The games have affected people’s views on morality and the need to think before they act. They help people see how what they do can and most likely will change what happens down the line. They show that you should always think about your options before you act.
The book series
The book is about how Artyom explores the metro to find a way to save his station from extinction by the “dark ones”. Throughout the story, he learns what he feels is the meaning of life. He meets people who steer him in the right direction. One of the things said to him was, “You reap what you sow, Artyom. Force answers force, war breeds war, death brings only death. To break this vicious cycle, one must do more than just act,” said Khan. One of the most psychologically challenging characters in both the books and games.
I feel as though these books are quite good so far. I am finishing up the first of the three books and loving it so far. It feels a lot like the games, just with more detail. The books make you feel like you are experiencing the journey right beside Artyom. The writing is some of the best I’ve ever read. A fair warning for anyone who wants to read the books: they are a hard read. They include a lot of graphic scenes and are very complex books.
The games
The games heavily explore how you react and handle the world around you. It drives you to explore the world and think about how you are going to do things first. The games have several different endings depending on your actions. You have options to stealth or go in loud, you can explore every inch, or run through the game as fast as possible. All your actions dictate how you interact with the world and how the game feels about your actions. There is a moral point system that tracks your progress. It will affect level endings and the final ending of the games.
The first game explores the metro and tries to save his home station from extinction. This is his first time he has ever left his station. He doesn’t have much experience, and you can’t access as much in the game. The second game is about saving the remaining dark ones that survived your bombing. You learn that they weren’t the threat you thought they were. They turn out to be the next evolution that could save humans. They had no way to communicate, and so they were believed to be a threat to invading the station.
Factions
During the journey, you explore more of the metro and see some of the metro’s political dynamics. One of the first factions is the red line. They embrace communist ideals and believe that they should control the entire metro. They are the largest threat to the metro since they are invading the people around them. They end up being the main villains in the second game since they want to take out the Order. The next group is the fourth Reich. they are a return of the nazi party in the Moscow metro. they are also invading everyone around them, but are more diplomatic than the red line. They believe that they are the correct race in the metro, and everyone else doesn’t deserve to live.
The largest faction is the Hanza, or the ring. they control the center of the metro and control all trade and migration. They are by far the strongest faction and enforce that heavily. And the final faction is the Polis Rangers, or Spartans. The Spartans act as a metro-wide peacekeeping force. The Spartans or order are the people who help you in the first game. They take you in, and you become one of them across the games.
Final games
The third game is a lot more expansive and explores the world outside of the Moscow metro. You take a journey across Russia to find a new place to live. The games heavily explore how you react and handle the world around you. It drives you to explore the world and think about how you are going to do things first. You have options to stealth or go in loud, you can explore every inch, or run through the game as fast as possible. All your actions dictate how you interact with the world and how the game feels about your actions. There is a moral point system that tracks your progress and will affect the final ending of the games.
The moral part of the series
A large part of the games and books is how you treat the environment around you. How you act affects the games as you progress. You have to think about how to deal with enemies and get through levels. While you have the option to take out everything that gets in your way, which will change how the game ends. You also have the option to go in stealth and kill nothing. Observing the world and having as little an impact as possible. There is a lot between those two extremes. There are some targets that you can take out without affecting your points. You can get more points for exploring and collecting special items. It is essential to save people if you can, as it will help you down the line. I have played the games to get every ending.
Moral mechanics
In the first two games, it is a lot harder to get the “good” endings. In most first runs, it is hard to get the “good” endings. You handle things a lot differently and so might not get the findings you want. There is a correct order of endings that tie the games together. 2033- bad ending, Last Light- good ending, Exodus- none confirmed yet. Those endings are what tie all three games together. There is a fourth game in the works that will be delayed till the conclusion of the Russo-Ukrainian War. In the 3rd game, you have three smaller levels within the larger one. At the end of each one, you will get a mini-ending, and it can help you to see what you are doing right and wrong.
Most levels will give you information on targets and objectives to gain moral points. Most people aim for the morally correct endings, which means you have to avoid any conflict you can. It is hard to do, but not impossible.
Why you should play the games
These are some of the best games I have ever played, and it has changed the way I view gaming. It made me think about what I was doing in games and how much I thought about the games. I couldn’t play it mindlessly anymore, and it made me enjoy the games so much more than I thought I would. I felt like I was in the game and part of the story. I was so excited going into each part of the games. I thought about what I was doing so I could experience all the endings across the games. I got emotional upon finishing the games, and I was sad to see the journey end for now. I can’t wait for the 4th game to come out since I’m hoping it will tie off the end of Artiom’s journey.
Ratings
Metro Exodus- 4.4 stars, 9/10 from Steam, and 8.5/10 from IGN.
Metro Last Light- 4.5 stars, 9/10 from Steam, 7.2/10 from IGN.
Metro 2033- 4.5 stars, 9/10 from Steam, 6.9/10 from IGN
