It seems like only yesterday that we were hunkered deep in a Russian nuclear bunker in downtown Moscow, getting our first hands-on of Metro 2033. Yet this moody atmospheric shooter for PC and 360 is hitting shelves next Thursday the 18th, and the review code has just unlocked on our magical Steam journo account. Before we could sink our teeth into the game, we had a last-minute chance to interview Huw Beynon, Head of Global Communications for the game. Read on for info on how the game doesn't hand-hold console players, Huw's reaction to GSC's accusations of code theft and the future of the franchise.


games.on.net: You've gone for a HUD-less interface - what challenges did this present, and how did you solve these challenges?

Huw: We decided really early on that we wanted to have as little HUD as possible. It's a real aid to immersion in the game world. Wherever possible we've done away with it, and then tell that information elsewhere. We've not tried to make it a hard and fast rule whereby we had to try and find some other way to convey that info. We only did it where it was appropriate. Some of those challenges have been fun to do.

For instance, for a lot of the weapons, there's a variety of hand-made, improvised weaponry. A lot of those weapons have visible ammo containers and clips. So your standard submachine gun, you see the clip passing through the gun as you fire it. You've got a pneumatic powered sniper rifle that fires ball bearings. You'll see them go down in the magazine. There's also a cylinder dart gun which fires foot-long spikes and you can see the number that you have left. Even your throwing knives; you'll see them primed to throw in your right hand, and it gives you the exact number that you have left to throw in your left hand.

games.on.net: What about an on-screen damage indicator - did you leave this in?

Huw:You'll get your usual strawberry jam effect, probably a little different from how you saw it in the preview, which will indicate how severity and direction of damage.

games.on.net: DirectX 11 is a key feature of the game's tech. We've seen big performance drops when this is implemented in other games - how much slower will Metro 2033 run in this mode?

Huw: I can't speak for what other games have been doing. We've been working really closely with Nvidia, they're about to unveil their new DX11 hardware. It will run on other DX11 cards that are out there though. But we're adamant that it's a very scalable, optimised engine and you shouldn't necessarily see a drop if you're switching on the DX11 effects if you've got the necessary hardware.

games.on.net: Speaking of performance, now that the game is done, how demanding has it turned out to be? Does it require a Crysis-killing machine to run, or will middling systems be quite happy with it?

Huw: We've put out our minimum, recommended and optimum specs. It's an extremely well optimised engine, part of the work in getting it to run on 360 actually helped massively with the PC's performance.

But we put out three spec levels, and some people seem to have a problem because they think optimum spec is the only way to run it. And that's not really true. Minimum spec is within reach of pretty much modern PCs, and it will still look fantastic on minimum spec. Recommended spec will look really fantastic, and if you're lucky enough to the optimum setup, then you're going to see quality that you've probably not seen anywhere else.

games.on.net: What are the biggest differences between the PC and 360 versions? How do you balance the AI between the two versions? Have you had to include auto-aim on the console?

Huw: There's a very, very subtle - and I mean VERY subtle - auto aim on the 360 version. We're really happy with our controller implementation. It's a Games for Windows title, so you can actually play with a controller on PC. I'm one of those freaks who would prefer to play an FPS with a controller over a mouse and keyboard, because I like the sensation of pulling a trigger to shoot something instead of clicking a mouse.

But there's no real difference in gameplay between the two whatsoever. I'd say it's very much a grown-up game. You can see the developer's PC roots and heritage. I think people who are used to the hand-holding you get in a lot of console FPSs are maybe going to find this is quite a different beast to what they're used to. It's not making a huge number of concessions to the console crowd.

"I think people who are used to the hand-holding you get in a lot of console FPSs are maybe going to find this is quite a different beast to what they're used to. It's not making a huge number of concessions to the console crowd."

games.on.net: What do you mean by that? Does it mean this game is going to be pretty difficult?

Huw: (Laughs) Do you think that PC games are intrinsically harder than console games?

games.on.net:Definitely.

Huw: Have you played Ikaruga or Geometry Wars?

games.on.net:Yeah, ok, point taken. But what do you mean then by saying you've made few concessions for the console audience?

Huw: I'd say it's not a hand-holding game. It's expecting you to use a little bit of initiative and insight, some exploration maybe. It's not going to ease you in as gently as something aimed for a very broad mass-market game might do. I love that though. The game doesn't patronise you in any way.

games.on.net: How do you respond to claims that the new engine is just an enhanced version of the X-ray engine? Is there any code that has been re-used between the two?

Huw: We find those rumours fairly ridiculous. Olez has done two specific interviews that I'd point you to with Digital Foundry and the German publication, PC Games Hardware. He makes it very clear what our position is on that. The X-Ray engine would now be coming up to ten years old, which incidentally he also wrote himself. When they started the 4A engine, designed from the ground up for multicore machines and it was very much a start from scratch approach.

games.on.net: How deeply have you integrated PhysX into the engine - is it integral to the game, or will the odd extra crate shatter?

Huw: My understanding of PhysX is that it just improves the accuracy of the physical processes. We're not like a physics gimmick game, the physics within are often relatively subtle, like soft fabric, destructible areas and environments, and smoke/particle effects which are driven by physical events. But there's not a gravity gun for instance, where it's a fundamental gameplay aspect. We've done it in a subtle way to enhance the atmosphere. If you've got PhysX, it will look a little bit better than if you haven't.

games.on.net: You mention puzzles - are there going to be puzzle sections in the game? If so, are they the "go here, press a button" variety, or will gamers actually be challenged by these puzzles?

Huw: It's an interesting question. You have to use your brain in this game. Maybe not in the conventional sense though. It's not so much like "here's a puzzle, go and solve it" - there are maybe one or two of those in the game.

There's a lot more open ended opportunities to use some lateral thinking to find a solution to something, particularly when we use both 360 and Steam achievements. Some of the achievements are based around stealth challenges, so completing levels without killing anyone. You'll need to use your brain to work out how to do them. Very much within the context of the narrative though.

games.on.net: So it's almost like the entire level becomes the puzzle, to get the achievement?

Huw: Yeah. I must say they're incredibly satisfying as well. One of the challenges on the Black level is to get through without killing anyone at all. It's possible, I've done it, and it took me about half an hour because you have to shoot out lights to create pools of darkness, plot times to run through patrols, use secret passages, alternate routes, that kind of thing. But when you do it, you feel like a bit of a legend.

"...it took me about half an hour because you have to shoot out lights to create pools of darkness, plot times to run through patrols, use secret passages, alternate routes, that kind of thing. But when you do it, you feel like a bit of a legend."

games.on.net: What are your plans for DLC? With no multiplayer, do you feel DLC is an important part of extending the lifespan of Metro 2033?

Huw: We've not really thought about DLC to a huge extent. It's unlikely that we're going to have any kind of narrative DLC - the game has a beginning, a middle and an end. You get that out of the box.

games.on.net: Are you confident, based on the finished product that is hitting shelves next week, that this will be the first in a new series of games set in the Metro universe?

Huw: If you ask Dimitri (author of the Metro 2033 novel), he has massive plans for the universe as an overall franchise. He's talking to film producers, artists, musicians. He's got lots of young authors writing books set in his universe. This is definitely a world that you can go back to and dip into through multiple routes. As for any future games, we've not really got anything to say about that at the moment.

games.on.net: Anything you'd like to add?

Huw: Just enjoy the game really. I hope you're going to find that it's something that looks and feels completely different from what you're used to, and I hope it leaves a very lasting and memorable impression once you've finished it.

games.on.net: Thank you very much for your time, and good luck with the release.

With the review code burning a hole through our hard drive, it's time for us to delve into the tunnels of Russia's Metro, to wage war with the mutants and other baddies desperate for a serving of hot lead. We'll have a full review next week, but in the meantime we've got lots of Metro 2033 goodies to give away. Stay tuned for the full details.

Loading the player ...

Kill... or be killed.