Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com Joystiq http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/http://www.joystiq.com/media/feedlogo.gif Joystiq http://www.joystiq.com en-us Copyright 2013 Weblogs, Inc. The contents of this feed are available for non-commercial use only. Blogsmith http://www.blogsmith.com/<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light gets season pass, first DLC in June]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/metro-last-light-puts-season-pass-in-the-spotlight-first-dlc-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/metro-last-light-puts-season-pass-in-the-spotlight-first-dlc-i/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/22/metro-last-light-puts-season-pass-in-the-spotlight-first-dlc-i/#comments Metro: Last Light developer 4A Games is planning to release four different content packs throughout the summer, all bundled together today in a season pass available on Xbox Live, PSN and Steam for 1200 MS Points ($15).

The Faction and Chronicle packs are the first listed, each aimed at continuing the single-player story of Metro: Last Light. Faction is due first, in June. The Tower pack will be aimed at Metro veterans, offering "a unique solo challenge." Finally, the Developer pack aims to offer some additional tools aiding in exploration. All season pass purchases will also unlock an exclusive semi-automatic shotgun rifle, while each piece of DLC will be available for individual purchase.

Metro: Last Light launched on May 14, with our review placing it in the company of another story-driven shooter, Half-Life. The game was originally set to be published by THQ, but after the studio's fall Deep Silver came in and acquired the game.

Continue reading Metro: Last Light gets season pass, first DLC in June

JoystiqMetro: Last Light gets season pass, first DLC in June originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 22 May 2013 15:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silverdlckoch-mediametro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxWed, 22 May 2013 15:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light shines in this week's UK charts]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/metro-last-light-shines-in-this-weeks-uk-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/metro-last-light-shines-in-this-weeks-uk-charts/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/20/metro-last-light-shines-in-this-weeks-uk-charts/#comments It's another familiar week of UK cha-... oh wait, it isn't.

After Dead Island: Riptide sliced through its competition for three weeks, this time it's dethroned by another follow-up in the form of Metro: Last Light. By debuting in top spot, it does what Metro 2033 failed to do when it placed fifth in 2010.

Chart-Track says Metro 2033 sold stronger than Last Light in its launch week. Back then, Metro 2033 was fighting March megatons like Final Fantasy 13, God of War 3, and Battlefield Bad Company 2. In contrast, May 2013 has been dead quiet - emphasis on dead.

Having said that, this week sees another new release in the top ten via Pokemon Mystery Dungeon: Gates to Infinity. The spinoff charts fourth this week. We expect the next 3DS Poke-game to do slightly better.

In other movers and shakers, Last Light only nudged Riptide into second place, making this week a 1-2 for Deep Silver and Koch Media. Tomb Raider drops out of the top five for the first time in its 11th week, slipping down to sixth. Meanwhile, Injustice: Gods Among Us and The Walking Dead (packaged retail edition) shuffle into eighth and seventh.

Continue reading Metro: Last Light shines in this week's UK charts

JoystiqMetro: Last Light shines in this week's UK charts originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 20 May 2013 07:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>chart-trackchart-track-weeklydeep-silverKoch-mediametro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3ukxboxMon, 20 May 2013 07:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light dev warns against changing FOV with coming patch]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/metro-last-light-dev-warns-against-changing-fov-with-coming-pat/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/metro-last-light-dev-warns-against-changing-fov-with-coming-pat/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/metro-last-light-dev-warns-against-changing-fov-with-coming-pat/#commentsMetro Last Light devs respond to field of view requests Metro: Last Light features a fixed field of view, and while we didn't have a problem with that, other players have. Developer 4A Games heard the feedback and has a fix in the next title update coming to Steam - but it comes with a warning. Changing the field of view could trigger a range of bugs, including breaking cut scene animations and decreasing game performance in general.

"We had considered offering three FOV pre-sets, but this would still require significant work to re-do every animation, adjust the HUD and UI and other seemingly small but incredibly time consuming tasks," 4A writes on the game's Steam discussion board. "Even with a wider but still fixed field of view, Artyom's hands would look too far away. We know - we tried."

4A is looking at other possible solutions, but for now the next title update's fix will have to do.

"This may well trigger a number of issues listed above - you have been warned!" 4A says.

JoystiqMetro: Last Light dev warns against changing FOV with coming patch originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 20:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesfield-of-viewfovmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightpatchpctitle-updateWed, 15 May 2013 20:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Ex-THQ president Rubin discusses cramped Metro working conditions]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ex-thq-president-rubin-discusses-terrible-metro-working-conditio/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ex-thq-president-rubin-discusses-terrible-metro-working-conditio/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/15/ex-thq-president-rubin-discusses-terrible-metro-working-conditio/#comments Former THQ president Jason Rubin has spoken about the struggles Metro: Last Light developer 4A Games went through to get its game to launch. In a post on GamesIndustry International, Rubin extolled the efforts of the Ukrainian studio, citing a relatively meager budget, cramped working conditions, and extreme logistical troubles as major adversities.

According to Rubin, the game's development budget was "less than some of its competitors spend on cut scenes, a mere 10 percent of the budget of its biggest competitors." That budget apparently didn't extend to swanky office equipment, with 4A's staff sat "elbow to elbow" at card tables and on folding chairs. Upon seeing 4A Games in person, Rubin wrote, he wanted to buy them proper office chairs, but the logistics were something else.

"When 4A needed another dev kit, or high-end PC, or whatever," Rubin wrote, "Someone from 4A had to fly to the States and sneak it back to the Ukraine in a backpack lest it be 'seized' at the border by thieving customs officials. After visiting the team I wanted to buy them Aeron office chairs, considered a fundamental human right in the west. There were no outlets in the Ukraine, and our only option was to pack a truck in Poland and try to find an 'expediter' to help bribe its way down to Kiev."

In the end, the offices were too cramped for the wider Aeron chairs anyway.

Continue reading Ex-THQ president Rubin discusses cramped Metro working conditions

JoystiqEx-THQ president Rubin discusses cramped Metro working conditions originally appeared on Joystiq on Wed, 15 May 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3thqxboxWed, 15 May 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Metareview: Metro - Last Light]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/metareview-metro-last-light/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/metareview-metro-last-light/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/14/metareview-metro-last-light/#comments
Metro: Last Light doesn't sound appetizing with its "suffocating despair" and "gnarled monstrosities," but it's that kind of loveliness that made Ludwig enthuse about the Metro 2033 follow-up in his four and a half stars review. He deemed Last Light "an unusual, meticulously detailed shooter inextricable from its environment."

Of course, Ludwig wasn't the only brave soul to delve into the underground sequel. Here are some other thoughts we dug up.
  • GamesRadar (90/100): "Subtlety is what makes Last Light such an exceptionally immersive game. It nails the core tenets of a shooter, then forces you to react to enemies in ways outside of simply taking cover. It plops you in a post-apocalyptic world, then fills it with tons of minor but substantial details, like the shadows of once-living people now permanently nuked into stone walls. It strips you of hope, only to dangle a tiny sliver of it ahead of you like a carrot on a stick."
  • Game Informer (88/100): "This sequel plays more like a shooter than its predecessor, but doesn't sacrifice its intricate narrative or creative vision in the process. Masochistic fans will appreciate the harder difficulties that recreate the grueling experience of the original, but no matter how you approach it, exploring Last Light's absorbing world is wholly entertaining."
  • Giant Bomb (80/100): "By its very nature of being a sequel, Last Light doesn't feel as fresh as Metro 2033 did, but there's still nothing else like it. Few games generate immersion through gameplay and transport you to their world the way Metro does."
  • Eurogamer (70/100): "Metro: Last Light is not a bad game, but nor is it a good one in quite the same sense as its predecessor. Metro 2033 was flawed but trying to do its own thing. If anything, Last Light feels like a regression. Similarities abound, but this is a more conservative FPS, one looking at the competition rather than itself, and one with some terrible missteps. So go in with low expectations, and you might be pleasantly surprised."

JoystiqMetareview: Metro - Last Light originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 14 May 2013 08:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxTue, 14 May 2013 08:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro Last Light review: Tunnel vision]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/05/13/metro-last-light-review/#comments There is so much suffocating despair in Metro: Last Light. The world is irradiated rubble, blanketed in noxious fumes and trampled by gnarled monstrosities. Humans that remain must huddle underfoot, eking out lives in Moscow's underground railways. But the worst thing, the cruelest twist, the darkest dick move of the apocalypse, is that millions die and the accordion still makes it.

If not its purpose, I have to respect the accordion's presence in Metro: Last Light. You can listen to the instrument's musical wheezing as part of a show put on in a dilapidated theater, one of several populated hubs you'll visit in your trek through the tunnels of Moscow. If you opt out of the game's scavenging and shooting for a few moments, there's an entire show to take in. It has all the awkwardness and earnestness of a production that only needs to be less bleak than its surroundings.

Last Light, much like predecessor Metro 2033, is a feat of obsessive, paradoxical world-building - you believe this as a place that has been demolished, poisoned and forced to retreat into claustrophobic hovels. There are glimmers of recuperating life in these bastions, most of all in Metro's stunning sewer-bound equivalent of Venice. The town layouts are noticeably linear, in part because there isn't much room for subterranean sprawl, and because the game spends all its money on the critical path. To explore is to linger, listen and look; and that's fine.

Gallery: Metro: Last Light (5/13/13)

Continue reading Metro Last Light review: Tunnel vision

JoystiqMetro Last Light review: Tunnel vision originally appeared on Joystiq on Mon, 13 May 2013 15:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxMon, 13 May 2013 15:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light on Steam includes Metro 2033 e-book]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/metro-last-light-on-steam-includes-metro-2033-e-book/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/metro-last-light-on-steam-includes-metro-2033-e-book/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/27/metro-last-light-on-steam-includes-metro-2033-e-book/#comments Metro 2033 was a prominent post-apocalyptic novel from Russian author Dmitry Glukhovsky before it inspired 4A Games' shooter. Making up for the lost marketing opportunity of the first game, sequel Metro: Last Light will include a free copy of the Metro 2033 novel with all PC purchases authenticated through Steam.

The story of Metro: Last Light was provided by Glukhovsky, who has also created two written sequels to his acclaimed original work. Metro: Last Light is being developed by 4A Games and published by Deep Silver, who acquired the rights after the collapse of THQ.

Continue reading Metro: Last Light on Steam includes Metro 2033 e-book

JoystiqMetro: Last Light on Steam includes Metro 2033 e-book originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 27 Apr 2013 02:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silverdmitry-glukhovskymetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightpcsteamSat, 27 Apr 2013 02:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Deep Silver clarifies Metro: Last Light PS4, SDK reports]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/deep-silver-clarifies-metro-last-light-ps4-sdk-reports/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/deep-silver-clarifies-metro-last-light-ps4-sdk-reports/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/26/deep-silver-clarifies-metro-last-light-ps4-sdk-reports/#comments

Andrew Prokhorov, creative director on Metro: Last Light at developer 4A Games, recently had the nuance of his words lost in translation, according to publisher Deep Silver. The ITCChannel interview allegedly shook out details about a version of Metro: Last Light for PS4, the release of a software development kit (SDK) for Metro and downloadable content details.

"It is no secret that 4A Games do want to release an SDK for Metro, finish the extremely promising multiplayer component and release this in some form, and investigate a PlayStation 4 version provided it makes commercial sense," a Deep Silver representative informed Joystiq. "Although no development has started on any next-gen console versions [of Metro: Last Light]. We have confirmed these hopes and ideas plenty of times before."

The statement continues, "However, all these ideas are just ideas at the moment. It will be some time before we can officially commit to any of these projects or suggest when they might materialize. They genuinely might all happen, but equally none of them might happen. Anyone expecting Metro: Last Light as a PS4 launch game is probably going to be disappointed..."

Deep Silver plans on confirming details about Metro: Last Light DLC in the near future. Pick up Last Light on May 14.

JoystiqDeep Silver clarifies Metro: Last Light PS4, SDK reports originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxFri, 26 Apr 2013 12:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light included with select GeForce GTX cards]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/metro-last-light-included-with-select-geforce-gtx-cards/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/metro-last-light-included-with-select-geforce-gtx-cards/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/19/metro-last-light-included-with-select-geforce-gtx-cards/#comments If you're in the market for a new graphics card, Nvidia is hoping to entice you with a special promotion. Those who purchase an Nvidia GeForce GTX 660 or above will also get a free download of Metro: Last Light when it launches this May. The deal is available via many online retailers, though it looks like Micro Center is the only physical retailer to offer the promotion. A full list can be found here.

In other graphical news, publisher Deep Silver has revealed the PC specs required to play Metro: Last Light, and the good news is you won't need that GeForce GTX 660. Baseline specs bottom out at the Nvidia GTS 250 or AMD Radeon 4000 series. See the full specs after the break. You can also automatically test your rig for compatibility right here.

Continue reading Metro: Last Light included with select GeForce GTX cards

JoystiqMetro: Last Light included with select GeForce GTX cards originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 19 Apr 2013 23:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightpcFri, 19 Apr 2013 23:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light trailer teaches us about the trouble out there]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/metro-last-light-trailer-teaches-us-about-the-trouble-out-there/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/metro-last-light-trailer-teaches-us-about-the-trouble-out-there/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/16/metro-last-light-trailer-teaches-us-about-the-trouble-out-there/#comments
This new Metro: Last Light trailer further explores both the human and monstrous elements to emerge in the game's hopeless, irradiated landscape.

JoystiqMetro: Last Light trailer teaches us about the trouble out there originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 16 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3wii-uxboxTue, 16 Apr 2013 13:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light trailer illuminates game world]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/metro-last-light-trailer-illuminates-game-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/metro-last-light-trailer-illuminates-game-world/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/04/09/metro-last-light-trailer-illuminates-game-world/#comments

For those who missed out on Metro 2033, this trailer is a primer of the game's world and explains that Metro isn't actually a post-apocalyptic train simulator. You know, in case you were confused.

JoystiqMetro: Last Light trailer illuminates game world originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 09 Apr 2013 10:15:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Deep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxTue, 09 Apr 2013 10:15:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light illuminates 'Salvation' trailer]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/metro-last-light-illuminates-salvation-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/metro-last-light-illuminates-salvation-trailer/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/19/metro-last-light-illuminates-salvation-trailer/#comments

Only darkness and things that go bump in the night lay hidden in the subway systems of Metro: Last Light. Sorry, we meant: only monsters and things that will give you bumps in the night are down there. Tickets to ride Metro: Last Light will be available this May.

JoystiqMetro: Last Light illuminates 'Salvation' trailer originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 19 Mar 2013 11:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdeep-silvermetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxTue, 19 Mar 2013 11:01:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light flickers in NA May 14, EU May 17]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/metro-last-light-flickers-in-na-may-14-eu-may-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/metro-last-light-flickers-in-na-may-14-eu-may-17/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/03/01/metro-last-light-flickers-in-na-may-14-eu-may-17/#comments Metro: Last Light is coming to North and Latin America on May 14, and Europe three days later on May 17, publisher Deep Silver announced this morning. The PS3, Xbox 360, and PC sequel to Metro 2033 was, last we heard, expected to be released this month, but that was always uncertain following original publisher THQ's troubles and the horror/shooter's acquirement by Deep Silver.

Continue reading Metro: Last Light flickers in NA May 14, EU May 17

JoystiqMetro: Last Light flickers in NA May 14, EU May 17 originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 01 Mar 2013 05:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4A-gamesdeep-silvereuropemetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftnorth-americapcplaystationps3release-datexboxFri, 01 Mar 2013 05:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro, other THQ games unavailable for Impulse pre-order due to 'uncertainty of delivery']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/metro-other-thq-games-unavailable-for-impulse-pre-order-due-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/metro-other-thq-games-unavailable-for-impulse-pre-order-due-to/http://www.joystiq.com/2013/01/18/metro-other-thq-games-unavailable-for-impulse-pre-order-due-to/#comments Pre-orders of the PC download version of Metro: Last Light have been removed from Impulse, GameStop's PC download service. In addition, no other upcoming THQ games are available from the service, though released games can still be purchased.

"Essentially, due to THQ's current financial situation and uncertainty of delivery, in order to protect our consumers we removed the ability to pre-purchase that specific game," GameStop vice president of public and investor relations Matt Hodges told GameSpot, referring to Metro.

Bids for the now bankrupt THQ's assets are due January 22. Either the company will be purchased outright, or its assets will be auctioned starting January 23.

Pre-orders of physical versions of Metro and other THQ games, for PC, PS3, and Xbox 360, remain active on GameStop.com. The removal currently only applies to PC downloads.

JoystiqMetro, other THQ games unavailable for Impulse pre-order due to 'uncertainty of delivery' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 18 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>metro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightpcFri, 18 Jan 2013 10:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro Last Light launch copies include Ranger Mode as 'Limited Edition']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/14/metro-last-light-launch-copies-include-ranger-mode-as-limited-e/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/14/metro-last-light-launch-copies-include-ranger-mode-as-limited-e/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/14/metro-last-light-launch-copies-include-ranger-mode-as-limited-e/#comments Metro Last Light launch copies include Ranger Mode as 'Limited Edition'If you pick up Metro: Last Light promptly upon its March release rather than waiting for a free copy from Facebook, you'll be rewarded with some extra stuff. Launch copies of the game will be packaged as a "Limited Edition," with bonus Ranger Mode DLC and a "Ranger" loadout packed in. In the previous game, Ranger Mode meant less ammo and more damage.

Starting December 18, you'll be able to pre-order the LE on PS3 through the PlayStation Network - which really calls its limitedness into question - and get a free copy of Homefront and a Metro PSN theme. That's Metro: Last Light, not "Metro" the Microsoft UI, of course.

Continue reading Metro Last Light launch copies include Ranger Mode as 'Limited Edition'

JoystiqMetro Last Light launch copies include Ranger Mode as 'Limited Edition' originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 14 Dec 2012 10:35:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>limited-editionmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationpre-orderps3psnxboxFri, 14 Dec 2012 10:35:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light's Genesis trailer is sad, cheer up with free 2033]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/metro-last-lights-genesis-trailer-is-sad-cheer-up-with-free-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/metro-last-lights-genesis-trailer-is-sad-cheer-up-with-free-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/11/metro-last-lights-genesis-trailer-is-sad-cheer-up-with-free-2/#comments

Metro: Last Light's title is slightly misleading, since there's really nothing "light" about the game at all, at least according to the latest grim, Bible-quoting trailer. Hey, we never liked being happy anyway.

Along with that uplifting video, THQ is offering a free Steam key for Last Light's predecessor, Metro: 2033, to each person who "likes" the Metro Facebook page from December 11 - 16, while supplies last. There's only so much room in the THQ digital vault, after all.

Continue reading Metro: Last Light's Genesis trailer is sad, cheer up with free 2033

JoystiqMetro: Last Light's Genesis trailer is sad, cheer up with free 2033 originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 11 Dec 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>freeGenesismetro-2033metro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3THQtrailerxboxTue, 11 Dec 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light live-action trailer has a distant past]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/01/metro-last-light-live-action-trailer-has-a-distant-past/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/01/metro-last-light-live-action-trailer-has-a-distant-past/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/12/01/metro-last-light-live-action-trailer-has-a-distant-past/#comments
This trailer for Metro: Last Light features real actors coping with their loss of identity in the series' post-apocalyptic version of Moscow. The game is expected to arrive in March 2013 for PS3, Xbox 360 and PC.

JoystiqMetro: Last Light live-action trailer has a distant past originally appeared on Joystiq on Sat, 01 Dec 2012 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gameslive-actionmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3THQtrailerxboxSat, 01 Dec 2012 10:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light dev removes multiplayer, focusing resources on single-player]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/metro-last-light-dev-removes-multiplayer-focusing-resources-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/metro-last-light-dev-removes-multiplayer-focusing-resources-on/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/10/12/metro-last-light-dev-removes-multiplayer-focusing-resources-on/#comments Metro: Last Light will no longer include a multiplayer component when it launches early next year, developer 4A Games announced today on the game's official blog. Multiplayer had previously been revealed soon after the game's 2011 announcement, something the blog notes was "probably a mistake."

"Throughout the development of Metro: Last Light a small, dedicated team had been working on a number of multiplayer prototypes," the entry reads. "After E3, we decided to fold this multiplayer team back into the main group and focus 100% of the studio's resources on the single player campaign. As a result, Metro: Last Light will not ship with a multiplayer component." 4A Games believes that the game's single-player campaign is "what the fanbase cares about the most."

Whether multiplayer will be added post-launch as DLC or an update is uncertain. "Right now we're 100% focused on the single player campaign and not thinking beyond that. We don't like throwing away work though, it's a project we could potentially return to after Metro: Last Light ships."

Gallery: Metro: Last Light (E3 2012)

JoystiqMetro: Last Light dev removes multiplayer, focusing resources on single-player originally appeared on Joystiq on Fri, 12 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftmultiplayernintendopcplaystationps3THQwii-uxboxFri, 12 Oct 2012 22:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Creep through Metro: Last Light's 13-minute gameplay demo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/creep-through-metro-last-lights-13-minute-gameplay-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/creep-through-metro-last-lights-13-minute-gameplay-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/07/17/creep-through-metro-last-lights-13-minute-gameplay-demo/#comments
When we visited THQ's E3 2012 private meeting rooms, small-ish areas were cordoned off for intimate engagements with each of the publisher's games: Metro: Last Light, Company of Heroes 2, and Darksiders 2. Rather than seeing the games on the dance club-esque show floor, THQ employees slowly and calmly lead attendees through demos, which certainly helped me to get a better grasp on the finer nuances of each game.

I mention this because the Last Light gameplay seen above is what THQ showed during E3, and it was super creepy. Do yourself a favor and snag some headphones, turn out the lights, and watch this alone.

JoystiqCreep through Metro: Last Light's 13-minute gameplay demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 17 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamese3-2012gameplaymetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3thqxboxTue, 17 Jul 2012 13:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light is not a Wii U title for now, THQ confirms]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/29/metro-last-light-is-not-a-wii-u-title-for-now-thq-confirms/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/29/metro-last-light-is-not-a-wii-u-title-for-now-thq-confirms/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/29/metro-last-light-is-not-a-wii-u-title-for-now-thq-confirms/#comments ImageMetro: Last Light is not in development for Wii U, THQ global brand manager Mark Madsen told Digital Spy.

Last Light was included in a Nintendo promo reel for the Wii U at E3 last year, a move Madsen said wasn't premature. "No I don't think it was a bit too early [to show the game at E3]," he said. "As we got along in the development process, we just really wanted to focus on what we knew, focus on PS3, 360 and PC."

Last Light may not hit Wii U, but if it does "it won't sim-ship with the other SKUs." At the moment THQ and developer 4A Games are unsure about "what we can do to maximise the code for the Wii U," Madsen said.

JoystiqMetro: Last Light is not a Wii U title for now, THQ confirms originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 29 May 2012 15:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftnintendopcplaystationps3THQwii-uxboxTue, 29 May 2012 15:30:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light live-action trailer counts down to armageddon]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/metro-last-lights-latest-live-action-trailer-counts-down-to-ar/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/metro-last-lights-latest-live-action-trailer-counts-down-to-ar/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/05/24/metro-last-lights-latest-live-action-trailer-counts-down-to-ar/#comments Image
In Metro 2033, we saw the effects of nuclear war 20 years out. In Metro: Last Light's latest trailer, we see that world ending, missiles and all. We'll thankfully have lots of time to prepare for the apocalypse given the game's recent delay into 2013.

JoystiqMetro: Last Light live-action trailer counts down to armageddon originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 24 May 2012 11:45:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gameslive-actionmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3thqxboxThu, 24 May 2012 11:45:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light delayed to first quarter of 2013]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/metro-last-light-delayed-to-q1-2013/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/metro-last-light-delayed-to-q1-2013/http://www.joystiq.com/2012/02/02/metro-last-light-delayed-to-q1-2013/#comments Your return to Russia's subway system has been postponed until Q1 2013 (THQ's fiscal Q4). THQ's third-quarter financial earnings report revealed the new launch window for Metro: Last Light, the follow-up to 4A Games' claustrophobic, survivalist shooter from 2010.

You can read our impressions of the promising sequel right here, or catch up on some in-game footage.

JoystiqMetro: Last Light delayed to first quarter of 2013 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 02 Feb 2012 17:08:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesdelaymetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3q1-2013thqxboxThu, 02 Feb 2012 17:08:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light screens creep into TGS 2011]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/15/metro-last-light-screens-creep-into-tgs-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/15/metro-last-light-screens-creep-into-tgs-2011/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/09/15/metro-last-light-screens-creep-into-tgs-2011/#comments If there's one thing we've learned in this life, it's that you shouldn't ever go underground.

Continue reading Metro: Last Light screens creep into TGS 2011

JoystiqMetro: Last Light screens creep into TGS 2011 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 15 Sep 2011 19:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>2k-gamesmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3xboxThu, 15 Sep 2011 19:55:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro 2033: Last Light E3 demo continues with underground train caper]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/metro-2033-last-light-e3-demo-continues-with-underground-train/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/metro-2033-last-light-e3-demo-continues-with-underground-train/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/08/11/metro-2033-last-light-e3-demo-continues-with-underground-train/#comments
When last we left the protagonists of Metro 2033: Last Light, they were knee-deep in the crummiest attempt at stealth ever. In this, the third installment of the game's E3 demo, they've exchanged their feeble sneakiness for far more noticeable acrobatic feats. Also: There's a murder train.

JoystiqMetro 2033: Last Light E3 demo continues with underground train caper originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:20:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3thqxboxThu, 11 Aug 2011 21:20:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light E3 demo rallies back for part 2]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/metro-last-light-e3-demo-rallies-back-for-part-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/metro-last-light-e3-demo-rallies-back-for-part-2/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/28/metro-last-light-e3-demo-rallies-back-for-part-2/#comments
In the second part of Metro: Last Light's E3 demo, players are treated to what we're sure is a rousing Russian speech. Well, we're sure it's Russian, at least. Some of the rousing appears to be external to the speech.

Continue reading Metro: Last Light E3 demo rallies back for part 2

JoystiqMetro: Last Light E3 demo rallies back for part 2 originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 28 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4a-gamesmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightpcplaystationps3thqThu, 28 Jul 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[See two minutes of Metro: Last Light's E3 demo]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/see-two-minutes-of-metro-last-lights-e3-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/see-two-minutes-of-metro-last-lights-e3-demo/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/07/14/see-two-minutes-of-metro-last-lights-e3-demo/#comments We know that not all of you have played Metro 2033, which, despite its problems, is still one of last year's best games. We get it. There are absolutely some janky flies in that otherwise delicious soup, and some of you just don't have a strong enough stomach. It's fine.

But after watching the above two minutes of pre-alpha gameplay (the first in a three-part series) from follow-up Metro: Last Light, it looks like this may be a stew that you won't be able to resist slurping down. Just look at the physics when Artyom shoots the pot! You can practically feel the soup sloshing out of it!

In closing, who's ready for lunch?

JoystiqSee two minutes of Metro: Last Light's E3 demo originally appeared on Joystiq on Thu, 14 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>Metro-2033metro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationps3soupthqxboxThu, 14 Jul 2011 14:00:00 EST<![CDATA[Metro: Last Light preview: Once more, with feeling]]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/metro-last-light-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/metro-last-light-preview/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/05/31/metro-last-light-preview/#comments THQ's Huw Beynon (that's pronounced "Hugh" by the way) calls last year's Metro 2033 "a flawed masterpiece." The Ukranian-developed shooter somehow managed to over-deliver on some of the rarest components and fail on the most obvious one; a mountain of wonderful flourishes toppled by a clumsy and downright bad combat system. 4A Games nailed the bleak, post-apocalyptic tone, coupled it with survival horror-esque resource management (like the necessity to monitor your gas mask filters), and layered in home-brewed weapons like the pneumatic shotgun which you pressurize, air pump-style. What it failed to do in 2033 was to make the combat compelling ... at all.

So when Beynon calls it a "flawed masterpiece" that's what he's talking about. To correct this in the sequel, dubbed Metro: Last Light, the team at 4A has "rebuilt all of the gameplay systems from the ground up" meaning "better stealth, better weapons and core combat." If you're worried that this change might upset the original game's unique tone, like I was, Beynon says that's not their intention. "We don't want to dumb this down, or westernize it," he said. "We're giving the studio complete creative freedom to tell the apocalypse their way." THQ and 4A are avoiding the desire to follow the usual sequel route and "dial it up to 11."

Since novelist Dmitry Glukhovsky's original sequel to Metro 2033, titled cleverly enough Metro 2034, didn't follow the same story, the team at 4A opted to handle writing duties in-house. "It's an original story that leads on from the end of 2033," Beynon told us. "The author of the original book actually wrote a pseudo-followup called 2034 which is a very different style of book entirely. He kind of describes it as an art-house thriller where the first one was perfect material for a video game." So instead, we're back in the Moscow Metro as Artyom, the unassuming protagonist from the first game.

Gallery: Metro: Last Light (PC/360/PS3)

Continue reading Metro: Last Light preview: Once more, with feeling

JoystiqMetro: Last Light preview: Once more, with feeling originally appeared on Joystiq on Tue, 31 May 2011 12:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>4A-Gamese3-2011huw-beynonmetro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034metro-last-lightmicrosoftpcplaystationpre-e3-2011ps3THQxboxTue, 31 May 2011 12:30:00 EST<![CDATA[THQ registers domains for 'Metro 2033 Last Light']]>http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/thq-registers-domains-for-metro-2033-last-light/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/thq-registers-domains-for-metro-2033-last-light/http://www.joystiq.com/2011/04/17/thq-registers-domains-for-metro-2033-last-light/#comments The in-development sequel to Metro 2033 might not be called "Metro 2034," as we'd previously heard. Superannuation has found some domain registrations by THQ referring to something called "Metro 2033 Last Light."

Though THQ does have a predilection toward "transmedia" adaptations of its game properties (and the Metro one, of course, is already adapted from the books), it seems safe to guess this title is being used for a game, since one of the registrations is "lastlightgame.com." The others include metro2033lastlight.com and metrolastlight.com.

It seems most likely that the "Metro 2033 Last Light" title refers to the sequel, but there are other possibilities. Perhaps THQ is planning to use it for a downloadable Metro companion game on the order of Red Faction: Battlegrounds -- hopefully not one exactly like Red Faction: Battlegrounds.

JoystiqTHQ registers domains for 'Metro 2033 Last Light' originally appeared on Joystiq on Sun, 17 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

Permalink | Email this | Comments]]>domain-registrationmetro-2033metro-2033-last-lightmetro-2034microsoftpcplaystationps3thqxboxSun, 17 Apr 2011 17:00:00 EST