The Moscow Metro is calling players back underground. Ukrainian studio 4A Games recently invited press to spend a couple of hours with Metro 2039, the upcoming post-apocalyptic FPS sequel that the developers have openly billed as a return to the franchise’s roots — and Early impressions suggest they weren’t exaggerating. But while the tunnels are darker and tighter than ever, this is no simple nostalgia trip.
A Triumphant Return to the Tunnels
When Metro Exodus traded the cramped subway lines of Moscow for sprawling, semi-open surface levels back in 2019, it split the fanbase. Some loved the newfound freedom; others missed the suffocating dread that made Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light so memorable. With Metro 2039, 4A Games appears to be answering both camps at once.
According to the hands-on report, the new game revives the claustrophobic tunnel-dwelling that defined the series’ early entries — those narrow, ruined passageways where every flickering lamp could hide a lurking horror. Yet it simultaneously retains a handful of the more freely-roamable ideas that made Exodus feel like a breath of irradiated fresh air.
A Mutant Hybrid of Old and New
The comparison that stuck from the preview is a fittingly grotesque one: Metro 2039 is as much of a hybrid as the mutated shrimp-insects that infest Moscow’s sewers in the game itself. It splices the DNA of linear survival horror with the exploratory DNA of its predecessor, and the result is something that feels both familiar and refreshingly evolved. Even the sewers beneath Moscow — the setting of part of the demo — deliver exactly the kind of oppressive, torch-lit atmosphere longtime fans crave.
Stealth Remains Your Best Friend
If you’ve played a Metro game before, you know the drill: ammunition is precious, mutants are deadly, and charging in guns blazing is usually a one-way ticket to a reload screen. Metro 2039 plays very much like the sneaky FPS series veterans would expect. Crouching through the dark, extinguishing light sources, and picking off enemies quietly appears to remain the smart play — a design pillar that has always set Metro apart from more trigger-happy shooters.
Why You Should Leave the Beaten Track
Here’s the twist, though: while the main route may hug the tunnels, the preview makes clear there are still good reasons to wander off the beaten path. Optional exploration is alive and well in Metro 2039, rewarding curious players who poke around abandoned side passages rather than bee-lining for the objective marker. In a series where scavenged filters, bullets, and supplies can mean the difference between life and death, detours are more than sightseeing — they’re survival.
Our Take: The Best of Both Eras?
On paper, this hybrid approach looks like the smartest possible move for the franchise. The linear Metro games were praised for pacing and dread but criticized for their rigidity; Exodus fixed that but arguably lost some of its intensity. If 4A Games can genuinely balance claustrophobic horror with meaningful player agency, Metro 2039 could be the definitive Metro experience — a synthesis rather than a step backwards. With the studio explicitly framing this as a homecoming, expectations are high, but the early signs are promising.
While we wait for more news on Metro 2039‘s release, there’s never been a better time to revisit the series. You can pick up Metro Redux and Metro Exodus at discounted prices with digital game codes from TURGAME.com — your go-to store for game keys and gift cards worldwide.
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun
Source: Rock Paper Shotgun