Metro: Last Light dev - "accessibility isn't the same as dumbed down"

Huw Beynon - THQ's Head of Global Communications for original shooter IPs - seems determined that, whatever happens, Last Light shouldn't be "dumbed down".

[WrAiTh Sp3cTr3]

I prefer to play a fps that is difficult and present's a steep challenge, that's why I loved Metro 2033 so much, besides the atmosphere.

[TekoIie]

Whats Metro like? I remember looking at it years ago and thinking it looked pretty cool but i know pretty much nothing about it besides that there are Russians underground and its a FPS lol. It was one of those things which i wanted but never got :(

What makes it special?

[WrAiTh Sp3cTr3]

The atmosphere, difficulty and graphics but definitely the atmosphere. You really feel like you're the character you're playing as. There isn't any music during the levels and the only sounds come from you or the environment(I don't want to spoil anything in that respect ;)...) so that helps with the preventing of feeling disconnected from your character. The difficulty...I've read a review by some big site, which I can't remember the name, that had to just give up because it was so hard to the reviewer. It might've been Destructoid, even though, Jim Sterling did a review for it recently. I couldn't understand how people loved the difficulty of Demon Souls but hated Metro 2033 for it's. I guess some people prefer their shooter's casual and their hack and slash difficult :/

[NYC_Gamer]

Oh boy.....Here we go with that famous accessibility line...I won't even bother with Metro anymore if they aim for the mainstream action crowd.....Watch THQ make 4A add multiplayer and other crappy features that aren't needed within the Metro universe.....4A better realize true fans of the series want the game to stick to the Metro formula...The original Metro should over 1 million copies because the gameplay/story was good plus 4A games are made up of former STALKER developers...

[Jacks_Medulla]

Oh boy... Here we go, another "hardcore gamer" jumping to conclusions about the "dumbing down" of a game.

[Moby-Royale]

Overruled!

Well said there, Jack.

[Bercilak]

Yes. Yes, it is the same. Exactly the same.

I'd have respect for a developer and/or publisher who would actually say that they're making the game easier to play in order to make it more accessible. Using the standard "corporate speak"--and then having to defend it, no less--should clue in these guys that their audience is hip to their bullshit.

[DwightOwen]

Agreed. Let's hope they don't get greedy and remember who made them what they are.

Stick to the formula, THQ.

[GamingPerson]

Getting this on pc no second thoughts about that.
The Demo looked great with the Nvidia physx cloth simulation in the train scene.
I hope they make this for pc first. And not the casuals.

[TitanUp]

agree with the first part of your statement it would be cool to play this with all the whistles that the pc offers.

[yabhero]

My casuals do you mean console gamers? I hope not...

[MiamiACR21]

I won't complain as long as a game is as clunky as possible. If it's a smooth gaming experience I'll complain until the day I die.

[soundslike]

Its for sure not the same but they usually come packaged together.

"Don't dump them on the player all at once, and let them get comfortable with ideas one at a time, and they'll gradually realise a wealth of new options"

This is fine as long as that gameplay depth is available from the start to those who figure it out or are playing a second time.

[user5467007]

No offense but Bethesda said that about Skyrim and even though it was a fantastic game it still felt like they dumbed it down abit...for example not giving us a lot of differen't varieties in weapons/armor/spells like there was in Oblivion and Morrowind.

I still think it was a good game I just feel like they should come out and admit the truth

"We want more sales...so were changing the game mechanics to widen our audience"

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

It is the same. If you are making something that was previously deemed 'difficult' and are now making it 'accessible', you are definitely dumbing it down.

[bennyace]

I don't think that a game as to be hard as hell to be enjoyable... And devs probably aim at a wider audience by making their game more accesible with developping costs always rising. It's understandable imo.

[Outside_ofthe_Box]

That should actually be the opposite... I don't think a game has to be accessible as hell to be enjoyable, but a lot of devs think otherwise especially FPS devs.

[CouldHaveYelledUiiW]

Is there no longer a way to create difficulty settings?
Like say:
Push this and your character takes less damage.
Push this and you have to do less objectives?
You get more Achvs if you play it as is but if you want to play it easy you can....?

Are you telling me that only N64 Shooters had the technological superiority to have difficulty settings? (Golden Eye, Doom 64, J. Dark).
Was the old PC far more Advanced? (Blood 1 and 2, Doom, Quake, Unreal 1)?

SMH

Lol, still going to buy it. Geeked for it.

[TheDivine]

Im so excited for this. Metro 2033 is one of the best games ive ever played (and i played the 360 version). It was def rough around the edges similar to how fallout 3 or the 1st mass effect was but like both those games its amazing despite little problems. The music is some of the best ive ever heard, the graphics were mind blowing, the atmosphere was genuinely creepy, and the story was fantastic. I need to replay it now lol.