Metro Exodus is an incredibly authentic compilation of the best and the worst of the post-soviet era embedded in the post-apocalyptic shell which amplifies both extremes.
I might be biased, because I played with the original (Russian) voiceover, and I painfully well recognized many of the archetypes developers encoded in the plot. The plot and the characters are very strong and solidly executed. They are distinct, rich, they are enjoyable to interact with, and they evolve throughout the script.
The combat mechanic is actually quite enjoyable, finding the perfect balance between the open-world freedom of exploration and fps. The stealth is perhaps the least refined part of the gameplay, but its clumsiness is compensated by the very subtle morality meter, which has a very direct impact on the outcome of the game. In no other game I had so much care to not blow my stealth cover to not have to hurt anyone.
Overall, this is easily the best open-world fps I have played in quite a while!