Metro 2039’s haunting post-apocalyptic setting appears grimmer, stranger, and more otherworldly this Winter, and I’m already convinced.

      Metro 2039 could be the sequel to Metro that I’ve been anticipating since Last Light.

      Post-apocalyptic scenarios resonate deeply in various media, and few game franchises have captured that essence as effectively as Metro. This is why the announcement of Metro 2039 excites me.

      With Metro Exodus, the most recent game in the series, the tone felt more grounded and expansive, with the darker psychological tension that characterized Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light mostly taking a backseat. However, the initial reveal of Metro 2039 appears to be pulling the series back into its dark roots and pushing it toward an even more bizarre direction.

      Metro originated from rejected online fiction, and that unusual essence is still present.

      Dmitry Glukhovsky first released Metro 2033 online after being repeatedly rejected by Russian publishers. The novel garnered an audience online before achieving success in print. This outsider perspective is significant because Metro has always felt more peculiar and introspective than a typical post-apocalyptic shooter.

      The early games highlighted this through a blend of irradiated tunnels, political paranoia, mutated creatures, and a touch of supernatural ambiguity that made the world seem haunted rather than simply devastated. This distinction is what set Metro apart from Stalker. That game thrived on player freedom and open exploration, whereas Metro is more focused, linear, and committed to atmosphere and storytelling as the primary means of conveying horror.

      Why Metro 2039 may be the ideal adaptation.

      A crucial aspect for me is that Metro's creator Glukhovsky has stated that Metro 2039 will be “darker than anything you’ve seen before.” This alone indicates that 4A Games is aware of what fans missed. The reveal trailer also hints at Lovecraftian influences when discussing the franchise more broadly. Metro has never solely revolved around radiation, ammunition, and mutants; it has always encompassed the sensation that reality itself is deteriorating. While Exodus provided a more human and grounded feel, 2039 already appears to be a colder, stranger, and more psychologically unsettling iteration of the apocalypse.

      We will also be introduced to a new voice protagonist (the first in the franchise outside of DLCs) named The Stranger, a recluse haunted by violent nightmares, who is drawn back into the Metro he vowed never to return to.

      When will it be released, and on which platforms?

      Metro 2039 is set to launch this Winter for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC. The game was initially showcased during Xbox First Look, but it is clearly not designated as an Xbox-exclusive title. This is appropriate, as Metro deserves the widest possible audience, especially if it is about to become the series' most peculiar and disquieting installment to date. If the reveal trailer is any indication, Winter can’t come soon enough.

      Vikhyaat Vivek is a tech journalist and reviewer with seven years of experience covering consumer hardware.

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