Metro: Last Light alternate ending guide and walkthrough

Like the first game, Metro 2033, there is a secret alternate ending that can be found if you happen to make the right moral choices throughout the game. Some choices are given, some need to be achieved quickly, and some are cleverly hidden. When you perform certain actions in Metro: Last Light, you will see the screen slightly flash white and there will be a short tone that accompanies it. When you see this happen, you’ve done a good thing and it’s what you want to find. You’ll also want to make sure that you do not kill any soldiers throughout the game.

It’s not an easy thing to do, but we have put together this how-to guide to show you the steps for getting the secret alternate ending and unlocking the Redemption Achievement / Trophy for your troubles. While both endings give different outcomes and different answers, the alternate ending gives a more detailed look as to what happens after the events of the game. Below are the items and events that triggered the flashes for us and contributed to the alternate ending. There will also be flashes that you encounter just by following the critical path in each chapter, so they are not listed here.

Looking for more help with Metro: Last Light? We also have an Artyom's Hidden Diary Pages Locations Guide and a Musician Achievement / Trophy Guide.

Sparta

When you first awake from your dream, play the guitar in your room.

As you walk through the Sparta Station, play the Bakalli in the lounge that is outside of the doors leading to Millers room.

Pavel

When you reach the top of the prison, pull the lever that will free all the prisoners. You will also get the Freedom Achievement / Trophy for it.

Don’t kill any of the soldiers within the chapter. Knock them out to your heart’s content, but don’t kill any of them.

Facility

When you enter the corridor leading to the first large room where a man is getting punched, go right to the corner and there will be two soldiers talking about a secret stash. Hide behind the crates while they talk and then follow the guard who returns to the starting room of the chapter. Wait for him to open the locker and then knock him out and take the fully equipped pistol he drops. You will also get the A Present Achievement / Trophy for it.

Once you get through the large first room, you will come to a soldier who surrenders in a freezer. Leave him alive--just run past him.

Don’t kill any of the soldiers within the chapter. Knock them out to your heart’s content, but don’t kill any of them.

Bolshoi

When you enter Bolshoi, give a bullet to the beggar on ground and another after his long speech.

Listen to the full conversation of the two men sitting at the table at the kitchen just beside beggar.

Watch the theatre show from beginning to end from the seat in the front row. You will also receive the Patron of the Arts Achievement / Trophy for doing so.

Before you sit down to have a drink with Pavel, there will be two girls showering and bathing to the right behind glass. Listen to their full conversation.

Korbut

When you are crawling through the vents, listen to the full conversation between Moskvin and Korbut after escaping, until Korbut leaves the room.

Regina

In the second door on the left once you are driving Regina, there will be a spider infested cave. Go to the back room that is lit red and turn on the power.

Go to the train car down the left hand side tunnel and at the far end will be a train car. Enter it and go to the end to find a body there.

When you are pushing the rail car with Regina, you will come to a room on the right hand side that is full of beds. As you walk through it, prisoner ghosts will appear. Make your way to the back of the room and back out to the rails.

Enter the green water-filled room where you get the page during this chapter and when you reach the body that has the page, you will hear the tone and see the flash.

Bandits

When you first arrive at the camp, listen to the conversations between the wife and daughter who are located to the right of the ammo store.

When you are driving down the tunnel and hear a woman screaming, go to the first door on the right and enter the train car. Go to the right and save the woman from getting raped by quickly taking out the two soldiers.

When you reach the bandits hideout, make your way through to the final door that is located behind the dead man in the chair. Enter it and rescue the woman and child inside.

In the tunnel on the opposite side of the bandit base, there is a rail car that has a few corpses on it. Go and look at it to get the tone and flash.

Don’t kill any of the soldiers within the chapter. Knock them out to your heart’s content, but don’t kill any of them.

Venice

When you arrive in Venice, there are 2 Panhandlers that you need to give bullets to. One is to the right of the area, down a narrow alley, and the other is to the left side of the water, just before the guitar player.

Just across from the shooting range, there is a mother and son talking. The son will say that he lost his teddy at the shooting range when he ran away. Go to the shooting range and you will need to win three rounds by shooting the released rats. When you win the third round, you will get bullets and the bear as a reward. Take the teddy bear to the mother and son and you will get the flash as well as the Reunion Achievement / Trophy.

Contagion

At the end of the chapter, Lesnitsky will tell you to take off your mask to save Anna. Do it before he counts down from five and you will also receive the Saviour Achievement / Trophy for doing so.

Do not kill any of the soldiers within the chapter.

Quarantine

The only choice I could find in this chapter was to find all of the ammo stashes that are in the warehouse just after the Quarantine zone. All you need to do is walk along the walls until you see the bullet icon appear for you to pick them up. There are 5 stashes, the first being behind the metal door you walk through after leaving the crowd at the quarantine zone entrance. The rest are found in windows in the area.

Khan

When you are travelling through the River of Fate with Khan, there will be a telephone that rings. Khan will tell you to answer it and if you do, you will get the flash and tone.

Depot

When you enter the outside area, go to the building on the left side. Go all the way to the far end and enter the doorway to get inside the building with the crashed truck. Be careful however as the door is trapped.

When you enter the large room full of enemies and train cars, drop down under the floor using a passage and crawl underneath the floor.

When you encounter Lesnitsky near the end of the chapter, you will need to knock him out and not choose to kill him.

Don’t kill any of the soldiers within the chapter.

Red Square

Don’t kill any of the soldiers within the chapter. You will be surrounded by snipers when you reach the building where Pavel is holed up, but hide and wait for them to come to you on the ground. Not all of them will, but eventually Pavel will tell you he has had enough and the main doors will open as more guards come out. Knock out the guards that come through and then you can go after Pavel while ignoring the rest of the snipers.

When you reach Pavel at the end of the chapter, you will need to go forward and save him as soon as he appears. If you wait, he will be taken and he will die.

The Garden

When you get about halfway through the Garden, you will come to a large creature that is called a Bear. The first round will have you firing at it and at its back as the nearby mutants jump on it. Once you hit it enough times, it will run to the next area and crouch as more watchmen jump on it. Shoot the watchmen off its back and it will run into the woods. This will give you the flash and tone as well as the Forest Guardian Achievement / Trophy.

Alternate Ending Video

Jeff McAllister is a freelance journalist who has contributed to GamesRadar+ over the years. You'll typically find his byline associated with deep-dive guides that are designed to help you scoop up collectibles and find hidden treasures in some of the biggest action and RPG games out there. Be sure to give Jeff a thanks in the comments while you're completing all of those tricky Achievements and Trophies.