New Metro Game May Have Multiplayer, But Is That a Good Thing?
By
Richard Warren
4A Games recently confirmed that a multiplayer-focused Metro title was in development, though it remains to be seen if this is good news.
The Metro series is known for its narrative-driven singleplayer experiences, with 4A Games consistently providing players with a sense of dread and isolation. Whether a Metro game is following series protagonist Artyam or his fellow ranger Sam, the series has consistently delivered on throwing players into a memorable post-apocalyptic world. While the series evolved in a big way with Metro Exodus, 4A Games’ announcement that a multiplayer game was in development caught just about everyone off guard.
While this multiplayer Metro game has not yet been given a title and is clearly still in the earliest phases of development, the project is certainly interesting. With nobody really asking for multiplayer in the Metro series, 4A Games will need to do something special to gain the attention of fans. While the studio has promised that more singleplayer content will come for the series, and even acknowledged that some gamers may be immediately turned off by the idea of online play, there is plenty of potential for Metro multiplayer to be a positive or negative addition.
RELATED: Metro Exodus Coming to PS5 and Xbox Series X With Next-Gen Enhancements
The “Bad” Scenario: Call of Duty-Like Multiplayer Or A Battle Royale Game
One way for the Metro multiplayer game to immediately prove doubters right would be for 4A Games to take the project in a Call of Duty-style direction. While there are systems in place for such a concept, including gear items like throwing knives and numerous weapons with unlockable attachments, the Metro universe is not suited for the high-octane action seen in multiplayer shooters.
With a slower, weightier feel to movement and thought-out mechanics like weapon durability that would prove frustrating in a PvP setting, staying away from generic FPS multiplayer would be a wise idea.
4A Games has previously stressed the importance of keeping the tone of the Metro book series intact with this multiplayer offering, and avoiding a scenario where the game feels like a Call of Duty clone is a good start. However, another equally bad option would be making Metro a battle royale game. While the slower mechanics would fit better into a battle royale title, Metro’s tone of a desolate world would be lost due to the sheer number of enemies in an area. With iconic creatures like Nosalises and Demons forced to take a backseat in this scenario as well, focusing purely on human characters fighting one another would prove to be a betrayal of the series’ core values.
The “Good” Scenario: Co-Op Survival In An Open World
While there are certainly some ways that multiplayer can prove to be a negative addition to the Metro franchise, developer 4A Games seems to be treating the project with the same care and respect as the singleplayer games.
As such, whichever form this multiplayer project takes will likely be fitting of the universe established in the previous games, and it is hard to think of something more fitting than a co-op survival game.
Leaning into Metro Exodus’ semi-open world design, 4A Games can drop groups of players into a massive world like Fallout 76, though hopefully with a lot more polish. Metro fans can then explore the world around them with a group of friends, scavenging supplies from buildings and clearing out the many horrifying creatures in each area. While a co-op, PvE experience focused on looting can be the main draw of the game, smart PvP can add another layer to the experience.
Players can be placed into a world populated by other players, with each group starting in a separate area of the map. Giving the teams time to build their own bases in a server, players can fight for land and raid each other’s bases — not too differently from the ongoing Rust drama.
With players rewarded with supplies and upgrades upon taking down other online users, and equal opportunities available for alliances, PvP fights in the Metro multiplayer game can be rare and fitting of the universe.
One final touch could see Metro’s multiplayer game pulling from The Last of Us series’ Factions mode. Giving players a group of NPC survivors to take care of and protect, it would become necessary to go out in the world and hunt down food and supplies. The NPCs could provide players with quests as well, giving them specific goals to complete while adventuring in Metro’s world. Keeping a survivor group alive could also give players a further incentive to start or avoid PvP battles, with the risk-reward nature being increased heavily due to possible collateral damage. If Metro multiplayer attempts to stick with the core concepts of previous entries, it can absolutely be a good thing for the franchise.
A new Metro game is currently in development for PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X.
MORE: Metro 2033 Movie Adaptation in Development
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With Metro Exodus now available on PlayStation 4, Xbox One, and Windows PC, players have been wondering whether there’s multiplayer available in Metro Exodus. While there’s plenty of things to do in Metro Exodus, it looks as though multiplayer options such as co-op have been excluded.
Wondering why that is? We’ve got you covered! Below, we’ve put together a quick guide on why there’s no multiplayer in Metro Exodus.
There are no multiplayer options available in Metro Exodus.
© 4A Games
No, there are no multiplayer options available in Metro Exodus. Instead, Metro Exodus has been confirmed as an exclusively single-player experience by the developers. In an interview with Game Informer, 4A Games executive producer Jon Bloch explained the reasoning behind the decision to exclude multiplayer from Metro Exodus.
“I don’t think we can say [multiplayer] is something that isn’t interesting from a technical standpoint, but our focus for Metro has always been a story-driven experience, y’know, filling the shoes of someone living in [Metro’s] environment and going on this journey.”
Bloch went on to confirm that 4A Games had experimented with the idea of co-op for Metro Exodus, but that nothing came to fruition. Creative director Andriy Prokhorov also teased that “multiplayer is possible” but not for Metro Exodus.
With this information, it’s not outside the realm of possibility to say that a follow-up game to Metro Exodus may include multiplayer options should the developers find a way to make them work.
However, multiplayer for the sake of multiplayer isn’t something they’re interested in. As such, multiplayer likely won’t be added to Metro Exodus, and there’s no implicit confirmation that multiplayer will be added to future Metro games even though the idea isn’t off the table. What are your thoughts on the lack of multiplayer options in Metro Exodus?
Were you hoping for something a little different from the latest Metro installment, or do you prefer the single player experience? Let us know down in the comments below! For more on Metro Exodus, be sure to check out some of our previous guides including how long it’ll take you to beat Metro Exodus, what sort of weapons and mods you can expect from Metro Exodus, and info on the Metro Exodus bundle for Xbox One X.
If we talk about the level that we show at IgroMir, then this is the autumn taiga forest. We have made every effort to make it look as realistic as possible.
SI: What about regional landmarks, landmarks? Are they present in the game?
JB: If I answer your question directly, I’m afraid I’ll spoil the fun for the players in finding them, so I’ll formulate the answer as follows.
The game will feature locations that players will find familiar. They will definitely recognize the places they find themselves in.
SI: As far as I understand, the game starts and ends in winter. Is it so?
JB: Yes, that’s right.
SI: During the game, Artyom will encounter several different factions. Can the player ally with them?
DB: Our goal has always been to make the player feel like they are Artyom. The player defines this character based on their actions: what kind of person Artyom is and how other people treat him. In previous games, this idea involved multiple endings — the game’s responses to how Artyom (the player) influenced the world around him; or, to put it another way, the consequences of his actions. In Exodus, we wanted to expand on this concept. Now we offer much more opportunities for Artyom to see the consequences of his decisions and actions as the game progresses. An example of this approach is how some of the factions represented in the game react to the actions of the protagonist.
Some will always be hostile. Others take a neutral stance. And still others are friendly towards the main character and his companions. However, these relationships can change depending on the behavior of the player. Moreover, Artyom’s relationship with people traveling with him may change. Characters can either join Artyom’s group or leave it. To answer your question most fully, it should be emphasized that the game has a linear narrative, due to the fact that Artyom and his companions are traveling by train. You can only move forward. When a player leaves one section of the path, he also leaves the faction inhabiting this region. Therefore, introducing the alliance system you are asking about does not make sense.
SI: Can these tribes join as passengers on the train?
JB: Yes, that’s exactly what I was talking about earlier. The game has the potential for new characters to join Artyom’s group. However, this is not implemented at the level of game mechanics: if a player has a high reputation, then a certain number of people will join him.
The choice of the player will influence the development of the story and serve as a trigger for who stays behind and who continues on the journey with the train. It is also worth mentioning that the initial reaction of groups to the presence of Artyom and his companions on their territory may change due to the actions of the player.
SI: During the course of the demo, I witnessed an interesting dialogue between two Children of the Forest. One of them was not sure that the aliens were dangerous for the tribe, especially emphasizing the difference between Artyom and the bandits that the group had to deal with before. To which the second replied that they should not have entered their lands. Is it possible to change their hostile attitude towards the player and his group?
JB: They guard their territory. In addition, at the beginning they warn Artyom to stay away. Having penetrated their territory, Artyom violates their warning. However, there are ways in the game based on which they will change their attitude towards the player.
As I said, sometimes the initial reaction of the factions will not change, despite the actions of the player, but will change as the story progresses.
SI: Are these groups based on nationalities and tribes that live beyond the Urals?
JB: We take ideas from different sources. Here, for example, is how we came up with the Children of the Forest. Before the global nuclear cataclysm, parents sent their children to one of the many pioneer camps located in the taiga forest. After the disaster, their parents did not come to pick them up, so they had to stay at the summer camp, live and grow up in it, creating their own community based on what the counselors taught them.
SI: It’s kind of like Boy Scouts.
JB: Yes, something like that.
SI: I recall a letter from an eight year old girl who was very proud of learning how to skin a reindeer and longing to see her mom and dad for the New Year holidays.
The original Bioshock is considered the benchmark for environment-based video games. Soon the list of similar projects will be replenished with one more copy. An abandoned pioneer camp in the autumn taiga, with its dilapidated buildings, cracked plaster statues of pioneers straight from the classic “Welcome or No Trespassing”, scattered with yellowed photographs, notes and letters, paints in the imagination a sad picture of a lost childhood and unfulfilled childish desires.
JB: There are also recordings of Master’s monologues that shed light on what happened in the camp.
SI: This time Artyom has a wife, Anna. Is their relationship reflected in the gameplay in any way? Are there any side quests associated with it? Should I take care of her? In general, tell us about the dynamics between the passengers of the train, Artyom’s associates.
DB: Anna is part of the team. When the train arrives at the next location, Artyom will not be the only character who will be given the task.
No errand boys and chosen ones: “Our survival depends only on you!” The rest of the group members will have to complete certain tasks. Some of these quests will overlap with Artyom’s quest. Sometimes the player will have to work together with other companions, one or more. In some locations, Artyom will have to travel with Anna. In general, the relationship between the passengers of the train plays a much larger role than in previous games in the series. In the past, Artyom met one or two important characters during the game, but he never had time to learn about their inner world, fears and ambitions. Now the player will have to see not only their interaction with other characters, but also their relationship with each other — the joint life of the train passengers and how it is affected by various events during this long journey, as well as the consequences of the actions of each member of the group.
SI: What were the main challenges you encountered in transforming the linear approach to gameplay and storytelling from previous games in the series into an open world game structure?
JB: We were challenged to rethink and modernize a number of different systems to accommodate the open world.
We’ve spent a lot of time trying to find the right formula for how to fit open locations into the overall equation of the Metro series without changing it too much so that Exodus doesn’t feel like a completely different game. For example, we switched to a more advanced system for collecting resources and creating various items and weapon components. Weapons can have even more modules — now there are five parts that can be modified. The player has the option to change the barrel, magazine, or stock, and add a variety of attachments. This is done to give users more control and freedom over how to approach a particular gaming challenge, when as in the past we were completely responsible for all components of the gameplay. We knew exactly where the player would go and what they would do. Let me give you a classic example. If a boss encounter awaits outside the player’s door, then there will be ammo in front of it, since the player will definitely need it. In an open world game, these tricks don’t work, as the player can go wherever they want and do whatever they want.
Based on this, we had to find a different approach. While the narrative that guides the player through the open area has remained linear, they can deviate from the storyline at any time to entertain themselves in other ways. Also, if you go to a place in an open location, in which there will be an important event, long before the plot trigger, the game will not close his entrance to it. And later, when the player has to go there, but according to the plot, this will not break the course of the gameplay — it will still be interesting to play.
SI: It turns out that the game does not rush the player to move through the story.
DB: Artyom will no longer receive constant messages that he needs to complete a story mission. This will not happen in the game. On the contrary, if Artyom does not complete any quest, the game will still move forward. We want gamers to have more control over the pace of the game and their unique gaming experience this time around.
SI: What games did you pay special attention to while working on the open levels of Exodus?
JB: Naturally, the biggest inspiration for us was Stalker, given our connection to this universe.
Many members of the team have worked on the games of this legendary series.
SI: But a lot has changed since these games were released. Many new similar projects have appeared.
JB: Yes, definitely, but it’s still a great example of open world play and the way we love making games. Of course, we have explored other post-apocalyptic and open-world games of various types. We even look for inspiration in games that have absolutely nothing to do with our projects. If we see an interesting mechanic that can help us solve a problem we’re facing, we use that insight.
I guess during development the team drew inspiration not only from colleagues in the
shop, but also from cinema. An obvious parallel is the stunning sci-fi film
Snowpiercer — about a train racing through the ice-bound Earth with the remnants of
humanity in its cars. Also coming to mind are Mad Max: Fury Road and the post-perestroika
tragicomedy-phantasmagoria by Eldar Ryazanov Promised Heaven.
SI: Will there be a recap of previous games for newcomers in Exodus?
JB: I think we should take that into account. However, new players shouldn’t have trouble understanding the game’s story, but we always recommend playing the first games in the series first. Firstly, to get to know the story we are telling better, and secondly, because these are just good games.
SI: Answering my question about the relationship between the main character and other characters in the game, you said that they would also perform various tasks in parallel and together with Artyom. Have you thought about adding co-op multiplayer to Exodus. Could multiplayer appear in future Metro games?
JB: This is one of the things we thought about during the planning phase. Certainly, this can be one of the directions in which the franchise can develop. However, for now, a single-player game with a deep storyline is our top priority. For the time being, we have no intentions of introducing multiplayer into Metro.
SI: Were there any attempts?
JB: (laughs) We’ve thought about it in the past.
SI: Thank you very much for your time and detailed answers to SI. It was extremely interesting.
JB: Thank you.
Nikita Pichurin
Say thanks:
Metro 2036 | Metropedia | Fandom
Metro 2036
Developer
4A Games
Screenplay
Dmitry Glukhovsky
Series
Metro
Announcement date
August 14, 2019
Date of issue
⁓2024
Engine
4A Engine
Genres
First person shooter
Modes
Single user
Age rating
ESRB: M – Mature
PEGI: 18+
RARS: 18+
Control
Keyboard and mouse
Gamepad
Metro 2036 is an upcoming multi-platform game set in the Metro 2033 universe.
Announcement
The development of the game was confirmed by Dmitry Glukhovsky on his Instagram page on August 14, 2019year [1] . In it, the writer also said that he was again responsible for the script. In the comments to the post dated September 21 of the same year, Glukhovsky made it clear that «the one where Artyom survives» [2] was chosen as the canonical ending of Metro: Exodus. After 2 years, the developers on the studio’s website confirmed that they are working on a new game in the series [3]
i.e. in 2024 [4] .
Known information
- At a meeting with readers on October 26, 2019 on Novy Arbat dedicated to the film «Text», Glukhovsky, answering a question from one of the fans, hinted that the fourth part would continue the adventures of Artyom [5] .
- Multiplayer may appear in the game [6] .
- The main character will have voice acting [7] .
Notes
- ↑ glukhovsky. The Metro gaming series will be continued. Working on the story // There will be a new Metro game. I’m working on the plot 😉 Instagram (August 14, 2019). Retrieved June 30, 2022.
- ↑ glukhovsky. “Then on TV they ran an excerpt of President Putin’s address… The President menaced those who libel Russia. In the short speech Ilya recognized many of the jail Argo words he first heard while in prison… “ From my novel TEXT. Instagram (September 21, 2019). Retrieved June 30, 2022.
- ↑ METRO 10TH ANNIVERSARY STUDIO UPDATE. 4A Games (November 25, 2021). Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ↑ Film Fund. Face-to-face defense of the projects of leading film companies in the domestic film industry on May 19, 2021 (Russian). YouTube (May 21, 2021). Retrieved June 26, 2022.
- ↑ Dmitry Glukhovsky. Author’s public. Literary readings of «Text».
