metro : Last Light (analysis)
Metro : Last Light
a Game that fulfilling long term player goals
I’m the kind of player who test a lot of game, but have a tendency to drop them very fast.
However “Metro 2033” and “Metro : Last Light” was too good to be drop.
In this lines, I’m going to explain what kind of mechanics they have used in “Metro : Last Light” to engage me and other players from the beginning to the end.
It’s going to be long, here’s some shortcuts ; )
Story
First of all, the story is teasing the player all the time through various that scary, quiet, touching.
The game begin in a immersive and easy-to-use start menu.
The theme is exposed just before to start to tease the player :
"It will be dark and scary"
After the cutscene, the player is send right in the middle of the story, for a second teasing of what he must expect of the game.
The scenario switch often between calm, action and infiltration phases.
But sometime, it can also surprise the player with some new situations like vehicle phases.
Diversity of Gameplay
All is about of how the game control the rhythm of these phases to tease a little bit more the player.
Also, the game propose a diversity of gameplay ( pillars ) with different ways to reach the objective like various path or a stealthy approach besides the shooter approach.
A beautiful world
In Metro series, there is a big part of immersive concept.
Through beautiful landscape for sure, but also the faction system, the economic system
( bullets as money ) and the simplified, discreet and intradiegetic UI.
The technical part is great, in all aspects.
Image compositing, UI ( especifically HUD ), lighting, modeling, texturing, sound,...
All is awesome in all aspect of the realisation to create an beautiful and immersive world.
In an immersive game, the player is more implicated and want to know more about this universe.
Teasing and goal
Teasing create goals, in addition of the story.
In a simple way, in can represent a loop like this :
Long term goal
mid term goal
short term goal
short term goal
short term goal
short term goal
mid term goal
short term goal
short term goal
short term goal
short term goal
mid term goal
short term goal
short term goal
short term goal
The player, with the help of teasing, want to reach all of these objectives.
A short term goal
To open a safe, you have to find the key in the level where you are, it’s a short-term and optional goal.
This landmark is a mid term goal
In level design, we can place landmark to help the player to navigate through the map, but it can be also an objective to reach.
Long term goal
One of the long term goal is to find this creature. It’s a part of the story.
Pacing
In this game, the player can learn the AI and increase his skill to neutralize enemies.
But the most important is that you can unlock new weapons and accessories to improve your old guns.
Customizable weapon
The game use rewards mechanics to add rhythm in the game and involve the player.
Conclusion
To conclude, I think that the reason why “Metro : Last Light” succeed to engage players is a mix of all of these points.
This is also the reason why it was really hard for me to decompose all aspects and
mechanics : Scenario, Game Design, Level Design, Sound, Graphics… All are greatly linked together.
Because the game has great diversity of mechanics, places, story twist, memorable characters... the player is not bored and want constantly find out more about the next step of the story, the next weapon, the next environment and the next situation of gameplay.
The Forest
Skyrim