The original Metro Exodus was first released in 2019 on all platforms. Generally, it got great praise, especially on PC. However, whilst the Xbox One and PS4 versions were both great in their own right, both suffered from some technical issues, mainly with frame-rate and a reduction of graphic quality compared to the PC version.
But as it stood, Metro Exodus had a great storyline and new characters, especially Artyom, Anna and the SPARTA Order, all trying to survive this nightmarish Soviet landscape. It was at times beautiful to behold with epic battle scenes, amazing vistas and terrifying moments of stealth…..and oh boy, those creatures still give me nightmares.
Fast forward to 2021, and 4A Games have been working hard on giving us an ‘enhanced’ version of the original game. Offering upgraded frame-rates, enhanced graphical upgrades, and for the first time on console, ray tracing, which was only previously possible on PC. But does this give us a good enough reason to return to those dark tunnels and wastelands in Russia? Read on to find out.
The game is split into four open-world environments with sub-missions throughout, and each of the environments will follow one of the four seasons. You can explore freely within each environment. some of which are vast and varied.
Metro Exodus looks absolutely stunning. 4A Games have done a tremendous job with the varied environments, with high-quality textures and dynamic lighting that make the world look and feel alive. The use of ray tracing, especially with the lighting, is phenomenal, making this easily one of the best looking games yet for the PS5 and really showcasing what it can do. Everything from the flicker of your lighter illuminating a train carriage or tunnel to the god rays streaming through broken the windows of a desolate house and bouncing off the surfaces as you would expect in the real world, it truly is a feast for the eyes and looks gorgeous.
This is further enhanced by RTX support, which as I mentioned earlier, was only available to top-end PCs until the next generation of consoles arrived. Metro Exodus is arguably one of the best showcases of RTX, providing true-to-life lighting that bounces off objects, surfaces and walls, illuminating the environment as it would in the real world. It really does make a world of difference within darker environments, which combined with the highly detailed graphics, makes the game look incredibly lifelike. All of this would mean nothing if the game still suffered from frame-rate drops, but thankfully, with the new generation of consoles, this is no longer an issue. The games runs at a smooth 60 FPS with a number of different options to change the graphical quality of the game.
A note must also be mentioned about the sound, which is enhanced by Dolby Atmos support, offering pinpoint accuracy – as you sneak through dark, monster-infested tunnels with only the light from the naked flame of your lighter, the sounds of creatures shouting all around you will make you absolutely sh@t your pants. Put on the pulse headphones, and honestly, Metro Exodus really does take you to the next level, which other gaming studios should definitely take notice of. I can be achieved if done right.
Verdict
Metro Exodus: Complete Edition is arguably one of the best first-person shooting games on the PS5 at the moment. In places it is a work of art and will leave you speechless as you hold your own breathing due to the fear you will undoubtedly experience at some point in the game. The campaign and its open-world environments are full of details, such as the flora, places of interest, buildings, people, environments and the list goes on, that have never before been seen to this degree in a console game. It truly is a feast for the eyes with fantastic audio design and great gunplay. It can be a difficult game, especially on higher difficulty levels, but you need to change the way you think and play and use stealth when required; otherwise, you will soon find yourself restarting from your last save.
If you’re looking to relive what Metro Exodus has to bring and to revisit Artyom’s story, then this version is best way to do just that. Just remember to breathe!!
Developer: 4A Games
Publisher: Deep Silver, Koch Media
Platforms: PS5, Xbox Series S/X, PC
Release Date: 18th June 2021
Gaming Respawn’s copy of Metro Exodus Complete Edition was provided by the publisher.
