Every Major Video Game Of Q1 2019 - Ranked

7. Metro Exodus

Though not the "Witcher 3 moment" I was hoping for in terms of retroactively elevating the entire property up a few notches, Metro Exodus swaps its signature subterranean underground tunnels for the series' first open-world game, set across deserts, forests and arctic tundra.

It's a resounding success, seeing 4A Games pepper these larger maps with side-quests and discoverables, crafting components and mini-bosses, all the while avoiding the trap of making any of it feel like busywork. Instead, as mute protagonist Artyom you embark on all manner of quests to get your troupe out of Moscow in search for other life.

A massive twist at the beginning up-ends the previous two titles in terms of what's happening around the world, and it's this catalyst that lets the writers pontificate on the roles of government and individual survivability in a state that's abandoned its people.

On the gameplay front Exodus a harsh-but-surmountable mix of stealth and tight shooting. Planning and picking off foes will win the day, and the game genuinely looks like one of the best of the generation while you get to work.

A few tweaks to the story's overall propulsion and better implementation of writing around a silent protagonist, and this would've been top 3 territory.