Metro dev loves PS5’s new tech
It’s Metro’s tenth anniversary and 4A Studios has its eye on PS5
WE ARE FULLY COMMITED TO
RAY TRACING MOVING FORWARD.
06
”We can see loads of possibilities there for any game,” teases 4A Studios’ executive producer Jon Bloch as he contemplates how the team behind Metro Exodus could make use of PS5’s DualSense controller. “Probably the first that comes to mind for Metro would be getting that tactile feedback of pressure as you pump up a pneumatic rifle,” he continues. Fans of the series will be nodding in furrowed excitement at the thought of feeling the pressure build and fall in their makeshift post-nuclear pump-action rifle.
Though the developer has not officially confirmed a sequel, Bloch does bait us: “[…] at the end of Exodus we left Artyom by the shores of Lake Baikal. Was that the end of his journey or the start of a new one? Only time will tell…”
For a developer renowned for being at the forefront of new technology, it’s not hard to see 4A Studios wanting to embrace PS5. The core of the Metro team worked on PC shooter S.T.A.L.K.E.R., and Metro Exodus’ PC iteration led the way on the use of ray tracing.
Bloch tells us: “We are fully committed to ray tracing moving forward, and to see that available on the PS5 is probably the biggest feature we’re excited about. The faster SSD will help a lot with player experience, but adding support for ray tracing is the sort of thing that to us shows a true generational leap in the hardware.”
BACK IN THE USSD
The mention of an SSD, which will enable faster loading times and larger open worlds in videogames, has us wondering if any new Metro would expand Exodus’ sandbox maps. Bloch won’t be drawn but does explain the studio has a love of, and experience of, making open world games, such as S.T.A.L.K.E.R.
“Early Metro 2033 design docs called for the game to be fully open, [with a] more RPG style, but through iteration, time, and technology restrictions, the game was redesigned to be a much more tightly constructed linear and
incredibly atmospheric experience that everyone is familiar with,” reveals Bloch, who tells us the power of PS4 and new technology finally ensured they could realise “part of that original dream in Metro Exodus, where we introduced the more sandbox-style larger levels to the franchise.”
Using that formula, the team took two and a half years to develop Exodus, and it was refined for the excellent Sam’s Story DLC.
With the new jump in hardware from PS4 to PS5 it’s not hard to see how the team at 4A Studios could take a similar leap to create a bigger world for any new Metro game.
Bloch says PS5’s SSD will help with any future game development: “As environments get larger and more densely packed with assets, loading times go up, and streaming tech becomes more and more critical. Faster hardware means we can push those limits farther.”
METRO MULTIPLAYER
Bloch also worked on the online shooter Evolve, so we have to ask: will Metro ever embrace multiplayer? “We’ve dabbled in these thoughts in the past. Prototypes were made but never really got anywhere,” reveals the developer as he explains multiplayer on current and next-gen hardware is a commitment that would require as much time as Metro’s single-player content. “If we did explore this further, it would need to be done right.”
Development is about balancing expectations, and 4A Studios’ dalliance with multiplayer shows this. So what of PS5 and the future? “Developers need to deliver on the promises of all the cool new things that are possible with the new hardware each generation,” he says.
New tech may solve old problems, Bloch tells us, and as games become bigger new issues emerge. “So with opportunity comes challenges, but facing those challenges is often what keeps us motivated to keep pushing the bar higher.”
What would you want from a new Metro game on PS5? Tweet us @OPM_UK.