Metro 2033 is commemorating its 15th anniversary today, March 16, 2025. Below, we explore how its intricate morality system illustrates its broader themes concerning humanity and violence.
In video games, morality often appears as a binary concept. Consider the rivers of blood in Baldur’s Gate 3’s poor endings or an army of Sith kneeling to the player in Knights of the Old Republic. These instances are far from humorous, yet they possess a certain delight reminiscent of a maniacal cartoon villain. In this way, Metro 2033 aligns with this theme. Following nuclear devastation, Moscow’s metro becomes populated with ruthless bandits, hideous mutants, and oppressive militants. While it is undoubtedly more somber than the previously mentioned examples, there remains a hint of absurdity in the relentless cruelty of its characters. However, the game’s ultimate mission, to exterminate a mutant faction known as the “Dark Ones” with a nuclear strike, casts a long shadow of real-world violence. Metro 2033 grapples with the minute choices and delusions that lead to atrocities, all under a nuclear cloud. In contrast to many other morality frameworks, Metro 2033 does not overtly declare its values; rather, it develops the main character’s identity through small, individual moments: the flaps of butterfly wings that culminate into a tempest.
This operates on a straightforward binary system. Completing specific tasks earns protagonist Artyom moral points. Accumulate enough points, and he may achieve the favorable conclusion. Unlike other games with morality systems, players cannot see how many points Artyom has accrued. The only feedback is an audio cue and a flash of light (a more ominous tone plays when Artyom loses moral points). Appropriately, Artyom comes from modest beginnings. He is not a soldier. His location is far removed from the generally expansive central stations of the Metro and he has seldom ventured outside his dwelling. He serves as a clear player-insert character, more familiar with the surroundings than the player but also an outsider and novice to much of it. A great destiny awaits him. The game starts in media res: Artyom, equipped with military-grade equipment, battles a vast horde of mutants outside. Yet initially, his confidence stems from his youth, not his strength. He is incapable of atrocity; it requires an invitation for him to transform into a monster.
Metro 2033 begins with Artyom’s older friend and mentor, Hunter, arriving at his home. Hunter is a ranger—akin to a special forces agent who essentially functions as a law enforcer within the metro. He warns of the Dark Ones, asserting they’ve decimated other stations, stating, “My order has a motto: If it’s hostile, you eliminate it.” As he sets off to seek them out, Hunter entrusts Artyom with his dog tags, urging him to inform the Metro’s central authority at the “polis” station should he fail to return. Hunter counts on Artyom for this duty, not due to any extraordinary skill he possesses, but because of his personal regard for him. Performing a favor for a friend is vastly different from dropping a bomb.