Will the next Metro game be a return to formula?

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In case you missed it, earlier this year in January, 4A Games has already mentioned them being in development of another Metro game. To quote specifically from their 4A Games studio update article, "The next Metro game is also changing for the better." The article mostly goes over their dealing with war-time in Ukraine. The article does go over some important stuff in relation to the next Metro game and the challenge the developers face because of the war. You can read the full article here.

What not to take from Metro Exodus

I mentioned in a previous article that Metro Exodus strayed a little too much from the previous titles in the trilogy. While, it's still a Metro game at it's center, there were little nitpicks that all added up as I played through the entire game. You can read the article here.

One thing I hope they change in this new Metro game is the marketing. They need to actually market the game as a 4th installment to a series instead of this "new" game from an unknown developer. For instance, the reveal trailer to Metro Exodus fails to mention any aspect of there being a past game. Instead, it opts or the "inspired by the internationally bestselling novel Metro 2035 by Dmitry Glukhovsky." This is technically true, a better impression would be "from the developers who brought you Metro 2033, and Metro Last Light." Instantly, it gives off the impression and excitement of an official trilogy. Another simple mistake is the official description of the game for the trailer. Yet again, there's no mention of there ever being other metro games. It just mentions the generic post-apocalypse and the importance story-driven, immersive worlds.

While, this is technically a nitpick, the game itself suffers from this same problem.

Embrace the darkness

I hope that, in this new title, we return to a more cramped and dark environment. Yes, Metro Exodus did have a pretty solid open-world, the game was at it's best when it actually played like a Metro game. Whenever, you'd enter a shelter or underground bunker in Metro Exodus, that feeling aged really well for me. It never felt like I've done this two times over, the dark and cramped environments offered in Metro Exodus still gave the same scares that the previous games offered and it was amazing.

You could say that the series could never really develop into something more with them staying in the tunnels. This can be true however, Metro Exodus has showed us that there is still something to be desired in the tunnels. Metro Exodus did try it's hardest to balance out this open-world and classic Metro feel but it was a little too much for the series. It never really felt like a classic Metro game and has always held itself back with what made the series great.

"I'll be big then"

This new Metro game needs to bring back the Dark Ones. It was cool to see them in Metro Exodus as easter eggs but has sadly reduced them to being just that, and ester egg. I know that the Blind One is technically a Dark One and an achievement called 'Guide' seems to suggest that the Dark Ones were with you "guiding" Artyom to his goal. However, if you don't catch this or haven't played the previous games, this means nothing to you. The Blind One would just be another monster and you'd probably miss the Dark One watching you throughout the game. As I've said before, reducing the Dark Ones to easter eggs for people who played the other games in the series.

Since it's clear that the game picks up after the good ending to Metro Last Light, is that the same Dark One who follows you around the entire game? Since they are reduced to easter eggs, with no real forefront influence on the story, we'll never really know. The next game just needs to deliver on promises made in the plot of the old games and bring back the Dark Ones in a meaningful way.

To me, these are the main factors that make the Metro series unique and I hope we see their return in the next Metro game. I wish the developers at 4A Games the best of luck and to stay safe for those who are in Ukraine.