The Moscow Metro is a nightmare. It’s dark, damp, and smells like filter-exhaust and mutant breath. If you’re booting up a metro 2033 redux walkthrough for the first time, you probably think this is just another shooter. You’re wrong. Artyom isn’t Master Chief. He’s a kid with a homemade gun trying not to choke on irradiated air.
I’ve spent hundreds of hours in these tunnels. I remember the first time I ran out of gas mask filters in the Dead City. It was slow. Panicky. The screen blurred, the breathing got heavy, and then—silence. That’s the Metro experience. It’s a game about management as much as it is about aiming.
Getting the Good Ending is Actually Kind of Hard
Most people finish the game and get the "Ranger" ending where you blow everything up. It feels like a win, right? Well, sort of. But the "Enlightened" ending is the "true" canon path, and it’s tied to the Moral Point system. This system is weird. It’s not a binary Good vs. Evil choice like in BioShock.
Basically, the game watches how you interact with the world. Did you give a bullet to the beggar in Riga? Did you listen to the private conversation of those two guards in the Frontline level? Did you find the hidden guitar? These tiny moments add up. You’ll know you got a point when the screen flashes white and you hear a strange, shimmering sound.
If you want the moral ending, you have to be a ghost. You need to sneak.
Killing everyone in your path is the fastest way to lock yourself into the "bad" ending. In levels like Frontline, where the Reds and Nazis are fighting, you can actually traverse the entire map without killing a single person. It’s stressful as hell. You’re hugging shadows, watching patrol patterns, and praying your flashlight doesn't flicker at the wrong moment. But it’s worth it for that final cutscene.
The Economy is Literally Your Ammo
Let's talk about Military Grade Rounds (MGR). In the Metro, gold doesn't exist. Instead, people trade high-quality, pre-war 5.45mm bullets. These are your "gold."
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The catch? You can also fire them.
They do way more damage than the crappy "dirty" ammo you find on bodies. In a metro 2033 redux walkthrough, the biggest mistake beginners make is accidentally loading their currency into their assault rifle during a panic. I’ve done it. You’re fighting a Librarian, you panic, you hold the reload button, and suddenly you’re shooting your retirement fund into a mutant’s face.
Pro tip: Always check your ammo counts. Use your dirty bullets for the fodder. Save the MGRs for the shops to buy better gear, like the heavy automatic shotgun (the Abzats) or a suit with better armor. Or, if you’re stuck in a boss fight against a Big Momma, maybe use them then. Just realize you’re literally burning money.
Stealth is Your Best Friend (Usually)
The Redux version of the game uses the Metro: Last Light engine. This is huge. It means the stealth mechanics actually work now. You have a little blue light on your watch. If it’s off, you’re invisible. If it’s on, you’re a target.
Use the pneumatic weapons. The Tihar (the air-pressure sniper) is arguably the best gun in the game. It’s silent. It’s accurate. You just have to remember to pump it up manually. If the pressure drops, the ball bearing will just bounce off a bandit’s helmet and make him very, very angry.
Navigating the Surface Without Dying
The surface levels like "Dead City" and "Alley" are where the game changes. You have to wear a gas mask. Your filters have a timer. If you’re following a metro 2033 redux walkthrough, you’ll notice that experienced players move with a weird sense of urgency. They aren't rushing because they’re bored; they’re rushing because they only have three minutes of air left.
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Always loot every body on the surface. Filters are everywhere if you look for them, but they’re often hidden in side rooms or behind rubble.
Watch Out for the Librarians
In the Great Library, you’ll meet the Librarians. They are terrifying. They look like mutated gorillas, and they can tank more damage than almost anything else.
Here’s the trick: don’t shoot them.
If you stare them down, they usually won’t attack. You have to maintain eye contact and slowly back away. Don’t turn your back. Don’t run. It’s a nerve-wracking stare-down that most players fail because their instinct is to start blasting. Honestly, shooting them is a waste of resources. Save your shells for the Demons (the "bitches" as Bourbon calls them) flying outside.
Key Levels That Break People
- The Library: As mentioned, it’s a stealth and psychology test.
- Frontline: This is the massive battle between the Red Line and the Fourth Reich. You can go under the tracks to skip most of it.
- Black Station: Another stealth-heavy level. You can get through this without a single kill for a massive moral point boost.
- D6: This is the finale. It’s a lot of combat. Make sure you have a flamethrower or a heavy shotgun for the "biomass" sections.
The Redux version also adds "Ranger Mode." If you want the "true" experience, play on Ranger Hardcore. It removes the HUD entirely. You have to manually check your clipboard to see your objectives and listen to the sound of your watch to know when your filter is dying. It’s immersive. It’s also incredibly frustrating if you don’t know the map layouts.
Combat Nuance
Don't ignore the throwables. Incendiary grenades are a godsend against the spiders you’ll find in the later DLC levels and the "Caves." Spiders in the Metro hate light. If you shine your flashlight at them, they’ll flip over, exposing their soft bellies. Then you just poke them with a knife. Easy.
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The "Shambler" (the six-shot revolver shotgun) is the workhorse of the game. It’s slow to reload, but it stops a Nosalis in its tracks. I usually pair a Shambler with a Tihar for stealth and a Kalash for when things go loud. That's a solid loadout for about 90% of the game.
What You Should Do Next
If you’re currently stuck, the first thing to do is check your filter count. If you have less than two minutes and you're on the surface, you need to backtrack to the last interior section or reload a previous save. There is no shame in restarting a chapter in Metro. In fact, it's often necessary.
Next, focus on your gear. Don't buy every gun you see. Pick two or three and stick with them. Upgrade the sights and the suppressors. A suppressed weapon is the difference between a clean run and a frantic shootout where you lose half your health.
Finally, pay attention to the world. Listen to the NPCs. 4A Games put a ridiculous amount of world-building into the background dialogue. If you rush, you’re missing the point of the game. The Metro is a character itself. It’s miserable, but it’s fascinating. Keep your gas mask clean, keep your air pressure up, and for the love of God, don't eat the yellow snow.
Go back into your save, find a merchant, and trade in those dirty 5.45 rounds for some customized gear before you hit the Dry station. You’ll need it.