Metro 2039 Shifts Themes From Preventing War – To Its Dire Consequences

4A Games has taken a dark turn with Metro 2039, but maybe it’s one that we should have expected.

As we learned in their Xbox First Look presentation, the game cannot escape becoming a commentary of the ongoing Russian war in Ukraine. Just like GSC Game World’s S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl, 4A was making Metro 2039 when Russia invaded.

To quote 4A Games:

The meaning [of our games] has always been about preventing war. But now, war is our reality, and our message has shifted to be about the consequences, the cost of silence, the horrors of tyranny, and the price of freedom.

The story has dropped any pretense of subtlety, but it promises a startling narrative. Your player character, the Stranger, returns to the Metro, after all of the independent factions are swayed into following a new literal Fuhrer.

We’re also shown the Stranger fighting the Nosalises, so yes, this game is absolutely still rooted in Metro 2033 lore. You can learn more about it in the Xbox First Look presentation below.