Exodus isn’t a bad game. It’s just a bad “Metro” game. I couldn’t finish it because it just felt too disconnected and empty compared to the dense, intricate, and immersive world of the first two games. Made it maybe halfway through the 2nd map before I realized I was just bored checking off the map and I didn’t care what happened to the people in this desert because I was just going to leave on the train anyway. Then I realized that the previous map was also just a throw away story that didn’t matter. They were just arbitrary obstacles to getting the train moving.

Hell, one of the key gameplay mechanics of the Metro series which ties into the lore is that bullets are currency, so each shot counts. In Exodus, they absolutely abandoned that system for a crafting one where bullets are damn near infinite. It ruins the immersion.

I play the Metro games for their specific atmosphere and immersive storytelling that is intertwined with the gameplay mechanics. Exodus took all of that away for a generic, open world experience with disconnected story beats in an attempt to capitalize on the open world craze. It backfired in my opinion and I hope they return to what made the series great.