Why Metro Exodus is so Immersive

[@GMTK]

One way to make games more immersive is to use "Invisible Choices". Find out more in this episode - kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHm9poawobNlm6s

[@hunterbear2421]

me i am nom the run in guns blazing but i found that it didn't work so well so i did the best next thing run in fist blazing and just knock everyone out before they notice, surpisingly it works well if you plan good enough but the Ai are always differcent so its sorta just luck on how they will react.

[@ThatPianoNoob]

I'm a little perplexed with the conclusion I felt like I was taken hostage when I played. Maybe it gets better later on or I just didn't decide to do what the game wanted me to do like a good boy. I've made the right decision in telltale games before thinking I've had a choice so that's probably it.

[@NessPaMC]

What a lovely tea-party, isn't this. Do developers doing next part ?

[@kostismetallo8697]

What honestly took me off guard is that I felt safer in the closed areas than than the open world ones.

[@divyanksinghal1173]

Same here in closed areas u can easily clear it with silenced or non silenced weapons but in open area metro exodus put ton of enemies of every kind and u will end up either being killed or wasted lots of ammo and resources

[@Quadrolithium]

If you play Battle Royale or any large scale FPS (such as Battlefield or Planetside) on a regular basis, you'll fear open grounds as a random sniper and a bullet will come in any direction and you're incredibly vulnerable or getting run over by either a bike or a car and you have nowhere to hide, I always avoid these kinds of scenario, I am safest if I'm stuck in a bathroom, crouching on a bathtub with a shot gun (till a rando lobs a grenade in it) Even in shooters that focus on historical warfare, unless you're a tank, DO NOT LEAVE THE TRENCHES or you'll be swiss cheesed by a machine gun.

[@ikitclaw8969]

Opposite for me but I get it. I feel like I'm gonna get jumpscared around every corner.

[@backseatswitchyy]

@@Quadrolithium reminds me of escape from tarkov. Ran across a field and a sniper shot me in the leg, fracturing my knee. As I tried to limp to the cover of the trees, the sniper fired again, into my head, turning the grass a violent red. And then i lost all my guns and loot i had.

[@Quadrolithium]

@@backseatswitchyy exactly what happened to me in fucking Tarkov... only this time with 3 snipers and instead of a tree it's an gas station where the only cover is a roof Since then I play like a complete bitch, wait till everyone decides to run the fuck off. Be the last guy to leave the area

[@tonevaave]

there’s nothing worse than walking through a quiet dark area and your watch starts beeping

[@WiFish]

Only to found out it was the last gas mask you had

[@ragnarok7976]

Nothing better... I use the metal detector lol

[@solrhopalocera5704]

i remember when i was at the ending of metro 2033 on the final tower and i had run out of filters for the gas mask. i literally had 30 seconds to kill a fucking demon(those huge flying creatures) and sprint to the next safe zone where i could grab the filters there. after dying many times in that one place, i can easily say it was my most frustrating moment in the entire metro series. i made sure to never make that mistake again.

[@MurphyTheLawyer]

@@solrhopalocera5704 Oooo yikes, especially as you don't have to kill any of them except the one that breaches the tower and attacks your friend which goes down in a slow motion shoot it in the head moment.

[@fazefailure22]

God i remember grabbing the heat vision in caspian and the building was literally full with mutants according to the motion dectecter

[@cagkiller0317]

One thing I LOVED about the whole series is how the NPC's talk about what you did. Listening to the urban legend about what happened on the bridge in 2033 from enemies in 2034 was so cool to me because it shows that even though there's the typical "invincible good action guy" there's still an impact that that makes on the world around you

[@pouria1254]

In the middle of an intense stealthy battle I stopped to hear the story of the "invisible ones" that a nazy was telling his friends. I just love how genuinely scared they all seemed.

[@dantebmorrison]

one cool thing i came across in exodus was in the taiga level when i genuinely had no idea if the enemies were actually supposed to be bad or not so i avoided killing every single one of them. no exceptions. then i was sneaking through a large camp of theirs and i heard them talking about how they were told to kill me on sight, but they didn't understand why because i hadn't actually done anything.

[@MuffinManWasTaken]

@@pouria1254 i was playing metro 2033 redux and i actually heard an enemy talking while doing a stealth mission, i forget what it was but i actually waited and listened to the whole thing before progressing

[@pouria1254]

@@dantebmorrison I love how NPC's aren't completely black and white. Some of them genuinely don't want to kill you, given you don't shoot them first. I stumbled upon a religious father and son. The son wanted to shoot me dead because I was a heretic but the father disagreed. He told me a piece of Volga's sad past and why people acted the way they did towards technology. Same story with two other fisher cultists. I love how the game rewards you for being honorable. I'm sure tons of players missed out on this stuff and just went through the game guns blazing.

[@Sharkamfss]

@@pouria1254 Yeah I remember two cultists that reacted to me approaching them with a holstered gun and with my light off.

[@Rotogas]

What I absolutley love about metro is, that (some) interactions with NPCs (sometimes completley irellevant) to the story change, how you approach them. I once saw a fisherman and his son standing at a pier talking. So I tested it. I saved. First time I walked to them with a holstered weapon. They greated me and talked a little before running of to a save house. Second time I had my weapon out. They responed with fear and told me to holster it. And third time I aimed down sights at them. They agressivley told me to holster my weapon and refused to interact with me further untill I did. This didn't influence the story in any way. It was just awesome

[@izakireemsi2783]

Metro nails it at making NPC more like an actual human than any other games fr.

[@Deriko31]

Late reply but if you turn on your flash light for enough time, they will attack since for them, electricity is a Sin

[@peeranpc4262]

isnt it cool?? That's why I love this game! @@Deriko31

[@quinnmarchese6313]

i love the father and son by the silos where you can get the stuffed animal back for the kid, the father is like "you shouldve seen movies" and "listen to this radio" and they're somewhat cool talking to you, but when you get a certain distance away, you can hear the son shoot the radio and get yelled at.

[@turtleanton6539]

Yeeh😂

[@ImpsCyberton]

Oh, yea Metro franchise. The only games where I feel so happy to see another NPC

[@mr.mysteriousyt6118]

you know what? you are so goddamn right about that, weird I've never felt that in a lot of games

[@Auraphyne]

@@mr.mysteriousyt6118 yeah same with dark souls as well

[@Auraphyne]

@Maniac 5000 2d?

[@Auraphyne]

@Maniac 5000 oh thats what you meant by 2d alright

[@diegoveloso3rd]

Very so often when playing games of the metro franchise do i exclaim "Oh thank god a human!!!" after fighting 6 Nosalises, on my last medkit, in a dark tunnel with a dying flashlight

[@RyanDB]

For me, immersion is when you forget that you're playing a video game, and your character's experiences become your experiences

[@Aiden-0915]

Wow you're so right😉

[@autofocus4556]

Sounds like psychosis lol

[@mhopkins7954]

@Ryan Barr: Yep, no other way to put it.

[@kurtdewittphoto]

Skyrim and Minecraft are probably the winners for me in that respect. Hours would melt away while playing those.

[@MrArticSwing]

This is not how I feel about this game. The voice acting is too atrocious

[@nightdweller2902]

First time I played, I didnt even feel like I was playing a game. Every objective felt like something real. I got the guitar because my friends wanted me to. I got the teddy bear because I wanted to help a little girl. Everytime I used lethal/nonlethal takedowns I considered who it was that I was fighting rather than what ending I wanted. I always felt present in the world as a part of it. It wasnt until my third playthrough when I decided to get all the upgrades that I felt like I was in a game. The bonus features like the 24 hrs day night cycle is just icing on the cake.

[@SakuyalzayoiTheMaid]

a man of honor, i had the girls toy in my head, after getting the train thingy i realized i was close to the location so i nabbed it right infront of a demon and ran like hell, you simply do not reject the quests of kid npc

[@nightdweller2902]

@@SakuyalzayoiTheMaid What people dont realize is that there's a third secret ending where if you dont get the teddy bear, not only does Artyom die but the player's PC just fries itself out of disappointment.

[@ImmaSpam__________________Can]

When fighting in metro Exodus I always try to go nonlethal untill I'm spotted then I kill everyone including the ones I've taken down nonlethally

[@PresidentkimballNCR]

@@ImmaSpam__________________Can just why bro? Don’t u want to get the good ending?

[@ImmaSpam__________________Can]

@@PresidentkimballNCR no witnesses

[@s7v3nthign]

The way the enemies interact with you is just amazing. So I was at the gas station and fighting bandits and one was just out of range so I threw a can so he could come out into the open for an easy kill and to my surprise ha laughed and told me if I thought he was stupid enough to go check out that sound and laughed at me. That was amazing. Other games the enemy would just walk out and bam dead. This guy definitely got me by surprise. Love this game so much

[@OvercutHood]

"Do you think Im that stupid?" I did, but now... its a maybe

[@thekxckup3854]

so because you threw a can and he didnt know out to see it, its the best game ever ? LMFAO this game aint even top 100

[@alan-cl1rj]

​@thekxckup3854 what games are top then?

[@elijahpelito4722]

Kinda reminds me of last ofus grounded mode. Except metro' ranger hardcore can have the enemies one shot u with a shotgun in the dark 10 feet away

[@fishfood8711]

@@thekxckup3854because that’s just a small detail amongst many. Have you even watched the video? Immersion is the main area of praise here

[@maxi7521]

Im a huge Metro fan since the release of 2033, and i was so scared then way revealed that Exodus will have a Open world. But boy they Nailed it

[@sixten8493]

My thoughts precisely. I never get the frustrating feeling of overwhelming freedom

[@lk6912]

They definitely did a good job, I just which that there had still been some more claustraphobic underground areas like the first two. It wasn't as scary either, the first two were truly a survival horror.

[@Skund79]

@@lk6912 But the last chapter kicked in so hard

[@lk6912]

@@Skund79 yes it did it was intense physically and emotionally. That scene where you come across the bodies all sitting together dead by the vault door was horrifying. Then the mutants jumping out of the bone piles!

[@effekt4]

Always get the good ending in the metro games first. then go back and slaughter everyone for fun

[@SwinginMyHatchet]

Another immersive aspect is that enemies don’t become bullet sponges on the higher/highest difficulties. A headshot will still kill them in one shot(1-2 body shots if they’re not wearing steel suits)AND you won’t be able to take more than 2-3 shots from a gun or slashes from a creature. This game nailed this specific feature better than any game ever has. I’m playing on Ranger hardcore with full dive on and loving it. Forgetting to count my shots to keep track of my inventory has led me to a early grave a few times already 😂😂

[@jacobshirley3457]

I've heard Stalker did that.

[@combatwombat2134]

I believe they actually did the same thing as STALKER, in which you actually deal more damage on the higher difficulty levels then you do on the lower difficulty levels. It's just that it applies to Artyom as well. 😂 I believe that is the case, anyway. 😅

[@TheElMuffin]

If anything, everyone becomes a glass cannon on higher difficulties, Artyom included. Firefights are very brief and angry. Speed, surprise and violence of action become paramount for surviving a firefight. Stealth becomes super important on high difficulty and a stray shot can put you down fast. I think most of my firefights in Metro series are with monsters, actually, not men.

[@abruptend8993]

Going into an unavoidable fight when I have barely any bullets or a way to replenish them made me resort to reloading a save when I used one too many bullets on a certain enemy.

[@falcoon_f_zero9450]

Though Exodus kinda takes it too far. In the first two games you can take 3-5 hits from guns or enemy creatures before dying, giving you a chance to dive to cover and use a medkit. But in Exodus everything pretty much two-shots you, unless it's a shotgun or crossbow enemy, which will insta-kill you. So if an enemy opens fire with an automatic weapon or if two Lurkers happen to hit you at the same time you're dead instantly. There's no time to react to anything. You either shoot first or die, which is quite annoying. I think later in the game you get a bit more armor but combat in early game is almost unbearable.

[@stevoofd]

“It’s about stopping players from finding the edges of the simulation” That’s poetry

[@reignsworld6001]

yeah that hit me lol

[@ua2894]

I wonder if that was a rick and morty reference

[@John.McMillan]

I like how he spent a video about immersion and perfectly described what makes RdR2 fantastic then proceeds to shit on RdR2.

[@tednugent1100]

It's a game design term, I remember Clint Hocking (the creative director of Far Cry 2) talks about it a bit on his blog

[@bloodmachine6049]

I mean, not really very relevant to this game though. Since Metro Exodus has pure scripting, and no simulation. You cannot find the edges, as you are never within it.

[@Illmyst]

Honestly the most well made games in a long time. Metro is the benchmark for world building without tedium.

[@johnbartender3451]

These guys are genius. 4A was founded after a dispute at ‘GSC game world’ (stalker).

[@snafu1542]

Days Gone

[@spike5499]

@@johnbartender3451 what happened

[@johnbartender3451]

@@spike5499 check out the channel ‘GVMERS’, theres a whole video about stalker/metro. Very interesting.

[@kikosawa]

The world was built a lot of time ago. It's still building up, with books

[@uncledanny4549]

2:10 - "The metro tunnels are safe, warm and full of life" Nazis, commies, cannibals, cults, bandits, maniacs, mutants: Are we a joke to you?

[@salicrew2504]

You forget arthur morgan's favourite word:TUBERCULOSIS

[@sdp640]

@@salicrew2504 LUMBAGO

[@xx_quickscope_xx7724]

@@SP7-b5l sam is like the only american

[@xx_quickscope_xx7724]

@Mirage_Panzer read the books. In 2033 theres an cult that are cannibals

[@xx_quickscope_xx7724]

@Mirage_Panzer i was talking about the worm guys but yeah those shields sound sick as hell. Honestly wpuld like a telltale game of metro

[@quincygaming9529]

THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING STALKER. THIS GAME CANNOT BE LOST TO THE ZONE

[@Soul-Burn]

Currently SoC and CoP can be both bought for $5 on Fanatical in the "Fugitive bundle"! Well worth it for people who haven't played it yet.

[@Kabodanki]

@@Soul-Burn Just to add. The X Ray engine is Open source, called OpenXRay. There's people working on it everyday (yeah everyday), fixing bugs and stuff. You can compile the code and run Stalker with it. Also there's the misery mod.

[@julian0451]

Id also like to recommend the mod Anomaly, a great merging of mechanics and addons that really bring the Zone to life once again

[@utisti4976]

Stalker 2 is confirmed btw.

[@НиколайХанзо]

And then deconfirmed, bcs no money

[@KelbyWaters]

“It’s about stopping players from ever finding the edges of the simulation.” This was powerful.

[@pavloskoropadsky1448]

Absolutely. The first evenings-nights I played Metro Exodus after high school were highly rewarding even thou it was on minimum graphics. For a die-hard fan of Metro 2033 Universe even low quality graphics are not a problem. When taking a break from the game and going to the kitchen for some water I had to wait for a few moments until my mind got used to the real world back lol

[@benoitbergeron8858]

It reminded me of the movie The Thirteenth Floor

[@wolverinelg]

Absolutely agree. I think the phrase perfectly encapsulates what "immersion" means to players. This is might be my favorite video of Mark's.

[@Mart-E12]

Yesterday I walked from one literal corner of the map in Metro Exodus to another, I think they kinda failed there

[@jaydenpaulus4423]

This quote makes me finally understand what I mean when I say "immersive." I love it!

[@Yoshinko]

One of my favorite moments is the game acknowledging that in the Volga River, when I messed up sneaking and had to get into a firefight with the village guard, killing a few of them the rest of them surrendered. Since I usually play my games in a way of "no killing unless it makes sense" I just knocked them unconscious, since they are just people trying to survive and have don't really have anything against me. Later on I came up on a camp of sorts in a warehouse I think, I was sneaking around listening to conversations of the NPCs there and they were talking about what a skilled fighter I was, yet how benevolent that I didn't kill everyone there. Can't recall the exact conversation but that really made me feel invested in the game's world. I never considered Exodus a good Metro game, but fuck me if it's not a great game otherwise that made me feel immersed and gave me the same sense of fun and high when I had my first playthrough with the first two games years ago. God I wanna replay Exodus Enhanced on Ranger Hardcore since I played it probably the "normal" difficulty first time, but I don't wanna ruin some of the emotions I felt playing it the first time since I probably would play it in a very different way then last time.

[@dashblue8224]

That sounds incredibly detailed they put dialogue in for that, and yea I felt about the same about Exodus, good but different experience then the other metro games

[@JudeTheYoutubePoopersubscribe]

I think the AI is pretty good. Makes it feel more real. Like when I run and take cover behind a cat the npc's actually mention it and then they attempt to rush the player and flank you.

[@vojtas08jarema]

Exactly, I love coming to an NPC and they be talking about how I didnt kill someone and appriciated that i holstered my gun. Only thing that sucked was that the audio couldnt have been in russian, cause it just makes it that little bit better, even if i hate russia, it throws you in the game a bit more

[@existingchannel6671]

A bit more, actually! If you knock out people more than outright killing them, word spreads about you being merciful, and enemies become likely to surrender after gunfights. Only once there's 2 or maybe 3 left though, in my experience. Execute everyone, and they probably won't ever stand down. Unrelated but this happened once after I domed someone with a good position using the Tikhar, felt like the guy went "oh I am NOT winning a gunfight with this man."

[@quinnmarchese6313]

the guys who you can save from the bandits in Volga can be heard later on the bridge talking about you being a kind and badass, and the Pirate/Explorer kids in the Taiga also talk about both you and Alyosha being badass or whatever depending on how you'd gotten through their camps. Also if you spare the van guy in Dust, he ambushes you at a specific sleeping spot later on (a tower on the way to the collapsed bridge where Anna is waiting for you, after doing the the lighthouse bunker), and he'll tell you that he'd been planning killing the Baron with Giul for some time and basically tell you to keep fucking with the Baron's stuff to make him more paranoid.

[@thatsomeone3818]

"This game doesn't tell you everything." WELL, when you're in a fight you know you're safe when the music gets less intense.

[@jesseroel8362]

I'd like to see a game that fucks with you by fading out the intense music to have you relaxed only to get you shot or stabbed or eaten from behind. That would stop making players rely on the music

[@chocchip4172]

Music cues should be based on character perspective rather than being activated like an event. For example, I shoot up a bunch of baddies in their base and the music stops, but when I leave the area and the rest of the baddies chase after me (and I am unaware of it), the music should only begin when I start getting shot at (so that's when your character realizes something), not when they spawn and an event activates.

[@chocchip4172]

@@jesseroel8362 I can see that being used in horror games a lot lol

[@klurikon3004]

That happens in alien isolation

[@ubernerrd]

Unless you're like me and turn the music off.

[@logansaxby7224]

Immersive: Dying Light on hardcore, HUD on navigation mode, music off and no minimap. I've never felt more inside of a game

[@cpnihal2011]

Dying Light on Nightmare was one of the best games I played. i really hope they don't mess up Dying Light 2.

[@logansaxby7224]

@@cpnihal2011 I completely agree. I like Hardcore mode better only because you can't buy ammunition at shops like you can in Nightmare mode. I found that more challenging. Like every piece of ammunition I had to scavenge. So not only was firing a gun risky but getting ammunition again was almost more risky. Edit: I agree I hope they don't mess up Dying Light 2. I'm concerned that they're making night less scary and involving the zombies less and humans more. I just hope we don't miss those peaceful moments on top of the rooftops when the sun is going down

[@ordhinv.hohenheim5009]

wind howling in street anxiety : wowowowo what was that.

[@logansaxby7224]

@@ordhinv.hohenheim5009 exactly, all the moaning and screaming in the distance and the shuffling close by...

[@Blades729]

Don't forget the weed also..

[@alexklein278]

"Rare loading screen" Not when you play hardcore lol

[@sleepygamermax6782]

But when you play on Iron man mode...

[@heyokasamurai453]

Fucking power outage right in the middle of the Caspian

[@Ahmadabdal_]

every single bullet counts on hardcore

[@jalk12]

Hard difficulties were made to be played on stealth though

[@HrishitDasA]

Undermarketed

[@HugoStiglitz88]

This game NEVER gets enough credit. Absolute masterpiece

[@Rawbful]

Easily one of the best games ever made in my opinion.

[@noahoraporfavor2432]

@@Rawbfulyou trippin, not even close

[@kubapiekus2843]

​@@noahoraporfavor2432tell me 10 better games

[@deenman23]

it has its issues,like how some textures were extremly low quality,my guess is it was a compromise of some sort as the game generaly looks rly good,also a few game design stuff could have been better,like...why after unloading precious bullets in a mutant or animal....i literaly get NOTHING,like...atleast have some crafting/cooking system where you can take meat/fur etc from slain beasts to use for SOMETHING,for all its leaning on immersion i feel the game missed out on this aspect

[@kubapiekus2843]

@@deenman23 I understand what u talking about but it is like zombies in tlou + why wpuld tou need fur/meet in a shooter gamer ? Also they would not give bullets ofc bc they arent people

[@tylerdavis6389]

I spent 90% of Caspian out of ammo, frantically running backwards, hurling knives into ghouls just to dash forward to scoop up my knives from the corpse praying not to get caught by more ghouls.

[@cashel5232]

Tyler Davis Then you ain't looting enough. I had no ammo issues cuz i could just craft the metal balls on the go and i rarely ran out of revolver ammo.

[@gabrielavila4833]

Stealth is the best way to go in the Metros. I didn't have too much of a problem with ammo, because I usually used it to take out lights in order to sneak around and take someone out.

[@Christph-vb1gn]

Low and slow baby. Low and slow

[@ryanbrown4053]

@@cashel5232 this. Gotta use the tikhar or crossbow, since you can craft ammo on the fly for those.

[@Angel_Kinzoku]

So immersive

[@koffing2073]

A game without a HUD and a GPS map is so much more immersive.

[@Chris-lz6ci]

You can disable it

[@Monti1999]

@@Chris-lz6ci it's not the same If the Game is Not designed for that in many Games:(

[@dahveedb7550]

Dead space 2 was so good at this

[@eddygarcia5167]

😃 w o w

[@OBryanAguiar]

A completely different game but Astrooner surprised me by keeping all the UI elements physical. Your inventory is visible slots and your oxygen level can be seen in the top of your backpack. Every interactive object doesn't take you out of the game to a menu, but they bring a small panel to the screen with phisical buttons

[@zzzzzzzzzzzspaf]

"it's about not seeing the edge of the simulation" damn that is such a good characterisation of immersion in a game, I might use it in other conversation

[@prowlingmonkey]

@Hobo_Hayes and great editing

[@Jerrongamereview]

"You know.. I actually feel like immersion..is about like, not seeing the edge of the simulation, you know." Hot girls: - "Wow that's so beautiful and deep. I've never heard a guy talk like that about games before. Please fuck me zzzzzzzzzzzspaf!"

[@Jerrongamereview]

Anthony Swiss doesn't really matter what you say on coke. You think everything that comes out of your mouth is brilliant then anyway.

[@Jerrongamereview]

Anthony Swiss I don't get it then. Why would I buy coke and not use it?

[@Jerrongamereview]

Buy a gram of Coke and a fishing net. Snort a few lines. Walk into the night. Find hot girl. Catch with fishing net. Take to cave. Woman now yours.

[@jogalong]

I spent a lot of time walking in the train, feeling safe and observing each detail. They captured the atmosphere so well, i felt weirdly depressed when it all ended... I'll replay this game when I can afford an RTX card for sure.

[@mael3527]

Same ! I would just walk inside the train, observe the little detail, listen to the calmling noise the train made and of the friends talking, it was such a relief between the hard world, to be able to take some time with friends.. I'm not gonna lie, i probably spent a few hours in that train... loved every second of it

[@wimpievanzyl3699]

You will not be sorry the game looks impressive as hell with RTX on.

[@ryugenryuakemi1469]

Go for RTX 3060 don't go 3050 mine is having stable 59-65 fps in only high settings sometimes it goes down to 45 fps lol

[@ryugenryuakemi1469]

@@wimpievanzyl3699 ray tracing on you mean? Well my 3050 drops to 43 fps lol

[@thegameranch5935]

@@ryugenryuakemi1469 does it make a big difference?

[@ultrasaiyan97]

When the radiation is high you see green pixels on the screen and at first I thought my graphics card was dying xD

[@ExtremeMusicSpace]

I just thought the same hehehe

[@thesatelliteslickers907]

Don't worry, your graphics card wasn't dying You were

[@viktornikolayevich5933]

@@thesatelliteslickers907 bet you born in a highway cause there's where most accidents happen

[@zinetx]

@@viktornikolayevich5933 seems you know better about that. Personal experience?

[@viktornikolayevich5933]

@@zinetx no, but personally i have experienced your mom

[@DonRoyalX]

“The metros are safe, warm and full of life” uhhhh not from Artyoms experiences!

[@outlifted]

Well, it was definitely full of life... damn nosalies

[@bigdaddy7660]

🤣 🤣

[@Ghostblaze1]

It has a ton of bugs on PC. Freezes in DX12 in the caspian level.

[@jameslawrie3807]

@@Ghostblaze1 It seems to be heavily dependent on video card. From what I've heard around the traps the 'minimum' video card level more or less guarantees bugs and the 'recommended' card is actually the minimum. Of course you might have a good card yourself, this is just personal experience.

[@Ghostblaze1]

James Lawrie yeah I have a 1080 ti. The game is just buggy. Went to DX11 stopped crashing for a while. Then hard freezes again. Switched back to dx12 and played through whole game without crashing again. All gpu drivers up to date etc. very inconsistent and buggy game. Needs a proper patch. They are slacking. Won’t be getting any of their dlc.

[@blackholessbm]

I know I am late to the party, but I wanted to say, I had a similar event in the desert, but instead of waking up to hostiles, I got woken up by them and one of them said something like: "wait, don't shoot him, he spared my live when he could've easily killed me" this was the moment I realised, this game is a true gem!

[@sonumb1106]

this happened to me in my 4th playthrough.. truly awesome

[@funtourhawk]

I assume it was the guy in the radio tower (if spared), when you first get into Caspian

[@tlotpwist3417]

@@funtourhawk really? It looked like a scripted moment where you'd have to kill him, when he jumps on you

[@nicholaswilson1851]

Tlot Pwist nah you need to spare him if you want to keep Damir around

[@lotel5865]

@@tlotpwist3417 You can choose to knock him out instead of killing.

[@Koshuaaa]

Man, the moment where the band was just having a jam in the guitar and the game gave you an option to sit and join while having full control of where you would look was amazing, it really did made me felt like I was part of the fun they are having

[@RalphGaming-nj8jk]

Or the scene in the dlc where Sam and the captain where just getting violently drunk.

[@seanporcelli3965]

I've really been appreciating games that remove the markers and just let me find them myself.

I really enjoyed that on Breath of the Wild

[@Densoro]

I tried that in Warframe the other day. Turned everything off - even my targeting reticle and HP- and went into a couple of boss fights. I swear, I legitimately played better. Focusing so much on the level, looking for signposts leading to the boss, upped my stealth game immensely. Just kept slide-dashing between enemies for stealth finishers like a ninja. And when I got to the boss, I was better able to read his attack animations and utterly bully him. I didn’t take a single hit, and I finished him by dashing through with a melee attack, whirling around, and chucking my speargun through his face. Just the tension, waiting for the smoke to clear so I could confirm his body...and he drops to his knees with my Javlok sticking out of his jaw...really drew me back into the game.

[@dddmemaybe]

@ Breath of the Wild is instantly better with "pro mode" or mini-map off. The visuals and path-creation of the devs is so good that looking down to your minimap just ruins everything.

dddmemaybe I haven’t tried it but will give it a go on a second run!

[@eugenecheong7066]

Yeah I'm starting to do that...turn off everything, and it gives you greater lay of the land, because you actually have to know where things are, rather than just follow a waypoint marker...

[@thy44]

Honestly some of the most memorable moments for me were when the entire crew was hanging out on the train together and Stephan would start playing the guitar. It was really heart warming to watch the crew find ways to smile and laugh despite their dire situation, because of this throughout the entire game I always felt like I had something to fight for. Its really cool knowing that if I had made different decisions in the game I would have missed out on that. It really contributes to the immersion when you know that your decisions matter.

[@fltfathin]

Agreed, and i feel rewarded by the good ending on the blind run at the last chapter.

[@triochalas]

The thing that surprised me the most was the time spent in the Aurora in between missions. It felt organic because the landscape was constantly changing as the train rode and I felt relaxed walking around the train and talking to people

[@thelordoftime803]

It's a 10 minute loop tho

[@Cavemanner]

@@thelordoftime803 Yeah, figured it out when you transition out of the Volga. There's a power line that glitches through the train that tipped me off. Made me a lil sad.

[@thelordoftime803]

@@Cavemanner Actually made me impressed, most people wont look out the window for 10 minutes and yet they did it. Although the structures along the way are pretty bugged as well.

[@BalthorYT]

@@thelordoftime803 It's not even 10 minutes, it's about 2, though it probably depends on which "map" you're in.

[@ambrizfer7898]

Also the main menu changing added to that

[@RB26N]

I love you can chill , walk and talk in train before main mission areas arrive. See the natural scenery pass by when you go outside, the train sound itself ,all characters are interacting , some are doing their work in mean time. This was very very good idea , i loved it.

[@acepedro12]

10:10 They are not systemic events. They are surprise mechanics.

[@doncoria9505]

EA pls....

[@LinksYTLink]

Except they're actually fun

[@tommasomorandini1982]

When that occurred to me I thought it was a bug. Metro is pretty well known for those... thankfully Mark opened my eyes!

[@BARTMAN8603]

I played exudos like three times and I was never greeted by bandits after sleeping in this safehouse. The first two times nothing happened and the last time I was surrounded by monsters. The ambush with the car is certainly scripted, since I met them in every playthrough.

[@thesuperthingymabob8209]

Quite ethical actually.

[@jesusvera7941]

shoutout to the punchers, sneaky bois and ammo keepers that got the good ending in the first try.

[@heavystalin2419]

Do you guys get ammo?

[@jesusvera7941]

@@heavystalin2419 holy moly

[@ConservativeWhiteMan741]

ayye! finally someone who appreciates the amount of work it takes.

[@jesusvera7941]

@@ConservativeWhiteMan741 nice work bro, all the items you save for later will be of use, we know.

[@lisserkc6000]

I actually saved all of them without even knowing you could lose them.

[@FlashmanVC]

The art direction for this game is some of the absolute best I've ever seen.

[@tommyscott8511]

I've always found the visual design of Metro very confusing. When I'm above ground, I find it very difficult to figure out exactly what I'm looking at. But that could just be me, and its not stopped me playing each game multiple times.

[@drakep.5857]

I know, right? Everything feels so rusty, disease covered and old. Great atmosphere.

[@nrjentertainmentsmobiledj2759]

Fallout was much better sorry

[@Yjsrabdbszlpk4]

the artistic style of metro: exodus concepts was handled by the dude who did the concepts for the film Bladerunner 2

[@bcrunch]

@@tommyscott8511 the devastation, the water, the world, whatever you want? i agree with the OP, the dilapidated old-soviet mixed with more traditional pagan architecture was unique and great to look at

[@VampireNoblesse]

immersive = atmospheric, pulling you in (great grafix, sound for "atmosphere", also no distracting UI elements, often open world that feels real to explore without boundaries.., reason why Bethesda RPGs are so immersive, and Metro Exodus followed that..)

[@daytimelantern6570]

Bethesda RPGS aren't immersive to me

[@DinnerForkTongue]

Bethesda's RPGs are only RPGs if modded so severely that the original is lost. Black Isle/Obsidian's, OTOH...

[@TigerAlert]

@@daytimelantern6570 well at least skyrim

[@peoduction6068]

Oh Bethesda RPGs are so immersive. 7 thousand fucking menus and abilities and no animations for your character whatsoever.

[@DinnerForkTongue]

@@peoduction6068 That's diegetic, not immersive.

[@breadman2983]

I was confused why this game was getting any coverage, why no one was talking about it. Turns out it hasnt been released on steam yet.

[@fellower]

*laughs in epic games exclusives*

[@noahyoung2910]

It will be on like two months

[@lewisbell2554]

It won't come to steam it was initially going to be released on steam but was pulled and made and epic game store exclusive, however they had to honor the people who had pre ordered through steam already

[@noahyoung2910]

@@lewisbell2554 it is coming to steam in February, it was only a one year exclusivity deal with Epic

[@rockyroad90]

You can play it on XBox Live on PC.

[@pottierkurt1702]

Best thing about 4A games.. when you ring the company the dude's mother answers in Russian. And 2 minutes later you are speaking to a dev.

[@ididntmeantoshootthatvietn5012]

Fr?

[@mikepawlikguitar]

No you're not lol. Gullible people out there 😂

[@mikepawlikguitar]

Yeah, she answeres, "Privet, cyka. Never cu-all this numbarr egg-enn, blinh".

[@DrinkingBleachOnTheBeach]

@@mikepawlikguitar so she does answer in Russian

[@vasinik]

Does it change the fact that they speak russian? no

[@1oace768]

Spoiler: I'll never forget the final mission, and how I felt a genuine rush and hurry in the way I played. Even though there wasn't an in-game timer that said you have X amount of time to finish it. I felt immersed enough in the plot and characters to not dilly dally.

[@renegeeder]

Same here, what a conclusion, all that extra effort to get the good ending was more than worth it.

[@metal4lifewp]

It made me sad when I realized I was reaching the end

[@samarramiresz7005]

I literally felt broke with that ending.

[@metal4lifewp]

I felt I was just getting started. Now I have to wait for a sequel

[@ericlin7775]

I just automatically started sprinting whenever possible since I suspect the game might have a timer that dictates the ending. (Metro is known for not showing ending result directly until right before it actually happens.)

[@Happy_Shopper]

The part after you give the man the guitar and he is playing it on the train had me smiling from ear to ear. It was so satisfying to see something I had personally done have a tangible consequence and it felt so authentic. I understand it's only a small thing however it's the little details which set games like this apart from the rest

[@joelsefur666]

I’d hardly consider Exodus to be an open world. More like a hybrid between a linear game and open exploration.

[@sonymicronin]

It's more like Super Mario Odyssey structured.

[@lmao.3661]

Only 2 of the levels are more open and free and I think they’re less open worlds and more bigger metro levels

[@BioClone]

Crysis / bad Company Design

[@Bloodhurl67]

Exactly

[@ecco2ks]

Like bigger BioShock

[@thenamechanger233]

Metro Exodus is also one of the only games that I enjoy having Subtitles on, because sometimes you can't hear the secret extra conversations that go on, and so you use the Subtitles to see what the hell they're talking about. Definitely one of my most favourite games of the decade, a solid 10/10 for me.

[@talktoyoutoo405]

make sure to set the language to russian! you can only do this in the main menu options though.

[@murrij]

Voice acting in Russian with English subtitles is a great way to play it.

[@ML-xp1kp]

@@murrij yeah to tell you the truth, the only reason why I have never thought about getting the game is the acting. I have no idea why this is never discussed, it's the single most immersion-breaking aspect: yes, the game is made exceptionally well, but when the English voice actors begin to speak I physically cannot continue. Perhaps the Russian actors are less amateurish.

[@samuelbishop3316]

Bandit convos are the best.

[@N93000]

@@ML-xp1kp I played all 3 metro titles in Russian even though I only speak English, it sells you on the location better and characters don't seem comical.

[@tonygunk1886]

Played Metro Exodus for the first time a week ago, absolutely stole my time for the entire week.. game was incredibly immersive! Agree with your vid 100% great job!

[@carpetcreed3841]

I'll taketh thy cheese by force I’m playing again as well

[@stevetennispro]

VorpX has VR support for this game... and 800+ others. I recently got a Quest 2 to do wireless pc gaming. Need to upgrade my pc soon . Pocketstrafe's running in place phone app is free now! Quest 2 might not work with it though.

[@sir_christmas_leopold_duckson]

This game made me cry on more than one occasion, from the love that Anna expressed, the friendship shared among my comrades, and from the loss of some of those comrades. That part in the train where everyone is sitting around sharing drinks and playing music/singing songs was very moving to me. I haven't experienced friendship like that in my real life in a long time.

[@ryloc7567]

This game gave me an idea of what having a girlfriend/wife is like, and what it feels like to have real friends.

[@jonnylawerence4212]

Stay strong whoever u are stranger on the internet

[@TheHellogs4444]

Relationship building is a skill. Sometimes stuff just happens to build relationships, but usually, in the modern day, you need to be strategic about what you put your attention to and how you approach things if you want a certain outcome, i.e. friends. Sometimes it's as simple as just asking to hangout. Sometimes it's as hard as creating a stressful, bonding situation. But humans are social and it takes very conscious and skillful effort to keep a person who is interested in you, away.

[@atharaxndx]

SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY!

[@katfans7124]

I rarely fall in love with fictional character but anna make me wanna stay with her and hear all the story she has to offer

[@rkenshin364]

Oof

[@grizzlymang1930]

Artyom does speak but only as a narrarotor between loading screens

[@xGARIDx]

And also at ending scene

[@ex-soldier4341]

He died at last light so why is he alive here?

[@grizzlymang1930]

@@ex-soldier4341 there are two endings in last light the one where he lives is the one that actually happens lore wise

[@ex-soldier4341]

@@grizzlymang1930 i got the ending where he died tho😂

[@lmao.3661]

Ex Soldier of Midgar most people did

[@evancodsworth2]

Metro Exodus might have the best “open world” in any game ever. The Volga, Caspian and Taiga levels are full of secrets and are just a blast to explore. Underrated game.

[@HelmuthGerka]

I agree with you, and I also enjoyed a lot the linear sections, they are a nice change of pace and a callback to the first 2 games of the franchise. This game was generally really good imo, outside of tiny issues I had.

[@Omega14343]

caspian is the best one tbh, ultra underrated

[@commanderaegis3201]

That feeling when you earned all good karma and the ending you got was "I've always wanted a son, a stubborn one, like you" "Rise and shine, son" It really makes me feel more proud as one more than everything my parents ever did tell me. Goosebump hits hard

[@gustavobeio7535]

having miller acknowlege me like that was something i never knew i wanted but when he did, i felt like i acomplished something i've been wanting since 2033. Miller is the GOAT. It's kinda poetic, our jorney began trying to remember our mother's face and it ends with we seeing a father in Miller

[@Moe3ter]

Get the good ending on my first run, can't bring myself to play it again though. The emotions experienced on the first try is so real and authentic that I don't want them to change, at all.

[@ianhall6614]

I got the bad ending because I killed a lot of the tree forest hippy dudes in that one mission. Besides that I hit all the criteria for the good ending. I will agree with the video's idea that the morality system is by far the weakest portion of this otherwise great game.

[@TheMaTaSS]

I got the bad ending, it was a fucking gut punch, after playing all 3 games, I was devastated, I wanted Artyom and Anna to have a happy ending, So i started a new playthrough 2 hours after I finished it just to get the good ending

[@Noir0520]

@@ianhall6614 So if in the forest mission u got alyosha hurt, we still get the bad ending altho duke and damir with us?

[@SteveAkaDarktimes]

@@Noir0520 need 2/3 I think.

[@SteveAkaDarktimes]

@@ianhall6614 the fact that you call them Forest tree hippies shows how much attention you paid and how you didn't listen into the conversations.

[@raffeisen2085]

Watching this I understand how badly I miss a new S.T.A.L.K.E.R. game

[@OsKuukkeli]

It's on it's way :)

[@CrystallizedBlackSkull]

@@OsKuukkeli Stalker 2 is on 2020 right? Damn! Thats two FPS RPGs for 2020 for me Cyberpunk and Stalker 2 I'm fuckin pumped for a nee Stalker, its been so long since i've hidden in a bunker because of some storm, or being scared by anomalies

[@tictac4949]

Escape from tarcov is pretty fun and similar to stalker

[@Trve_Kvlt]

@@tictac4949 It really isn't tho

[@tictac4949]

Ave Satanas well kindof. The atmosphere and gameplay mechanics are pretty similar. Of course the objective of tarkov is entirely different and there aren’t mutants or anomalies or anything like that, but it feels like it’s in the same sort of universe. You start in your “safe haven” where you can buy and sell guns and food etc, then you go out into the “zone” where you scavenge for things to survive and to sell, and then you come back to safety and do it again. They’re both pseudo-realistic Russian survival shooters. The biggest differences are really just the lack of story in tarkov, and the fact that it’s multiplayer.

[@chj.schwarz]

I can't wait for the other 99996 points on immersive game design! that's a crazy ambitious goal, but I guess you did your homework. Why else would you include 5 figures 😄

[@kanisque]

That's the Metro game design counter, the game uses same design to display most of the numbers.

[@lethanglong6979]

that's why i love these Survival games. The realistic part of the game keeps me alive in game. For example,i'm playing the game Catalysm Dark Days Ahead. No graphic games, but shit, it's fricking awesome. Immersive , if you can use that word since it's one of these realistic games that i called Gold Mine

[@nicholasmaniccia1005]

@@kanisque Hey I got a few other jokes that I want you to explain when you get a minute.

[@kanisque]

@@nicholasmaniccia1005 I get the joke, I was just clarifying the design aspect for others.

[@bemo_10]

@@kanisque I'm sure you did 😄

[@Yasabie]

The Metro series is the one I always go back to if I want to be heavily immersed in a games world, and every time I look back at them I feel this sense of nostalgia as if it was something I genuinely lived through.

[@thomasdeakin8486]

Metro does Fallout better than Fallout

[@wisdomleader85]

Many video games made by Russian and Ukrainian companies in recent years are quite amazing.

[@Duchess_Van_Hoof]

Except Fallout is supposed to be an entirely different experience. Its not about survival or scavenging, but exploring a post apocalyptic world and its societies. It is the dialogue and morality that defines Fallout, not whatever Bethesda is doing.

[@dereksmidl8352]

Agreed fallout was boring and the controls were worse than tbe original metro 😆 that said metro last night is a phenomenal experience

[@bobmus6241]

No...not even close to Fallout 1 or 2, and those games are isometric and have more content. Like other dude said they are not comparable

[@Duchess_Van_Hoof]

Seriously, apart from being post apocalyptic and touching upon morality the two series have nothing in common.

[@Blackthornprod]

Such an excellent video Mark, again :D ! And that intro, where the character's hand seems to wipe away the word "immersive" was a fantastic bit of editing.

[@dusan7777]

that popped into my eye and I rewatched that part a several times, because I was unsure if it was a part of the game itself... Spectacular editing nevertheless

[@subprogram32]

That was excellent editing indeed

[@drublacky1846]

Very nice detail. 👍

[@metamatic22]

For those of you who don't want to buy the game on the Epic Games Store, the Xbox game pass for PC has it as well.

[@TorinAst]

I think gamepass ultimate is $1 right now

[@vazeyo]

Doesn´t matter. I want it on Steam. I will wait till 2020

[@cal6599]

thanks for the info

[@SyranosTV]

@@vazeyo Just why ? Is that that difficult ?

[@urbantwilight]

PC Master Race: *I'm gaming on PC!* Peasant #1: Xbox only! Peasant #2: PlayStation only!! *Peasant #3: Steam only!!*

[@voidrunner-616]

I remember switching from the metal detector to the motion sensor at a work bench, and once the motion sensor appeared on the bench it started beeping. I wasn't even wearing it and it still worked. Such a small thing but it sells the idea that yes, that IS a motion sensor. The use of menus or HUD for things that could be displayed in world is one of the biggest immersion breakers for me. Dead Space is an excellent example of a game that did it well. Even your health bar on the spine makes in-world sense, as it allows people to see your status even in a soundless vacuum or from afar. Far Cry 2 was another great one. And for a real throwback even the PS2 era King Kong game.

[@samacvuk]

"The tunnels are safe" Right comrade....

[@FiksIIanzO]

Much safer and cozier than the bloody surface, that's for certain

[@peterattilakriszt3150]

This is one of the last sentences. :-)

[@SyranosTV]

I've played Metro Exodus day one and I also found that was one of the most immersive game I've played. In Russian, in the dark with a good sound and the most difficult mode is really like playing almost Tarkov or Stalker. I wrote about it but it's in French . Anyway good job dude :)

[@namesurname624]

where can I check your article? I am (in)fortunate enough to know french

[@SyranosTV]

@@namesurname624 Haha sure, my blog is more about "little test" then true article but here u go : pcstriangle.com/metro-exodus/

[@mgtowlifeseasyifyoutry1274]

Do you judge games before or after updates and patches, or do you think we judge games to early

[@SyranosTV]

@@mgtowlifeseasyifyoutry1274 I judge game after finishing and processing them, if any big update or DLC shows up that can ameliorate my review, I check it and modify my first appreciation :)

[@MuffinMammoth]

It's funny that you mention Escape From Tarkov. My buddy was watching me play Exodus yesterday and said that it also reminded him of Tarkov

[@BonzerMrT]

I swear to this day RDR2 immerses in a great way. I never complained about doing anything in the game....until I played online

[@caderidley2309]

Same

[@braydenreinink2297]

BonzerMrT Same buddy. I played the whole game without ever touching the sprint button unless I was hunting or in combat. I like being able to take things slow and feel like I’m a part of the world.

[@henriquecesardesouzasilva8766]

@mattR Mega Studying all animals is a disgusting trophy, but reaching lvl 50 on online was hell when I did it in july last year. I heard they made it easier nowadays.

[@BenDover-tk3jj]

I Love rdr2 but during Missions the thing I hate the most is having to re equip my Favourite Long Guns over and over again and some missions would force me to use certain weapons or just dying in the mission and reviving with a crappier weapon then I'd have started with. The Horse weapon mechanic really takes away from having too much fun in missions and concentrates more on excessive Immersion. I didn't have a gripe with the "slow" looting system though.

[@metal4lifewp]

Yeah I played the single player twice and online not more than an hour

[@TamLe-vb5ig]

I absolutely love the simplicity of this game. No complex HUD, no skill trees, no complicated upgrading/crafting system. Everything is very realistic and grounded. Though I do wish they paid more attention to the character building.

[@InsideAssassin2]

This game didn’t get enough praise and I hate it

[@sir1junior]

I forgot it came out on PC....

[@Richvwolfie8]

It was only nominated in one category of the Game Awards :(

[@xayah4976]

Open world ruined it..

[@InsideAssassin2]

Xayah I disagree cause the way they did open world was great cause each world was so unique

[@xayah4976]

@@InsideAssassin2 Each and to boring. Don't even consider this karma system... I played on Ranger hardcore mode without any hud these idiots forgot to give us a option to look at our magazins or even check our ammo count in the backpack. The more linear metro games fits me more less whacky controls and less useless boring ship wracks or anything like this. Just so u know I love Openworld when it's good and not bad do u know how much I had to ran because u can only sprint for 3 sec.... U still have the same movement and stats as u did in the other metro games. The car parts where terrible plain and boring raider camp there and there clean it without an issue just like these skyrim dungeon fetch quests. Boring and not refreshing and as u can expext I liked the more linear parts of the game. The psycho bunker was great the good old go to a and to b routine and not some pointless oh u wanna go there and there for 2 bullets. I also kinda missed the old citys just sad that they got removed in such way. The centipide thing was a pain in the ass cuz I hate boats:"D The ending mission was great because u had this more red thread experience again. For example metro last light had some open world parts they we're good since they we're small and not empty as the world in exodus. PS It's 4am I am on my phone and the structure is a little bit whacky sorry for that.

[@villecor8765]

It only took us 11 years from far cry 2 to get this shit right

[@Aota1740]

is far cry 2 really the only game that can compare to this pretty well? or at least compare to the points GMTK brings up?

[@dustyalbones-reendust4385]

​@@Aota1740 he meant that a game from 2008 has achieved the feeling of immersiveness, and yet ubisoft has regressed the game subsequent sequels to be more arcade-y and game-y. and i think because it's unwelcoming and alienates lots people, the nightmare world that is africa and the damn malarias in FC2.

[@enman009]

Far Cry 2 may be the most inmersive, but 3 and 5 have better activities, characters, storylines (the one in 2 is nonexistent) and less annoying elements.

[@shawklan27]

@jocaguz18 in terms of immersion fc2 is king

[@dustyalbones-reendust4385]

@jocaguz18 like i said the harshness of the game makes it hard to get into. the regress to being more like a game, is to make the game more accessible to newcomers.

[@lots0bots]

These videos get me way more interested in a game than the trailers ever could

[@rishabhanand9751]

Metro exodus is a game that got etched in my heart. Its a game that I cannot forget in my life. It has such a marvelous imersion, story, narration, physics, graphics and everything.

[@AreEia]

Exodus and the Metro series in general are among my all time favorite games. Think your analysis was spot on and I couldnt agree more. I would like to share one moment(among many memorable ones) though, that really cemented the genius of the game for my part. Artyoms journal updates after most encounters, and changes based on your decisions. The thing I was really impressed by was on the Taiga(forest) level, where you come upon a dude tied to a post and shouting for help in the woods. As the kind Spartan I am I freed the man, and in any other game that would be tht end of that. But no, this dude goes on to explain that he was captured by the "camp people" living in the woods, and that he is actually part of a bandit group. He goes on to rave about how he is going to take his revenge and get his buddies to come help kill the camp people. Hearing this I decide that I cant abide by this(the game itself did nothing to indicate or prompt anything one way or another) so I put a crossbow bolt between his eyes. After doing this I decided to read Artyoms journal, and here he himself explains the encounter, how he thought freeing the man was a good thing, how he reacted with disgust that the guy was a bloodthirsty bandit and how he decided to kill him. All of this for me felt like, and in essence was my own choices, reflected in the story of the game. I did not have to free the man, I did not have to stay and listen to him, I did not have to kill him. This moment for me especially was a really cool moment where my own organic decisions and Artyom aligned completely, and in general is one of my coolest gaming memories ever.

[@666louis]

still, the game punishes you with karma loss for this action. I felt forced to load and let the bastard live.

[@enter_null]

I had the same reaction upon freeing him. I nailed him back to the post :p

[@AreEia]

@@666louis As long as you have enough karma from other desicions in the game you will still get the good ending. From what i gather the you just have to have above a certain score, and some key choices to do so(just another of the great choices the devs did with this game) :)

[@AreEia]

@@enter_null He he, good on ya m8 :p That asshat deserved it ;)

[@stevenscott2136]

I don't think bandits count for much. Even in my "white hat" playthrough, I killed them ruthlessly, and still got the good ending.

[@morbid1.]

you play Metro in Russian, Witcher in Polish and Sekiro in Japanese...

[@FlymanMS]

Russian dub of Witcher is pretty decent though.

[@pequenoperezoso3743]

FlymanMS Why is there a Russian dub in a polish game?

[@CoolGobyFish]

@@pequenoperezoso3743 cause there are over 100million Russian speaking people.

[@tiortedrootsky]

@@CoolGobyFish 140 million is Russia, 42,5 million in Ukraine, 9,5 million in Belarus. In other former soviet countries a lot of people know russian.

[@СкоринДанил]

you dont ever play metro in russian because the russian voice acting in metro sucks ass, and so does the english voice acting

[@groffyy7208]

I'm surprised you haven't talked about the character interactions, for example after you completed the volga and you walk around the train, you can interact with other characters is different ways, tokarev is always talking about guns and cleaning them, krest is always happy to have a smoke with you or stepan to play guitar with him, those were moments that also immersed you even more into the game, so story wise metro exodus is one of the best post apocalyptic games ever made

[@nicknad9165]

I was 5 years late and this game still blew me away.

[@reinbeers5322]

That little ambush during the sandstorm... If you haven't passed through there before, and you effectively "went around", you can catch them planning to jump you.

[@reyhugo4879]

I loved the ending of exodus and the two dlc’s , this game has a very good story that made me actually care about characters and lore. That doesn’t happen much to me anymore

[@GenocideLv]

guessing you got the good ending then. I got the bad one, and it ripped me. Hadn't cried in so long man. That ending really sucks.

[@-sanju-]

Same. I just finished the main game for the first time earlier today and I actually had tears streaming down my face which is rare for me.

[@adibabrar1702]

Metro Exodus is a worthy successor to Stalker. It's like a well accomplished kid that lives upto the parent's name

[@sakib6258]

Some of the Stalker devs helped in making it is what I've heard

[@RadX_98]

I’d still prefer Metro over Stalker. No other game can touch directly your soul like the Metro franchise, the environment, the music OST, the characters and the story. It’s all perfect.

[@JudeTheYoutubePoopersubscribe]

I wonder how stalker 2 is gonna compare. The open world exploration in exodus is absolutely perfect I hope its similar in stalker 2.

[@mr.paskal]

@@JudeTheKZbinPoopersubscribe Stalker 2 must develop the mechanics and exploration of the world from the first 3 parts, he does not need to take an example from Metro

[@JudeTheYoutubePoopersubscribe]

@@mr.paskal never played the first 3 because of no console version.

[@yoyogangsta6696]

Honestly one thing about metro is always wanted to loot and look around like a real scavenger it never felt like a chore cuz you actually find useful cool stuff and it feels so rewarding to explore the map and find even notes of what happened prior to you being there

[@Vetikah]

Through this game I realized how tactile I am. I never knew what was missing from other games before I played exodus. The physical map, the ever-changing notes written by Artyom on the back, the act of slinging off your backpack to craft some ammo, it all felt more real, more like I was actually doing something rather than simply existing.

[@mrflip-flop3198]

The protagonist doesn't speak? That could also help with the immersion as it gives the character/your character a blank personality. Giving the character you play as their own personality might contradict with the player's personality and mentally pull them out of the game causing the immersion to break.

[@oginthetree_8747]

He definitely has a personality between chapters during loading screens he has a voice actor who reads his journal entries.

[@jasonalv7436]

I have to disagree totally, it just ends up being so awkward, unrealistic and ruins the immersion for me. I mean i wouldn't want Artyom to be a talkative bastard but I want him to talk when he needs to talk. Saying a few words and sentences won't hurt the immersion at all. There are parts of the game where Artyom should have talked but he just didn't and it's very awkward

[@jacobshirley3457]

@@jasonalv7436 I've noticed there are always two camps. Immersion = talking character (even a little), and immersion = silent protagonist (aside from injuries, breathing, etc). Good thing there are games for both types of players.

[@jasonalv7436]

@@jacobshirley3457 There's one time in the game where Artyom's wife called him and said "ARTYOM CAN YOU HEAR ME?", and Artyom barely said a word. It ruins the immersion a bit for me

[@BuffDaddySmoove]

Im usually roleplaying the character when they don’t speak and im stupidly immersed always.

[@ahmz1404]

"When people talk about Metro Exodus..." I've honestly never heard anyone talk about this game since it was released, until now...

People are too buys with bitching about the epic game store for no reason.

[@Jibish14]

Luca Dario Bützberger I wouldn’t say no reason, I personally am a huge fan of the series. I’ve played both the games and read all three books. I had Exodus on my wishlist on steam for over a year because it was initially listed there. Then they moved it to epic. I already own the two previous games on steam and it’d be nice to have them all in one place. Also I was particularly ticked because it happened only a couple of weeks before release. As I’m typing this message, it had been listed on steam for preorder etc. literally for longer than it’s been out on epic. Many people seriously overreacted, true, but that doesn’t mean that there was no reason to be dissatisfied with the choice of deep silver to go with the epic exclusive deal. Even the author of the books was throwing some shade at deep silver for making the change so close to release.

[@cdgonepotatoes4219]

@ that's what you get from making a game exclusive to a shitty client, a good deal of people who don't want to get trough the garbage won't play the otherwise very good game because of the shady business practice, game gets less publicity as consequence. Deep Silver needs to die, Metro Exodus and all the PC fans of Metro didn't deserve this as the only people who profited off it are DS and the EGS, leaving the players and the developers behind.

[@elliotlemon3396]

@@Jibish14 Wasn't it more Koch media who made the choice though to move it to epic, rather than deep silver?

[@mgtowlifeseasyifyoutry1274]

Yet it was better then rage 2, days gone and anthem

[@lyndonlives638]

One of the things that's amazing for me is the way all these immersive elements add up to make it seem like the open world areas are MUCH larger than they actually are. The systems of survival and resource conservation cause you to want to move through the environments with much more care and situational awareness than in many other open world games, even when you feel well equipped with ammo and medkits. So you end up going from one destination to another, carefully scanning the horizon and moving from cover to cover to avoid open fights, and when you reach the relative safety of your destination (such as returning to the train), you feel like you've earned the ground you covered, even where in real world terms it might not have actually been very far at all. Certainly a lot more engaging than mashing the 'fast travel' icon on a map!

[@loreskcanada8402]

You put this video together like an essay, the music in the beginning reappeared at the end when you recapped your main points. Well done with this - I really want to try this game now

[@Z31Turbo]

I wish CDPR watched this video before Cyberpunk released...

[@abhishekvvs8622]

The problem is, the game was in pre alpha state till June 2019 when the managers realized that they need to release a game. The dev team then crunched everyday to make the game playable.

[@Action2me]

@@abhishekvvs8622 bigger problem is why was it in pre-alpha for 9 years?

[@lukkkasz323]

@@Action2me It's how long it takes to develop a big triple-A title while working on Witcher 3 + DLCs along side it. Ever heard of GTA 6?

[@User-xw6kd]

Cyberpunk is not this type of game. Far from it. It's a lot more arcade-y and there's nothing wrong with that. The story missions and a lot of side gigs are top quality. I would call the game immersive but not the way Metro Exodus is. The lore, music, character, map and world design is what gives it legitimacy.

[@Mr1ManArmy69]

@Xerius not really first trailer for gta v came out 2 years before game released, and Max Payne 3 was announced in like 2009 or something.

[@pun5925]

For anyone curious, to my knowledge, the events around 10:00 with the sandstorm fight are scripted, but manage to feel very real and as if you were caught in a lick of bad luck.

[@ryanbrown4053]

I think the first sandstorm is scripted, but the game has dynamic weather and night day cycles.

[@pun5925]

@@ryanbrown4053 That specific event is scripted though, but I do agree

[@ryanbrown4053]

@@pun5925 No yeah, the event is, I just meant the sandstorm for that part isn't.

[@banita9448]

yeah but in New Game + you can set up more options, like more storms during gameplay or able to carry only one gun :) Or you can start with crossbow, couse in first game you get it pretty late

[@SunKiss3r]

Was it really scripted? Because I never got this. I just got ambushed on the bridge part

[@Sosalamaquina]

Metro saga is a classic. Love 4aGames work and hope to see more of them and all of them are safe because of the actual situation in Ukrain.

[@ptl763]

Appreciate the point-by-point structure with recap at the end! The videos have always been great but it's a really helpful addition for remembering the key points of the content among the vast stream of KZbin videos you watch on a given day. Great idea.

[@EliminatorPerformance]

It's one of the best games I've played in a while, and I've played all 3 multiple times.

[@Socherbal]

I’m playing this game right now. It has been in my backlog since it came out. Once I got to the first open world area it got its hooks in me. Haven’t been able to put it down all day

[@agustrimaulidyanto9439]

Me too

[@urgatorb8]

I’ve watched a bajillion gaming videos on KZbin and I’ve got to say that this was probably the most thoughtful, insightful, and well produced one I’ve ever seen. You are to be commended, sir! Great job!

[@vertisync]

I just found this channel. This is the most "immersive" commentary I've ever heard about a game.

[@Table53]

I've got to leave my house in 10 minutes and this video pops up.. Do I wait? Or do I watch in industry standard 1.5x speed.. I think I know.

[@CharalamposKoundourakis]

Watch it on your phone while you are walking. That's what I do and I've only nearly been hit by a car twice.

[@kyraaa__]

Charalampos Koundourakis twice*

[@CharalamposKoundourakis]

@@kyraaa__ Sure.

[@electrotv5023]

Uwirlbaretrsidma. What the fuck? Did you just randomly assume someone has autism? lol

[@timothymclean]

Watch in 2x speed, duh.

[@ifound15min]

So this game is essentially just the true sequel to Far Cry 2? Consider me sold

[@mattieice4785]

My thoughts exactly

[@reaperrod1999]

How was it?

[@omeba7189]

@@reaperrod1999 if you liked the older ones, do not play it, it has bad crafting elements which really drags gameplay and is horrible for people who are veteran to the series, but if not, play this then. It's much easier to play and have fun, I can assure you to not play this if you plan on playing the older games.

[@Mastashakenbake]

If the world got nuked and mostly everybody lived in subway tunnels, yeah.

[@gnnniii1]

@@omeba7189 horrible only for you, don't speak for us.

[@Brandon-yq1tm]

Started playing it and one thing I loved was how talking with npc's happened, where several speeches may happen at once and it feels like it flows like a real conversation. That and how pretty much all the outsiders you sneak around you can hear their information and gain clues about what's happening in that area and what might be the best course of action.

[@Klarden]

"Bad ending will get binned" You do realize, that the "bad ending" of 2033 is the canon one, right? :D

[@tenbeat]

Yes but the bad ending of Exodus has Artyom die, so that's not gonna be canon.

[@MrLucho-tv1st]

The thing is that the games are based in series of books, so for 2033 they had to follow the story, then in Last Light they could have a story based on Artyom's redemtion (Also they couldn't had Polis being completly destroyed since that doesn't happen in the books), and as for Exodus I think they mention in 2035 that Artyom stablishing a safe outpost far away from Moscow (Wich is the good ending for Exodus). So yeah, the canon in Metro is that Artyom was a bad person until he realized that he fucked up big time by nucking psychic big bois.

[@SanyaIVLitvyak]

@@MrLucho-tv1st *spoiler for the book Metro 2035* If I remember the book correctly it basically ended with Artyom and his wife driving away into the distance, with Artyom fucked up by radioactivity leading to the ambiguity of whether or not they find anyone or even keep on living or die.

[@dorkyface]

The bad ending for Xcom is also the canon one :)

[@andrewsparkes8829]

@@SanyaIVLitvyak "fucked up by radioactivity"...I'm not sure if you know how radioactivity works, but he's basically dead. It's effectively the same as leaving a book ending on the split-second someone having a gun to their head point-blank and the trigger has just been pulled and the bullet is travelling down the barrel. The death is inevitable and definite; the author just ended it on a stylistic note.

[@tubular7752]

I also love how fast the ttk can be. It's almost as if the devs played those shitty first-person action games that we all hate where all the enemies are bullet sponges, and tried to make a game that decidedly did NOT have that feature.

[@vzvdm]

Idk why but him mentioning farcry 2 made me chillingly nostalgic

[@tysonasaurus6392]

Van Zyl van der Merwe buddy, watch his other videos, he mentions Farcry 2 a bit and has a video that centers around it

[@jameslawrie3807]

It made me want to buy it an play it again, although I must admit my favourite is the first one.

[@champ2228]

Far cry 2 is the most realistic of the far cry series

[@JayTraversJT]

Can we just take a moment to understand how insane it is that now last generation can run this game and still look insanely good as it does. Absolutely mental. 4A games- you guys are genuinely the celebrity status of a game career to me. Well done.

[@GMTK]

Consider this your catch-all comment thread for moaning about Epic exclusivity. Grr! Video games!

[@Table53]

"Grr!" - Mark Brown, 2019

[@kyraaa__]

Did you buy the game on the Epic Store?

[@CharalamposKoundourakis]

Didn't seem to work so far.

[@CharalamposKoundourakis]

@@kyraaa__ Obviously, it's the only place that it's available.

[@whitedude416]

@@CharalamposKoundourakis wrong

[@spartan456]

As awesome as the open world in Exodus is, I feel like there are some pretty major drawbacks that "reveal" that edge of the simulation. I haven't played Exodus nearly as much as I've played STALKER over the years, but I can't help but get the feeling STALKER's open world seems more "alive" and active when compared to Exodus. I do have some facts to back this up. So in Exodus, I started to notice that pretty much all of the enemies you would initially encounter would _always_ respawn in the same spots. Run into some shrimp near a shoreline to get back to your boat? Well chances are every time you go back to that same exact shoreline, you will run into the same exact number of shrimp again, in the same exact spots. This extends to many of the enemy encounters in the open world. I once ran into a bunch of rail cars and had to deal with fighting a bunch of mutated zombie people things. I walked a little bit out of the way to check something out, and when I turned around every single one was respawned, in their same exact positions. It wasn't some fluke either, this behavior can be observed in every fixed enemy encounter in the open world. This makes me believe the open world was not really intended for "deep" exploration. In other words, it's built in a way that you're intended to go from Point A to Point B, and then C, D, etc until you've gotten everything you need and you're all set to move on. It's not meant for you to walk around and re-visit many of the same areas over and over again, because if you do these very glaring "edges" of the simulation will be revealed very quickly. Compare this to STALKER, where every enemy encounter is mostly random. There are some fixed ones, but for the most part, as you explore around any of the areas you are guaranteed to stumble into new encounters every time. The open world in STALKER feels much more "alive" because of this. You can run around the Cordon in Shadow of Chernobyl hundreds of times and hit every major and minor location there, and you are guaranteed to always run into something new (or nothing at all) at each one, each time you go back to it. The A-Life system that handles all of the AI in the background lends an enormous amount of consciousness to the open world environment. The first time you visit the little bandit camp at the car park you'll always have to fight a bunch of bandits. But your next visit you may find yourself fending off a huge pack of feral dogs, the next time around you might run into a friendly group of STALKERs who have set up shop in the old bandit camp. Later on, you might stumble into one of those same STALKERs back at the rookie camp. This all-around makes the world feel very alive, it feels like something that is always changing even when you aren't there. This level of interaction does not exist in Exodus, and when I realized that I really started to feel underwhelmed by the open world. The open world is excellently hand-crafted and I enjoyed exploring it...the first time around. But there's no incentive for going back to revisit places you've already been to. I'm the type of player that enjoys exploring every single nook and cranny in open-world types of games, I may go back to the same places multiple times just to make sure I didn't forget anything, or to see if there's anything new there. STALKER in specific is one of the few open world games I've played where there is a very tangible incentive for this type of exploration. I wish Exodus would have had something at least similar. Instead Exodus feels more like an illusory theme park ride. Outside of scripted story events, the open world is static and unmoving no matter how many times you run through it.

[@akairocker]

I feel ya. I am pawing for a new Stalker. I can't really get into Exodus. I feel like it's the weakest in the series, and does not have the re-playability that the first 2 have. Looks great, but falls flat for me when put next to Met.1&2. Played for about 10hrs, and don't feel like returning. Hope we get a new Stalker soon.

[@juandecarvalho8405]

If you replay Exodus on NG+, there's an option to add developer commentary in some parts of the game. One tells that they originally intended to have enemies patrolling the wolrd (it was even mentioned in interviews during development), but it broke the game with anomalies being able to kill everything while the player just watched, so they scraped it. Whitch is a shame, since they could've just nerfed the anomalies. But people really overestimate A-Life in STALKER, specially in the first one, where most encounters are scripted and the game is mostly linear. They made it better in Call o Pripryat, but if you really want it to shine, you need mods. I think the biggest problem with open world games is that they mostly work as a linear game where you just choose the order in wich you do things, since once you clear most areas you never go back to them. Bethesda Games and STALKER with mods are some of the few that get the feeling of a dynamic wolrd right. We definetely need more of these.

[@spartan456]

@@juandecarvalho8405 That's interesting about the developer commentary. I'm surprised they didn't just pull a page from the STALKER book and make anomalies slightly randomized. Even in the first game the anomaly fields worked like this. One particular area would have a certain type of anomaly, but each time you went through it the anomalies themselves would be in different spots. I'm sure they could have figured out how to fix the electric anomalies in Exodus if they were given more time. As an added note, I think A-Life does an incredible job, even in the first game. Yes, most of the events are scripted. But my point about it is what it did for all the return trips. You can return to the Garbage dozens of times and run into something different each time. That just makes playing the game and revisiting areas all the more interesting.

[@ushankaman6143]

spartan456 i totally agree! i met a Stalker in Rookie camp when i first started, and guess what? i met him in garbage, and later on, in rostok! i did have mods tho, so it may be whats affecting it but idk

[@robdAK]

Not Steve a series of games

[@randomron636]

I came here coz all 3 games were on sale in a bundle. You completely sold the game to me. Thanx, awesome video

[@dom3335]

For me, cut-scenes ruin immersion. I can still lose myself in something like RDR2 when exploring the sandbox world, but as soon as a cut-scene starts I'm instantly reminded that I'm playing a game. It's jarring and it doesn't matter how good they are. I remember the first time I played HL2 and was blown away by how immersive it was. Obviously 1st person helps, but it's the way the game tells the story through the environment and characters around you. Never locking you into a cutscene, and the feeling of missing important info if you are not looking at or near the right character adds weight. I just played through Metro 2033 for the first time after watching this video(going to play them all), and wow it is done so well. You have full agency during every "cutscene" type section and it absolutely nails the immersion. Was also playing on Survival Ranger Hardcore which provided a great challenge you rarely get in FPS games(usually just bullet sponge on higher difficulty), with the most impressive aspect being the Ranger mode. Literally no UI at all for great immersion, even switching between secondary items gives no indication of what you picked, it just plays a subtle unique sound for each. It's soooooooooo good. I don't understand why more games don't have this option(and have other options for hearing impaired and players that want UI all over the place). I suppose it requires a bit more thought to implement, especially if there are a lot of mechanics. The main issue is cut-scenes, playing Metro 2033 instantly reminded me of HL2 which I last played over 10 years ago, and it made me wonder why more devs don't design their games like this. I guess the downside is a lot of people would miss important info by wandering off(positive imo, more responsibility) and also the devs not being able to tell the story exactly how they want, but that's the beauty of games compared to cinema. The player experiences the story how they choose.

[@MrAsh1100]

Enemies aren't bullet sponges on higher difficulty assuming if its Hardcore. They just take more damage but, the caveat being you also take more damage.

[@dom3335]

@@MrAsh1100 In Metro? Yeh I mean that FPS games usually just make the enemies bullet sponges on the hardest difficulty, whereas Metro difficulty seems well designed.

[@MrAsh1100]

@@dom3335 ok, just weird wording or me reading it wrongly

[@shekelboob]

The elder scrolls series is like that, no cutscenes, all events are in-game

[@dom3335]

@@shekelboob True. I remember Oblivion was one of the first games I got really immersed in. It does lock you into the conversations though, and you can't miss anything.

[@lx-icon]

One interesting case for me was Horizon: Zero Dawn. The world and map initially were so full of mystery, and I was completely hooked. The story kept me hooked - finding the data points and piecing together the mystery was so much fun - but unfortunately, the map and exploration side never lived up to the promise. Seeing your map become more complete once you climb a tallneck is initially rewarding, but then you have no drive to actually explore that area, since all the points of interest are marked down for you. It just becomes a checklist of places to go, with no mystery involved. Since you have so many fast travel points as well, you end up never actually walking anywhere because it's too tiresome sneaking past so many robots when you can just instantly be there instead. This often seems to be my experience with open world games. The freedom they promise is so astounding - then becomes a chore. I'll definitely have to try Metro Exodus after this review!

[@gargarbad6047]

exactly why I hate later Far Cry-style open worlds so full with generic repetitive things that worth so little to add to our gaming experience, almost a chore instead of something fun few but unique moments are more valuable than "tens of hours of missions", but all repetitive

[@RyanxDunn]

I can vouch that Metro's map is different to the normal open map experience. Also, the fact that you need to conserve resources makes risking exploration worth it.

[@geordiejones5618]

You do realize that your complaib about HZD is something that is entirely optional? You can absolutely ignore the longnecks besides the very first one. I swear so many people complain about things they don't even need to do.

[@scottneil1187]

If you enjoyed piecing together the story and finding datapoints then your statement is moot as they don't get marked on the map.

[@kpjlflsknflksnflknsa]

This is the probably with open world games. The more vast the world, the more hand holding is required. Otherwise you'd get completely lost. I think that a game like Dark Souls 1 is illustrative of the most open a game can be before it requires a map. Alternatively, you could have a map to show you rough points of interest but not mark them specifically. Or have the map be fallacious at times a la the original Thief games.

[@ZephyrusAsmodeus]

A good imersive game to me is one that leaves me feeling like I'm still in game when I stop playing, when I go to get something to eat or something, I am aware of my arms and my body, of every moment I make to do what I want to do. A good immersive game to me is one that blurs the line between experiencing what a game presents and what life presents, that meshes the two and leaves me dwelling on it even after I've stopped playing.

[@ProtractedScribbles]

I bought the Metro series as part of a Steam bundle this summer because I'd heard good things, but it always felt too daunting to start. These features (which I hadn't heard mentioned by friends) sound like a lot of fun to interact with!