank.

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Find the game in the pile

It?'s that time of year again. The Steam Summer Sale 2022 is live right now, with som?e deep discounts on dozens upon dozens of games.

From now until July 7 at 10 a.m. PT, developers and publishers are pu??tting t?heir games on various levels of sales.

And of course, there is a side-game as well. One section brings up a message from time-traveler Clorthax, who has "stolen the ten best games from the far future" and brought them b??ack to sell on Steam.

It's essentially a scavenger hunt, it seems, with clues and hint??s for finding a game. It's a neat little side-venture to e?ngage with across the days of deals.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXMX4YJ7Lks

The Steam Summer Sale deals

Of c?ourse, there are the deals and discounts themselves. There is a massive amount of sales, too many to fit into one text block. So I've taken a cur??sory stroll through the sections and picked out a few notable ones that caught my eye:

• The Sims 4 - $4.99 (75% off)
• Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice - GOTY Edition - $29.99 (50% off)
• Resident Evil Village - $29.99 (50% off)
• Ghostrunner - $11.99 (60% off)
• Devil May Cry 5 - $9.89 (67% off)
• Metro Exodus - $9.89 (67% off)
• Command & Conquer Remastered Collection - $6.99 (65% off)
• Dragon Age Inquisition - Game of the Year Edition - $7.99 (80% off)
• Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain - $4.99 (75% off)
• Dishonored 2 - $5.99 (80% off)
• Wolfenstein Alt History Collection - $18.68 (81% off)
• Batman: Arkham Collection - $8.99 (85% off)

You can find the Steam Summer Sale live here on the store's home page.

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Complete Edition hits PS5 and Xbox Series X/S June 18

While perhaps not at the forefront of the first-person adventure genre, Metro Exodus was, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most atmospheric games I'd played in recent years. And real scary to boot. That bar is only set to rise, with the launch of Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition.

Now available on PC via Steam, Epic Games Store, GOG.com, and the Microsoft Store, Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition takes 4A Games' 2019 post-apocalyptic adventure and gives it a fresh coat of paint for next-gen technology. The new edition includes additional ray-tracing and global illumination effects, improved load times for SSD drives, the implementation of 4K textures, and support for DLSS 2.0 on Nvidia video cards. Best of all, Enhanced Edition arrives as a free update to all Metro Exodus owners.

You can check out a lengthy demo video below to check out the flas?hy features in action.

Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is also in the works for console platforms, and will launch on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S. The console editions will feature both aesthetic and technological improvements, as well as the implementation of platform-specific features, for example haptic feedback support on PS5. Again, the update will be released free-of-charge for owners of the original release of Metro Exodus. A new physical release, Metro Exodus Complete Edition, will also include DLC expansions The Two Colonels and Sam's Story.

If you fancy a miserable jaunt through a Fallout-style universe, packed full of terrifying monsters, scummy humans, and an endless need to scavenge, then it might be more than worth your time to check out Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition on the platform of your choice.

Arachnophobes... maybe sit this one out.

The post Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition now live on PC, 73% scari??er than?? before appeared first on Destructoid.

Ray trace the Metro

Artyom's exodus from the Metro is getting a pretty big overhaul next week. 4A Games has confirmed that the PC Enhanced Edition of Metro Exodus will launch on May 6, 2021.

The upgrade is free for all owners of the original game, whether it's on Steam, the Epic Games Store, GOG, or the Microsoft Store. It also requires Windows, so Linux users and Google Stadia or Amazon Luna players won't be able to check this out just yet. (4A notes that Mac users can play the PC version via GeForce Now in its blog.)

The PC Enhanced Edition will also require Ray Tracing capable hardware, and you cannot run ??it without Ray Tracing on. It's estimated the install size, including the base game and its two DLC packages (The Two Co??lonels and Sam's Story) will come in around 80 GB. So what are you getting for all that heft and storage?

Well, according to Digital Foundry,?? who got an exclusive first look at the upgraded PC version, it's a "phenomenal improv?ement" over the 2019 game. And just watching the video, that's pretty easy to see.

The Metro series has been a visual powerhouse for a while; Last Light was one of the first games I played on my first gaming PC build, and it was a wonderful showcase for it. The Ray Tracing requirement might seem a bit over the top, but if you're looking for a way to show off how awesome your rig is—and play a good game—this might be your Crysis.

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Going deeper underground

Publisher Deep Silver has announced that the PC edition of its Scary-As-All-Fuck first-person adventure Metro Exodus will receive a major upgrade this spring, with the launch of Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition - arriving as a standalone release or as a fre??e upgrade for those who already own the apocalyptic epic.

It sounds like you're really gonna need a hefty engine to get this train runnin', as the Enhanced Edition will require a ray tracing-capable graphics card even at its minimum specification - significantly boosting the game's visuals and special effects and making Metro Exodus' already smothering atmosphere star??ker and more frightening than ever before.

"It is not a simple 'patch' to the base game," noted developer 4A Games in a blog post. "Instead it will be offered as an extra entitlement to all existing Metro Exodus PC players. The PC Enhanced Edition will offer additional ray tracing features, including Advanced Ray Traced Reflections and support for DLSS 2.0 on NVIDIA hardware, which offers sharper im?age details and increased framerates and display resolutions."

Below is a sample screenshot taken from the Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition.

In addition, work continues on a similar upgrade for the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S editions of Metro Exodus, including new lighting effects, 4K textures, and support for hardware specific features such as spatial audio and Haptic Feedback. Crucially, the upgrade will severely reduce Metro Exodus' brutal load times, optimizing t??ransfer time for SSDs.

Metro Exodus is a dark but interesting dystopian adventure. And it sounds as if some of these new upgrades will definitely improve some of the issues that held the game back from achieving greatness on release. If you didn't give Metro Exodus time of day back in 2019, it might be worth checking out this Enhanced Edition - provided you have the juice necessary to get it up to steam, of course. You can check out a full list of changes on the official blog.

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The new Metro game is being built for PC, PS5, and Xbox Series X/S with a 'complete overhaul of our engine and renderer'

4A Games is ushering in another decade of Metro with a new entry and a free next-gen upgrade for Exodus while also branching out with a "new AAA experience that can sit alongside the Metro series."

In a blog post, the studio announced its plans for the next Metro sequel �a PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S release with a "complete overhaul of our? engine" and the potential for multiplayer.

Preemptively assuaging fears, 4A Games says it is exploring multiplayer with a "dedicated team" at Saber Interactive so that "it's not to the detriment of our single-player ambitions." That said, there's no guarantee the next Metro will even have the sto??ry campaign and multiplayer "in the same package."

"We are still figuring things out, but know that we are absolutely committed to more single-player, story-driven experiences in the Metro universe ??that our fans have come to know and love."

As for the more immediate future, Metro Exodus is leveraging the PS5 and Xbox Series X/S for a "faster frame rate, increased resolution, reduced loading times, and stunning Ray Tracing features" �the works. Exodus will offer an upgrade from PS4 to PS5 and Xbox One to Xbox Series X/S in 2021. I'm not at all surprise?d this is happening, and I'm also n??ot surprised it's going to be free. Good on them.

[Update: the Metro Exodus PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrade is out and 4A Games has a full technical breakdown of what's new and different.]

These creators have a lot of ambition, and it's gratifying?? to see them inch closer ??to reaching it.

Metro 10th Anniversary Studio Update [4A Games]

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Late Trains

A little over a year ago, Deep Silver announced that the PC edition of its underground/overground adventure Metro Exodus was to be an Epic Games Store exclusive, which at the time led to upset from rival dashboard Steam.

Well, time flies and that one-year exclusivity deal is just about up. And so the publisher has announced that Metro Exodus will finally be pulling into the Steam station o??n February 15, 2020. S?o if you've been waiting out the clock for the last 12 months, then you just have one more week to go before you can grab it on Valve's platform.

Metro Exodus launched on PS4, PC and Xbox One in February 2019 and is a somewhat over-encumbered, but also great-looking, nerve-wracking, and atmospheric adventure. Deep Silver has since added the first DLC chapter, The Two Colonels, which arrived back in September and will be followed by a second chapter, Sam's Story, on February 11.

Metro Exodus is availa??ble now on PS4, Xbox One and PC via Epic?? Games Store, and arrives on Steam February 15.

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Not-so-gently down the stream

Stadia owners, eager for news about the streaming platform, will be pleased to ??hear that two new games have been announced, and will be arriving for Pro subscribers in February.

The first title is puzzle adventure Gylt, one of the few games specifically designed as a Stadia exclusive. In Gylt, players will guide a young girl, Sally, through a creepy, abstract world as she searches for her missing cousin Emily. Despite its quaint art style, Gylt actually looks like quite an unnerving adv?enture, very nightmarish in tone.

Staying with the creepy factor, the second title is 4A Games' first-person shooter/RPG Metro Exodus, which sees Artyom and his closest allies journey outside Moscow, where they will explore a series of open-world environments, completing missions, helping survivors, and battling hordes of horrific mutants. Occasionally sluggish, Metro Exodus is overall a solid and very atmospheric adventure.

This announcement comes in a week where several articles - such as this piece from Vice - have called out the streaming service for its less-than-stellar startup. This Reddit thread - highlighted by Kotaku UK - shows some Stadia adopters are displeased with both the service itself and the developer's c?ommunication pattern.

In response, a Google Community Manager notes "All the concerns you've brought to the table are completely valid, and I understand where your frustrations are coming from. Nobody likes to be left in the dark. While I don't have product updates to share right at this second, I can promise you that I have been, and will continu??e taking feedback."

Since launching back in November 2019, Stadia still lacks promised features such as mobile support, or the option to play 4K in-browser. Games have arrived with outdated builds, and there is no launch date for the free edition Stadia Base. Given that we're barely?? 90 days removed from the initial launch, it appears that Stadia will struggle to build both its brand and a loyal subscriber base withou?t its plans being transparently communicated to its already aggrieved audience.

Google breaks Stadia silence ?to announce two games [Eurogamer]

The post Stadia announces Gylt and Metro Exodus as February’s Pro games, but some adopters are getting restless appeared first on Destructoid.

Terror Train

Publisher Deep Silver has announced the release date for the next DLC expansion for its unnerving first-person-shooter Metro Exodus. Sam's Story will launch on all platforms on February 11, following on from previous DLC release The Two Colonels.

There's no trailer as of yet for this new side-adventure, but Deep Silver has detailed that Sam's Story will add a new "exploration-based" san??dbox environment. The narrative will see players take the role of the titular Spartan Ranger, who ventures out from the relative safety of the under?ground to join series protagonist Artyom on his journey into the nuclear-winter. After leaving the party's stolen train-cum-home, The Aurora, Sam travels to Vladivostok in an effort to reunite with his missing father.

Sam's Story launches on February 11 and can be purchased separately or is included as part of the game's season pass. Metro Exodus is available now on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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And DLC! And the first game for PC!

Today's contest features some cool swag from, and also a free copy of, Metro Exodus!

From Russia, with love, as they say! Except in this case. It just doesn't look like there's much love in the Metro universe. Everything is super slimy and gross and mutated, and honestly I don't think I'd like to vacation there. Nothing personal, Metro, I just need a bit more sun in my lineup.

Russia might not love you very much, but I do! So I'm giving away some copies of Metro Exodus, along with its DLC The Two Colonels. Also, I've got some sweet Metro sling bags to give away so you can take abject depression with y??ou wherever ??you go! Thanks, Russia!

It's too cold for me to explain, myself, so read some press material. You can also check out our review for more!

Five years in the making, Metro Exodus sees Artyom?? and a band of Spartan Rangers flee the Moscow Metro a??nd embark on an epic, continent-spanning journey across post-apocalyptic Russia.

Inspired by the novels of Dmitry Glukhovsky, Metro Exodus weaves a powerful narrative through its huge single-player campaign that blends ferocio??us combat, exploration, survival and stealth in one of the most atmospheric, immersive gaming wor?lds.

So, the base game isn't enough for ya? The game's first expansion pack, The Two Colonels, serves as both a prequel and side? story, telling the tale of the final days of the Novosibirsk station. It's got more coldness and good old-fashioned Russian oppression, so if you dug the base game you'll love the DLC!

Still not impressed? We've also got these cool shoulder sling backpacks? to give away! It's got a whole bunch of patches on it featuring the game's logo, and lots of zippers so you can carry all your crafting materials you forage from old lockers and stuff. You guys do that too, right?

Here's a recap of everything we're giving away:

• 10 shoulder slings randomly drawn from entrants
• 8 PS4 digital copies of the game and DLC
• 8 Xbox One digital copies of the game and DLC
• 8 PC digital copies (Epic Games Store) of the game and DLC, and as a bonus 8 copies of Metro 2033 Redux and Metro Last Light (both Steam copies)

...whew!

To enter to win, use the widget below to leave your ?name and email address -- be sure to specify which platform you'd like to win! There are plenty of ways to earn bonus entries, as well, so click around and start earnin??'.

Physical prizes are limite??d to United States residents, only. All prizes are shared across the Enthusiast Gaming network; winners will be drawn Friday, December 27.

Metro Exodus and its DLC The Two Colonels are available now for PS4, Xbox One, and PC.

??Contest: Win sweet swag and a free copy of Metro Exodus

The post C?ontest: Win sweet swag and a free copy of Metro E??xodus appeared first on Destructoid.

Tales of two survivors

Metro Exodus players will be stepping into some unfamiliar shoes in the game's two planned DLC chapters. Developer 4A has pulled back the curtain on the Metro Exodus?? expansions, and they both feature a protagonist other than Artyom.

The first, coming this summer, is titled The Two Colonels. Here's 4A's description: "The Two Colonels, is [the story] of Colonel Khlebnikov, just below the surface, under the dead city of Novosibirsk, as he makes his ?way home to his son, Kirill, for New Year's Eve. But all is not well with the people here: the slime is further consuming the tunnels, mutant attacks appear to be on the rise and the precious 'green stuff' that protects the people from radiation poisoning is running low. In order to secure the survival of the people, those in charge may need to take drastic measures. 

Following the journey and experiences of Khlebnikov during the last days of life in Novosibirsk, which Colonel Miller retraces a year later, players can expect the classic story-driven gameplay of the Metro series in this new line?ar chapter, complete with a brand new weapon, the deadly flame-thrower; claustrophobic environments; and the all-too-familiar hair-raising tension."

The second expansion takes a different approach. Sam's Story, which will launch early next year, is less linear and more sandbox survival. Here's that description: Sam's Story is the brand new sandbox survival level based on Vladivostok. Sam, a U.S. marine at the Moscow embassy before the bombs were dropped, has long dreamed of returning to his homeland, and maybe finding his family alive. The prospect seemed impossible in the darkened tunnels of the Metro, but when the Spartans discovered that Moscow w?as not the only city left alive after the w?ar, holding out hope didn't feel so foolish anymore.

Sam makes his way away from the Aurora in search of a way back to the U.S., arriving at the remains of Vladivostok's tsunami-ravaged harbors, ruined industrial buildings, and crumbling residential districts. To complete his journey, Sam will discover that he needs every tac??tic he has learned so far to survive, as his surroundings prove to be far trickier tha??n expected. Players will forge Sam's path through the sandbox survival landscape of Vladivostok, as they take a brand new journey across the wasteland of post-apocalyptic Russia."

The two add-ons are bundled together as the Metro Exodus Expansion Pass, ??which is available ?to purchase now for $25 on the Epic Games Store, PS4, and Xbox One. Alternatively, each expansion can be bought separately, presumably at $15 a pop.

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6GB Ranger update out now

There's a comfort to knowing that the end isn't actually the end. With the just-launched Ranger update for Metro Exodus, it's now possible to continue in New Game+ mode with your trust??ed weapons and attachments. In fact, there's a "suite" of modes and options to play around with on your second outing.

For instance, maybe you want a crossbow sooner than later. In New Game+, you can get one from Yermak in Moscow. Or maybe you?? want to push yourself further. There are settings for giving human NPCs an extra level of armor and the propensity to use explosives more often. 4A Games has also introduced options for a 24-hour day/night cycle, more radiation zones, and an Iron mode in which the usual save system is disabled so your progress is only made permanent in between levels. Terrifying.

Along with these and other modifications, New Game+ is also a chance for Metro Exodus players to uncover an exclusive new set of collectibles and listen to developer commentary while exploring. You'll find tape players "throughout the game" containing juicy insights into the production of Exodus.

Metro Exodus' New Game+ is extensive, so it's worth taking the time to see all of the different choices you'll b??e able to make. The Ranger update also includes PC and console-specific improvements.

"Our goal has always been to ship the most polished product we ??can at launch, but we humbly acknowledge that some things can slip through even the most thorough QA. Thank you again for your patience and support." 4A Games said the development team will "continue to work on future upda?tes and we'll be able to share our DLC plans for Expansion Pass holders in the near future."

This is the first major patch for Metro Exodus, and with its arrival, I'm ??a little more keen to play.

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Last Train to Darksville

[Update: Since this review was published, I’ve encountered instances of game breaking save bugs that can spawn the player back into locations where they are “locked” in place. This effectively kills your autosave file. This happened on PS4 to me, costing hours of progress, and I have read testim??onials of it happening on PC too. Be warned.]

I'm a scaredy cat. Maybe it comes from getting a diploma from the School of Having the Shit Kicked Out of Me, or maybe it's my erratic heartbeat and over-reli?ance on stabilising medication. Point is, I'm a "jumpy" person. As such, loud noises, sudden lunges out of the darkness, and monstrous hellspawn have, surprisingly enough, a pretty animated effect on me.

"Sure, Chris Carter, I'll review Metro Exodus." I said, completely ignorant of the above.

Two minutes into the darkened subway tunnels, my first thought was "Who the fuck designs a game mechanic that causes massive spiders to scurry across your face?" What sadists do 4A Games have working for th?em? Still, ever the pro, I rose above my fears and pressed onward, determined to check out Deep Sil?ver's sombre sequel.

Metro Exodus (PC, PS4 [reviewed], Xbox One)
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver
Release: February 15, 2019
MSRP: $59.99

After a brilliantly conceived opening sequence, Metro Exodus drops players into the boots of Spartan soldier Artyom Chyornj. Artyom and his wife Anna - along with their fellow squad members - live underneath post-nuked Moscow, struggling to make a life for themselves away from the suffocating radiation of the overground. It should be noted that players can, for the most part, jump straight into Exodus with no prior history. The intro sequence quickly and effectively expositions the backstory before you trot off into the belly of the und????erground.

After an awkward, clunky first chapter, Metro Exodus conspires to have Artyom and party venture out beyond the city limits. Riding aboard a purloined train - The Aurora - our crew travels to various wide-open locations, where a series of objectives must be completed before the locomotive can resume its journey - albeit with a few more (or perhaps less) passengers along for the ride. It's a narrative device that breaks Exodus down into several small-scale open-worlds. The Aurora visits environments such as luscious woodland of The Taiga, the frozen marshland of The Volga, and the sad remnants of what was The Caspian Sea. Without giving too much away, it's a long haul for our heroes. Exodus doesn't exactly take place over the course of a lazy we?ekend.

When it comes to atmosphere, Metro Exodus kills it. Once out on the open rails, each area is stunningly detailed and meticulously designed. Burnt-out buildings, web-filled storage containers, crashed transportation, murky swamps, bandit camps and abandoned homes, all of which feel instantly recognisable from similar locales explored in the Fallout series.

Here, however, 4A Games has created a visual environment with a realism that goes far beyond the tech of Bethesda's own nuclear adventures. Metro Exodus looks incredible, its desolate world backed by dynamic sound effects, realistic weather and authentic seasonal changes. Whenever we dare venture indoors, we find rusted machinery, flickering lamps, rotting corpses, mold, fungi and worse. You can practically smell the must. All of the above creates the impression of a civilisation that once was, but is no more. A population stopped dead in its tracks in the blink of an eye. It's eerie, disquieting, and wholly effective. They say the devil's in the details, and 4A Games get this; wispy gun-barrel smoke, the weak flicker of low-quality night-vision, a visor smeared in blood. Metro Exodus' world is something else.

Populating Mother Russia are equally realistic beasts, with a menagerie of irradiated creatures out for Artyom's neck. Gross fuzzy humanoids, huge water-dwellers, mutated rats and the most murderous bear since Grizzly are all waiting to leap out of the trees, seas and cornfields at a moment's notice. There's also a few particularly momentous encounters, which I won't spoil, as they made me jump out of my skin and they can do the same for you, pal. Monster attacks in Exodus are heart-ra??cing affairs, executed with a sense of genuine panic. It's funny how you eventually feel relaxed when facing off against squads of heavily-armed bandits, just becaus?e they're "only humans."

Though I'm deservedly painting a solid-gold picture of Metro Exodus' atmosphere, environments and denizens, I unfortunately have to head south when discussing some other aspects. Exodus' story falls flat, not so much in concept - the "Rail Trip of Doom" is a great narrative device - but overall st??ory engagement is let down by terrible dialogue. The script often delivered with a style that is at times uninte??ntionally hilarious.

Mixed poorly into the game's audio, the dialogue is hurried, muddled in context and off-putting, breaking the taut drama instilled by the outside world. In a bad design holdover from previous games, Artyom is a silent protagonist, speaking only during Exodus' lengthy loading screens. When Anna is bearing her soul to him, Artyom doesn't speak a single word in response. It comes across as utterly ridiculous, breaking player/character relations. In MachineGames' Wolfenstein, B.J. Blazkowicz is his own man, with a voice, a face and believable chemistry with his band of brothers. Here, Artyom is nothing, a faceless ??avatar who fails to engage with strangers, friends, his lover, and ultimat?ely, the player.

Metro Exodus is specifically built around its crafting mechanic, which can sometimes bring pacing to a dead halt. There are options to reduce these elements, but choosing said option also nerfs in-game difficulty. This makes it tough to find the sweet spot between pulse-pounding, challenging fun and time spent sat building filters for your gas mask, repeatedly cleaning your entire arsenal of weapons, improving your anti-radiation defence, or any other number of micro-management busy-work. Meticulous detail works wonders in Exodus' world design, bu??t here in the ??buzzkill of crafting it can become an unwelcome break from the fun of exploration.

Metro Exodus' strengths lie in traveling, meeting new people, delving into backstor??ies, and tensely stepping through abandoned buildings - w??here sudden horror awaits in every corner - not huddled over a workbench, pouring over an inventory so you can make six more bullets for your gun  (that might jam after you fire three of them). For those who want exciting adventure without all the red tape, I'd suggest hitting a lower difficulty and just enjoying the wild ride. Conversely, fans of bullet-counting and dumpster diving will be in their survivalist element, with a whole host of bizarre attachments available for your favourite skull-popper.

Metro Exodus will be a killer release for franchise fans. Exodus' Russia plays host to creepy-beyond-belief locations, populated with threats that will leave stains on your eyeballs. When treading tentatively across uncomfortably quiet terrain - trigger-finger at the ready - every single door opening makes you hold your breath. It's here where Metro Exodus is simply glorious.

When not out in the great unknown, however, Exodus tends to get bogged down by a dogged insistence on overly-fiddly technical details and humdrum foraging. Furthermore, Exodus' p??ersonality-free protagonist and his pals can leave players alternately stifling giggles or rolling their eyes. Fortunately, exciting set-pieces, blood-pumping combat and the changing landscape work hard to keep b??oredom at bay.

Metro Exodus is a tour-de-force in apocalyptic exploration. It offers a rich, evolving world, brought to life with stunning visuals, immersive sound and ghastly creatures. These thrills and chills are irritatingly tempered with menial tasks, poor voice acting, dull stealth and a soulless hero, all of which prevent Metro Exodus from achieving its true potential. Behind these grievances, however, lies an absolutely thrilling adventure for anyone who dares board The Aurora. Just pr??epare to get your ticket punched.

_{[T??his review is based on a retail build of? the game provided by the publisher.]}

The post Review: Metro Exodus appeared first on Destructoid.

Steam wins?

The PC release of Metro Exodus has been rife with controversy ever since Deep Silver decided to pull it from Steam. Despite confirmations that the series wouldn't be leaving the PC space anytime soon, fans have been review bombing the past games on Steam in some futile effort to change things. In an odd win for Steam and Valve, Metro Exodus will soon be av??ailable for pre-load to players that secured a copy before Deep Silver changed platforms. The same can't be? said for Epic, though.

Since the Epic Games Store is quite lacking in features (a thing we mentioned on Impulse a few weeks ago), pre-loading games isn't available for any titles on the service. Steam has had the option for years now, so fans are able to download the game ahead of its launch and skip waiting. Most people will probably not utilize this (Exodus won't ret??urn to Steam until 2020), but it's funny how Steam has a leg up when it come??s to this particular game.

I wouldn't call this particular lack of feature a reason to scream and cry, but it does show that Epic has a long way to go if it seriously wants to tackle Steam. Without basic functionality like friend list chatting, forums, download ETAs or filters for searching the storefront, Epic has almost set itself up for failur??e. This is a digital distribution platform that resembles Steam circa 2004 instead of something from the modern era??.

I do believe the competition from Epic will mean goo?d things for everyone, but I don't want to see the company resortin??g to poaching titles to earn users instead of providing useful features for its customers. Maybe the lack of pre-loading is small fries in the grand scheme, but I do hope Epic can do better going forward.

Metro Exodus PC pre-load? will be available on Steam, but not the Epic Store [VG 24/7]

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Welcome to the gun show

And so we reach the conclusion of our three-part look at the Metro Exodus. We've seen the allies, and we've seen the mutants. This last galler??y is ar??guably more important than any friend or foe.

These are the weapons of Metro Exodus, and they are an A1 priority because they're the only things that'll keep Artyom not-dead. Being still-alive in post-apocalyptic Russia is a major accomplishment. It doesn't happen by sheer luck. It happens by putting everything else in the ground. Hence, the armaments need to?? stay locked and loaded with the safety off.

Of course, your take on these weapons might differ. Metro Exodus promises to put he?avy emphasis on gun customization, meaning any of these can be outfitted with all sorts of attachments and modifications. Ammo is still a precious commodity though, so measure twice and cut once (or whatever the appropriate analog for gun shooting might be).

There you have it. By looking at these 29 images over the course of this three-part series, you should be perfectly equipped to survive the Siberian nuclear winter. We've done our part. Any failure is squarely on your shoulde?rs.

The post Stare down the sights of Metro Exodus’ most impressive weapons appeared first on Destructoid.

Freaks of nature

Earlier this week, we met the people in Metro Exodus who will make Artyom's life a little?? easier. Now it's time for the nightmares that'll make survival a ??lot tougher.

Below is a gallery of Metro Exodus' mutants and short descriptors about what makes them particul??arly fearsome. Look at that winged demon thing! Look at those giant razor talons! Look at the crazy hell-pattern of all his teeth pointing haphazardly toward the middle of his mouth, as if to say "In the middle of this maw, in the very center, is where a thousand knives converge a?nd everything that's living dies!"

It's not all awful, though. (I'm lying, it is all awful.) The?? shrimp boy clearly just wants to be left alone. The Lurker looks content to build a dam out of radioactive waste. But, they're still threats and that means you will kill them when you encounter them. Post-apocalyptic Siberia is not the place or ??time to lean on giving mutants the benefit of the doubt.

The final part of our Metro Exodus ;Gallery Bonanza will focus on the tools used to put these beasts down. Be on the lookout for the?? weapons roundup early next week. 

The post Metro Exodus’ mutants are some marvelous monstrosities appeared first on Destructoid.

Going deeper underground

4A Games has released a neat cinematic trailer for their upcoming dystopian shooter Metro Exodus. In the four-minute epic, series protagonist Artyom experiences a vision of his life within the post-apocalyptic universe that he, his loved on??es a??nd his enemies inhabit.

Using a Russian Doll motif, Artyom is segued through scenes of his past, present and perhaps future, some of it sty??l??ised, some of it depicted with the harsh cold of reality. Babies in gas masks, train-top shootouts and terrifying mutant-filled bunker, Artyom might have dreamed of a life above ground, but this reality has fast become his waking nightmare.

Metro Exodus launches February 15 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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'PC version will always be at the heart of our plans'

Metro Exodus has been ripe with controversy over the last few days. From ditching Steam to THQ Nordic saying the decision was entirely Koch Media's call, fans have had a lot to unpack over the weekend. It didn't help when early Sunday, a supposed developer from 4A Games took to a Russian forum an?d stated something along the lines of the series would leave PC if fans continued to boycott it.

That obviously wasn't an official endorsement, so 4A Games took to the official Metro Twitter account to set the record straight. In a statement ma??de yesterday, 4A wrote:

The ??recent decision to mo?ve Metro Exodus from Steam to the Epic Game Store was made by Koch Media / Deep Silver alone.

The recent comments made by a member of the 4A Games development team do not reflect Deep Silver's or 4A Games' view on the future of the franchise. ?They do reflect the hurt and disappointment of a passionate individual who has seen what was previously nothing but positive goodwill towards his work turn to controversy due to a business decision he had no control over. We respectfull?y ask that any and all valid feedback over this decision is directed at Koch Media / Deep Silver, and not the developers at 4A Games.

The future release strategy of the Metro series lies with Koch Media / Deep Silver. Our decision to partner with Epic Games was based on the goal of investing in the future of the series and our devel??opment partner at 4A Games. We have every intention of continuing this franchise, and a PC version will always be at the heart of our plans.

Needless to say, Metro isn't going to jump ship to consoles anytime soon. It's sad that this needed to be stated, but with a bunch of different sites running the forum post as an official story, the misinformation needed to be cleared. If you're a PC gamer and interested in Metro, you have nothing to fear.

Metro Exodus developer s??ays "PC version will ?always be at the heart of our plans" following 4A dev comments [VG 24/7]

The post The Metro series won’t be leaving PC anytime soon appeared first on Destructoid.

A gallery of genial greeting

No matter the season, Metro Exodus' post-apocalyptic Russia is an oppressive nightmare. Summer might be a t?ad hotter and winter might necessitate bundling up, but this one-?year trans-Siberian trek is harsh by every definition of the word.

That's why a friendly face is always a welcome sight. Artyom can't do this on his own, so, fortunately for him, there's an adept squad willing to lend a helping hand. Some are familiar, like Anna who is Artyom's wife (and a key character in Metro: Last Light); others are new acquain??tances aboard the Aurora, loyal to the cause of getting that train to the far east stretches of Russia.

As a primer for Metro Exodus' February 15 launch, we've gathered a gallery of key characters and short biographies. Take a good look at the digital dossiers and study up on the gang that has Artyom's back. We'll also have galleries on Metro Exodus' threats and too?ls in the coming days. Survival is gonna be tough enoug??h, might as well prep for the journey ahead.

The post Meet the characters of Metro Exodus appeared first on Destructoid.

All aboard for Deathsville

Deep Silver and 4A Games are gearing up the engines for the launch of dystopian survival title Metro Exodus later this month. A new trailer, "Uncovered," aims to give players a short overview of the miserable world, its characters, threats, and weap??ons.

As you can see, the Metro universe is hardly a belly-laugh environment. Set in an alternative universe where Russia has been devastated by apocalyptic warfare, players will lead protagonist Artyom out of the metro s??ystem, which houses most of the remaining population, and out into the frozen wilderness, relying on survival skills, weapon-crafting abilit??ies and a sharp sense of threat to survive the mutant-filled landscape.

Launching on PS4, PC and Xbox One, the PC version of Metro Exodus is exclusive to the Epic Games Store, which has been the source of much furor over the past week. Metro Exodus leaves the station February 15.

The post Metro Exodus opens up its world with new ‘Uncovered’ trailer appeared first on Destructoid.

Publisher parent responds to Valve's disappointment

[Update: Following the twitter statements made earlier, THQ Nordic's co-founder and group CEO Lars Wingefors has issued the following press statement:

"I fully support our sub-group??s' autonomy to run their respective businesses. I believe it's in the group's, and ultimately the co?nsumers', best interest that business decisions are made close to the market and this is the group's consistent business model.

I firmly believe that Deep Silver and Koch Media have carefully considered the advantages and disadvantages, op??portunities and risks in their decision to go solely with Epic Games Store. The decision has my full support.

I have noted that there is some confusion about the two different THQ Nordic entitie??s, the parent company and the operating entity in Vienna. As already communicated to shareholders last year, the parent company will change its name to better reflect its status."]

Original Story:

As we have reported over the last several days, 4A Games survival shooter Metro Exodus has a one year?? exclusivity deal to be sold on the Epic Ga?mes Store. This late-in-the-day news upset Steam owners Valve, calling the practice "unfair to customers" who had been?? expecting the sequel to appear on Steam, after a lengthy pre-order? period on the platform.

Speaking on Twitter, THQ Nordic has noted that the decision to make Metro Exodus an Epic Games Store exclusive ultimately came from Koch Media, the owners of the Metro? IP. Although THQ Nordic own both Koch Media and their in-house publisher Deep Silver, no further information was forthcoming from the parent company, as they "will not comment on this matter".

THQ Nordic did, however, note that they are not ruling out any possibility of further releases seeing similar exclusivity. But said that, in the here and now, they prefer to "all??ow players to choose the platform of their liking" making their products accessible to as many outlets as possib??le.

Regardless of all the business-speak of the last few days, there's also the possibility that this is essentially several companies upset/pleased that they aren't/are going to make dollar from Metro Exodus. In my humble opinion, I don't th??ink making things easier, ??fairer, or providing variety for the consumer is even remotely part of the itinerary here, no matter who's doing the talking.

Metro Exodus launches February 15 on PS4, PC and Xbox One. All previous Steam pre-orders will be honoured o??n that pla?tform.

The decision to publish Metro Exodus as a timed Epic Store exclusive was made entirely on Koch Media’s side as Metro is their intellectual property. They are a sister company of THQ Nordic (Vienna), which is the reason why we can and will not comment on this matter. We do

— THQNordic (@THQNordic) January 29, 2019

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Steam to only get almost all other games released this year

Valve are unhappy with the recent news that shooter sequel Metro Exodus is to be released on the Epic Games Store. The Steam owner has released a ??statement calling the practice "unfair to Steam customers."

The recent decision to give Metro Exodus Epic Games Store exclusivity comes after a long pre-order period has been open on the Steam Store. All previous pre-orders will be filled on their platform of origin, but Metro Exodus cannot be purchased digitally, on PC, anywhere other than Epic Games Store going forward. Th??is exclusivity deal is contracted for one year.

"The developer and publisher have assured us that all prior sales of the game on Steam will be fulfilled on Steam," notes the statement on Metro Exodus former sales page. "We think the decision to remove the game is unfair to Steam customers, especially after a long pre-sale period. We apologize to Steam customers that were expecting it to be available for sale through the February 15th release date, bu?t we were only recently informed of the decision and given limited time to let everyone know."

Metro Exodus launches February 15 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

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The mass Steam exodus

Deep Silver has announced that Metro Exodus will be the latest high-profile game to be releasing exclusively on Epic Games' storefront. In addition to leaving Steam, Exodus will not be available via the Humble store, sticking solely to Epic's platform. The move will be a timed exclusivity deal for one full year, returning to othe???r storefronts on February 14, 2020.

If you had previously pre-ordered the game through Steam or Humble, you will still be able to download it through Valve's client and play the game on February 15, 2019. Deluxe Edition pre-orders will also be granted DLC through Steam. The only change is that new customers will be limited to grabbing Exodus through Epic's storefront. You can read all the details here.

When Epic Games announced it was making a big push for its own storefront, my first thought was that Valve's Steam had some competition coming its way. I never expected to see a whole slew of major releases ditch Steam for Epic. Metro Exodus isn't entirely leaving the platform, but this kind of pressure will hopefully force Valve's hand i??n improving the Steam experience.

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Full steam ahead, or barely out of the station?

4A Games survivalist shooter Metro Exodus is bearing down the tracks toward its February 15 release date.?? In a game where atmosphere and visual ?immersion is pretty paramount, the developer has released the PC specifications for its snowbound sequel.

You can check out the stats below to see how y??our rig shapes up for the impressive-looking first-person shooter. The barrier of entry is relatively low at the shallow end, but it looks like you'll need quite the punch in your system if you want to bust out the sequel in all of its 4K/60FPS glor?y.

Of course, Metro Exodus is also available on PS4 and Xbox One, so even if you aren't one of Europe's five richest kings, you can still jump in on the post-apocalyptic action. Metro Exodus launches February 15 on PS4, PC and Xbox One. You can find out our own CJ Andriessen's thoughts on the game right here.

The post Check? out the PC specs for Metro Exodus right here appeared first on Destructoid.

Lock 'n' Load

Publisher Deep Silver has released a new trailer for grim upcoming shooter sequel Metro Exodus. The ballistic video focuses on the arsenal of weaponry tha??t will be the only line of defence between you and an army of terrifying mutants.

Metro Exodus takes p?ride in its custom weapons system. As exemplified in this trailer, long, short and close range weaponry can be modified with a whole range of scavenged items to boost damage, increase range, change fire-rate or silence your shots. Shotguns can work like SMGs, crossbows like sniper rifles, whatever rusted firearm you find lying around the dilapidated ruins of Moscow, chances are you will be able to accommodate it to your own personal combat style.

You can see some of these delightfully improv tools of destruction below. Metro Exodus launches February 15 on PS4, PC and Xbox One.

The post Metro Exodus trailer shows off mutant bustin’ weaponry appeared first on Destructoid.

Hands-on before next month's release

My lack of familiarity with the Metro franchise is painfully evident to everyone in the room less than 10 seconds after I’m handed the controller. As my comrades on the Aurora, the massive train jettisoning Artyom, Anna, and the rest of his crew of survivors across the Russian landscape, discuss what to do next now that we’re low on fuel and water, I’m doing my best Dean Takahashi impression, running around the engine room like a frightened bat that just flew into an open window. It’s embarrassing, it really is, but any feelings of inferiority quickly dissipate as I find the open door? and head out into the harsh wilderness of the Caspian Desert.

Metro Exodus breaks from the prior two games in the series by introducing massive, open environments to explore and survive rather than just the small, frozen corridors of past games. Each level takes place in a different sea??son and players will experience the blistering cold and swamp-ass-inducing heat as they complete a year-long trek that spans winter to winter. The Caspian Desert is the game’s “summer” level. This big, massive open-world stage is the largest level in the game. I’m told the are??a is larger than the last two games combined. For this hands-on session, I get just two hours to see anything and everything I can. And while the environment is vast and wide, my journey through it is arguably narrow.

As soon as I find my way off the train, I take control of my gun and follow a fellow traveler up a hill to overlook the setting. The Caspian Desert appears to be quite large and while a smackerel of the former sea still exists, the rest is a dried out husk of a once fruitful land. Desert environments in games have never really done anything for me. Outside of the sweeping sandy landscapes found in Lawrence of Arabia, I’ve always found it difficult to see a desert as something that??'s suppos??ed to be enticing to me.

Now, to expect the wasteland of the Caspian Desert to be enticing is to not un??derstand the point of it. This isn’t some majestic desert littered with oases, it’s a mechanical graveyard where evidence of a once-booming oil industry stands almost fossilized amongst the burnt-out cars, remnants of buildings, and the false grama and tanglehead that dot the land. It isn’t a desert but an area well on its way to total desertification, though any concerns about the survival of the little vegetation left in the land quickly take a back seat to making sure I can even survive it.

My first objective here is to venture to a nearby outpost, looking for people, supplies, or anything else that can help us. I see where I need to go in the distance and with a completely open environment, I’m free to approach it as I want. I choose to go through the remains of some old buildings and stumble across what looks like a makeshift memorial??. After scavenging for some supplies, three of the humanoid creatures who were lying the ground a moment before get up and attack. I barely survive shooting them down with my rifle, severely cutting my ammo supply minutes before I even reach the outpost.

After I disperse with those desert demons, one of the two PR representatives on-hand explains to me that I should have used my shotgun to more effectively kill those creatures. Obviously, my inexperience with the franchise is to blame for that blunder but when I switch over to the shotgun, preparing for more their ilk up ahead, I realize the next two hours won’t nearly be enough time to wrap my head around Exodus's controls.

I’m sure series vets will scoff at this, but hot damn is Metro Exodus one game that’s not beginner friendly. Shooting is a no brainer, but the control scheme on hand is easily the most involved I’ve ever experienced. Every button has a single function, but many buttons secondary functions when pressed in?? tandem with another button or when held for a certain amount of time. The PR reps have to help me right up until the last ten minutes of the hands-on when I’m struggling to get a pressurized sniper rifle to work properly, and I still don’t think I have everything figured out. I’m sure it’ll be a lot easier to stomach when starting from the level one, but being thrown into the middle of the narrative on??ly adds to the feeling of helplessness the actual gameplay seeks to impose on players.

When I reach the outpost, there is indeed ??an army of those desert creatures staggering around the place. Armed with the correct tool, I eliminate them quickly as I head inside. The screams of a survivor fill the ??air, but it’s soon muffled out by a sudden sandstorm. When I equip my gas mask, something I do many times through my playtest, it becomes difficult to see clearly and my shots at the creatures trying to kill me become more haphazard. I survive though, and when the storm clears I’m given access to a burnt-out work van I can use to drive to my next location.

Because the Caspian Desert is so large and there are so many things lurking in it that want to kill you, players have the option of traversing the land in this old, beat up vehicle. Don’t expect world class driving controls. Much like the van you’re taking control of, they get the job done and it’s not long after I am handed the keys that I arrive at my next destination. A survivor, holed up at a now useless lighthouse, is fighting off non-mutated invaders. I hear her distress call, and while there are many other places I can go, I make a beeline for her location. Even though the Caspian Desert is pitched as an open-world e?nvironment, I’m quite obviously beckoned down a pre-orchestrated path.

This section of the desert is where I experience most of my completely avoidable deaths. I reach the base of the rock the lighthouse sits upon and immediately head into a cave to work my way up. Are there other ways of reaching the top? Maybe, but I’m now down t??o about 90 minutes of playtime and I need to get as far in this as I can. So I head into the cave and come across the forces trying to capture this woman. She was prepared for any invaders as the narrow passageway up is riddled with death traps. Many of the men trying to reach her fall victim to them, an??d I finish off those who don’t.

I’m repeatedly told that I should approach this encounter using stealth, though I’m more or less forced to do so due to my dwindling supply of ammo. So I crouch, I sneak, I silently kill from?? behind, but not well enough that I don’t die due to the various traps these men didn’t set off. In one moment, I’m immolated by an unseen fire trap. In another, I trigger a tripwire that eviscerates Artyom. In fact, I hit that tripwire three times in a row until I finally learn how to cut it.

After I’d say 10 or so attempts I finally reach the top of the rock and take out the men trying to get to her. She invites me up and I finally get access to a crafting station. While some supplies like med packs can be crafted in the field, ammo and gun parts can only be crafted at designated stations. With ammo no longer used as currency as it was in past Metro titles, th??is is an effective way to force players to be wise about how they play.

After the woman spills her life story to me, I’m sent into an underground bunker to retrieve a map of the area. If Exodus is supposed to have ?horror elements, this is the area most likely to make me shit my pants. Dark, dingy, and crawling with giant mutat??ed spiders, the representative guiding me through tells me a prior press person couldn’t make it through this section because of their arachnophobia and he had to complete it for them. It's an absolute gripping setpiece, but it's also the one time the graphics look anything else than stellar.

This is one great looking game. Outside of some pop-in during the opening cutscene of the level, there isn't a b??lemish in this world I can find until I head underground. I know it's silly to point this out, but spiderwebs that decorate the dreary hallways of this bunker don't fit with the rest of this world. They look incredibly fake and burning them with my lighter looks cheap and unworthy of being included in this otherwise stunning game.

When I find what I need and leave the bunker, night has fallen on the desert. Looking out to the remaining sea at the cranes and rusted out oil tankers is the first time I really appreciate the design of the desert. Maybe it’s perhaps this is the first time since stepping off the train that I have a moment of peace. Nothing is attacking me, nobody is shooting at me. It’s just me, alone with my thoughts as the voices on my radio try and pull me towards my next destination. The moment of brevity is cut short when I remember I’m on a deadline. Back in my van, I hurry to my next destination where, for the first time, I’ll actually get a sense of what having an open-world adds to the Metro gameplay formula.

I meet up with Anna who points me in the direction of a crane just a short zip-line away. I can choose to take the zip-line all the way to the crane or cut it short and hoof it on foot to remain undete?cted. I choose the latter and end up in a hotbed of mutated men. I waste nearly all my ammo on them, having to bludgeon the last one to death. The decision is ultimately a stupid move on my part because that crane is crawling with soldiers looking to kill me.

The stairway of the crane I need to climb sits at the end of a walkway littered with broken vehicles and other hiding spot??s. Someone high in the structure works a searchlight while another man tries to take me down with sniper fire. At the base of the crane itself, a?? half-dozen well-armed men await my arrival. Anna is trying the snipe the sniper from her position, but it’s really up to me and my near complete lack of ammo to take them down.

On m??y first attempt, I’m gunned down as I reach the base of the crane. I take two of them down with me, but it’s not good enough. On my second attempt, I’m sniped before I even reach the walkway. I catch a break on my third attempt. Ann??a, who I thought was just shooting at the crane for dramatic effect, actually kills the sniper. Someone is still on the spotlight, so I can still be seen, but making my way to the base of the crane is less stressful than before. After the PR reps explain to me how to properly use my pressurized sniper rifle, I kill the remaining men and make my way to the top of the crane where, thank God, there is another crafting station.

At this point, there are about 10 minutes left in the hands-on session. I make my way back to my van via zip-line and head out onto the road until I come across an enemy soldier station. Unlike the crane and the bunker which both had limited ways to approach them, it’s completely in the open and can be tackled in multiple ways. My first attempt goes downhill fast as I’m spotted -- even though I shot out the searchlights -- and gunned down. On my second try, I go right instead of left and stealthily kill the soldiers one?? by one.

I’ve enjoyed the game up until this point, but this encounter is really when I start to see the potential of applying Metro’s survival shooter formula to an open-world environment. It doesn’t always work, such as when, in the final minute or so of my demo, I venture over a hill and have to waste almost all my ammo when I stumble across some mutated beasts roving the land. But in the moments where I can approach a situation however I think is best, that's when the design of Metro Exodus really starts to shine.

Two hours in an environment this large is really a drop in the bucket. Spending as much of that time as I do just getting back to the point where I last died certainly doesn’t help. Despite a near-complete lack of familiarity with the arguably convoluted control scheme, Metro Exodus does enough to get me excited about seeing this train trip ?through to the end. Nothing I exper?ience is a game-changer or genre-defining, but forcing me into situations where I can’t just shoot my way through every problem is certainly going to refine how I play through first-person shooters going forward.

Metro Exodus releases for PlayStati?on 4, Xbox One, and PC on February 15, 2019.

The post I died a dozen deaths trying to survive Metro Exodus’s Caspian Desert appeared first on Destructoid.

Not available in your local post-apocalyptic mall

4A Games has released a trailer showing off a very limited special edition for upcoming shooter sequel Metro Exodus. The Metro Exodus Master Artyom Edition is limited to just 10 copies. One has already been given away, while the remaining nine are up for ??grabs in a?? competition.

The Master Artyom Edition includes the limited edition of Metro Exodus itself, a set of personalised dog-tags, a leather-bound game map, a lighter in the shape of a high-velocity bullet, a frikkin' gas mask, and a very cool, fully-functioning, Nixie watch. All of this is housed in a military-style crate and comes with a certificate ??of authenticity.

If you want in on the opportunity to take home one of these extremely limited sets, then you have to sign up on the Metro Exodus official website, or follow their social media pages for further details.

Metro Exodus launches on PS4, PC and Xbox One February 15.

The post If you want this Metro Exodus Master Artyom Edition, you’ll have to win it appeared first on Destructoid.

Now releasing February 15, 2019

Bundle up! We're heading across a snow-bound land full of irradiated monsters and limited supplies with which to fend them off. Metro Exodus will hit PC, PS4, and Xbox One a ??week earlier than expected.

"We had previously delayed the release date to ensure 4A Games had the time to deliver their ambitious vision for the game, but now we're delighted to confirm that Metro Exodus has gone gold an?d we are able to bring the release date forward to February 15," said Deep Silver CEO Klemens Kundratitz.

Along with the revised release date, Deep Silver showed off the chilly title sequence for Metro Exodus.

If it looks like it could easily slot in as a show opener, that's no coincidence. The title sequence was created by Elastic, a studio that has worked on series like Game of Thrones and Westworld.

The post 4A Games pushes Metro Exodus up a week appeared first on Destructoid.

I'm not even mad

Preview demos rarely coddle, but they're also almost always accessible. Like, the whole point is to get a good broad understanding for what a game hopes to ??accomplish. On a subconscious level, there's probably something to be said for making a media person feel as though they excelled. It stands to reason that a positive experience would lead to positive written impressions.

I did not excel at Metro Exodus. In fact, I failed. Hard.

Maybe it was my Metro inexperience rearing its ugly head. I have not played 2033 or Last Light, although I know all of the most efficient strategies. Scavenge for everything. Everything. That's the big o?ne. Ammo doesn't double as a currency anymore. Instead?, protagonist Artyom crafts everything out of scavenged materials.

This new system doesn't negate the need to conserve ammo, though. Not by a ?long shot. It's still precious and rare. This is where I ran into the most trouble. Although I wouldn't? consider myself reckless, I guess I wasn't proficient enough in taking down my many attackers. Even if I was technically successful in the earlier encounters, it only set me up for failure in later sections.

You know that moment when you realize you probably don't have enough supplies to get through an upcoming firefight? Man, that's one motherfucker of a bad feeling. There just isn't enough ammo, and there just aren't enough materials to make enough new ammo. Never having enough is a persistent theme. And, like, stealth is a viable option but you just know you're going to bungle that. There's no easy way in Metro Exodus and that's one million percent by design.

I can pinpoint the exact second it all took a turn for the worse. Flitting through the stunning autumn wilderness (Metro Exodus is broken into four seasons, sp??aring us t??emporarily from the oppressive Russian winter), I let my guard down as I stumbled into a seemingly-deserted village. A member of the Children of the Forest faction swung in to greet me with "What are you doing here"-type veiled threats. I panicked. I shot first. Suddenly, I had to deal with an entire outpost of aggro warriors. This wasn't the formula for success.

Metro Exodus isn't the same linear death march that its predecessors were. Instead, it has open-ish environments where every path eventually funnels toward the same place. These different routes appear to be useful for either circumventing a particularly potent danger, or for scouring everything in hopes of finding extra materials to scavenge. (Previous areas can't be re??visited, so the designation of open-world isn't quite apt. It's just sort of less linear for the sake of strategizing.)

I didn't do enough of that scouring or enough of that strategizing. Metro Exodus had no qualms punishing my lack of preparation. I botched one encounter and then I was hamstrung for the rest of the demo. I never finished. I can't even be frustrated by that. This is the legacy that Metro has built for nearly a decade.

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Do I look good, Artyom?

I may not have much affinity for the Metro series of games, but it has always done one thing incredibly well: graphics. Being the first game made specifically for 4K, Metro Exodus looks spellbinding and this latest Gamescom trailer doesn't let up on the eye candy. There isn't much of actual gameplay to look at here, but this specific slice of hell is a feast?? for the eyes. I'm particularly impressed with the way fire is rendered, which almost appears photorealistic.

As was revealed alongside news of the collector's edition, Metro Exodus will be launching on February 22, 2019. Apparently, the PC version will be making use of technology on the recently announced NVidia RTX cards, which?? is great news for people with mountains of cash to burn.

The post Metro Exodus’ Gamescom trailer shows that graphics have come a long way appeared first on Destructoid.