The entire Metro franchise is currently on sale on Steam, with the very first game in the series, Metro 2033, now free to download for all Steam users. The Russian developers A4 Games are running this sale on Steam until March 15, at which point the trilogy will return to full price. Based on a series of books by Dmitry Glukhovsky, players must survive in the remnants of a nuclear war that has demolished the city of Moscow. The only living humans survived by retreating into the metro system, building small cities in the stations, and using the tunnels to travel between them. Resources are scarce, with bullets becoming the new form of currency. Mutated beings roam in the dark and on the surface, with humanity afraid to leave their homes.

The trilogy revolves around the story of Artyom, a 24-year-old survivor who must leave his home in search of help after being attacked by mysterious creatures called Dark Ones. Metro 2033 features Artyom fighting the Dark Ones, which also serve as an allegory for xenophobia in the game and its sequels. The first game, Metro 2033 is primarily a first-person shooter, with players scrounging for bullets to use as both currency to buy supplies and to defend themselves. 

Related: Why Metro: Last Light Is Worth Playing Before It Leaves Epic Game Store

While the original game, Metro 2033 is free to download and add to your Steam library during this period, some fans prefer the remake of the game, Metro 2033 Redux. The remake utilizes the engine from Metro: Last Light and has a vastly improved performance from the first. It also brings in the customizable weapons element from the second game. All of the animations, textures and environments were completely remade for Redux, which may be worth picking up during the sale as it is 80% off. 

Metro 2033

Metro: Last Light is also a linear story, but introduced a wider array of combat options to the series, giving players more options to personalize their playthroughs and customizing makeshift weapons from materials found in the underground and on the surface. People lucky enough to pick up Metro: Last Light Redux for free from GOG back in December should use this sale as a great opportunity to try out the rest of the series. Metro: Exodus shakes things up, changing to a more open-world setting, similar to that of the Fallout series. Exodus was the breath of fresh air that the series needed, bringing the franchise into the current generation of games and attracting all new players to the originals. 

The developers are currently hard at work on the next Metro title. Not much is known about the game, but fans of the series have PS5 and Xbox Series X/S upgrades for the Metro games to look forward to. In the meantime, why not pick up a free copy of Metro 2033 and some cheap sequels on Steam?

Next: Metro Last Light Used Guiding Wind Before Ghost of Tsushima 

Metro 2033 is available on PC, Xbox 360, Xbox One, PS4, Nintendo Switch, Linux, OS X, and Stadia. 

Source: Steam