So this was the one booth at Gamescom where they would not let me take a single photo. You walk in, and it honestly looks like you are stepping into one of the Metro settlements. Low light, rusted metal, some real bunker feelings. And the embarrassing bit? I have never played a Metro game in my life, still some friends kept telling me to fix that. So at Gamescom 2026, I finally did. With the newest one. Metro 2039.
Interesting enough, I was somewhat impressed by what I got to see. A grim, dark world after some nuclear apocalypse, somewhere in Moscow.
And for anyone who doesn't know what Metro is about, let me try to paraphrase the story. Twenty five years after a nuclear war, the survivors of Moscow live underground in the metro tunnels. By 2039 they have all been united under one regime, the Novoreich, led by a former Spartan called Hunter. On paper he promises a better life. In reality the tunnels run on propaganda and fear. You don't play Hunter, you play a new guy called the Stranger, dragged back into the Metro he swore he would never set foot in again. Small confession. On the show floor I assumed I was some heroic Spartan defending my home. Turns out the Spartan is the bad guy here, but maybe I got the story wrong. So please correct me in the comments, just be nice, okay?
Mouse and keyboard were available for me, I think alternatively you could also choose a controller. So we head out on a mission, grab our gas mask, some gear, some guns where some were cooler than the others, and set off to track someone down and, potentially, well, remove him from the game. Along the way I fought off mutated rats that were bigger than my dog and shot my way through a military camp. Where I died. But I had enough time for a second run.
Honestly the graphics looked sharp, the details were really nice and the sound design was great. No surprise it walked away with Best Visuals at Gamescom this year. The game as such however was not easy at all, and from the setting I think it shouldn't be.
The gas mask mechanic always kept me nervous, with one eye on the clock. Will I have enough filters and enough air to keep breathing out on the surface? Constantly swapping out filters, sometimes maybe slightly too early.
Seriously, the game got me, and after my visit I somewhat wanted to play more of it. If you ask me, the story has something like Fallout but with way less humour. It is darker and more serious. Things are really falling apart and there were no robots making funny remarks.
From what I read, 4A Games is a Ukrainian studio. After the war began they felt forced to rewrite the story, making it the darkest and most brutal Metro game yet.
So when can fans finally get hold of the game and explore the wasteland? Good news for any fans. The game has a release date. February 4th, 2027 it shall be, if everything goes as planned. And if you want to catch up on the story first, I was told to start with Metro Exodus. It is the direct predecessor and the easiest way in. If you want to know all of it, the Redux versions cover the first two games.
Okay! That is my little experience report from Gamescom, about a franchise I had never touched before. Funny thing, by the way. Going by the name, I always assumed this was a game about trains. Turns out it is called Metro because a lot of it takes place in the metro tunnels of Moscow. Clever me, I know.
Have you ever played Metro, and what is your opinion on the series? Thanks for reading, and subscribe. Until next time.