Is the Metro overrun by mutants because of Artyom?

[TR]

The Japanese official site[www.spike-chunsoft.co.jp] of Metro: Last Light describes Artyom as follows. Translation by me.

The protagonist of this game. When he was young, he and his friend slipped out of their metro station and opened the 'sealed door' that connects to the surface. The mutants on the surface started to inhabit the Metro because of this, but he hasn't been able to share this 'secret' with anyone as of yet.

I played this game twice, (just finished the second playthrough yesterday) and the closest thing I remember is one of the flashback sequences where young Artyom goes to the surface and attacked by some mutants, then a Dark One intervenes to save him, creating some form of bond between the two. I'm sure there was no dipiction or explanation of mutants entering the Metro because of his action, but maybe I just don't remember them.

I even searched Metro Wiki[metrovideogame.wikia.com], but to no avail.

Could someone confirm or bust this myth?

[Wingmann]

I think I read in the book by Dimitry Glukhovsky that the young artyom foolishly opened the hermetically sealed door to the surface and that as a result the Dark Ones gained access to the metro, that is confirmed in the link below.

http://metrovideogame.wikia.com/wiki/Dark_Ones

[Clown Juice]

As far as the book canon is concerned, there were things allready mutating in the subsystems beneath the metro, as Roscleary said it was the Dark Ones that gained access to the metro when Artyom opened the door.

[TR]

So the description not only mixed up the game's event with the book's event, but also the Dark Ones with mutants in general? That's so confusing!

Anyway, thanks for the infomation, guys.

[Nakari]

Yeah, it looks like they took the books plot for this one. Artyom and his friends, as children, wanted to see the surface. So, they did. They snuck away from their homes, and opened a hatch, getting a glimpse of the surface before they felt they were in danger, running away and almost dying in the process. This gave the Dark Ones a way to get into the Metro.

Difference between the book and game: The Dark Ones aren't evil. I don't think Metro 2033 really ever tried showing this, but in the book, before they launch the missiles and destroy the hive, the Dark Ones scream out to Artyom about how they only wanted to live alongside the humans, not to harm them. To make a better world. Artyom takes his final breath of tainted, surface air, before returning to the Metro, possibly to die. I don't know, Metro 2034 isn't in English yet.

[CursedPanther]

The upcoming Metro 2035 will be the official sequel to the events of 2033. Metro 2034 is a spin-off of the universe, probably why there is yet to be an official English translation.

[TR]

Originally posted by Nakari(Hunting):

Difference between the book and game: The Dark Ones aren't evil. I don't think Metro 2033 really ever tried showing this, but in the book, before they launch the missiles and destroy the hive, the Dark Ones scream out to Artyom about how they only wanted to live alongside the humans, not to harm them. To make a better world. Artyom takes his final breath of tainted, surface air, before returning to the Metro, possibly to die. I don't know, Metro 2034 isn't in English yet.

I read that part on the wiki. I think 4A intentionally made the Dark Ones more evil than they are in the book, so you can feel more of a sense of accomplishment and less of a sense of guilt after finishing the game, even if you've reached the bad ending where you blow up the looks-cruel-but-actually-peaceful mutants into pieces. This change made the good ending a bit unreasonable though, because as you said, other than some of Khan's lines, there's absolutely no way to even speculate they are not actually evil. But since 4A managed to cover the 'good' side of the Dark Ones in Metro: Last Light, I'd say I'm satisfied with how they are depicted in the game afterall.

I'm starting to feel I should check out the book someday. It's only getting more intresting. Let's hope my English is good enough. :)

[Clown Juice]

Its been awhile since I played 2033, but I think there were a few moments in the game where the Dark Ones actually helped Artyom, like when he and Bourbon were struggling with the rebar door and Artyom was having visions of a huge door, as hes dragging Bourbon away from the door a Dark One reaches in and helps pull Artyom through