[Script Info]
Title: 
[Events]
Format: Layer, Start, End, Style, Name, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Effect, Text
Dialogue: 0,0:00:03.20,0:00:09.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When people talk about Metro Exodus, they\Noften use the term “immersive”.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:09.29,0:00:12.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But what do we actually mean when we use that\Nword?
Dialogue: 0,0:00:12.63,0:00:16.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because, this is a term that is not very well\Ndefined.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:16.17,0:00:21.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I’ve seen it used to describe games with\Nhyper realistic graphics. Survival horror games.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:21.76,0:00:24.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,VR titles. Immersive sims.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:24.66,0:00:28.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I’ve seen people call a game immersive\Nif it’s so captivating, you end up ignoring
Dialogue: 0,0:00:28.98,0:00:30.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the world around you.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:30.20,0:00:36.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s just a super vague term, and it's more\Noften used as a marketing buzzword than serious game
Dialogue: 0,0:00:36.46,0:00:37.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,design lingo.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:37.57,0:00:43.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And yet, I totally get what people mean when\Nthey say that Metro Exodus is immersive.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:43.75,0:00:48.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because this game achieves something I don’t\Nsee very often in games - which is where I
Dialogue: 0,0:00:48.05,0:00:52.25,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,genuinely feel a sense of existing in the\Ngame’s world.
Dialogue: 0,0:00:52.25,0:00:58.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In fact, i’ve only felt it a few times before,\Nin games like Subnautica, STALKER: Shadow
Dialogue: 0,0:00:58.08,0:01:01.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of Chernobyl, Event[0], and Far Cry 2.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:01.26,0:01:06.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it’s not to the extent where I forget\Nthat I’m sitting in front of a TV, and genuinely
Dialogue: 0,0:01:06.30,0:01:09.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,think I’m wandering around Africa or post\Napocalyptic Russia.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:09.71,0:01:12.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I’m not a complete idiot.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:12.32,0:01:17.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it just sells me on the feeling of being\Nin a place - with much more effectiveness
Dialogue: 0,0:01:17.64,0:01:19.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,than most other games.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:19.88,0:01:25.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And in a year that is already jam-packed with\Npost-apocalyptic, open world shooters with
Dialogue: 0,0:01:25.66,0:01:31.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,crafting systems and drivable vehicles - Metro\NExodus is the only one that really captures
Dialogue: 0,0:01:31.90,0:01:35.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that feeling of being in a nuclear wasteland.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:35.55,0:01:40.82,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so, in this video, I want to bust apart\Nthe buzzwords and look at some super specific,
Dialogue: 0,0:01:40.82,0:01:46.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,totally tangible design decisions that are\Nemployed by developer 4A Games, to draw us
Dialogue: 0,0:01:46.49,0:01:50.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,into the world of Metro Exodus.
Dialogue: 0,0:01:52.64,0:01:59.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Now, for some background, the first two Metro\Ngames - Metro 2033 and Metro Last Light, take
Dialogue: 0,0:01:59.58,0:02:04.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,place in the ruins of a Moscow that has been\Nravaged by nuclear war.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:04.36,0:02:09.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The surface is a deadly, irradiated hell-scape\Nthat’s crawling with mutated creatures - but
Dialogue: 0,0:02:09.56,0:02:14.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the underground Metro tunnels are safe, warm,\Nand full of life.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:14.07,0:02:16.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These games are primarily linear shooters.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:16.94,0:02:19.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But Exodus is something quite different.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:19.37,0:02:24.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In this one, hero Artyom and his pals decide\Nto leave the Metro behind, and travel across
Dialogue: 0,0:02:24.89,0:02:29.53,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,post-war Russia to look for a safe place to\Nlive, overground.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:29.53,0:02:33.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They travel first on foot, and then later\Nby train.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:33.63,0:02:36.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Along your journey, you’ll stop off at various\Nlocations.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:36.78,0:02:41.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Sometimes that’s for linear levels that\Nharken back to the original games.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:41.27,0:02:46.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But at other-times you get dropped off in\Nminiature open world maps, like the icy banks
Dialogue: 0,0:02:46.00,0:02:51.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of the Volga river, or a sparse sandy desert:\Nwhich is actually the dried out Caspian sea.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:51.58,0:02:58.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it’s in these tiny open worlds that\NMetro Exodus is at its most immersive.
Dialogue: 0,0:02:58.63,0:03:04.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So the first, and most obvious way that Metro\NExodus achieves immersion is the way the game
Dialogue: 0,0:03:04.09,0:03:07.00,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,rarely takes you out of the in-game world.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:07.00,0:03:12.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So your map is sellotaped to a leather binder,\Nand your quest marker is on a compass that’s
Dialogue: 0,0:03:12.08,0:03:13.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,strapped to your wrist.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:13.49,0:03:17.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And when you’re crafting something, you’ve\Ngot to sling your backpack on the ground to
Dialogue: 0,0:03:17.39,0:03:19.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,get your materials out.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:19.35,0:03:24.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Where other games would definitely make this\Nstuff into menu screens or HUD elements, Metro
Dialogue: 0,0:03:24.30,0:03:29.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,makes them physical and tangible parts of\Nthe world, meaning the only time you disconnect
Dialogue: 0,0:03:29.63,0:03:34.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,from the world around you is when you pause\Nthe game, or hit a rare loading screen.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:34.67,0:03:38.18,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there’s an interesting byproduct of\Nthis decision - and thats how you are left
Dialogue: 0,0:03:38.18,0:03:40.57,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,vulnerable when performing these actions.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:40.57,0:03:45.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You don’t pause the game to craft things\Nin the safety of a menu screen, but you do
Dialogue: 0,0:03:45.07,0:03:47.75,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it in real time, in the world.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:47.75,0:03:51.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So if you quickly need to craft a medkit in\Nthe middle of battle, you need to find a safe
Dialogue: 0,0:03:51.88,0:03:56.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,place and hastily get your bag out and patch\Ntogether a box of Superdrug plasters.
Dialogue: 0,0:03:56.89,0:04:01.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Of course, it’s possible to take this stuff\Ntoo far.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:01.35,0:04:07.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,A game like Red Dead Redemption 2 really focused\Non tangible and physical interactions with
Dialogue: 0,0:04:07.80,0:04:12.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the world, with hyper detailed animations\Nand menus that made you look through an authentic
Dialogue: 0,0:04:12.71,0:04:14.65,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,catalogue of cowboy hats.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:14.65,0:04:20.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But, at times, it tipped the balance into\Ntedium, and it also very rarely led to actually
Dialogue: 0,0:04:20.79,0:04:22.87,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,interesting gameplay consequences.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:22.87,0:04:26.35,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But there’s more to Exodus’s grounded\Ndesign.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:26.35,0:04:29.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Something we see in a lot of open world games\Nis upgrades.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:29.77,0:04:34.39,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You grab currency as you play through the\Ngame, and then open a menu to unlock new skills
Dialogue: 0,0:04:34.39,0:04:37.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,- from basic actions to superhero powers.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:37.69,0:04:42.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Again, Exodus keeps things in the game world:\NSo the only upgrades you can make to your
Dialogue: 0,0:04:42.64,0:04:47.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,character are from things you can actually\Nfind - whether that’s scopes and silencers
Dialogue: 0,0:04:47.61,0:04:52.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,that you rip off discarded weapons, or handy\Nobjects that you find on your travels.
Dialogue: 0,0:04:52.55,0:04:55.96,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Metro Exodus actually feels like scavenging,
Dialogue: 0,0:04:55.96,0:04:59.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,while these other games are more akin to, well, shopping.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:02.14,0:05:07.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Another key way that Metro Exodus achieves\Nimmersion is by forcing you to be more aware
Dialogue: 0,0:05:07.81,0:05:10.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of your surroundings and your status.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:10.20,0:05:15.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It does this, in part, by asking you to constantly\Nfix stuff.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:15.07,0:05:18.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So your gas mask needs its filter replaced\Nevery few minutes.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:18.93,0:05:22.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And any cracks and holes in the glass have\Nto be patched up.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:22.01,0:05:26.72,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You’ve got a gas-powered rifle, and you\Nneed to physically pump it by hand to keep
Dialogue: 0,0:05:26.72,0:05:27.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,using it.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:27.74,0:05:31.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Your guns have to be regularly cleaned, or\Nelse they’ll jam in the heat of battle.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:31.81,0:05:36.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Your electrical gear, like your headlamp and\Nnight vision goggles, has to be charged by
Dialogue: 0,0:05:36.27,0:05:38.52,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,hand crank when the power runs low.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:38.52,0:05:42.31,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And your health doesn’t regenerate, so you\Nneed to patch yourself up with medkits.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:42.31,0:05:47.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s this sort of regular personal maintenance\Nthat means you must always be thinking about
Dialogue: 0,0:05:47.34,0:05:49.71,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,your character and your needs.
Dialogue: 0,0:05:49.71,0:05:53.88,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,We generally see this sort of gameplay in\Nsurvival games, where you are constantly losing
Dialogue: 0,0:05:53.88,0:05:58.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,energy and becoming more hungry - and by having\Nto always think where your next meal will
Dialogue: 0,0:05:58.16,0:06:01.27,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,come from, you become more immersed in the\Nsituation.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:01.27,0:06:05.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I’d argue, however, that a lot of these\Ngames do go too far.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:05.92,0:06:10.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,These meters bottom out so quickly that you\Nend up just fretting about running out of
Dialogue: 0,0:06:10.11,0:06:11.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,energy all the time.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:11.51,0:06:15.50,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And now you’re no longer thinking about\Nthe world as a real place, but a collection
Dialogue: 0,0:06:15.50,0:06:19.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of The Sims-style meters that always need\Nto be topped up.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:19.93,0:06:25.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Exodus takes a much lighter touch: Artyom\Nnever needs to eat a sandwich or go to the toilet, and
Dialogue: 0,0:06:25.97,0:06:29.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the only punishment for letting something\Nbreak is a momentary setback.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:29.05,0:06:34.84,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it’s enough of a concern to occupy some\Nspace in your mind, and make you more aware
Dialogue: 0,0:06:34.84,0:06:36.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,of yourself.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:36.54,0:06:39.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Same goes for the harsh resource scarcity.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:39.19,0:06:42.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You are regularly running out of ammo in this\Ngame, to the point where you count your bullets
Dialogue: 0,0:06:42.97,0:06:46.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,before every engagement because you need to\Nbe sure you have enough ammo to make it out
Dialogue: 0,0:06:46.95,0:06:47.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,alive.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:47.95,0:06:51.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Maybe it’s better to just let the enemies\Nwalk past.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:51.04,0:06:55.63,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can craft stuff, as I said, but there\Nare limitations here as well.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:55.63,0:06:59.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This is not a game where you can sellotape\Ntogether a helicopter, after all.
Dialogue: 0,0:06:59.76,0:07:06.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, for one, Metro Exodus only has two crafting\Nresources: metal and chemical.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:06.29,0:07:09.93,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And because everything comes from the same\Nsource, you’re constantly having to make
Dialogue: 0,0:07:09.93,0:07:12.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,decisions about where to spend your scrap.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:12.48,0:07:18.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Do you make health packs? Or ammo? Or filters? Or grenades? You can’t have everything.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:18.19,0:07:23.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And, also, Metro limits the things you can\Ncraft based on your location.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:23.32,0:07:27.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because while you can piece together bullets\Nwhen you’re at a crafting workbench, the
Dialogue: 0,0:07:27.32,0:07:32.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,only ammo you can make when out and about\Nis ball bearings for your pneumatic gun.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:32.06,0:07:36.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So you have to think ahead about what you’ll\Nneed to carry with you.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:36.10,0:07:40.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The main way that Exodus makes you more aware\Nof your surroundings, is by not doing what
Dialogue: 0,0:07:40.89,0:07:46.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,most open world games do - which is filling\Nyour map with icons and question marks and
Dialogue: 0,0:07:46.73,0:07:48.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,tiny points of interest.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:48.56,0:07:54.19,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,No. In Exodus, your map is empty (outside of your\Nmission marker) and it’s up to you to fill
Dialogue: 0,0:07:54.19,0:07:55.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it up.
Dialogue: 0,0:07:55.26,0:07:59.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can do this by getting somewhere high,\Npulling out your binoculars, and focusing
Dialogue: 0,0:07:59.38,0:08:02.59,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,the lens on curious locations.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:02.59,0:08:08.41,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,When you actually reach that location, though, Exodus\Nis - again - very different to your usual
Dialogue: 0,0:08:08.41,0:08:10.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,open world game.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:10.09,0:08:16.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, the third way that Exodus lures you into\Nits world, is by never giving you full information
Dialogue: 0,0:08:16.34,0:08:17.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,about what’s going on.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:17.78,0:08:23.10,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You see, when you play something like Rage\N2, it will tell you exactly what each area
Dialogue: 0,0:08:23.10,0:08:26.90,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,on the map is as soon as you get within 100\Nmetres.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:26.90,0:08:29.01,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In this case, it’s a bandit camp.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:29.01,0:08:34.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so, just like the 20-or-so other bandit\Ncamps in the world, you know that this location
Dialogue: 0,0:08:34.17,0:08:37.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,has a number of bad guys that you need to\Nkill.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:37.11,0:08:42.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It even tells you what resources you can find\Nthere, because who doesn’t like checklists?
Dialogue: 0,0:08:42.69,0:08:49.15,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But Metro Exodus gains a great deal by not\Ntelling you this information about its world.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:49.15,0:08:53.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So, here, I came across a wrecked airplane\Nhangar.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:53.60,0:08:59.60,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Outside, I found and killed a flying gargoyle\Nmutant.
Dialogue: 0,0:08:59.60,0:09:04.97,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Then I went inside, and found a bunch of monsters\N- only to suddenly hear a bunch of bandits
Dialogue: 0,0:09:04.97,0:09:07.03,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,pull up outside and start shouting at me.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:07.03,0:09:11.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I then fought them off, until one gave up\Nand surrended.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:11.46,0:09:16.04,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I didn’t know exactly what was happening and I didn’t know what to expect.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:16.04,0:09:18.51,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And I didn’t know if I would be rewarded\Nfor my efforts.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:18.51,0:09:23.83,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I just had to become fully immersed in the experience\Nat hand.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:23.83,0:09:28.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Because when developers have systems in their\Ngame, it’s really up to them how much they
Dialogue: 0,0:09:28.89,0:09:30.77,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reveal to the player.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:30.77,0:09:36.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Games like Rage 2 and Far Cry New Dawn are\Nextremely open - but more immersive games
Dialogue: 0,0:09:36.48,0:09:41.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,can withhold that information, and keep you\Nfrom ever being able to predict what will
Dialogue: 0,0:09:41.02,0:09:42.20,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,happen next.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:42.20,0:09:47.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Like, when enemies surrender, you’re left\Nasking… what happens if you leave them?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:47.36,0:09:50.30,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Will they sneak up behind your back? Or run away?
Dialogue: 0,0:09:50.30,0:09:53.73,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,What happens if you kill them? You just don’t know.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:53.73,0:09:55.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Here’s another story.
Dialogue: 0,0:09:55.37,0:10:00.79,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,There was a time in the Caspian area where\NI got ambushed by roving bandits in a truck,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:00.79,0:10:04.17,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and was plunged into a frantic, dusty firefight.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:04.17,0:10:08.99,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then a short while later I slept in a\Nsafe house, only to be woken up by enemies
Dialogue: 0,0:10:08.99,0:10:10.74,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,surrounding me outside.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:10.74,0:10:16.58,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I genuinely still have no idea whether these\Nwere scripted events, or systemic moments
Dialogue: 0,0:10:16.58,0:10:17.68,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,driven by the AI.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:17.68,0:10:23.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it doesn’t matter because the effect\Nwas the same: they were surprising, unpredictable,
Dialogue: 0,0:10:23.67,0:10:26.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and anxiety-inducing moments.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:26.61,0:10:30.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Compare that to something like a scavenger\Nin Far Cry New Dawn.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:30.13,0:10:34.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,They’ve got an icon over their head, and\Na tool tip in the corner of the screen, and
Dialogue: 0,0:10:34.80,0:10:39.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,it’s immediately obvious that this is a\Ndistinct, authored chunk of content that will
Dialogue: 0,0:10:39.45,0:10:42.09,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,be repeated over and over again.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:42.09,0:10:44.02,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It feels gamey and inauthentic.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:44.02,0:10:47.69,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,As always, there’s a balance to strike.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:47.69,0:10:53.44,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,some games end up being so withholding about\Ntheir systems that they are completely impenetrable.
Dialogue: 0,0:10:53.44,0:10:58.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And players need a certain amount of information\Nand predicability to make effective plans
Dialogue: 0,0:10:58.40,0:11:00.67,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and play with intentionality.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:00.67,0:11:04.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So it’s not just about being completely\Nrandom - it’s about stopping players from
Dialogue: 0,0:11:04.91,0:11:10.36,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ever finding the edges of the simulation.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:10.36,0:11:12.86,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The final element, is player reactivity.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:12.86,0:11:18.43,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,I think the most believable and immersive\Ngame worlds, are the ones that most effectively
Dialogue: 0,0:11:18.43,0:11:21.45,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,react to your presence and decisions.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:21.45,0:11:24.26,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Metro Exodus certainly has a bunch of this.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:24.26,0:11:28.80,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,You can holster your gun as you approach people,\Nand they’ll realise that - and some will
Dialogue: 0,0:11:28.80,0:11:30.07,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,appreciate it.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:30.07,0:11:34.49,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And choosing to save characters, like slaves\Nand captured prisoners, can have consequences
Dialogue: 0,0:11:34.49,0:11:35.61,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,later on.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:35.61,0:11:40.05,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,In one section in the Volga I saved some people,\Nand got given a key.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:40.05,0:11:44.98,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And then, later, I used that key to unlock\Na door in some flooded train station to find
Dialogue: 0,0:11:44.98,0:11:47.14,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,a pair of night vision goggles.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:47.14,0:11:53.48,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,That felt amazing, and the goggles became\Na powerful reminder of one of my wasteland stories.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:53.48,0:11:58.13,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Exodus also has characters who ask you to\Nfind stuff for them, like a guitar or a lost
Dialogue: 0,0:11:58.13,0:11:59.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,teddy bear.
Dialogue: 0,0:11:59.22,0:12:03.34,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This doesn’t turn into a checklist in your\Nquest log, and there’s rarely a tangible
Dialogue: 0,0:12:03.34,0:12:05.08,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,reward for your actions.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:05.08,0:12:09.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But the way the game reacts to your kindness\Nwith heartfelt character moments makes it
Dialogue: 0,0:12:09.91,0:12:12.78,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,totally worth going out of your way.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:12.78,0:12:17.95,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,This all plays into the morality system, which\Nis one of the weaker elements of Metro Exodus.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:17.95,0:12:23.56,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s one of those systems where it weighs\Nup your quote unquote good and bad actions,
Dialogue: 0,0:12:23.56,0:12:27.32,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,and then plays a good or bad ending cutscene\Ndepending.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:27.32,0:12:32.54,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And the bad ending will probably get canonically\Nbinned by the next game in the series.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:32.54,0:12:37.55,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And so there are games that do player reactivity\Nbetter than Metro, and I’ll come to them
Dialogue: 0,0:12:37.55,0:12:38.64,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in the future.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:38.64,0:12:43.91,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,But it’s an important part of immersion,\Nand definitely worth talking about.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:43.91,0:12:48.40,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,So Metro Exodus shows four key ways to make\Na game feel immersive.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:48.40,0:12:54.11,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It keeps things grounded by having all of\Nyour interactions be physical, tactile, and
Dialogue: 0,0:12:54.11,0:12:55.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,in-world.
Dialogue: 0,0:12:55.46,0:13:00.37,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It asks you to be hyper aware of your existence\Nin the world, by asking you to maintain your
Dialogue: 0,0:13:00.37,0:13:04.16,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,equipment, and scout ahead with your binoculars.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:04.16,0:13:08.29,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It withholds information about the game’s\Nunderlying systems, so feel like you never
Dialogue: 0,0:13:08.29,0:13:11.12,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,quite know what will be around the next corner.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:11.12,0:13:16.66,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And it reacts to you, by commenting on, rewarding,\Nand remembering your actions.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:16.66,0:13:21.46,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,The immersive thrills of Metro are about more\Nthan just the realistic graphics, the cracking
Dialogue: 0,0:13:21.46,0:13:25.94,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,sound design, or the fact that you can play\Nwith Russian voice acting turned on.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:25.94,0:13:29.92,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,ANNA: *Speaking Russian*
Dialogue: 0,0:13:30.00,0:13:33.76,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,And there’s more to it than the simple fact\Nthat the game is first person, and the main
Dialogue: 0,0:13:33.77,0:13:35.89,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,character doesn’t speak.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:35.89,0:13:40.47,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Those are all important, but it’s these\Ndesign decisions that - together - mean Metro
Dialogue: 0,0:13:40.47,0:13:43.81,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Exodus feels like more than a game.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:43.81,0:13:49.70,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,It’s a harrowing, unknowable, uncharted\Nplace that you travel to.
Dialogue: 0,0:13:52.26,0:13:54.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Hey, thanks for watching!
Dialogue: 0,0:13:54.22,0:14:01.22,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,Remember that the GMTK Game Jam begins in\NAugust - and full details will be coming next month.
Dialogue: 0,0:14:01.22,0:14:08.06,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,GMTK is paid for by fans who support the show\Non Patreon.com, and I massively appreciate
Dialogue: 0,0:14:08.06,0:14:13.38,Default,,0000,0000,0000,,everyone who supports the show - no matter\Nhow much, or how long they give for!