Everything You Need To Know About Metro Awakening

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A character stands with open arms before a dead body on an altar.

Screenshot: Vertigo Games

The Metro game series, based on the bestselling novels by Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky, has been a hit with fans of dystopian first-person shooters since it first came on the scene in 2010 with Metro 2033. It has since seen two mainline sequels, Metro: Last Light and Metro Exodus, which have continued to expand its story set in an apocalyptic Russia. Now, the franchise has returned with a VR-exclusive game called Metro Awakening, which lets you experience this tattered world as if you lived there yourself.

If you’ve been eagerly awaiting a new game in the franchise, a VR-only title may not have been on your bingo card. But luckily, Metro Awakening doesn’t abandon what came before it, but expands upon it instead with a side story that may shock long-time Metro enthusiasts with some incredible revelations about a fan-favorite character.

Here’s what you need to know about Metro Awakening.

A monster lunges toward the protagonist.

Screenshot: Vertigo Games

Metro Awakening is a spin-off prequel to the first game in the series, Metro 2033. Unlike the main games, players no longer control beloved protagonist Artyom, and instead take on the role of a doctor named Sedar, who is on a mission through the Moscow tunnels to find his wife—even if it leads him to darker and more mystical places than he could’ve ever expected.

Don’t worry, though: Everything you’ve loved about the mainline games is largely here (albeit in VR form), including all of the tense and claustrophobic thrills of exploring the dark and dreary underground subways humans call home in the Metro universe. And yes, you still have to survive with limited ammo, engage in stealth, and wear gas masks to avoid radiation if you want to reach the end of your journey. In other words, if you’re a fan of the previous entries in the franchise, rest assured that Metro Awakening hasn’t strayed far from the path.

The protagonist observes two dead characters.

Screenshot: Vertigo Games

Metro Awakening is developed by Vertigo Games, an award-winning studio known for other well-received VR titles like Arizona Sunshine, A Fisherman’s Tale, and After the Fall. They’ve also developed a wide variety of unique VR experiences like National Geographic Explore VR and Space Flight: Orbital Emergency.

The protagonist aims a crossbow at the enemy.

Image: Vertigo Games

Metro Awakening is a VR-only title available for PlayStation 5 via PSVR2, Meta Quest 2 and 3, and Steam VR—the latter of which allows you to play the game on PC using other VR headsets.

As of this time, there has been no indication that a “flat,” non-VR version of the game will ever be available. So, if you want to experience this entry in the series then you’ll definitely want to decide which VR headset will be best for you and grab it on that respective platform.

The protagonist stalks a pair of characters in a train tunnel.

Screenshot: Vertigo Games

The Metro series has long been a singleplayer-focused franchise, and that doesn’t change with Metro Awakening. This is an entirely solo experience from beginning to end, meaning there are no cooperative or competitive modes. It’s doubtful that Vertigo Games will ever expand the game with any type of multiplayer, so make sure you’re prepared to enjoy this title alone before picking it up.

A lamp stands in an abandoned train car.

Image: Vertigo Games

The Metro series is popular around the world, so Vertigo Games has ensured that language barriers are mitigated as well as possible in Metro Awakening. As such, the game supports English audio, as well as subtitles for English, French, German, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, Spanish, Czech, Polish, Russian, and Ukrainian.

Metro Awakening is available now. If this kind of post-apocalyptic survival shooter is your kind of thing, make sure to also keep an eye on the long-awaited sequel S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2 Heart of Chornobyl launching November 20.

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