Metro Exodus Diaries Part Eight

This is my ongoing exploration of the Metro series, played in release order, where I will chronicle my playthrough like a text-based Let’s Play. This time I continue Metro Exodus.

After the Ark turned out to be a bust, we had few options open to us, but hope might lie in the Caspian Sea…

We had travelled for months, covering 1,000 miles since the Ark, and were finally in reach of Caspian-1. Unfortunately, the Aurora wasn’t doing too well, nor were it’s crew. Suddenly, we were passed by a van, driving recklessly. They called out about the fact that they spotted Anna, and that they had to race back to tell their boss. Miller ordered a stop, I quite wisely thought, and told me to basically follow that van. Anna was to head out and find fuel - because we were out of coal - and water. Because we were out of that, too…

"Also, we only have one After Eight mint!"

Anna went off with Damir, but I hung back as Miller began talking with Yermak. It turned out that the engine was designed to also run on diesel fuel, and judging by how that van had torn arse across the countryside, they weren’t lacking of the stuff here. Hopefully, the others were in a condition to fortify the Aurora while we were out…

Heading to the rear of the train, as I wanted to check my ammo situation and swap my minigun for the tihar - especially as Tokarev was stood there waiting to give me explosive rounds for it! I went to check out the rest of the carriage, but it was blocked past where Stepan and Katya were sat with Nastya. Those two had become close over the months of travel… He was suffering from heat stroke and dehydration, which worried Katya, so I left them to see what Sam and Idiot were up to, before heading out.

 

Alyosha was up on a ridge along my way, and reminded me where my map and compass were telling me to go. Just over the mountains to the left, what looked like a dust storm was on its way to darken the midday sun. I had equipped my rifle with a silencer, so when I was searching derailed train cars and came across some humanimals I shot them without incident. There were three crowded around each other, so I threw some dynamite at them.

The weather was not looking to be on my side

Approaching the van from before, I could hear gunfire. Unfortunately, I couldn’t really see anything as the dust storm came through. I had to equip my gas mask and night vision goggles, to see and breath, while I cleared out some mutanimals and headed upstairs. I was jumped on by the driver of the van, though I had no idea where his mate was. I fought him off and knocked him out, then took his key.

Shooting at some humanimals that were clambering on the van, they began climbing up to me. I shot two, before ziplining down and running to the van. I couldn’t unlock it, so had to fight off a handful more humanimals. When it was safe, I was allowed to unlock the van - only to be mugged by an additional two. I barely escaped with my life, thanks to a timely intervention by Damir, who checked out the van before telling me to head to a lighthouse. He had to stay and keep an eye on the area.

This, of course, opens up the franchise to take advantage of Driver not having any AAA games out recently

Getting into the vehicle, I was surprised at how ramshackled it looked. Following the road, I received a radio message from Miller, telling me to head to the lighthouse. I was to aid a woman who was under siege. I ran over some mutants, but didn’t really take the time to look around. A message came over the radio from The Baron, warning his men that us Rangers had arrived in the area.

Arriving at the closest point that I could reach for the lighthouse, the radio crackled to life with The Baron ranting about how his men still hadn’t killed the woman who lived here. As I entered the cave network beneath the lighthouse, I could hear men dying. It seemed that they had managed to ignite some natural gas, as well as activate almost every trap in the caves. Knocking out everyone that I met, I made my way through as carefully as possible, while wearing my night vision goggles.

Shh!

At the top, I could hear gunfire. They were yelling at a woman, the woman was yelling at them - it was noisy. So, I lent a hand in shooting the men, and blowing them up. I even whipped out my explosive ammo and tested that out to great effect. Once they were taken out, the woman, Giul, called down to me. Apparently the men were from the local gang called the Munai-bailer, and that in helping her I was definitely her friend. She even knew my name as she sent down the lift - no doubt thanks to Miller promising my aid.

After going up in the lift, Giul explained that the Munai-bailer had press-ganged her people into slaves. Obviously, she wasn’t into that. She agreed to lead me to Caspian-1, where I was to retrieve an archive from some time after 2013. As she led me back down the lift, Giul explained that she didn’t really go deep inside - because of spiders…

Snakes, why couldn't it have been snakes?

Obviously, I instantly regretted coming to this place and wanted to leave. But, I had a job to do. After putting it off by looking around and looting a bit, I went down some indicated stairs. A little exploration, an urgent scream as a small spider crawled all over my arm, and a quick re-powering with my universal charger, and the lift was active.

Climbing aboard, Giul told me that she would stay up here and ensure the power remained on. I swore at her, and pulled the lever making the lift descend. At the bottom were about a dozen spiderbugs, hissing at me before the floodlights attached to the lift scared them off. This was not going to be fun, because I couldn’t take those with me…