Metro Exodus: Sam's Story DLC for PC review: A unique and thrilling expansion

Sam in Metro Exodus. Source: 4A Games

Metro Exodus was ane of the all-time games of 2022, offering fans a fresh, open world-style take on the series. The first DLC, The Two Colonels, historic the Metro franchise's past by delivering a more than claustrophobic and guided experience. The latest, Sam's Story, celebrates the success of Metro Exodus' new management by returning the role player to a nonlinear environment that'south unique in atmosphere, but familiar in structure.

Filled with exciting locations, enough of secrets to find, and a brand new story to tell, this expansion is a continuation of the Metro Exodus base game experience. And because the base of operations game was stellar, I accept no complaints.

A new journey

Metro Exodus: Sam's Story

$eighteen

Bottom line: The concluding 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 audio
Excellent story

Cons

Vocalism acting is patchy
Could use some more smooth

What you'll love well-nigh the Sam's Story DLC

Vladivostok in the DLC. Source: Windows Central

Vladivostok is a unique, richly-detailed location that Metro fans will love to explore.

Overall, the thing I found the well-nigh striking about this DLC was simply how uniquely designed the setting was. The DLC has us have 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 practice that, he needs to head to the port metropolis of Vladivostok. Vladivstok is a far cry from the icy wastelands and scorching deserts that Metro Exodus' base campaign took the player through. Instead, information technology'due south more than of a swampy, waterlogged surroundings that feels more like Fallout 4's Far Harbor than whatsoever location we've been to in the Metro series. The unique setting does a lot to make this DLC feel separate from by Metro experiences, peculiarly since developer 4A Games has in one case once more demonstrated their masterful worldbuilding skills by filling the city with heaps of rich detail.

Of course, a new setting is cypher without the appropriate gameplay blueprint to accompany it. Thankfully, the DLC also brings several fresh gameplay experiences to the table. Similar the base game, the DLC is structured nonlinearly, with an accent on exploration and finding gear upgrades and lore. However, enemies will attack you lot in new means that fit the setting. For example, the zombie-like Humanimals volition hibernate underwater and camouflage themselves with moss to endeavor and ambush you in waterlogged locations. There are new foes also, such as a massive giant bat that travels with a swarm of smaller ones. Yous'll too need to worry almost mines loosed into the waters past attacks on the Russian stockpiles during the war. Y'all tin disarm these for crafting materials, simply one wrong movement and you're diddled sky-high. To tackle challenges similar these, y'all're given two new weapons: a flare-up-firing burglarize dubbed the "Sammy," and a semi-automated handgun, the "Stallion." On peak of that, in that location's a new wrist gadget that tin help notice the numerous traps found throughout Vladivostok.

All of this is tied together with a fantastic story and gorgeous visuals and sound design. The writing in this expansion is on-par with the rest of the Metro series, and both the graphics and the audio are equally stellar. Vladivostok's marshy, vegetation-ridden artful is washed supreme justice past 4A Games' phenomenal texture piece of work, and the authentic quality of every sound effect drives the immersion factor up tenfold.

What y'all'll honey less about the Sam's Story DLC

The sun begins to set in Vladivostok. Source: Windows Primal

While the Sam'south Story DLC is about perfect, there are a couple of issues I have with information technology. The first is that, similar with all of the Metro games and DLCs, the English voice acting is pretty spotty. Exodus, in general, is much meliorate than Metro 2033 and Last Lite, but information technology's still non on par with other AAA titles. It's not terrible, only it's far from splendid, either. I recommend playing with Russian voice acting and turning on subtitles if you want to hear better voice interim, fifty-fifty if you can't empathise what's said.

Secondly, this DLC is noticeably less polished than the base game and The 2 Colonels. While the game runs very smoothly in terms of framerate, I had several moments of texture pop-in and blitheness stuttering over my viii-hr playthrough. These last less than a 2nd long when they happen, but they're still frequent plenty that I experience it was worth noting.

Should y'all buy the Sam'due south Story DLC?

While the performance hiccups and spotty vocalization interim tin can be a piddling grating, they're just minor bug. The rest of the Sam'south Story DLC offers then much to savour, including a unique setting, new locations to explore, new challenges to face, and an excellent story to experience.

If you detest dealing with whatsoever kind of performance bugs, I'd advise waiting until the developer releases a few fixes for the DLC. Bated from that, though, this expansion is worth picking up if yous 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 iv, and PC through the Ballsy 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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