Metro 2039 has received its first gameplay demo—and if you were looking forward to a return to the dark tunnels, 4A Games hasn’t disappointed. At the Xbox First Look showcase, the studio delivered 15 minutes of almost seamless gameplay and cinematics that are more terrifying than the entire previous trilogy.
The main thing to know: Metro Exodus, with its open world, is a thing of the past. The new game takes players underground once again—to the very same Moscow metro tunnels where we spent dozens of hours in 2033 and Last Light. Creative director Andrey Shevchenko puts it this way: “We’ve returned to the tunnels and to what makes Metro—Metro.”
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Metro 2039’s New Protagonist and the World of the Novoreikh
Artyom is no longer the main character. His place has been taken by The Stranger—a hermit tormented by visions and forced to return to a place he swore never to return to. The events unfold 25 years after the nuclear disaster. All underground units have united into the Novoreich under the command of the fanatical Spartan Hunter—the same one from Dmitry Glukhovsky’s books. Incidentally, the writer himself contributed to the script.
Where should a Metro newbie start before 2039?
Does the name Hunter ring a bell, and does “nosalis” sound like a type of cheese? No problem. There’s plenty of time before Metro 2039’s release—it’s possible to start the series from scratch, even if you’ve completely bypassed all that post-nuclear Moscow. The only question is which door to enter.
The franchise rests on two pillars: Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novels and the games from 4A Games. The canons overlap, but they don’t merge. The games draw the world, factions, and characters from the books, and then create their own story, starring Artyom and featuring endings that Glukhovsky doesn’t. For Metro 2039, both storylines are important. Why? Because Hunter is a character from the books, and in the games, he’s only appeared in supporting roles so far.
Spoiler-Free Metro Gameplay Order
There are only a few titles—three main ones plus a couple of DLCs. It’s best to follow the story’s internal chronology rather than release dates. This way, you won’t pick up spoilers later or get confused about the factions’ motivations.
Metro Series Guide Before Metro 2039
Get the Redux version, not the 2010 and 2013 originals. The remastered stealth, reworked the ballistics, and adjusted the graphics for the second-generation 4A Engine. Both games run at 4K/60 on modern hardware without any fuss or mods.
Which Metro books should I read before 2039?
The game’s Hunter and the Hunter from the novels are the same person. And it’s the literary version that explains why the antagonist of Metro 2039 is who he is. Without the context of the books, his motivations are only about 30 percent clear, no more.
A minimum that will fill the gaps
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“Metro 2033” is the foundation of the universe. Here, Hunter appears for the first time and gives Artyom that very same task.
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“Metro 2034” – Hunter as the protagonist. His breakdown, transformation, and inner demons are explored.
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“Metro 2035” concludes Artyom’s arc and sets the political agenda for the subway.
Glukhovsky’s trilogy has been translated into 37 languages, with a combined circulation of over 3 million copies—legally available on LitRes, Bookmate, and Storytel. No time to read? There are audio versions narrated by Igor Knyazev—a great way to bridge the 25-year gap in the story with a backdrop of a road or a hall.
How to quickly beat Metro before 2039’s release?
The scenario is realistic: a couple of months before the release, 40+ hours of playtime are unachievable, no matter how hard you try. The bare minimum is this: play Metro 2033 Redux yourself, and watch the Last Light story trailers on YouTube. The Gamer’s Little Playground and ProsafiaGaming channels are putting together 2-3 hour movie versions. Save Exodus for later. Its events take the action far beyond Moscow, while Metro 2039 returns the player to where it all began—the tunnels. So the priority is clear.
Metro 2039 Gameplay: Survival Atmosphere and Mechanics
The teaser showcases everything we love about Metro: handheld weapons, a minimalist interface with a clock, and oppressive corridors. The Outsider encounters Nosalis—huge, blind mutants—and fights them off pragmatically: retreating down an escalator, and at a critical moment, the rifle misfires. This means that equipment will once again be paramount. Another new feature is “frozen stories”: instead of cutscenes, part of the plot is conveyed through the environment, as the player examines bodies, objects, and scenery, piecing together micronarratives.
Metro 2039 was developed under extreme conditions. Part of the 4A Games team is working in Ukraine—under fire, with generators and batteries. A second office in Malta. Shevchenko admits that the war changed the game’s message: “Our message shifted to consequences, the price of silence, the horrors of tyranny, and the price of freedom.”
