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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFor a first experience, use this order: read Metro 2033, play Metro 2033 Redux, play Metro: Last Light Redux, read Metro 2034, read Metro 2035, play Metro Exodus, then play The Two Colonels and Sam’s Story. Metro Awakening is an optional VR prequel that can be moved to the beginning. This sequence keeps the novel and game continuities understandable while taking you through the material that leads into Metro 2039.
The complete first-time order
The Metro franchise has two related branches rather than one perfectly shared timeline. The novels follow Dmitry Glukhovsky’s literary continuity; the games adapt the starting premise, then take their own route. The cleanest first-time plan samples both without treating every title as a separate chronological chapter.
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- Read Metro 2033. It introduces the post-apocalyptic Moscow Metro and Artyom in the book continuity.
- Play Metro 2033 Redux. This is the modern version of the game’s opening story, not a second adventure that occurs after the novel.
- Play Metro: Last Light Redux. Deep Silver places its story in 2034 and presents it as the continuation of the game storyline.
- Read Metro 2034. It continues the literary branch, not the plot of Last Light.
- Read Metro 2035. This completes Glukhovsky’s core novel trilogy.
- Play Metro Exodus. The game story moves to 2036 and takes Artyom and the Spartan Rangers beyond Moscow.
- Play the Exodus story expansions. Start with The Two Colonels, a parallel/prequel-style companion to the campaign, and then play Sam’s Story, which follows Sam after the main ending.
- Use Metro Awakening only if you want extra backstory. The chronology guide places this VR title before Metro 2033 and frames it as a prequel focused on Khan’s background. It is optional rather than a prerequisite.
After those steps, you have covered the principal novels, the complete current game arc, and its story DLC before Metro 2039.
Why the order splits into a book route and a game route
Metro 2033 exists as both a novel and a game adaptation. They share the setting and starting premise, but later events diverge. The game sequel Metro: Last Light follows the game version of Artyom’s story. The second novel, Metro 2034, follows the literary route instead, so it is not a novelization of Last Light.
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Deep Silver describes Metro Exodus as continuing the storyline told in the games while also interweaving with the wider saga in the novels Metro 2033, Metro 2034 and Metro 2035. That wording explains why reading the trilogy and playing the games can enrich each other without requiring you to force every event into a single canon.
There are therefore two internally consistent ways to start. Pick one if you want a focused format, or follow the combined order above if you want the fullest view before the next mainline game.
Route A: play the games in story order
The game continuity is the most direct preparation for Metro 2039, because the upcoming title is identified as the fourth mainline entry from 4A Games after Metro 2033, Metro: Last Light and Metro Exodus.
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| Step | Game | In-world placement | What it contributes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Optional prequel | Metro Awakening | Before 2033 | VR origin story for Khan |
| 1 | Metro 2033 Redux | 2033 | Artyom’s introduction and the game continuity’s starting conflict |
| 2 | Metro: Last Light Redux | 2034 | Continuation of the game version of Metro 2033 |
| 3 | Metro Exodus | 2036 | Artyom and the Spartan Rangers leave Moscow |
| 4 | The Two Colonels | Companion to the Exodus campaign | Parallel/prequel-style material that adds context to the campaign |
| 5 | Sam’s Story | After the Exodus ending | Sam’s post-campaign journey |
1. Metro 2033 Redux
Begin with Metro 2033 Redux if games are your preferred format. It is the definitive version of the first game in the Redux collection, presenting the adaptation’s version of Artyom’s introduction. Treat it as the game branch’s equivalent starting point, not as an additional sequel to the book you may have just read.
Deep Silver calls Metro Redux the “ultimate double game collection” containing the definitive versions of both Metro 2033 and Metro: Last Light. Choosing Redux keeps the first two games in one updated package and avoids an unnecessary detour through the original releases.
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2. Metro: Last Light Redux
Continue immediately with Metro: Last Light Redux. Its story is set in 2034, and it follows the game continuity established by Metro 2033. The year is close to the second novel’s title, but the matching date does not make the two stories interchangeable. The characters, events and narrative route belong to the games.
Playing it before reading Metro 2034 is useful if you want the contrast to be clear: you experience the game sequel on its own terms, then enter the literary branch with no expectation that the novel will explain the same campaign.
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3. Metro Exodus
Metro Exodus takes place in 2036. It continues the game storyline and expands the setting beyond Moscow, following Artyom and the Spartan Rangers as they travel into the wider world. This is the main game to finish before thinking about Metro 2039; the two earlier games establish the continuity, while Exodus changes its geographical and narrative scale.
Because Exodus is the third mainline game, finish its campaign before starting either story expansion. The expansions assume familiarity with the campaign and are best treated as additions to it rather than as replacements for the main ending.
4. The Two Colonels
The Two Colonels is a companion to Exodus with a parallel/prequel-style structure. Play it after completing the main campaign so its context and perspective do not interrupt the campaign’s progression. Its placement is about narrative framing rather than a new numbered year in the main sequence.
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5. Sam’s Story
Sam’s Story follows Sam after the main Exodus ending. It is consequently the final stop in the game route. Saving it for last preserves the campaign’s ending and lets the expansion function as an epilogue to the game continuity.
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The chronology guide places Metro Awakening as a VR prequel to Metro 2033, with Khan’s backstory as its reason to exist. You can play it before Metro 2033 Redux if you specifically want that origin context. Leaving it until after the main games is also reasonable if VR access is limited; it is not required to understand the numbered titles.
Route B: read the novels in literary order
The book route is deliberately short and linear:
- Metro 2033 — the foundational novel and Artyom’s literary introduction.
- Metro 2034 — the second core novel, continuing the literary setting rather than adapting Last Light.
- Metro 2035 — the conclusion of Glukhovsky’s core trilogy.
The titles’ years are part of the novels’ identity, but they should not be used to reorder the games around them. Reading Metro 2033, Metro 2034 and Metro 2035 in publication sequence gives the intended literary progression. You can then move to Metro Exodus knowing that it is a game-continuity sequel that interweaves with themes and material from the wider novel saga.
Book versus game: what changes when you switch formats?
| Question | Novel route | Game route |
|---|---|---|
| Opening work | Metro 2033 novel | Metro 2033 Redux |
| Continuity after the opening | Metro 2034, then Metro 2035 | Metro: Last Light Redux, then Metro Exodus |
| Core medium | Dmitry Glukhovsky’s novels | 4A Games’ mainline games |
| Named in-world years | 2033, 2034 and 2035 | 2033, 2034 and 2036 |
| Ending point before Metro 2039 | Completion of the core trilogy | Completion of Exodus and its two story expansions |
The table is a navigation aid, not a claim that one branch replaces the other. The novel route gives the literary conclusion; the game route gives the direct lead-in to the next 4A Games entry.
What to finish before Metro 2039
Xbox identifies Metro 2039 as the fourth mainline 4A Games entry, following Metro 2033 (2010), Metro: Last Light (2013) and Metro Exodus (2019). Those are release years, not the games’ in-world dates. The game narratives themselves are described as taking place in 2033, 2034 and 2036.
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For the minimum story preparation, complete these three campaigns:
- Metro 2033 or its Redux version.
- Metro: Last Light or its Redux version.
- Metro Exodus.
For the fullest game-continuity preparation, add The Two Colonels and Sam’s Story. The novels are optional for understanding the game sequence, but reading the entire trilogy makes the relationship between the literary saga and Exodus easier to recognize.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Two practical ways to choose your starting point
If you primarily play games
Start with Metro 2033 Redux, continue to Last Light Redux, then play Exodus and its expansions. Read the novels afterward if you want a different continuity and a fuller literary treatment of the setting. Add Metro Awakening before the first game only when Khan’s backstory matters more to you than preserving the numbered opening.
If you primarily read
Read the three novels in order. When you move to games, begin with Metro 2033 Redux rather than assuming the book has already covered the game. The adaptation revisits the premise from a different continuity, and Last Light then carries that branch forward.
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If you want both without confusion
Use the combined sequence at the top: book 2033, game 2033 Redux, game Last Light Redux, books 2034 and 2035, then Exodus and its expansions. The deliberate alternation labels each branch before you move to the next one, reducing the chance that similarly named years will be mistaken for shared events.
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Common ordering mistakes
- Putting Metro 2034 in the place of Last Light. The novel is not the game sequel; it belongs to the literary route.
- Playing the original and Redux versions as separate chapters. Redux is the definitive version of each of the first two games, so replaying both editions is optional rather than part of the chronology.
- Starting Sam’s Story before the Exodus campaign. It follows Sam after the main ending and is designed as post-campaign material.
- Treating the title years as release dates. The story years 2033, 2034 and 2036 differ from the games’ release years of 2010, 2013 and 2019.
- Assuming Metro Awakening is mandatory. It is an optional VR prequel, useful for Khan’s backstory but not required for the numbered story.
- Expecting one unified canon. The novels and games are connected branches with deliberate divergence.
Recommended stopping points
Stop after the trilogy
Stop after Metro 2035 if your interest is exclusively in Glukhovsky’s core literary trilogy. That gives you the complete book route without entering the game continuity.
Stop after Exodus
Stop after the Exodus campaign if you want the main game arc and do not need side stories. The two expansions add perspectives and aftermath, but the mainline progression is complete at the campaign’s ending.
Stop after the DLC
Finish The Two Colonels and Sam’s Story when you want every currently identified game-continuity story before Metro 2039. This is the most complete game preparation.
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- Read Metro 2033 if you want the literary introduction.
- Play Metro 2033 Redux as the game-continuity starting point.
- Play Metro: Last Light Redux next; it is the game sequel set in 2034.
- Read Metro 2034 and Metro 2035 as the separate book branch.
- Play Metro Exodus for the 2036 continuation beyond Moscow.
- Play The Two Colonels, then Sam’s Story.
- Add Metro Awakening before Metro 2033 Redux only if you want its optional VR prequel and Khan background.
- Begin Metro 2039 after the game route, with the trilogy added if you want both continuities.
The Bottom Line
For the clearest preparation before Metro 2039, complete Metro 2033 Redux, Metro: Last Light Redux, Metro Exodus, The Two Colonels and Sam’s Story. Read Metro 2033, Metro 2034 and Metro 2035 alongside or afterward as the separate literary continuity; use Metro Awakening only as an optional prequel.
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