Metro Exodus might be more above ground than ever before, but you’ll still need a light in dark spaces.
What is it with video games and flashlights? For some reason, developers are determined that we must charge them via unconventional means. Heaven forfend we just press a button to perform a simple action! We must hammer buttons and waggle controllers. It’s a bit of an accessibility issue, truth be told.
One of the worst offenders is The Last of Us, and that dreadful sixaxis shake to get Joel’s torch working again. Don’t even get us started on waggling Wii remotes.
In the previous Metro games – 2033 and Last Light – you needed to charge the flashlight by some funky means. It’s not as bad as motion controls, sure, but it’s still an odd attempt to mimic a real-life action.
So is it the same in Metro Exodus?
How to charge the flashlight in Metro Exodus
First, you’ll need to grab your battery pack. Press and hold the ‘left’ button on the directional pad – or ‘F’ if you’re playing on PC (and using the default key bindings) – until Artyom produces the battery pack.
That’s not to be confused with just tapping ‘left’ or ‘F’ which will, instead, simply equip (or unequip) your light.
Once you’ve got the battery pack in hand, you’ll need to charge it up. If you’re playing on PC, just keep holding down ‘F’ and Artyom will charge the battery pack. Watch the dial go up, and once it’s full, you’re good to go.
If you’re playing on console, this is where the funky controls come in. While holding down the ‘left’ button, you’ll need to pump the right trigger – or press it lots of times, to you and me – to charge the battery. It’s supposed to mimic the pumping action Artyom makes on the portable battery charger, but mostly, it’s a bit annoying.
What do you need battery power for in Metro Exodus?
Most often in Metro Exodus, you’ll be pumping Artyom’s battery charger to power the flashlight (or torch, if you’re British like us). There’s a gauge on the battery pack that works as a visual aid, but an even handier visual aid is that the light goes out. Common sense, really.
There is another device that you’ll need battery power for, though: the night vision goggles.
These goggles have a couple of advantages – chief among which, the fact they don’t throw any light into the environment, ruining your stealthy silhouette – but they also have a drawback. They do tend to eat battery power faster than the simple flashlight, so you’ll need to pump that charger more frequently if you favour the goggles over the flashlight.
Or you can always rely on Artyom’s trusty Zippo lighter, in a pinch.
