The Metro franchise has by no means didn’t impress thus far, and although it stays to be seen how lengthy we’ll be ready for its subsequent mainline instalment, those that’re craving extra Metro do have Metro Awakening to show to. Developed by Vertigo Video games completely for VR units, Metro Awakening is promising a tense, immersive, and genuine Metro expertise, whereas additionally telling an unique story penned by Metro writer Dmitry Glukhovsky himself.
Out now for Meta Quest 2 and three, PS VR2, and SteamVR, the first-person shooter has clearly turned a couple of heads, and to be taught extra about it and the way it interprets the Metro formulation to the VR medium, we just lately had the prospect to ship throughout a few of our questions concerning the sport to its builders. Beneath, you may learn our interview with sport director Samar Louwe.
NOTE: This interview was carried out previous to the sport’s launch.
“The Metro collection has at all times thrived on immersion, and immersion can be on the core of VR, so it was a pure match.”
As a franchise, Metro has at all times been centered on immersing gamers of their settings whereas delivering prime notch graphical presentation. Was that what led to exploring making a VR sport within the collection, given how effectively suited that type of an expertise may doubtlessly be to digital actuality?
Positively. As you mentioned, the Metro collection has at all times thrived on immersion, and immersion can be on the core of VR, so it was a pure match. VR can take this to an entire new stage—placing gamers proper within the coronary heart of the Metro tunnels, surrounded by the eerie environment and the threats lurking in the dead of night. The mix of VR’s distinctive capabilities and the storytelling depth of Metro actually excited us.
What different VR video games, if any, did you draw inspiration from?
Though it’s virtually 5 years previous, Half-Life: Alyx remains to be very related. On the time it confirmed the VR business the way it was executed. Now, it’s nonetheless what new video games can be in comparison with when they’re launched. However we even have a pool of data to attract from in-house. When the staff was executed with Arizona Sunshine 2 they have been in a position to bounce in and assist us out with all the teachings that they had realized.
Metro Awakening is the primary sport within the collection not developed by 4A Video games. How related to these different titles is it? Did you get the prospect to collaborate with them on this title?
We collaborated with 4A Video games all through growth. They supplied us with belongings and references from the mainline collection, which helped make sure that we stayed true to the essence of the video games.
What has the expertise of working with Metro writer Dmitry Glukhovsky been like? How closely has been concerned with the sport’s growth?
Working with Dmitry Glukhovsky has been a useful expertise. Proper from the beginning, we reached out to him to verify the story would really feel genuine to the Metro collection. He ended up stunning us by crafting one thing actually private and emotional. That course pushed us to go all in on a story-driven strategy, placing character growth proper up there with environment and gameplay. Dmitry introduced such depth to Metro Awakening, serving to us create one thing that feels true to the Metro world but in addition recent and introspective in a manner we hadn’t initially anticipated.
“We collaborated with 4A Video games all through growth. They supplied us with belongings and references from the mainline collection, which helped make sure that we stayed true to the essence of the video games.”
How simple was it to translate a posh console FPS to the completely different enter and controls of VR?
It undoubtedly required a shift in considering. In VR, gamers aren’t simply urgent buttons—they’re bodily interacting with the world, which meant reimagining core actions like aiming, taking pictures, and even placing on a fuel masks to really feel pure and immersive. We labored carefully with our gameplay staff from the begin to fine-tune these interactions till every little thing felt responsive and true to the Metro universe. It was difficult, however the result’s an expertise the place each motion feels fast and fascinating, making the world come to life in an entire new manner.
Will Metro Awakening be a largely linear expertise just like the collection’ earlier entries, or can gamers anticipate some components of open-ended exploration just like Metro Exodus?
The best way Exodus ventured into new territory with its open world construction was a fantastic step for the mainline video games, it elevated the sport to new heights. As a participant I totally loved enjoying by it. However the story in Exodus can be about Artyom venturing out, escaping the Moscow metro system, on a quest to see what extra is on the market. Whereas the story Dmitry wrote for Metro Awakening is rather more focused: you need to discover your spouse. So, it was solely logical to not distract our gamers (and protagonist) with open-ended areas. Moreover, since it is a story that’s set earlier than the occasions of 2033, it made much more sense to stay to the unique setting.
The allure of the sooner video games can be an excellent match for the immersive nature of VR. The confined areas within the Moscow underground allowed for the urgent and inescapable environment that we knew was going to achieve success for our medium.
The Metro franchise has at all times been notably efficient at delivering its personal model of distinctive, post-apocalyptic horror. How have you ever approached translating that to a VR expertise with Metro Awakening?
Our strategy has been to amplify Metro’s distinctive sense of stress and dread by VR’s immersive capabilities. Spatial audio, dynamic lighting, and bodily interactivity are all key to creating an environment that retains gamers on edge. VR lets gamers have interaction instantly with the surroundings, whether or not it’s wiping fog off their fuel masks or navigating by darkish, claustrophobic tunnels. By bringing gamers instantly into these intense moments, we’re creating an expertise that feels fast and visceral heightening each the worry and the surprise that Metro is understood for. That is Metro at its most intimate.
“We labored carefully with our gameplay staff from the begin to fine-tune these interactions till every little thing felt responsive and true to the Metro universe. It was difficult, however the result’s an expertise the place each motion feels fast and fascinating, making the world come to life in an entire new manner.”
Roughly how lengthy will a median playthrough of the sport be?
It varies relying on the participant’s strategy and elegance—one thing we’re already seeing with gamers who’ve entry to the Deluxe Version—however on common, a playthrough ought to take round 10 hours.
Metro Awakening is concentrating on all main VR platforms at launch. How has the expertise been engaged on these three very completely different takes on VR on the similar time?
It was a acutely aware choice to make sure we delivered a constant expertise throughout PC VR, Meta Quest and PlayStation VR2, whereas nonetheless permitting for sure areas to shine on higher-end platforms like PC and PlayStation. So, it has been each a problem and a possibility. Greater-end techniques allow us to implement superior rendering and lighting for enhanced visuals, whereas Meta Quest pushed us to innovate in efficiency optimization. Our technical groups have collaborated carefully, balancing constancy and efficiency, and making certain the sport appears to be like and performs its greatest on each platform. It’s been a rewarding journey that’s pushed us to be artistic and adapt, benefiting from what every platform has to supply.
