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GamesCom 2011 – Metro Last Light

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Metro-Last-Light

Metro 2033, a survival horror first person shooter set in the near future and around the bomb shelters hidden under Moscow, may not have been a smash hit when it launched, but the original game has developed into a cult classic, and developer Foray Games wants to make the experience better for players in the upcoming sequel.

Studio Communications Head for Foray Games, Hugh lets us know that the developer wants to clearly address the issues surrounding the first Metro game. “The first Metro game became a cult hit for us”. says Hugh, “But at the same time, there was some fairly valued criticism, as the AI and stealth aspects were rusty around the edges”.

We get ready to watch some footage of the game, as we once again step into the shoes of Artyom. The first noticeable thing about Metro is how much better the game looks visually. Crisper, smoother and altogether impressive, MLL retains its dark and gloomy underground look, while keeping the action and suspense of the original.

Artyom is still suffering from the darkness in his head, and we occasionally see the screen twist and cavort itself as his hallucinations get worse. Alongside a partner, Artym is now exploring what appears to be the training camp for a secret Russian Army, and he makes his way past hundreds of soldiers, only to cause a scene and then be forced to escape while under heavy gunfire.

And here is where we see another new trick, as the environment around Artyom is fully destructible, with old walls giving way to the relentless barrage of ammo, and various other objects being slowly shredded in the crossfire.

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After a quick chase scene, we’re treated to some stealth action gameplay, as Artyom works his way past bandits, and comes across a tripled barrelled machine gun, allowing him to easily mow down enemies. Hugh lets us know that MLL is still primarily a survival horror game, with careful consumption of resources and stealth gameplay that will result in better progression for players, but players can be gung ho if they want to, although the game will be far more challenging then.

There’s still a deep sense of patchwork weapons and homemade gadgets in MLL, and we’re then shown a quick scene of Artyom trying to fight off mutant creatures, with one massive Gorilla like monster making the fight seem like a lost cause.

After the video ends, we get a little Q&A time with Hugh, and he tells us that the primary motivation for MLL was to “Make the game more dynamic, and exceptionally constructed”. When asked about the new environment destructibility, Hugh told us that he wants the feature to be a tactical asset, and not a gimmicky tool. “We’re not Red Faction”.

When I asked him if the bullet based currency would be making a return, he responded that the team is still trying to rework the concept, as it didn’t come off the way they intended it to originally.

“In Metro Last Light, a bullet should be seen as the equivalent of a human life, a valuable resource. But we didn’t make that easy to understand, and players never balanced that properly. What we want, is for players to still conserve resources, but to have fun doing so.

 

Last Updated: August 18, 2011

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