https://medium.com/@adrianchm/metro-exodus-e55ecc1db98d
Adrian Chmielarz loved the game but says it has design weaknesses.
Adrian Chmielarz loved the game but says it has design weaknesses.
It already looked suspect when it was announced that the game uses Denuvo, given that the previous ones were released DRM free on GOG. Not sure if the EGS controversy was worth it, in my opinion it would have been better to release on both distribution platforms, with a price discount on Epic.
Largely agree. If they're going to focus on cutscenes, they need to be intrinsic to the present action and worked into the pacing. I could highlight FFVII as a way to do that right.
it's a great game. Like most games coming from the Eastern Europe/ex Soviet Union area it has flaws but it has soul. Same as all three Witcher games.
EDIT
plus, look at a game like RDR2: it has a zillion flaws but corporate reviewers don't seem to notice, oh it's Rockstar, right?
Yeah, its gonna be fun to see how they compete against Origin and Steam. They got even Ubisoft on board with Division 2. Damn, I just realized Kingdome Come Deliverence 2 might be Epic Store exclusive too. Lets sum this up, epic store is Deep Silver, THQ Nordic, Ubisoft thing, right? Fallout 76 wasnt either on Steam, so will BGS go with this too?
You know what I think, this only makes sense only if Blizzard/Activions has something to do with this, or this is some serious trolling.
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Activision and BGS have their own stores. Epic game store belongs to Epic, Ubisoft have their own store but also sell on EA's store and EGS.
I know and maybe you are right. Ive a feeling something is happening at Epic Store. They can be this foolish to enter and try to get a slice of digital sales. Btw, I also know EA and Ubisoft are friends but why isnt Division 2 on Origin?
I finished it, cool game, even though after mid I started to feel slightly bored but was able to finish. Something is missing, imho. I get the characters are big part, maybe find a way to do them better?
Sounds like a fairly typical case of dumbing down for players that don't want anything interfering with their action game. Can't have non clear-cut options, no, no, no, someone might have to take a moment to actually think.
YES I sound bitter and condescending. It's because I was RPGing before PCs existed and was an adult during the golden years of gaming in the 90's. I've watched the decent to hand-holding action games filled with microtransactions. And yes ... YES ... I think, ignoring trivialities like fancy graphics many older games were far better AS GAMES then most modern ones. There's a reason those "classics" are classics after all. Mario, Donkey Kong, Battlezone, Doom, and The Empire Strikes Back (1982) didn't try to be RPGs and RPGs didn't try to be action games.
This is how my old neighbor sounded. 15 years in the US and ztill wit ze akkzent
One year after release I finally finished Metro Exodus.
I will be honest and I'll say right away that I approached the game for the first time right after release, but despite my love for the previous games of the Metro series, it didn't click with me. Maybe it was because of the new completely new direction, leaving behind many unique elements of 2033 and Last Light, or maybe it was the still fresh at the time Epic Store exclusivity controversy still lingering in my mind, not allowing me to fully enjoy the game. Nevertheless, for a very long time Exodus had remained just one of the many icons littering my desktop, until one day I have watched a Let's Play from a previous games, as a way to refresh my memories of it, which made me nostalgic about it and that is what ultimately convinced me to give the new installment a second chance. And boy, am I glad I did it.
For the people unfamiliar with the franchise, Metro series is based on the Dmitry Glukhowsky's novels and takes place in Moscow, in a world destroyed as the result of the nuclear war, with survivors hiding inside a tunnels of the local Metro. Due to the high radiation level on the city surface, they are forced to live underground, while constantly facing a new threats. The story hook for Metro Exodus is a discovery of a mysterious radio signal by our protagonist, Artyom, a member of the Sparta Order, which protects citizens of the Metro, implying that there might be more survivors outside of Moscow and perhaps even a safe place for people to live on the surface.
As I already mentioned, the game abandons several fundamental aspects of the series, like military grade bullets being used as a currency, a radioactive surface, which requires from us to always wear the gas mask in order to survive and even the role of the titular Metro has been greatly reduced (it wasn't named Exodus for no reason). Despite of that the game didn't just become an ordinary mix of shooter and stealth game, it's still maintains typical for the series survival and (occasional) horror elements. Even though we do visit an none irradiated areas, in some locations we will still need an extra filters for our gas mask, as well as to make sure that the mask itself is not too badly damaged. Conservation of our firearms is also very important, since if we get it wet or dirty, it might get jammed on us in the worst possible moment.
Another major change in survival related mechanics, is that we no longer have to rely only on supplies left us by less fortunate souls. Exodus utilizes a similar system, as the one in the Rogue Trooper, so we are mostly collecting a bare crafting components (in two types, mechanical parts and chemicals). which we can then repurpose to create any items we need, according to our current needs or the preferable gameplay style (however only some items, like first aid kits and mask filters, can be made on the field, to create ammo for our guns or to fix our equipment we need to find workbench first). It's a simple system, but it allows for a more flexibility in our playstyle, especially since now we can modify our weapons on the spot, thus often making them function in a completely different manner. It's a shame that we are no longer allowed to carry with us any three weapons we want, as in the previous games, but now we can only pick two and the third slot is occupied by a mandatory pneumatic gun (or crossbow). The reason behind that decision is how easily craftable the ammo for those two weapons is (steel balls and bolts), which allows us to do it any time we want, so the player didn't easily run out of pellets in the critical moment, but still it's a shame, because it does limit a bit our fresly acquired freedom.
One of the most promoted new features of the Exodus were bigger and more explorable maps, which were breaking with the linear nature of the previous games, but I must admit that in my opinion the full potential of that idea was fully realized only in the first chapter of the game (Volga), where we do have a large map, but also a well done side content and the atmosphere of the flooded village, well fitting for the world of the Metro. Afterwards however we have a more typical and repetetive Mad Max style desert, with a rather boring exploration, even when we use the car, where we are constantly threatened by the same two types of enemies (which happen to be also the most annoying of all of them), the side content, while still decent, is much more monothematic (save slaves in that place, then in another, etc.), storywise and in terms of atmosphere it also comes off as the most generic area (although some of the hidden story related details did put a smile on my face). Plus it feels kinda unfinished (a locked cars all over the place that we can interact with, that are not being used by us, nor the enemies, which implies that at some point those had a bigger role planned for them). During the creation of the last larger map the developers just threw the hands in the air and gave us a bunch of corridors (and a really frustrating and pointless boss fight, which was clearly designed for a character much more mobile then Artyom is), although a little wider, even though you can see that at some point it supposed to be more open then that. The prologue and final chapter are completely linear, but they stay loyal to the original Metro games presentation style, so it's fitting. Regarding the openness of the world, it's worth to mention that the game includes a dynamic day-night cycle, affecting the behaviour of the enemies (we can encounter more mutants or bandits based on time of day, they might go to sleep at night, making it easier for us to sneak around, etc.). Volga even have a dynamic weather, but sadly the weather in the other areas looks completely scripted (shame, because the dust storms near the Caspian Sea create a great atmosphere, but they only appear for a short while three times in the whole game).
The nicest sections in the whole game, as usual, are the scenes, when we can just relax and talk with side characters (or rather listen to what they have to say, since Artyom remains a silent protagonist), which in Exodus is also build up by a bunch of optional interactions, like playing a guitar for your companions, listening to the radio, smoking in the middle of conversation, drinking vodka with your brothers in arms or... hugging your wife, which helps in strenghtening the bonds with out crew. The fate of our companions (and of Artyom himself) depends on the moral choices that we made throughout the game (although I must say that they are more simplified in comparison to the previous games, but they make up for it with a greater reactivity), and the story itself, even though in some chapters it might be following Hollywood cliches too much, is overall fairly interesting and engaging, making for a really solid ending of the whole trilogy.
Overall I do consider Exodus to be the weakest entry in the series, meaning that it's a little worse then the previous titles, but still a great game. The reason behind that is that, although after playing through the game, I can say that the new direction of Exodus makes perfect sense, I can't escape the feeling that because of those changes, it lost a lot of unique atmosphere of the series. Plus I liked the Metro games better as a more linear, but focused and varied experiences then a bit weird mix of (less or more) open world with a linear Metro game. On top of that sometimes the gameplay design seems not very well thought out (especially in Taiga, with the above mentioned boss battle), but overall the game is really fun to play and have plenty of unique moments.
Ultimately I can say that, despite all the problems listed earlier, Metro is one of my favorite video game trilogies of all time, which couple of months ago would seem like a joke to me, but Exodus really redeemed itself in my eyes. I give it a strong 8/10 and I hope that 4A Games will return to this universe at some point (especially since Glukhowsky expressed a desire to further explore it through the video games), but with a better open world and more of the classic Metro atmosphere.
I will be honest and I'll say right away that I approached the game for the first time right after release, but despite my love for the previous games of the Metro series, it didn't click with me. Maybe it was because of the new completely new direction, leaving behind many unique elements of 2033 and Last Light, or maybe it was the still fresh at the time Epic Store exclusivity controversy still lingering in my mind, not allowing me to fully enjoy the game. Nevertheless, for a very long time Exodus had remained just one of the many icons littering my desktop, until one day I have watched a Let's Play from a previous games, as a way to refresh my memories of it, which made me nostalgic about it and that is what ultimately convinced me to give the new installment a second chance. And boy, am I glad I did it.
For the people unfamiliar with the franchise, Metro series is based on the Dmitry Glukhowsky's novels and takes place in Moscow, in a world destroyed as the result of the nuclear war, with survivors hiding inside a tunnels of the local Metro. Due to the high radiation level on the city surface, they are forced to live underground, while constantly facing a new threats. The story hook for Metro Exodus is a discovery of a mysterious radio signal by our protagonist, Artyom, a member of the Sparta Order, which protects citizens of the Metro, implying that there might be more survivors outside of Moscow and perhaps even a safe place for people to live on the surface.
As I already mentioned, the game abandons several fundamental aspects of the series, like military grade bullets being used as a currency, a radioactive surface, which requires from us to always wear the gas mask in order to survive and even the role of the titular Metro has been greatly reduced (it wasn't named Exodus for no reason). Despite of that the game didn't just become an ordinary mix of shooter and stealth game, it's still maintains typical for the series survival and (occasional) horror elements. Even though we do visit an none irradiated areas, in some locations we will still need an extra filters for our gas mask, as well as to make sure that the mask itself is not too badly damaged. Conservation of our firearms is also very important, since if we get it wet or dirty, it might get jammed on us in the worst possible moment.
Another major change in survival related mechanics, is that we no longer have to rely only on supplies left us by less fortunate souls. Exodus utilizes a similar system, as the one in the Rogue Trooper, so we are mostly collecting a bare crafting components (in two types, mechanical parts and chemicals). which we can then repurpose to create any items we need, according to our current needs or the preferable gameplay style (however only some items, like first aid kits and mask filters, can be made on the field, to create ammo for our guns or to fix our equipment we need to find workbench first). It's a simple system, but it allows for a more flexibility in our playstyle, especially since now we can modify our weapons on the spot, thus often making them function in a completely different manner. It's a shame that we are no longer allowed to carry with us any three weapons we want, as in the previous games, but now we can only pick two and the third slot is occupied by a mandatory pneumatic gun (or crossbow). The reason behind that decision is how easily craftable the ammo for those two weapons is (steel balls and bolts), which allows us to do it any time we want, so the player didn't easily run out of pellets in the critical moment, but still it's a shame, because it does limit a bit our fresly acquired freedom.
One of the most promoted new features of the Exodus were bigger and more explorable maps, which were breaking with the linear nature of the previous games, but I must admit that in my opinion the full potential of that idea was fully realized only in the first chapter of the game (Volga), where we do have a large map, but also a well done side content and the atmosphere of the flooded village, well fitting for the world of the Metro. Afterwards however we have a more typical and repetetive Mad Max style desert, with a rather boring exploration, even when we use the car, where we are constantly threatened by the same two types of enemies (which happen to be also the most annoying of all of them), the side content, while still decent, is much more monothematic (save slaves in that place, then in another, etc.), storywise and in terms of atmosphere it also comes off as the most generic area (although some of the hidden story related details did put a smile on my face). Plus it feels kinda unfinished (a locked cars all over the place that we can interact with, that are not being used by us, nor the enemies, which implies that at some point those had a bigger role planned for them). During the creation of the last larger map the developers just threw the hands in the air and gave us a bunch of corridors (and a really frustrating and pointless boss fight, which was clearly designed for a character much more mobile then Artyom is), although a little wider, even though you can see that at some point it supposed to be more open then that. The prologue and final chapter are completely linear, but they stay loyal to the original Metro games presentation style, so it's fitting. Regarding the openness of the world, it's worth to mention that the game includes a dynamic day-night cycle, affecting the behaviour of the enemies (we can encounter more mutants or bandits based on time of day, they might go to sleep at night, making it easier for us to sneak around, etc.). Volga even have a dynamic weather, but sadly the weather in the other areas looks completely scripted (shame, because the dust storms near the Caspian Sea create a great atmosphere, but they only appear for a short while three times in the whole game).
The nicest sections in the whole game, as usual, are the scenes, when we can just relax and talk with side characters (or rather listen to what they have to say, since Artyom remains a silent protagonist), which in Exodus is also build up by a bunch of optional interactions, like playing a guitar for your companions, listening to the radio, smoking in the middle of conversation, drinking vodka with your brothers in arms or... hugging your wife, which helps in strenghtening the bonds with out crew. The fate of our companions (and of Artyom himself) depends on the moral choices that we made throughout the game (although I must say that they are more simplified in comparison to the previous games, but they make up for it with a greater reactivity), and the story itself, even though in some chapters it might be following Hollywood cliches too much, is overall fairly interesting and engaging, making for a really solid ending of the whole trilogy.
Overall I do consider Exodus to be the weakest entry in the series, meaning that it's a little worse then the previous titles, but still a great game. The reason behind that is that, although after playing through the game, I can say that the new direction of Exodus makes perfect sense, I can't escape the feeling that because of those changes, it lost a lot of unique atmosphere of the series. Plus I liked the Metro games better as a more linear, but focused and varied experiences then a bit weird mix of (less or more) open world with a linear Metro game. On top of that sometimes the gameplay design seems not very well thought out (especially in Taiga, with the above mentioned boss battle), but overall the game is really fun to play and have plenty of unique moments.
Ultimately I can say that, despite all the problems listed earlier, Metro is one of my favorite video game trilogies of all time, which couple of months ago would seem like a joke to me, but Exodus really redeemed itself in my eyes. I give it a strong 8/10 and I hope that 4A Games will return to this universe at some point (especially since Glukhowsky expressed a desire to further explore it through the video games), but with a better open world and more of the classic Metro atmosphere.
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