Metro Exodus: Sam’s Story is a unique, thrilling take on the series
Source: 4A Games
Metro Exodus was one of the best games of 2019, offering fans a fresh, open world-style take on the series. The first DLC, The Two Colonels, celebrated the Metro franchise’s past by delivering a more claustrophobic and guided experience. The latest, Sam’s Story, celebrates the success of Metro Exodus’ new direction by returning the player to a nonlinear environment that’s unique in atmosphere, but familiar in structure.
Filled with exciting locations, plenty of secrets to find, and a brand new story to tell, this expansion is a continuation of the Metro Exodus base game experience. And considering the base game was stellar, I have no complaints.
A new journey
Metro Exodus: Sam’s Story
$18
Bottom line: The final DLC for Metro Exodus brings players a brand new open-world level to explore, filled with intense gameplay opportunities and stories to tell.
Pros
- Unique atmosphere compared to previous Metro locations
- Stellar gameplay experience
- Incredible graphics and sound
- Excellent story
Cons
- Voice acting is patchy
- Could use some more polish
What you’ll love about the Sam’s Story DLC
Source: Windows Central
Vladivostok is a unique, richly-detailed location that Metro fans will love to explore.
Overall, the thing I found the most striking about this DLC was just how uniquely designed the setting was. The DLC has us take control of Sam as he attempts to find a way to sail back to his home in the United States to try and find his father. To do that, he needs to head to the port city of Vladivostok. Vladivstok is a far cry from the icy wastelands and scorching deserts that Metro Exodus’ base campaign took the player through. Instead, it’s more of a swampy, waterlogged environment that feels more like Fallout 4’s Far Harbor than any location we’ve been to in the Metro series. The unique setting does a lot to make this DLC feel separate from past Metro experiences, especially since developer 4A Games has once again demonstrated their masterful worldbuilding skills by filling the city with heaps of rich detail.
Of course, a new setting is nothing without the appropriate gameplay design to accompany it. Thankfully, the DLC also brings several fresh gameplay experiences to the table. Like the base game, the DLC is structured nonlinearly, with an emphasis on exploration and finding gear upgrades and lore. However, enemies will attack you in new ways that fit the setting. For example, the zombie-like Humanimals will hide underwater and camouflage themselves with moss to try and ambush you in waterlogged locations. There are new foes too, such as a massive giant bat that travels with a swarm of smaller ones. You’ll also need to worry about mines loosed into the waters by attacks on the Russian stockpiles during the war. You can disarm these for crafting materials, but one wrong move and you’re blown sky-high. To tackle challenges like these, you’re given two new weapons: a burst-firing rifle dubbed the “Sammy,” and a semi-automatic handgun, the “Stallion.” On top of that, there’s a new wrist gadget that can help detect the numerous traps found throughout Vladivostok.
What you’ll love less about the Sam’s Story DLC
Source: Windows Central
Secondly, this DLC is noticeably less polished than the base game and The Two Colonels. While the game runs very smoothly in terms of framerate, I had several moments of texture pop-in and animation stuttering over my eight-hour playthrough. These last less than a second long when they happen, but they’re still frequent enough that I feel it was worth noting.
Should you buy the Sam’s Story DLC?
If you hate dealing with any kind of performance bugs, I’d advise waiting until the developer releases a few fixes for the DLC. Aside from that, though, this expansion is worth picking up if you were a big fan of Metro Exodus, as it expands upon the vanilla experience in ways that are both familiar and fresh.
Metro Exodus: Sam’s Story is available now for $18 on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC through the Epic Games Store.
A new journey
Metro Exodus: Sam’s Story
Welcome to Vladivostok
The final DLC for Metro Exodus brings players a brand new open-world level to explore, filled with intense gameplay opportunities and stories to tell.
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