The third installment in the Metro franchise, Metro Exodus, is about a month out. As we get ever closer, the developer, 4A Games, continues to show off a bit more. At a recent event, I was given the opportunity to play through a chunk of the “Summer” chapter. Moments from that chapter can be seen in the gameplay footage above.
One of the most talked-about features of Exodus is its open world, which runs in contrast to the classic, claustrophobic feel of the Metro franchise. Throughout my playtime, I was able to experience how this environment manifests, and it seems that it won’t conflict much with the franchise tenets.
The open world of Metro Exodus is, by and large, pretty desolate. There are a few scattered enemies here and there, but generally, it’s just a big, open expanse for me to traverse as I approach mission objectives. While there are moments where I’m given a choice between several mission objectives, I never find myself wandering into the wastes and suddenly coming upon an unexpected event, as you would in, say, Skyrim. Upon reaching an objective, the gameplay seems to return to Metro-style corridors filled with mutants and grumpy Russians. So if you’re worried about the franchise changing, think again.
Check out the video above for more from the summer-themed chapter I played through, including some of the worst spiders in gaming history. Man, I hate spiders.
