Metro 2033 Diaries Part Six

This is my ongoing exploration of the Metro games, played in release order. I will chronicle my playthrough of each title in turn and discuss any recurring themes and noteworthy events. This time I continue Metro 2033 Redux.

My new friend Khan had taken me to Cursed station, and after I blew it up to save it, he sent me on alone to Armory where his acquaintance had loaded me into a handcart and sent me to war with the Nazis…

The communist soldiers above me talked about how they wound up as soldiers, and eventually began singing. Through no fault of my own, the wooden boards beneath me broke, and I tumbled onto the train tracks. I was somewhere between Armory and the Communist front lines, and had to cross into Nazi territory to get to Polis.

Deciding that stealth was the better part of valor, I snuck down the tunnel, and to the left where some stairs took me away from several troops. There were two chatting nearby, but somehow missed me sneaking past like a badass ninja. Across to the neighbouring platform, I decided not to engage the pair about to murder a man on his knees, and went up another staircase.

Pretty sure I didn't have lunch...

Despite the bullets flying from across the rail bridge, I hoped that I could find a back way to sneak into fascist territory, so went past a couple of sleeping men and into a doorway. Down some stairs, the gate at the bottom led me to a weapon and some ammo, as well as a locked safe. Realising there was no way out, I went back upstairs where I noticed a light from someone’s helmet. I remained hidden until the man turned away, then went to stab him - but something shiny caught my attention, and I picked up the safe key.

After a trip back downstairs, I snuck behind the man as he patrolled again, and knocked him out. I snuck up onto the platform with a turret upon it, and clobbered the two up there as silently as possible. I couldn’t see a way to escape without a fight, so I wanted to use the turret. Unfortunately, I couldn’t grab hold of it for some reason, so decided to try sniping some people with my AK. I shot one guy who looked like a commander - he was wearing a flat cap instead of a helmet - and the place immediately went into alert.

Luckily, nobody knew where the shot had come from, but after another shot they worked it out. I was almost killed a couple of times, but thanks to my position they had to use one of the staircases which led to me. Pretty soon, bodies littered the platform and surrounding area, so I decided that I might as well clean up the couple of men who hadn’t come to the killing floor.

Now free of communists, I ventured forwards across the bridge. Nazi propaganda played over some hidden speakers, trying to convince the communists to surrender, and that they would be treated well. Of course, the moment they spotted me, they swarmed my position while shooting at me. Way to sell your propaganda, Nazis…

The only good Nazi is one who's no longer a Nazi

It was tense going, but thanks to my hidden position, I came out of it relatively unscathed. I even managed to take out the gunner and driver of a rail car - quite literally a car on the rails, with a turret atop it. I went off to one side and down some stairs, finding a lone guard watching over three men. I stabbed him, only for one of the prisoners to call me a ranger while thanking me. I decided not to question it, and also to not go down the ladder in the room, instead heading back up the stairs.

Through the tunnel, there was a stopped train to the right with some soldiers, so I avoided that and continued ahead, stealthily knocking out the few men I met. I entered a store room and silently took down the two men in there, before going through the door - and getting clobbered by Nazis.

When I awoke, they were debating whether to kill me or not, before rather quickly deciding to do it. Before they could pull the trigger, however, a pair of spartans took them out. Once they had seen Hunter’s pendant Ulman, the one in charge, told Pavel to take me straight to Polis, and that he would complete the mission solo. Pavel told me to get into the turret of the rail car, so that I was harder to see, and we took off, aiming to bluff our way through Nazi lines.

Even with a concussion, that was pretty badass to watch

We soon reached the checkpoint, and wouldn’t you know it, things immediately went wrong. Pavel drove as quickly as he could along the metro tracks, while I fired an endless supply of rounds at those chasing us. We stopped to ram through a barricade and almost died, then stalled and barely escaped with our lives.

Eventually reaching the end of the line, we stopped and he took me through an abandoned area to a motorised hand cart (I suppose, just a cart), and we set off on the next leg of our journey. The plan was to meet up with Ulman at Black station, which of course was going to go off without a hitch.

"I mean, there's a reason they sent two of us, Ulman..."

You know, until we reached a platform infested with Nazis. Pavel was utterly useless as they began firing at our slow-moving cart, depending upon me to return fire. We got through thanks to the bunch of ammo aboard the cart, and some liberal molotov tossing, but the track ahead was blocked by a Nazi blockade. We swerved through a boarded up tunnel, and down a steep incline, finding ourselves entering “The Depot”.

I mean, what did you expect?

An old train yard, Pavel had apparently never seen it, but had heard about it. I’ve no idea who told him about it, because a ton of nosalis began to attack us, including some that were shouting a sonic attack at us. I shot the ones I could, but had to focus on the ones that jumped aboard, trying to eat our faces. We exited the Depot, but didn’t get chance to rest as a nosalis knocked me to the floor, and they ganged up on Pavel - who was just now pitching in.

Pavel shot one, but another grabbed him as he pulled out an explosive, yanking him over the back of the cart. There was an explosion, and as I got back up the cart went down a hill. Faster and faster, and clearly no longer in control, I came to a sudden stop where the trick bent upwards. The cart threw me, and almost landed on me, leaving me alone and without a clue of where I was…