Dark Star (Metro 2033 Level)

Dark Star is a level in Metro 2033 that starts the journey to D6.

Overview
The mission starts off with the Rangers and Artyom riding their steam-powered railcar to the entrance of D6. As Miller and Ulman speak about the Kievskaya legend, Artyom inexplicably passes out and falls into another Dark One vision. In it, the player has a choice to run towards the Dark Ones or flee towards Hunter.

Shortly after Artyom awakes from his vision, the group stops at a closed airlock door, which acts as the last barrier to the road to D6. As they're trying to open it an Anomaly begins to come down the tunnel. Even more so, a horde of nosalises is also running down the tunnel trying to escape the glowing threat. Artyom is required to man a flamethrower attached to the back of the railcar and defend the group while they repair and try to get the door open. If the player and his fellow rangers hold them off long enough, the Rangers will get the airlock open just before the Anomaly hits them. Once safely on the other side the railcar, Artyom will reach the end of the line and the real journey begins.

Trivia

 * If the player ventures after the Dark Ones in the vision, they will be rewarded with a positive moral point.
 * The railcar is fueled by wood and steam, which is why the player found Ulman chopping wood in Sparta.
 * The "Dark Star" is one of the nicknames for the Anomaly.
 * It's interesting to note that the Rangers may have almost killed themselves at the end of the level by rushing to escape the anomaly. If they simply stood still and waited for it to pass by, it would most likely not harm them as it didn't do so in the level "Anomaly". This most likely was a narrative choice which subtly highlights the contrast between the Ranger's "if it's hostile you kill it" mentality and Khan's "you reap what you sow" mentality.
 * Several sound files from earlier builds can be found in the game files. Essentially, they are earlier versions of the Dark One's voice heard in this level. They are found in "content/sounds/scenario/l19", and they are 10 sound files, some of which don't have final counterparts.