Recent reviews by Mr. Shadow

One of the few games that I've played where I feel like my choices make a real impact on what will happen. Even something as simple as missing one quick time event out of five can have long lasting impacts on your story.

Will admit I lost interest with one of the characters stories halfway through but that's only because the other two's were just so so so much more interesting. Will admit though, huge twist in the end that got me good.

"Is it safer to live a life of lies or die an honest truth?" ~ Colonel Miller

Metro Exodus was one of the best experiences I've had in gaming. The character are diverse & deep, the world feels as if it's happening around you with or without your interference, and the morality of choices has real weight on the outcome of your story. This was truly a work of art.

Having played the previous Metro games I had formed relationships with these characters that never felt like they left an impression on me, it was as if the game world wasn't ready to dive deep enough yet. Exodus changes this in a way that immerses you beyond anything I can compare. The characters in this game feel real, they share emotions, history, love, compassion, & friendship without Artyom (Your Character) saying a single word. You learn the backstories of these characters, what motivates them, what their dreams are, but most humanely; their fears. You quickly begin to forget that you're playing a video game if you let yourself get lost in this amazing world that QuickSilver has created. The best part is you don't need any past Metro experiences to fall in love with these characters, the writing and pacing is so well done it will fill you in on information you need to know about them.

You're an outside spectator in the game of life. However it's all malleable in a unique way. In normal RPG's you get the option to use your voice to create effect, but in Exodus you use your actions. The choices you make have effects on the world that are real, whether that be something as large as killing a communities idol or as small as lowering your weapon when interacting with an NPC. Every single thing you do in this game will either come back to haunt you or prop you up. This is something that I hope more games introduce because this only drew me deeper into the immersion.

If you're looking for a unique, polished, and enriching gaming experience look no further than Metro Exodus.

If you want to have the best possible experience:
1. Listen to the conversations that interest you while on the Train
2. Explore the world thoroughly, there is amazing depth to the Environmental Story Telling that goes leaps beyond any other developer to date
3. Truly place yourself in the shoes of Artyom as you explore the world that was once believed to be extinct
4. Conserve your supplies. They're scarce.


Pros:
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+ Average Game Length: 30 Hours (If you take your time)
+ Enticing Story Telling
+ Superb Characters
+ Gorgeous Visuals
+ Ray Tracing is breath taking
+ Diverse Landscapes
+ Extreme diversity of weapons and upgrades

Cons
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- The gun play can get a little old, diverse your weapon load outs to combat this
- I noticed a few game breaking bugs that made me reload to my last quick save towards the end of the game. Namely objects that had no collision.
- It cant decide if it was to be a linear story game (Like the past Metro's) or an Open World title. I don't have a huge problem with it as it's mostly done very organically however I was extremely enticed to explore every area but sadly it isn't possible.
- There's a moment where the same trope is played on two completely separate antagonists. This seemed like extremely lazy writing to me.

Dark Souls III is more than just a game. Its a test of your mental endurance, its a frustrating and enraging experience that will leave you feeling confused why the developers are trying to kill you around every corner and making the game feel insanely impossible. But as you continue to play you will learn the beauty of retrying. Never giving up and continuing to learn from your mistakes is the name of the game for every FromSoftware title. I've never had a rush of joy and personal satisfaction like this in any other video game to date, feeling that adrenaline pump as you narrowly dodge an enemies attack with little to no heath remaining and getting the final slash on them is unmatched.

I cannot begin to describe the satisfaction you feel as you play this game, the weapons feel meaty and real, the enemies are more often than not better than the actually players that will invade your world. The character progression as you go through the different areas/levels feels organic.

Exploring in this game is a fun and heart pumping adventure, never knowing where the next bonfire may be, carrying thousands of souls you've just spent 30 minutes farming and battling to obtain. Turning the corner to see the firecoiled sword sticking from a pile of ash is a sight for sore eyes every single time, relief washing over your entire body as a smile cracks on your face. You made it.

When I beat the game I dropped my controller and the only reaction I could have possibly had was to applaud the developers for this epic adventure I'd just gone through. It was done... But I was craving more, the New Game feature isn't a new feature in gaming but it was essential for this game! I've started my second play through and good lord it's just as fun.

The community in a game full of challenging fights and angry deaths is actually extremely friendly! I've had Dark Spirits invade my world and end up helping me defeat some of the mob NPC's just because I waved and did the Praise the Sun emote at the same time as him, the community is also full of players that will gladly be summoned to help you in boss fights because they remember how hard it was for them. The emote system brings a whole other level of non-verbal communication, most of the time before you initiate a PVP battle you'll get a low bow from your opponent to symbolize they're ready to fight, sometimes you'll even have players that are respectful enough to not gank you while being attacked by another person or NPC which is stunning to me considering how much easier of a fight it ends up being for them. I appreciate how friendly, charming, and welcoming this community is.

PRO'S
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-Above Average Game Length: 80 Hours To Finish
-Friendly Community
-Excellent DLC Content
-Lots of Replayability
-Runs Very Smoothly
-Fast Load Times
-Teaches Patients & Timing
-Insane weapon and armor variety


CON'S
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-Some areas feel a little buggy
-PVP combat with a laggy person can be confusing, as hits from 20 seconds ago register late. This is extremely rare however, in my 85+ hours of play I've only seen it happen once.
-Can cause yelling at your monitor :D
-Flat out impossible to play without a controller

10/10 game, I cannot recommend this game enough, if you have the patience to repeat battles and learn enemies move sets you'll have an amazing time.

My one tip, Prepare To Die.

This game feels like a time machine. You get the classic gameplay that challenges your intellect and your skill. I've had experiences in this game with the amazing levels and enemies that I will forever remember, and they're even greater when I realize that other people have different and equally as stunning moments as well.

Hands down the best Resident Evil game and one of the best art pieces of the year.