Metro Exodus’ world is extremely harsh and unforgiving even for the most prepared Spartan Ranger. Because of this, it’s difficult to survive yourself, let alone ensure that all of your comrades join you in the end. However, for those seeking an additional challenge you can try to keep characters such as Duke alive. This is done b completing various side objectives and adhering to strict stipulations when playing through The Volga chapter of Metro Exodus. Here’s everything you need to do to save Duke in your playthrough.
1. Don’t Kill Any Cultists
This is a huge part of whether Duke will make it through this chapter. While it’s open season on bandits and mutants, you cannot kill any of the cultists roaming the level. You can knock them out, but when you’re escaping the church at the very beginning you cannot use your weapons against these enemies. Because of this, we strongly encourage you to constantly use the Quick Save function to ensure that no accidents take place.
2. Don’t Kill the Traders
Once you reach the end of the chapter you’ll be tasked with stealing a boat from a bunch of traders. While you can blast your way through everyone, the “good” way is to sneak on without killing any of the enemies. Just like the cultists, you are completely relying on stealth and non-lethal takedowns. This is easier said than done since the boat doesn’t leave a lot of room to maneuver. Thankfully, you don’t need to disable every person, just the people on the front boat. Make sure to approach this objective at night, otherwise, it will be nearly impossible to approach this section without shooting the traders.
3. Reach the Cult Leader Without Killing Anyone
Surprise, you cannot kill anyone in this part either. The final deciding factor in whether Duke survives or not is if you slay anyone during your skulk up the bridge. When you’re climbing up, stick to either the far left or far right of the base. The center is filled with cultists and you’ll have a higher chance of getting spotted. Remember, you don’t need to knock out everyone you come across, just make sure not to kill them. If you are spotted, either reload your save or make a mad dash for the door at the very top of the base.
Once you confront the cult leader you’ll be thrown into a cinematic. If you completed all the requirements above then Duke will survive. This is critical since you’ll need as many of your comrades to survive as possible to achieve the “good” ending. While we won’t spoil how characters like Duke factor into the finale, just know that they are integral to Metro Exodus’ plot.