The Dead City (Metro Exodus Level)

The Dead City
Previous:	Autumn
Next:	Endings
Information
Game:	Metro Exodus
Walkthrough
	A walkhrough for this level is available on Metro Wiki. See walkthrough.

“	Novosibirsk is most probably, lethally radioactive	„
— Idiot

The Dead City is the eleventh level overall in Metro Exodus, and the final playable level within the game. The Culmination of the Auroras journey brings the crew to the radioactive Novosibirsk in search of an experimental military drug.

Overview

Plot

Having left the lush greenery of the forest valley behind, the crew have moved further east, to the highly radioactive city of Novosibirsk. Sam, Miller and Artyom stand at the head of the train, as it crosses the Novosibirsk Rail Bridge, and into the snow covered city. Miller remarks how the radiation is so high, yet the buildings are still standing, as well as the hundreds of cars blocking the roads, and the dozens of train carriages that can be seen along the railway.

Back inside the bridge, Miller tasks the crew with several objectives whilst they search the city. Novosibirsk was home to the Akademgorodok district to the south, which contained the cities university, libraries and research institutes. It is here where Miller suspects the drug may have also been produced and as a backup Miller sends Stepan, Krest, Sam and Idiot to search the area. Also to the south is their secondary objective, the Museum for Railway technology, where Yermak knows the location for a snow plow for the Aurora.

Saying their fairwells and good lucks, Miller and Artyom depart the Aurora in the heavily modified, and lead lined van. Their plan is to avoid the high levels of radiation by diverting through the Metro, and coming out at Lenin Square, where the Institute is located right next to the Theater. However the first Metro station they come across is inaccessible due to the ice build up over the entrance. Artyom takes the wheel as Miller diverts them to an alternate entrance, a crater a few miles to the north. After the duo enter the Metro, they begin to see the familar sights of Mutants, which they easily fend off.

Travelling further into the Metro, and uncovering signs of battle the pair run into a young boy, Kiril, who initially runs, but eventually leads them to his home. He explains that the Metro survived due to an experimental radiation drug, known as 'The Green Stuff', which was distributed by the OSKOM unit. Kirils and his father, a Lt-Col in the OSKOM, unit are the only two survivors in the Metro, after dwindling supplies lead to riots and mutants overrunning the stations. Kiril reveals to the pair that his father had made several trips to the Satcom center in the city retriving maps of clean areas including the Forest Valley the Aurora passed through, however he has not returned since his most recent trip several years ago. Deciding this isn't an opportunity to pass up, Miller and Artyom split up, with Miller heading to the SATCOM center, and Artyom continuing to the institute. Kiril gives Artyom and Miller two of the remaining three doses of Green Stuff to make it through the radiation.

Artyom makes his way through the tunnels fighting Nosalises and giant worms along the way, and as he reaches the Lenin Square station, the radiation seeping through the cracks in the ceiling starts affecting Artyom even after taking his dose of the Green Stuff. As he reaches the platform he begins to see vision of Anna, guiding him forward, as well as the bones of the dead coming to life. After crossing the square out in the open he begins to have a vivid vision of the final moments before the bombs fell, and a tank crew shooting at the Metro entrance as the war began. As he reaches the institute, he has several more visions such as Anna suffocating or talking to him through a door, however when Artyom interacts with her, he sees they are just the skeletons of the dead.

Reaching the roof of the Institute, Artyom encounters a fearsome new enemy; The Blind Ones. Giant mutated Apes, similar to that of the Librarians from Moscows Lenin Library, however these beasts have no eyes, and rely on their other senses to hunt their prey. Artyom has several near misses with the Blind Ones throughout the facility, before arriving at the Labs in the center of the building. Having found an intact case with the medicine in, Artyom prepares to depart, before being chased through an air vent by a blind one. Artyom sustains several injuries fighting him off, and both fall from a fire escape on the side of the building, with the blind one impaling itself on a pipe as Artyom passes out.

Having been successful at the SATCOM center, Miller manages to find a gravely wounded Artyom outside the institute. Giving Artyom his dose of 'The Green Stuff', Miller loads Artyom into the van and begins driving out of the city. Regaining consciousness an unspecified amount of time later, Artyom sees Miller slumped in the passenger seat of the Van, and Kiril attempting to drive. Moving over, Artyom begins driving through the night, along a highway filled with abandonded vehicles before passing out once again.

The next morning Artyom wakes up and finds Millers lifeless body in the passenger seat. After giving Artyom his shot, he succumbed to the radiation, but not before ensuring Artyom survived long enough to get the medicine to Anna. Kiril playing outside beckons to Artyom who collapses in the snow outside. The Aurora stops at the railway crossing in front of them, with the newly acquired snow plow being seen front and center. As Artyom is about to loose consciousness again, the crew jumps out and races towards Artyom. Going in and out of consciousness, Artyom is stretchered aboard the Aurora, where a worried crew turn to Katya to help them. She suggests a full blood transfusion may help Artyom to survive.

Outcomes

Depending on the players actions throughout the game, the ending can go two ways.

• If Artyom had not retained the company of Duke, Damir and Alyosha, then there will not be enough crew members to give Artyom the blood needed. Artyom dies and has visions of Miller at the head of the Aurora, in an endless voyage against the occupation forces. On the banks of Lake Baikal, Anna stands over both Artyom and Millers graves, as the rest of the crew give a 21-gun salute to their fallen comrades.
• If Artyom had retained the entire crew, then there will be enough blood for Artyom to survive. He has a vision of Miller, who explains that he is proud to have Artyom as his son, and thanks him for everything before passing on command of the Order to Artyom. Both Anna and Artyom stand over Millers grave on Lake Baikal as they settle down and look forward to a brighter future together.

Collectibles

On this level, there are a total of 8 diary notes and 2 postcards that can be collected. This is a very linear level, so you will have to do these in the order presented.

• Postcard 20 - After you fight the nosalis for the first time, you will exit the tunnel through a side room. The postcard will be on the locker to your right.
• Radiogram transcript - After you get out of the water, there will be a note on the desk next to a door to your right.
• Weathered report - After climbing up the escalator, you will be forced to go through the door on the left. The report will be on the desk to your left in the third room, behind some lockers.
• Postcard 21 - In Kirill's safe-room, pinned to the middle column.
• Orders - Pinned on the large map in the same room.
• Notebook - Soon after you leave the safe-room, you will have to climb some wooden stairs and then go through a train. The notebook will be on the first seat to your right.
• Worn out diary - Once you reach the flooded tunnel, row down it until you see a door on your left. Get off the boat and go inside. The diary will be on the desk in the last room.
• Browned note - As you climb towards the surface (after the Anna hallucinations), walk until you see an open door to your left. The note will be on the desk inside.
• Dusty notebook - Once you're outside, you will come to a point where you will have to drop into a tunnel. Instead of going right, go left to the end of the tunnel. The notebook should be there on a half-burred corpse.
• Shopping list - After having the first vision at the Institute, go inside and down the staircase. The list will be on a trey right in front of you as you open the door.