One of the biggest highlights from January’s PlayStation State of Play was Metro Awakening VR. There had been rumours that Vertigo Games’ next big reveal could have been the post-apocalyptic franchise, but nothing was confirmed. Now that we know, we want a lot from Metro Awakening.
Or more accurately, things we want and expect from the AAA project. Because let’s face it, if the Arizona Sunshine 2 creator can’t pull off an awesome Metro game, who can? Plus, Vertigo is working with original Metro 2033 publisher Deep Silver and series author and creator Dmitry Glukhovsky, so the team is A-list.
Metro Awakening Wants and Needs
So what do we want from Metro Awakening? First up is the narrative, because the flatscreen games were always rich in detail and lore. The story drives you through the experience, building up that expectation and drama. It connects you with the character you embody and the NPCs you encounter, adding an emotional connection that a straight-up, runnin’ and gunnin’ wave shooter can’t.
What we know so far is that Awakening is a prequel, set in 2028, five years before the original game. “You assume the role of Serdar, a doctor on a quest to reunite with his wife by travelling through the mutant-ridden tunnels beneath a post-apocalyptic Moscow. As Serdar, you will navigate a complex storyline that tests beliefs in the rational and tempts you to embrace the awakening of the being you are destined to become.” Sounds good, yeah?
Next, we need interaction, physical, hands-on connection to the Metro universe. This is where Vertigo Games should shine, Arizona Sunshine 2 is a good example of this. These can range from small environmental details like knocking over a can or smashing a bottle. Then you have more pivotal environmental actions like climbing ladders, opening a door or pushing buttons. They each ground you further in this apocalyptic world.
And then there’s the action. Manual reloading is a must, and as we’ve seen from the trailer that’s included. But then there are the less measured, gut reaction mechanics. Gun butting and enemy that gets too close or punching one if they suddenly pop out from the darkness. We want to be surrounded and enveloped by the grim darkness of Moscow’s dilapidated Metro system. We might not be able to smell the festering air but the haunting bleakness of this new world needs to ooze through.
Metro being Metro
And let’s not forget, of course, that we want the hallmarks of the series to be there also. The gasping for breath as we scramble to replace the gas mask filters. How everything is slowly wearing out so you need to craft and cobble items together to make something new and useful. Again, crafting needs to have that VR element, where you can stand at a workbench and work some engineering magic.
And then, lastly, there’s the fear. Metro wasn’t just filled with struggling and warring humans, there were monstrous creatures in those tunnels. We want to be scared in Metro Awakening, gripping tightly to our guns and torch as we venture ever deeper into the dangerous rabbit warren under Moscow.
What do you want from Metro Awakening? Let us know in the comments below!