Metro Exodus is, as of 2023, the most recent installment in the Metro game series, having come out in February 2019. It takes the player on another adventure with the main character Artyom, through the metros of post-apocalyptic Moscow.
The game was met with commercial success and positive reviews from critics and fans alike. Some have even hailed it the best Metro game out of the three due to its stunning graphics, open-world exploration, and story.
With reports of a new possible Metro game, in this article, we will look into Metro Exodus as a game and see how it affected the series. Take a deep dive into this exciting survival horror shooter with us!
Metro Exodus Walkthrough
Metro Exodus follows much of the same path as its predecessors in terms of gameplay. It’s a first-person shooter where the player controls Artyom, the protagonist of the series. This installment, however, sends us on a mission above the tunnels of Moscow and across the former Russian Federation and the Republic of Kazakhstan. The enemies are, similarly to previous games, mutated creatures and hostile humans.
The interesting change in Metro Exodus is the fact that it takes place over the course of an entire in-game year, and the seasons change to prove this fact. This gives us breathtaking landscapes and environments that showcase 4A Games’ effort in bringing us the third installment of the series.
The player has a variety of tools to help them progress through the game. A gas mask, wristwatch, compass, and a variety of firearms are available as the player does their best to fight or sneak through the hordes of enemies coming their way.
Weapon customization is back in Metro Exodus and may just be the best version we’ve seen in the series yet. You can upgrade the weapons with different upgrades as there are multiple slots on each weapon. You can also combine the parts for these weapons as you wish, allowing for a variety of builds in the game.
Each mission gives you the option to sneak through it or fight. Like in Metro: Last Light, the player can take advantage of their environment and the season to get through the mission successfully. Similarly to previous games, you collect karma, both good and bad, through the subtle choices you can make while playing the game. This karma then affects the ending.
Is Metro Exodus Open World?
Yes, Metro Exodus is technically an open-world game!
The areas in the game are vast, open, and ready to be explored. However, the game still leads you through these areas with linear missions that tell the story of Metro Exodus. Regardless, compared to the tightly-woven linear experience of the first two games, Metro Exodus is a breath of fresh air while still keeping the identity of the Metro series.
What are the Metro Exodus Highest Achievements?
Depending on where you look, different players have completed different Metro Exodus achievements. The highest achievements are usually the ones with the lowest amount of players that have completed them.
According to TrueAchievement, this is a list of the top 10 Metro Exodus highest achievements! Please note that this list only takes the base game into account, so no DLC achievements are on it.
- Hardcore | Complete the game in Ranger Hardcore mode. | 3% of players
- Librarian | Find all 70 hidden Diary pages. | 5% of players
- Old world pictures | Find all 21 post cards. | 5% of players
- Stand back | Kill 50 enemies at long distance. | 5% of players
- Forest child | Complete the TAIGA level without attacking anyone or getting noticed. | 6% of players
- Carmaheddon | Make 50 kills with the Bukhanka. (Secret) | 7% of players
- Dressed for Success | Find all upgrades for Artyom’s suit. | 9% of players
- Brakeman | Detach all train cars on the MOSCOW level. (Secret) | 9% of players
- Tidyman | Spend 500 chemical resources on cleaning weapons. | 9% of players
- Decommunization | Destroy the biggest statue in front of the children’s camp on the TAIGA level. | 11% of players
What can I use the Metro Exodus Map For?
The Metro Exodus map is quite large and can take a lot of time to get through. Exploring the landscape with your binoculars and marking points of interest can be very useful.
Source: MrReign
You can use the map to see key missions and activities in the area. However, if you’re not careful, you could also miss hidden locations with non-essential activities and characters. Still, non-essential doesn’t mean useless.
You should make sure to keep an eye out for these locations and visit them if you have a chance. They could help you gain the upper hand in the later stages of the game!
Which editions does Metro Exodus Have?
There are currently six different editions of Metro Exodus. Some are not available for purchase anymore, though you can find most of them on the official Metro Exodus website.
1. Metro Exodus Standard Edition
This is the most straightforward and to-the-point edition of Metro Exodus you can buy. If you just want to play the base game and aren’t interested in any of the extra stuff, buy the Metro Exodus Standard Edition. However, this also means that players will have to buy the DLC separately if they want to play through it.
PC players can find it for $29.99 on Steam.
2. Metro Exodus Gold Edition
The Metro Exodus Gold Edition is only available digitally through different retailers such as Epic Games, Steam, Microsoft, and PlayStation. This edition is a step above the Standard Edition, giving players access to the base game as well as the Metro Exodus Expansion Pass. The Expansion Pass consists of the 2 DLCs 4A Games has put out for the third installment of the series. This version is for anyone looking to get fully caught up with the story while awaiting the fourth Metro game.
The PC version on Steam costs $39.99.
3. Metro Exodus Aurora Limited Edition
The Metro Exodus Aurora Limited Edition is a physical edition of the game. It includes:
- The Metro Exodus Game Disc,
- The Metro Exodus Expansion Pass,
- Exclusive Steelbook,
- “The World of Metro” Art Book,
- Bespoke metal case inspired by The Aurora.
This version is for the fans who want to take their love for Metro a step further. It also features cool concept art you can’t find anywhere else.
It’s currently available for PC, PlayStation 4 and 5, Xbox One and Series S/X. Obviously, you can’t really buy this version through Steam. And unfortunately, we’re unsure if it will ever be available again, considering the only retailer, Amazon, doesn’t currently have it in stock.
If you’re curious, though, the Aurora Limited Edition costs $89.99.
4. Metro Exodus Spartan Collector’s Edition
The Spartan Collector’s Edition is essentially a love letter for dedicated fans of the Metro game series. It includes:
- Premium Artyom Resin Statue,
- Artyom’s Memories Postcards,
- Authentic Spartan Order Dog Tag
- Authentic Spartan Order Patches
- Bespoke Barrel Packaging
While this edition lets you experience the game, it also gives you some memorabilia to show off to other Metro fans.
Unfortunately, this version is rare and you can only get it from the Metro Exodus website. It costs $234.98 plus shipping and handling!
5. Metro Exodus Artyom Custom Edition
This is an ultra-rare edition of the game and there is no way to buy it. Fans had a chance to win the Artyom Custom Edition through promotions 4A Games held to promote Metro Exodus.
The Artyom Custom Edition included:
- Fully functional, hand-made Nixie Watch,
- Gas Mask and Filter,
- Working Bullet Lighter made from a decommissioned shell,
- Hand-made steel Spartan dog tag to be engraved with the recipient’s name,
- Leather map case and map of the Aurora’s journey,
- Personalized Certificate of Authenticity, signed by Dmitry Glukhovsky (the series creator) and Andrew ‘Prof’ Prokhorov
As you can tell, this edition was meant to be a special one to commemorate the release of Metro Exodus. We’re not sure if you can find them on any reselling website, but we doubt any true fan of the games would be ready to part with such an amazing piece of gaming history.
6. Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition
The Metro Exodus Enhanced Edition is one that gives the game a visual upgrade. This visual upgrade also applies to the DLC for Metro Exodus.
Upon purchasing Metro Exodus on Steam, PC players are also entitled to the Metro Exodus PC Enhanced Edition. We imagine the same is true for console players.
Metro Exodus Chapters, what do you need to know?
Not including the Introduction and Finale, the game has 10 chapters to go through. While this is a noticeably smaller number than Metro: Last Light, the levels are also a lot larger and take more time to complete. This can give the illusion of a slower-paced story when looking at the list of chapters.
1. Chapter 1 – Moscow diary locations
Moscow serves as an introductory chapter to the gameplay mechanics of Metro Exodus. A tutorial, if you will.
Here we see Artyom’s obsession with proving there are other survivors and his relationship with Anna following this revelation.
The Moscow level features a total of 10 diary entries. The locations are as follows:
- Half-torn Notebook – On a desk in the metro tunnel right after killing the first watchmen.
- Patient File – Artyom’s patient file can be found on a desk to the right after his doctor’s examination.
- Dusty Diary – In an abandoned apartment building, there is an open apartment down the hallway before you follow Anna down the staircase. The Dusty Diary can be found on the drawers next to the couch.
- Shopping List – After crossing the steel beam, the player will enter a shopping mall. Near the shop entrance, there is a corpse with a note on it. This is the Shopping List.
- Shura’s Note – On the bus Artyom needs to enter to exit the mall, there is a note right in front of him. The note is on the first double seat on the left side of the bus.
- Crumpled Letter – After getting shot by Hanza soldiers, Artyom will have to crawl under some dead trees. After reaching the other side and grabbing a medkit, you will see a body right in front of you, half-buried in an earth mound. You can find the Crumpled Letter on the body.
- Official Note – After freeing Anna and fighting Mirsky, you can find the Official Note on the control panel.
- Memo – After you pass through the courtyard using the door, you will find a note on a desk to the left.
- Official Letter – After infiltrating the Cruiser, you will find a note on a desk in the room to the immediate left. This is the Official Letter.
- Crumpled Note – After reaching the train car with the heavy machine gun in it, you will find a note to your immediate right upon entering the next car.
This chapter takes about an hour to get through.
2. Chapter 2 – Winter diary locations
This is the first chapter that showcases the new seasonal system in the game. It acts as a seasonal intermission level and it takes place solely on the Aurora. It’s the shortest of the seasonal intermission levels and there’s not much to do on the train during it.
It also only has one Diary Entry to find:
- Survey Report – Downstairs on the crate.
The chapter only takes around 30 minutes to play through.
3. Chapter 3 – The Volga diary locations
The Volga is the first open-world chapter in Metro Exodus. Artyom and the crew of the Aurora attempt to traverse through a religious cult’s territory after escaping from Moscow.
There are a total of 13 Diary Entries to find throughout this level. You can collect them in any order you wish, considering this is an open-world level.
- Mouldy Log – After encountering the Tsar Fish, Artyom ends up on an islet with a crashed plane. Walk towards the Aurora from the plane to see a small camp with several dead shrimp. Find the Mouldy Log on the mattress next to the corpse.
- Faded Note – On your way to Krest’s crane, you will have to travel through an abandoned, half-collapsed building on your way to the docks. After exiting the building, go toward the crane. As soon as you walk through the doorway, turn left and go into the basement. When you enter, you will see a locker and a shelf in the hallway in front of you with the note on it.
- Water-logged Note – While rescuing Anna inside the toxic bunker, go through the right doorway right after you fall inside. Once there, go down the hallway and take another right where you will see a locked door. Break the lock and enter to find the note on the crate next to the bed.
- Dusty Workbook – Find the Workbook a little south of the Church where there is an area with a couple of freight containers. Be careful as this is also a watchmen’s nest. Enter one of the containers to find the note on the desk.
- Folded Letter – After locating Duke’s safehouse, go directly north to find a bandit camp. On the ground level, you will see a cage with prisoners and a table in front of it. The note is on the table.
- Torn Page – From Duke’s safehouse, follow the rail toward the fanatics’ bridge. Then turn right and go toward the flooded terminal. You will soon come upon a small trailer. Inside, there will be a note sitting on the shelf.
- Weathered Notice – Southeast of the trailer you just ended there will be a gas station that acts as a bandit hideout. If you enter it from the left window, you will find the note right in front of you on the overturned locker.
- Sturdy Envelope – From Duke’s train car, follow the rail to the next overpass. Upon reaching it, there should be a burnt-out van below the overpass to your right. Find the note inside the van.
- Bandit’s Note – Between two of the largest islands, there is a small islet you can only get to using a boat. The note is at the center of the islet on a wooden plank.
- Patient Ledger – In the middle of the western bay of the southern island, you will see a half-sunk house. In the final room of the house, you can find the ledger on the office desk to your left.
- Blood-stained Diary – South of the southern island you will see a small archipelago with three large silos. There is a small shack on it. After breaking the lock, you will find the diary on the shelf right in front of you.
- Faded Note – On the southern island, you will find a train depot with a collapsed roof. In the shack on top of it, you will find the Faded Note.
- Thick Ledger – Inside the terminal, you can find the Thick Ledger when you reach the exit in the room where you can kill the Tsar Fish. The ledger will be on a chair to your left.
This level can take anywhere from 4 hours and upwards to finish.
4. Chapter 4 – Spring diary locations
Spring is the second intermission level that allows Artyom a little more exploration of the Aurora. You can now access the sleeper carriage and listen in on crew conversation.
There is only one collectible to find in this short chapter:
- Nastya’s Letter – Find it in between Artyom’s room and Tokarev’s workbench on a table.
This chapter takes around 30 minutes to complete.
5. Chapter 5 – Yamantau diary locations
The Yamantau level is one where the plot of the story gets a little more complicated. It reveals the true nature of the Yamantau Bunker and the remnants of the Russian government.
There are 6 diary entries to find:
- Diary Page 1 – After getting off the spiral elevator and going through the main door, look to your left and see the page on the desk.
- Diary Page 2 – After going through the freezer you will be forced to squeeze through some shelves. Go through the passage next to the power panel to find the diary page on a box. Make sure to flip the switches on the control panel before you squeeze through, as the page will not appear until you turn on the lights.
- Diary Page 3 – After going down a long hallway filled with enemies, you will find a few boxes to climb. Climb the box to your right and find a makeshift bedroom on the other side. The page is on a crate next to the bed.
- Officer’s Diary, 1 – After you fight an armored Cannibal, you will enter a hallway with three rooms on each side. Go to the second room on the right to find the diary on a table next to a hatchet.
- Officer’s Diary, 2 – At the elevator entrance, there is a barrel to the left with the diary on it.
- Officer’s Diary, 3 – Right before you get onto the spiral elevator, look to your left to see the diary on a crate.
It should take you less than an hour to get through this chapter.
6. Chapter 6 – The Caspian diary locations
The Caspian is yet another open-world level that takes place on the Caspian Sea. Artyom and the Aurora crew are searching for the Caspian-1 facility.
You can find 12 diary entries during this chapter:
- First Mate’s Diary – Find the large ship in the middle of the road about halfway between Saul’s outpost and the lighthouse. Enter the ship and go upstairs. On your right there is a slave praying to the Holy Flame and a table with the diary on it.
- Leader’s Letter – Climb the ladder onto the deck above on the same ship. Go inside the cabin and climb upstairs. There is a table to your right, next to the radio with the letter on it.
- Letter to Son – Upon reaching the lighthouse and ziplining into the cave, follow the path until you reach a natural bridge over a ravine. Before crossing it, look at the corner to your left. There is a corpse with a letter next to it.
- Memo – In the office area of the bunker, go to the office left of the exit. The memo will be on the desk next to a typewriter.
- Image Analysis – After going through the washrooms and down a hallway, go into the control room to your right and open the locked door. You can also find the note on the table next to the control panel.
- Last Orders – Upon getting the radiation map, go into the meeting room to your right when you exit the room and find the note on the table.
- Diary Fragments – Directly north of the Aurora, find a rusty ship next to a few hills. Go into the cabin and enter the hermit’s room to find the note on a crate next to the door.
- Baron’s Letter – On your way to the oasis, find the entrance to a camp (west of the lighthouse and south of the oasis). Find the letter on a stool under an umbrella, next to the truck with all the cages.
- Death Note – Go further into the camp. Find the Baron’s men in a firefight with the slave leader. After dealing with the Munai-bailer, the leader will shoot himself in the head. Find his suicide note on the barrel his body is leaning against.
- Letter to the Artist – Once you get to the oasis, follow Damir. Slide down a slope and look inside the cabin of a rusted ship. Climb up a ramp and across a rock formation. There is a metal catwalk you must cross. On the other side, you will find the letter on a radio next to a sleeping bag.
- Charred Note – On your way to the oil derrick, you will find a large ship used to imprison slaves. In front of it, there is a small outpost. Climb the catwalk with the yellow railings to collect the note sitting on the crate.
- Shopping List – Once you zipline to the ship, make your way to the main control room. In this room, the list will be on the radar panel right next to the electric panel.
This level can take around 4 hours to finish.
7. Chapter 7 – Summer diary locations
Summer is the third of the seasonal intermission levels. Artyom is free to explore all the additional carriages the Aurora offers, as you have collected them all at this point in the game.
There is only one collectible to find in this chapter:
- Tokarev’s Note – It is in the rear train car on the desk.
This chapter takes 30 minutes to finish.
8. Chapter 8 – The Taiga diary locations
The Taiga is a more linear level compared to the open-world ones we’ve seen so far. Your primary objective in this level is to survive rather than explore.
There are 18 diary entries to find during this level.
- Note on a Crossbow Bolt – Upon exiting onto the road, a bolt will be fired into a post next to you with a note written by the pirates.
- Unsent Letter – After crossing a small bridge and passing a statue of Lenin, go inside the school to find the letter on the first desk you see when you enter.
- Little Kid’s Note – After crossing the bridge, go into the first house to your right and turn right again inside to get to the back room. There should be a note on a desk next to a teddy bear.
- Solemn Oath – After climbing the tower, find the note right next to the zipline.
- Dusty Diary – Walk down the road until you find a tree house on the left side. Inside there is a shelf with the diary on it.
- Alchemist’s Log – From the tree house, walk across the rope bridge until you reach the zipline. It will take you to the alchemist’s lair. Find the log on his bed.
- Lost Diary – Go back on the road until you run into a herd of reindeer. Then head toward the riverbank to find a fishing shack. The diary is on the crate right in front as you enter.
- Dusty Notebook – Before climbing the cliff, search for a cave to the left of it to find the notebook on the table.
- Calligraphic Note – To the right of the small camp with a non-hostile pioneer, there is a small house. The note is on the stone stove.
- Scribbled Note – Going through the main entrance of the camp, go into the first hut on the right. The note will be on the table.
- Worn-out Letter – After ziplining out of the camp, walk through the canyon until you find a small cave. The letter is on a crate right at the entrance.
- Crumpled Note – Continue exploring the cave until you find a dead pioneer. The note will be next to the body.
- Dirty Diary – Find your way towards the pirate ship on the shore. Once you reach it, take a right until you reach a small camp. The diary will be on the table.
- Hunter’s Note – Before getting to the church, you will have to go through a gate. Next to the gate is a body with the note.
- Weathered Note – After the church, there are two paths that lead to the pirate camp. Take the upper path until you see a billboard on the left. Right across from it there is a zipline. The note will be on a pillow next to the zipline.
- Folded Note – At the pirate camp, search the ground floor of the house where the gate lever is. The note is on the table right below the stairs to the upper floor.
- Blood-soaked Letter – In the spider-infested bunker, open the large red gate. As soon as you do, search the body on the floor.
- Unfinished Letter – After reuniting with Alyosha, go down the street to get to a tractor next to a house. Go inside the house and find the letter on the table next to a sewing machine.
It can take around 2 and a half hours to complete the Taiga.
9. Chapter 9 – Autumn diary locations
The ninth chapter is also the fourth and final of the seasonal intermission levels. The crew agrees to head to Novosibirsk to find the experimental medicine as Anna’s condition worsens.
There is only one collectible:
- Katya’s Note – Just across from Tokarev’s workbench.
The chapter takes 30 minutes to complete.
10. Chapter 10 – The Dead City diary locations
This is the final playable level within the game which brings the crew to Novosibirsk in search of an experimental military drug.
There are only 8 diary notes to find in this level. As it is a linear level, make sure to collect them in this order.
- Radiogram Transcript – After getting out of the water, there is a note on the desk next to a door to your right.
- Weathered Report – After climbing up the escalator, go through the door on the left. The report is on the desk to your left in the third room, behind a few lockers.
- Orders – Find it pinned on the large map in Kirill’s safe-room.
- Notebook – Upon leaving the safe-room, climb some wooden stairs and go through a train. The notebook is on the first seat to your right.
- Worn-out Diary – Upon reaching the flooded tunnel, row down it until you find a door on the left. Go inside to find the diary on the desk in the last room.
- Browned Note – After Anna’s hallucinations and while climbing towards the surface, walk until you find an open door on the left. The note is on the desk inside.
- Dusty Notebook – Once outside, you will have to drop into a tunnel. Instead of going right, go left to the end of the tunnel. The notebook is on a half-burred corpse.
- Shipping List – After having the first vision at the Institute, go inside and down the staircase. The list is on a tray right in front of you as you open the door.
Is Metro Exodus Worth Playing in 2023?
Metro Exodus definitely holds up in 2023. The graphics are stunning and the story is compelling. There is also a certain bond you already feel with the characters that appear during your journey.
Compared to the first two games, the gameplay is also more fun and versatile. There are countless possibilities for weapon customization and exploration during the game.
Overall, if you like post-apocalyptic survival horror, you definitely need to play Metro Exodus in 2023. This is especially true if you want to play Metro 4, as the plot will most likely tie into the new game.
Is Metro Exodus connected to Metro 2033?
All of the Metro games are connected. Knowing this, we can say for sure that yes, Metro Exodus is connected to Metro 2033.
The events of Metro 2033 are followed by the events of Metro: Last Light. These events, in turn, are followed by Metro Exodus. Without the events of Metro 2033, we wouldn’t have had Metro Exodus in the first place!
Where can you buy Metro Exodus?
You can buy Metro Exodus on all of the platforms where the game is playable. There are a few options for the editions that we’ve already mentioned before.
This means you can buy it on PC with different retailers, the Microsoft Store as well as the PlayStation Store. You can also buy it on the Nintendo Store to play it on the Nintendo Switch.
Is Metro Exodus available on Steam?
Metro Exodus is available on Steam in a few different versions. It costs upwards of $29.99 to own just the base game. The extra price is added if you also want the DLC to play through.
Is Metro Exodus available on Epic Games?
The same deal for Metro Exodus is also available on the Epic Games store. For $29.99, you can own the base game on Epic Games. For $39.99, you can also get the Expansion Pass with the base game to play through at your leisure.