Are the dark ones in Metro Exodus?

Are the dark ones in Metro Exodus? These mysterious, often frightening creatures have been a mainstay of the series, guiding the story of the last two Metro games. But do they show up in Metro Exodus?

Warning: spoilers ahead for Metro 2033, Metro Last Light, and Metro Exodus.

The Dark Ones are a sentient race of beings in the Metro series. Due to their frightening appearance and telepathic abilities, they are often viewed as hostile by humans. Artyom, the main character of the series, met a dark one as a child. Unaware that they could be dangerous, contact rendered him immune to their psychological effects. However, as an adult, he lost his memory of the meeting.

In Metro 2033, the canon ending Artyom destroys what is believed to be the only nest of the dark ones. Only a single Dark One baby survives. At the beginning of Metro Last Light, Artyom sets out to destroy the last living Dark One, only to learn that he is not aggressive. In a change of plans, Artyom rescues the baby Dark One and discovers a hidden nest of hibernating Dark Ones.

At the end of Metro Last Light, the dark ones intervene to save Artyom and his companions. They then decide to leave the humans behind for a while before promising to return one day.

This promise is not fulfilled in Metro Exodus. The dark ones never appear in the game. However, Artyom begins to experience hallucinations, suggesting that the Dark Ones are not yet completely gone from the game and its world.

Metro Exodus is available now for PC, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One.

Photo courtesy of 4A Games/Deep Silver