
If the filter is damaged, it may have less usage time, but is most likely unusable. It would simply escape into toxic air and in many cases render the gas mask unusable. In real life, a crack in the mask would not affect the filter at all.
When the gas mask is in play, the duration of the air filter is reduced. As soon as the gas mask is put on, the timer will reset, so there is no need to keep the mask on for any particular length of time. Since Artyom has a short period of time (up to 30 seconds) that he can last without a mask on, this time elapsed with the gas mask off can be valuable if he is nearly out of time on his filter.
The duration of the air filters can exploited by constantly putting on and taking off the gas mask. If the filters are not swapped out when needed, Artyom will slowly suffocate and ultimately die. When a filter runs out, Artyom will automatically swap in a fresh one. There are, however, other signs that the filter may need to be swapped, if for example: Artyom's breathing becomes very heavy, Artyom can be heard wheezing as he struggles for air, his vision starts to tunnel or blur, then the filter may need to be changed. A clean filter lasts almost exactly one minute regardless of difficulty played on or the activities being performed by Artyom (such as constant sprinting).Īrtyom keeps a wrist-watch on at all times to keep track of how much time his filters have left before they have become too used to entirely filter the toxic air.
Will come attached to recently swapped gas masks.įilters must used in compliance with the gas mask, they must be swapped out regularly with a fresh filter every few minutes of continued use. Can be found in wooden supply crates/boxes throughout the game. Can be found as individual filters in various locations in the Metro and surface. They are traded in a few settlements ( Riga and Market). This may also be the reason why they do not last very long, since the technology to make more advanced filters was likely lost after the disaster or it is prohibitively difficult and expensive to mass produce better filters due to the scarcity of the resources and expertise that are required to make them.įilters can be found just about everywhere in the Metro: These filters are likely charcoal filters as charcoal is a natural poison adsorbent, and can be found and made just about anywhere. Anyone regularly travelling between Metro stations or the surface should carry these. All filters are universal and will fit any gas mask found in the metro, and they are widely traded throughout the settlements.