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For a first playthrough, follow this sequence: Metro 2033 Redux → Metro: Last Light Redux → Metro Exodus → The Two Colonels → Sam’s Story. Treat Metro Awakening as an optional VR prequel: play it after the trilogy if you want the best introduction to the series, or before Metro 2033 if fictional chronology matters more to you.
The recommended first-playthrough order
The main Metro story is designed to be experienced in this progression:
- Metro 2033 Redux
- Metro: Last Light Redux
- Metro Exodus
- Metro Exodus: The Two Colonels
- Metro Exodus: Sam’s Story
This route keeps the central storyline in sequence and postpones expansion material until the base game it extends has been completed. It also preserves the way the series introduces its major developments instead of moving backward into a prequel before you know the main cast and setting.
What each entry contributes to the sequence
1. Metro 2033 Redux
Start with Metro 2033 Redux. It is the first game in the central trilogy and establishes the foundation for the Metro storyline. Choosing the Redux edition is the practical modern approach when it is available, because the Redux versions are the editions named in the complete-series bundle.
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2. Metro: Last Light Redux
Continue with Metro: Last Light Redux. It follows Metro 2033 in the main narrative, so playing it second avoids introducing later developments before the events that lead to them. The Redux edition is again the preferred choice for a new player when available.
3. Metro Exodus
Play Metro Exodus after finishing the first two games. It is the third main entry and the point at which the trilogy’s central storyline reaches its next stage. Complete the main Exodus campaign before starting either of its story expansions.
4. Metro Exodus: The Two Colonels
The Two Colonels is the first Exodus expansion in the recommended route. Start it only after the main campaign. This keeps expansion material from interrupting the base game’s progression and gives you the intended context for its events.
5. Metro Exodus: Sam’s Story
Play Sam’s Story after The Two Colonels. The official Metro/Deep Silver description identifies it as the second expansion and says it takes place “after the events of Metro Exodus.” That explicit placement makes it the final stop in the standard game-and-DLC route.
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Why this order is the safest choice for newcomers
The trilogy order is not merely a release-date habit. It follows the central Metro storyline from 2033, through Last Light, to Exodus. Starting with the first game lets the series reveal its setting and ongoing conflict without requiring knowledge from later entries. Moving to Last Light next keeps the immediate continuation together, while Exodus then serves as the third main chapter.
The two Exodus expansions are best treated as post-campaign chapters. Starting DLC before the base game can expose you to developments that the main campaign is meant to establish first. The order between the expansions is also straightforward: The Two Colonels first, Sam’s Story second.
Where Metro Awakening belongs
Metro Awakening is an optional VR prequel to Metro 2033. Its status creates two legitimate routes rather than one universally correct answer.
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Best placement for a first-time player
Play Awakening after Sam’s Story. This keeps the main Artyom storyline as your introduction to Metro and lets you approach the prequel with a complete understanding of the trilogy and its expansions. It is also the least disruptive option if you are playing the series in its familiar main-story progression.
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Best placement for chronology-focused players
If you care more about the fictional timeline than the introductory experience, play Awakening before Metro 2033 Redux. Because it is a prequel, this places its events before the first main game. The trade-off is that you will be entering the world through an optional VR title rather than through the beginning of the main Artyom storyline.
Awakening is not required to understand the trilogy. If you do not have access to a VR setup, simply use the first-playthrough route and omit it; the three main games and their two Exodus expansions remain a complete path.
Two complete routes at a glance
| Route | Order | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Recommended first playthrough | Metro 2033 Redux → Metro: Last Light Redux → Metro Exodus → The Two Colonels → Sam’s Story → Metro Awakening | Readers who want narrative continuity and the main Artyom storyline as their entry point |
| Chronology-focused | Metro Awakening → Metro 2033 Redux → Metro: Last Light Redux → Metro Exodus → The Two Colonels → Sam’s Story | Players who prioritize the fictional timeline and already have access to VR |
Both routes converge on the same trilogy and the same DLC sequence. The difference is only where the optional prequel appears.
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Last Light Redux is listed by a Steam discussion as including previously released Last Light DLC. The available information does not establish a definitive order for every optional mission, so do not treat those side episodes as a second main campaign with a required chapter-by-chapter sequence.
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A practical approach is:
- Finish the main Last Light Redux campaign first.
- Return to the included side content afterward.
- Play the optional missions in any convenient order unless a specific mission itself presents an ordering instruction.
This recommendation is less prescriptive than the Exodus expansion order. The main campaign has a clear position in the trilogy; the available information does not provide an equivalent definitive sequence for every Last Light side mission.
Which editions should you buy?
Redux editions for the first two games
For a new player, choose Metro 2033 Redux and Metro: Last Light Redux when those editions are available. They are the versions named in the complete-series bundle and provide a consistent way to begin the trilogy. The ordering advice does not require owning the original releases separately.
Metro Exodus Gold Edition
The Metro Exodus Gold Edition contains the Exodus game and both named story expansions: The Two Colonels and Sam’s Story. If you want the base game and its two narrative add-ons together, this edition is the relevant package to identify in the store you use.
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Metro Saga Bundle
The Metro Saga Bundle is the direct complete-series purchase path described for this lineup. It lists the three games—Metro 2033 Redux, Metro: Last Light Redux and Metro Exodus—together with both Exodus expansions. Check the store listing for your platform and region because edition names, availability and prices can vary.
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A simple first-playthrough plan
Use the following checklist if you want an order that requires no mid-series decisions:
- Begin with Metro 2033 Redux.
- Move directly to Metro: Last Light Redux after completing the first game.
- Complete the main Metro Exodus campaign before launching either expansion.
- Play The Two Colonels before Sam’s Story.
- Play Metro Awakening afterward if you want the optional VR prequel.
- If you are also playing Last Light side content, finish that game’s main campaign first and then tackle the optional missions.
Common ordering mistakes
Starting Sam’s Story before Exodus
Sam’s Story is described as taking place after the events of Metro Exodus. Launching it first removes the context supplied by the base campaign, so reserve it for the end of the Exodus portion of your playthrough.
Playing the Exodus expansions in reverse
The clearest expansion sequence is The Two Colonels followed by Sam’s Story. Reversing them is unnecessary when a defined first-then-second order is available.
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Putting Awakening before the trilogy without considering its format
Chronologically, Awakening can precede Metro 2033. For a newcomer, however, it is still an optional VR prequel. If you want the main Artyom storyline to introduce the series, place it after the trilogy instead.
Assuming every Last Light side mission has a fixed sequence
The available listing confirms that previously released Last Light DLC is included in the Redux package, but it does not establish a definitive order for every optional mission. Complete the main campaign first, then use your own preference for the side content.
Quick Recap
Final recommendation by player type
| If you are… | Use this route |
|---|---|
| New to Metro | Start with 2033 Redux, continue through Last Light Redux and Exodus, then play both Exodus expansions. |
| Interested in the fictional timeline | Play Awakening before 2033 Redux, then follow the trilogy and DLC order. |
| Buying the series as one package | Look for the Metro Saga Bundle; for Exodus and its story add-ons specifically, identify the Gold Edition. |
| Playing Last Light’s optional missions | Finish the main Last Light Redux campaign first, then play the side content in any convenient order. |
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