Metro Exodus Review: 6 Ups & 4 Downs

3. Gunplay, Combat And Movement Is Suitably Weighty

While you'll spend a lot of time collecting resources and managing your items, the actual combat itself is thankfully solid enough to justify all that prep. Battling human soldiers is relatively straightforward, as you take cover and take pop shots while trying not to take any fire. There are always multiple ways to tackle each encounter as well, with the game often letting you decide whether you want to strike from the shadows or go in guns blazing.

As is the Metro way, HUD and UI elements are kept to a minimum, with most vital information being conveyed through in-game actions and counters. You have to check your watch to view how long your gas mask filters have left, for instance, or whip out an in-game map to see where the hell you’re going. It can be cumbersome, but it totally engrosses you into this world.

It means you're always engaging with the environment, rather than simply following a waypoint or checking screens like in other games. That can lead to some occasional problems, like wasting time investigating areas that will be used for later story missions, or starting one of said story missions before you finish exploring and being ushered on to the next area - but they’re a worthy sacrifice to keep the level of immersion high.