They had it with Metro 2033 where gamers would discuss ”things they’ve seen and the moments they experienced.” It’s the moments that matter - ”filler content” must be discouraged.
Beynon says the team spent an awful lot of time making ”each moment narrative driven,” and not just another environment to run and gun through.
”When I remember Half-Life 2 I don’t remember just shooting things, I remember moments, like the escape from the boat, or crossing the bridge, or investigating the farm or invading the prison,” an exec from 4A Games told Eurogamer.
”I talk about it the way I remember and talk about a really great film I’ve seen. One of the things we saw with Metro 2033 and hopefully we’ll see with Last Light is people talking about the things they’ve seen and the moments they experienced. That’s what we mean by being story and scenario driven.”
Beynon describes Last Light as the opposite of Call of Duty’s style of approach which he comments is little more than a training module for multiplayer. These types of games are quickly forgotten once the sheen has worn off and something with newer multiplayer comes along. Choosing campaign over multiplayer matters, reckon THQ.
”You see in so many shooters filler content,” Beynon said. ”You build up an environment and what you do in that environment is reduced to moving and shooting. What you’ll find in Metro is an incredible amount of attention spent making each moment narrative driven. We don’t recycle that many art assets.”
”We’ve managed to get a huge amount of visual variety given we have this underground and post-apocalyptic location. Each combat encounter, whether it’s versus mutants or humans, will feel completely different throughout the game depending on the environment you’re fighting in. It’s those kinds of things we think will create those moments that will stand out and people will remember.”
They know the Call of Duty leviathan won’t be vanquished by Metro: Last Light and they aren’t trying to.
”This isn’t a play for a super mass market Call of Duty beater,” he explained.
”We’re not trying to be Transformers: The Movie. We’re trying to be District 9. Something with a little more artistic credibility. It was important we let the studio continue to deliver their vision and ambitions for the game.”
Gamers are hungry for this approach: ”Actually, we think gamers are crying out for something more sophisticated and original, and if we can get the level of polish this time around and we can give the game the promotional support THQ has admitted it failed at last time, it will be very successful and create something that will stay true to the studio’s artistic vision and not have to make market driven concessions,” said communications lead Huw Beynon.
Metro: Last Light releases on Xbox 360, PS3 and PC in early 2013. 4A Games want to prove their campaign driven shooter has greater remembrance than all those online warzones. Will Metro get its Half-Life wish?
