Paradise Lost – and Found Again METRO 2033, the Ghosts of the Past, Moral Choices,and Game Rewards

Abstract

This article focuses on memories of the past and moral values in the video gameMetro 2033: Redux (4A Games / Deep Silver, UA/AT 2014). The game, situated in a postapocalypticMoscow and based on a book by the Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky,is focused on the adventures of Artyom, with whom the player identifies, in the metrosystem. On their journeys, players face different situations and decisions, to whichthey can choose how to react. Furthermore, in this dystopian world the player notonly travels through different tunnels, but also encounters memories of a lost pastand different belief systems. Unbeknownst to the gamer, almost every segment of thisjourney holds an invisible moral evaluation, which will grant the player “moral points”if passed. The balance of moral points then defines the possible endings of the game.Drawing on approaches in the study of historical narratives in video games, this articleanalyses the romanticisation and criticism of the past shown in the game as wellas the various categories and situations in which moral points are awarded, exploringhow they are related to moral values and how they affect the gaming experience. Inaddition, characters with different belief systems are present both in the book and, toa limited extent, in the game, and this article will reflect on the representations androle of beliefs throughout the Metro series