Metro 2033 Makes Killing Easy And Atrocity Quiet

Metro 2033 Celebrates 15-Year Anniversary

Metro 2033 is celebrating its 15-year anniversary today, March 16, 2025. Below, we examine how its subtle morality system helped to illustrate its broader points about humanity and violence.

Humanity in the Face of Evil

In video games, evil tends to be gigantic. Think of the rivers of blood in Baldur’s Gate 3’s evil endings or an army of Sith bowing to the player in Knights of the Old Republic. These moments are not exactly comical, but they have a glee to them. They have the joy of a cackling cartoon villain. In some sense, Metro 2033 is no exception. In the wake of atomic devastation, the Moscow metro populates itself with cruel bandits, monstrous mutants, and authoritarian militants. It is grimmer than the prior examples to be sure, but there is still a note of the absurd in its endless cruel men. But the game’s ultimate quest, to destroy a mutant army of “Dark Ones” with an atomic weapon, casts the shadow of real-world brutality. Metro 2033 concerns itself with the miniscule decisions and delusions that build up to atrocity, all under an atomic shadow.

The Subtle Morality System of Metro 2033

This works in a simple binary way. Completing certain tasks will net protagonist Artyom moral points. Get enough points and he’ll have the opportunity for the good ending. In contrast to other games with morality systems, the player cannot see how many points Artyom has earned. There is only a sound and a flash of light (a more ominous sound plays when Artyom loses moral points).

Character Development and Morality

Fittingly, Artyom has humble origins. He is not a soldier. His station is distant from the comparatively sprawling central stations of the Metro and he has rarely left his home. He is as explicit a player-insert as a game like this can muster. More familiar with the world than the player to be sure, but also an outsider and newcomer to most of it. A sort of greatness awaits him.

The Importance of Small Decisions

But the game’s ultimate quest, to destroy a mutant army of “Dark Ones” with an atomic weapon, casts the shadow of real-world brutality. Metro 2033 concerns itself with the miniscule decisions and delusions that build up to atrocity, all under an atomic shadow.

The Haunting Journey of Metro 2033

Metro 2033’s journey is Arytom deciding whether he will be haunted too.