A Guidebook for Travelling Through Post-Apocalyptic Areas in the World of Metro

Moscow

As usual, I was exploring the ruins of Moscow and wading through the tunnels and underground stations. Quite similar aspects of daily routine I have experienced during previous years. Ruins of old buildings, dark, dusty and cobwebbed corridors of the metro are teeming with mutants and hostile survivors. The surface is contaminated with radiation as well as some belowground areas. At that time, I was not only hanging around the urban area, trying to spot any survivors with help of my field radio station. I got an important target – to find and capture the vehicle for the upcoming journey – the locomotive.

Survival tips:

• Always check the time for gas mask filter change
• Try to knock out or kill enemies silently
• Lighter is the best tool for removing the spiderweb

Winter

That was crazy! Masters of the train seemed to be unwilling to let us take the train. However, we finally managed to move far enough from the hostile area of Moscow. At this point, we are starting to move forward and prepare ourselves for meeting the foreign occupants. But it’s already been 20 years after the first missiles landed in Moscow…

The Volga

After a crazy escape from the heart of Russia, we got stuck in wonderful surroundings of the past countryside with a huge Volga River, that are now absorbed by ruins of countryside buildings, industrial facilities, and perished trees. Something is wrong with our locomotive “Aurora”. The location is half-flooded, and the water is the main danger for us this time. Not exactly the water, but the underwater inhabitants. The boats are available in several places, so to reach the specific area and complete a certain order, I had to use boats. Moreover, there are several rest points on the map, where the weapon can be cleaned and modified, and all the necessities produced.

Survival tips:

• Use the boat to cross flooded areas
• Stay away from shores
• Avoid mutants, they can invoke more monsters

Spring

Escaped the Volga area. We have found a few fellow travellers and found a passenger train car and a railcar. Moreover, we got a signal from the governmental bunker, situated in the Ural Mountains and designed for coordinating the warfare actions and saving the survivors.

Yamantau

We are finally here. Enormous concrete walls of the bunker are hovering over us. Entering this facility, surprisingly, we encountered dark mazes of internal premises and halls. The surroundings are quite messy, everything seems to be abandoned or at least lack a caring attitude. Protective piles are constructed with junk and there are no patrol guards or any other military squads to protect or, at least, to meet the newcomers. This seems to be strange. Something is wrong.

Survival tips:

• Aim for the head
• Attack armoured enemies carefully
• Just survive!

The Caspian

Sand and only sand everywhere. Abandoned ruins, ships’ skeletons, no greenery or water. Some monsters adapted to such environment through camouflage, and it is nearly impossible to detect their sandy-beige bodies in the background of walls or in the sand. Sandstorm! It couldn’t be worse. It is beautiful to watch it from distance, but it totally violates the visibility, and I can’t breathe! We are not able to leave this place until I find water and fuel for the locomotive.

Survival tips:

• Modify some of your weapons with an optic scope
• Avoid open spaces in order not to be spotted by a demon (flying mutant)
• Make sure the gas mask doesn’t demand repair

Summer

How pleasant to finally feel the summer surroundings after this dry and sandy desert. So happy to see greenery, river, and blue sky. Due to the maps, we are heading towards a possible liveable area. It is interesting if there is something to prevent us from settling here.

The Taiga

One of my favourite locations except the hazards. Deep woods and abandoned countryside houses. Mountains, hills, and a river, which goes along the area, complement the glorious scenery. The picturesque night is fulfilled with moonlight shades and fireflies. Old overgrown Soviet Union children camps and Lenin monuments deliver an untransferable atmosphere of the time we lived in. This spot seems to be a proper place for further existence. At first…

Survival tips:

• Stealth is your best friend
• Avoid wolf packs
• Use ropeways for faster movement

Autumn

We were so naive… We can stay here, in the forests with enough water, food and trees. Not this time. The situation obliges us to move to the place which I wasn’t expecting at all.

The Dead City

How have we got here? The nearest place, which possessed an availability of what we need is another cold and dark victim of nuclear war – the city of Novosibirsk. Covered in snow, frozen buildings and numerous abandoned cars on its streets. There is something fabulous and terrifying at the same time in this winter city. The scenery reminds us of streets in Moscow, but the buildings here are better preserved. The city is dangerous with its weather conditions and level of radiation on the surface and horrifying creatures beneath the ground.

Survival tips:

• Prepare a lot of gas mask filters, fire grenades and ammo
• Keep an eye on your gas mask durability
• Beware of “librarians” (hard mutants)

We did it! We finally managed to cross half the country and find the very place where it is possible to live peacefully on the surface without wandering through the metro tunnels. But by what means did we achieve our goal? Was our curiosity worth experiencing all these challenges?

 

This experience was based on the game Metro Exodus (4A Games 2019)

Pictures: screenshots from the game, taken by the author

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