Xbox Community Network ci ha fornito una intervista agli sviluppatori di Metro 2033, nella quale potrete approfondire ulteriori dettagli su questo interessante FPS. Ve la proponiamo di seguito, in inglese.

 

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1. Post-apocalyptic scenarios are extremely popular right now, thanks to Fallout 3's good showing recently. How do you aim to make your game special, to stand out from Fallout 3 and other similar apocalypse games?

Most Western versions of a post-apocalyptic world all into one of two categories – you have the tongue-in-cheek, cyber-punk visions of the future like Mad Max, Borderlands, or even Fallout, or very serious sci-fi visions like The Terminator. And in Terminator, the enemy is a machine, it behaves according to the laws of science. There is no mysticism, no mystery – it can be understood, and by being understood, it can be destroyed.

Metro 2033 takes place in a very Russian vision of the apocalypse – it is bleaker, grittier, but also much more ‘human.’ There is a poignancy, an atmosphere which we think will feel totally new to gamers. Also, this Russian vision is tempered by centuries of mysticism and mythology. So in our apocalypse there are demons, there are ghosts, there are things that cannot be rationally explained. It adds a dimension of horror to the whole genre.

That’s not to say that there is no humour in Metro – but our humour is definitely a black humour, not the cheery kind you find in Fallout etc!

Finally, you are seeing the outcome of a nuclear war from the ‘other side’ – and you will find that Russians are human too, have the same hopes and fears, and that humanity has the same challenges and makes the same mistakes whatever side of the nuclear arms stand-off.

And of course, in terms of gameplay we are completely different from Fallout!

2. In order to fully enjoy the story should players read the Dmitri Gluchovki's book beforehand or will they be able to get into it even without the knowledge of the original story?

Well we discussed this with Dmitry! You can do either – although we follow the book closely, there are also many changes between the two. You might find the game is a good introduction, and then you can go deeper into the world with the book, but you might find the game stops you imagining the book in your own way. But you certainly do not need to read the book to enjoy the game.

I would say, apply whatever rule you use with films based on books!

3. How did the story evolve into the game story and all the game play elements?

We worked really closely with Dmitry on this – it was a challenge to condense a 400+ page novel into a game experience. But there also has to be a lot more combat and action in the game than the book – it has to be fun to play after all. So we include all the key scenes, the key moments – the beginning and end is the same, the key characters are all there, and most importantly the spirit and the meaning of the book we have tried to preserve as much as possible. But then we took those moments and worked out how they should translate into exciting gameplay. Dmitry consulted all the way, and we’re all really happy with the result!

4. Will the game scenario evolve below Moscow, or will we see lots of open ground as well?

Most of the game takes place in the Metro stations and tunnels, but you do go up to the surface for a number of levels – it’s a terrifyingly bleak, poignant place with ashen skies, a mournful nuclear wind and the distant (or not so distant) howls of mutants. If anything it’s even more claustrophobic than the tunnels, as you have to equip your gas mask at all times. This will gradually frost over as your filter runs low, restricting your field of vision, and your breath will become labored and ragged. You’ll need to scavenge for replacement filters if you’re to survive, and will have to constantly check your timer to see exactly how much clean air you have left. It makes for an incredible tense experience.

5. I've also heard that bullets are going to be used as currency. Why would you make that decision and not use a normal currency like the Ruble?

This idea is actually taken from the book, but it works really well as a gameplay mechanic. There are two types of ammo – ‘Military Grade’ and ‘Dirty’ rounds. The Dirty rounds are made in the Armories of the Metro, but since the catastrophe mankind has lost the technology and know-how to make quality munitions. Military Grade ammo was made before the apocalypse and is far superior – it’s more accurate and causes more damage. You can load Military Grade rounds into your main armament which will make it more effective – or save them, and spend them on new weapons and upgrades such as sniper scopes, silencers etc.

Some of the weapons use their own unique ammo – for instance, there are several Pneumatic powered weapons including a semi-automatic sniper rifle that fires ball-bearings known as the Tihar, and a lethal dart gun called the Helsing – with this, you can recover and re-use the darts.

At each Station you’ll find a Bullet Exchange where you can trade any surplus Dirty rounds for Military Grade ammo.

In summary, the whole ammo as currency mechanic really gives you a reason to focus on stealth tactics and headshots, and explore the levels for secret stashes of ammo!

6. Have you tried to reflect the same visual quality of S.T.A.L.K.E.R for PC on your engine?

The 4A Engine powering Metro 2033 is a brand new engine. It allows us to deliver lighting, shadowing and particle effects beyond anything you’ll have seen on the 360 to date. And the audio is equally important – you will really benefit from a proper 5.1 set-up.

It’s not really fair to compare to S.T.A.L.K.E.R as the X-Ray engine is two generations old now and not really equipped for the multi-core processors that the 360 and modern PC’s have.

7. In designing Metro 2033's game play; was it important to you to provide the player with a unique experience?

Absolutely. A unique experience is what keeps you playing! But ‘unique’ means more than a set of features, or a ‘gimmick.’ Of course we think we have some new ideas that you won’t have seen before, but to be truly unique you have to offer an experience, a sensation unlike anything else out there. We hope we’ve done that with Metro 2033!

8. One of the design choices regarding the game was to allow it to remain essentially HUD-less during game play. Is this to provide the player with a more cinematic experience?

Keeping the HUD to an absolute minimum just increases the sense of immersion – we try to give the player all the information they need with in-game cues, so for example if you need to check your objectives you don’t look at a ‘Pause’ screen, you pull out your map case; your torch does not have a ‘Power Bar’, instead you will see the needle on the dial of your charger showing how much power you have left. Most weapons you can see how much ammo you have remaining by looking at the ammo clip! Of course, some HD info is needed, so we give you screen tips if it improves the gameplay – but as a rule, we keep it to the barest minimum we can.

9. Would you say this is a spiritual successor to S.T.A.L.K.E.R ?

Not really. It’s a very different style of game. Life would get boring if you kept making the same kind of thing again and again!

10. Are you going to release any DLC in the future?

We don’t have anything to say about DLC right now sorry.

11. Is the multiplayer going to be included in Metro 2033?

No. early on we took the decision to focus 100% on single-player to make sure we did the book justice. We are a small team, and if we had tried to tackle multiplayer too we would have had to reduce the scope of the SP game. Instead we have tried to make an epic single player experience, with absolutely no padding or ‘filler’ material, that lasts longer than most FPS single player campaigns.

We don’t doubt Multiplayer in the Metro universe with the 4A Engine would something special though!

12. Is it true that Dmitri Gluchovski is working on further instalments; Metro 2034 and Metro 2035? If so, do you expect to have the MP included in those as well?

Dmitry has lots of plans for the Metro universe - he has already written a sequel and is looking at turning the first book into a film. You should probably ask him what’s in store next! We have nothing to say about any future Metro games though.