Should i read 2033 or just 2034 and 2035

[Toni Bambonaboni]

Recently I decided to play through Metro 2033 and Last Light Redux and day after finishing the Second one exodus goes on sale, So I decided to buy "Metro Trylogy Exodus edition" (Basically all 3 Books put into one big block of text)

And I know that Metro 2034 takes place during events of Last Light and Metro 2035 is a basically an prologue to Exodus,
But i Wonder if I should also read Metro 2033 now or just the other two's play exodus and then read it if I still want more Metro content

[adik]

I have read all parts of Glukhovskiy's Metro and played all parts of the Metro game.
Metro 2033 and Last Light are games that contain a lot of elements of the plot from the book. However, Exodus is similar to the book's story only to a few characters, the rest of the characters and the events didn't take place in the novella.
It's really worth reading the Metro series, then you immediately associate the events that happen on screen. I was very fascinated by the fact that I could participate in the events I was reading about. Especially Metro 2033 and 2035 ( in 2034 there was no Artyom, and the story is not in the game).
I sincerely recommend it, you won't regret it

[Mr.SlayX]

i can only agree with adik

[zombie-flesheater]

2033 (book) expands on a few more stations and encounters, but has less action than the game, so it might feel to drag on a bit once you know the game's plot. There's also a huge problem with the (English) translation which may or may not have been fixed in the meantime. There are different translations for the same things within different chapters, like bullets being translated as cartridges, then bullets, then cartridges again. Some names are also wrongly translated, like "Let's go to the police!" instead of "Let's go to Polis.", which - of course - makes no sense whatsoever in context. Other names are not translated at all, like Miller is still called Melnik, and some stations retain their original names (or both, or a different translation).
Once you know the game's story, you'll be able to make out what the translation is supposed to refer to, but it's quite hard to read / decypher at places.

2034 and 2035 are a lot better in that regard.

Even if it's never officially confirmed, I see 2034 as a continuation to LL's events, as it makes perfect sense considering the fate of certain characters without contradicting itself with the existing lore. Also, characters from 2034 will re-appear im 2035.

2035 builds up to and spends a lot more time on a certain huge twist for the whole franchise, which also quickly appears in the beginning of Exodus, but is handwaved away again into irrelevance as soon as it's discovered. A huge amount of 2035 is condensed into the first hour or so of Exodus, making certain revelations lose a lot of impact as a result.
So basically, if you want to get the most out of the franchise, read 2035 before playing Exodus.