Metro Exodus Isn't Open-World, Here's Why

Deep Silver's Metro Exodus once again made a grand appearance during E3 2018 and fans were beyond stoked to see what the gorey survival horror game has in store. That being said, if you were hoping - despite them having previously mentioned no open-world - for an expansive environment to trudge through, you might have to scale those expectations back a bit. The horror game won't be open-world but that doesn't mean it's small, nor was that decision made lightly.

In a recent interview with our friends over at GamingBolt, Deep Silver's Huq Beynon opened up about why they decided against an open-world setting while also revealing the good news that there aren't any boring fetch quests.

"I think first and foremost we are creating a Metro game, and we spent a long time trying to get the formula right," Beynon told the site. "It still feels like a Metrogame. Metro fans expect that really strong story. And I think sometimes open world games can struggle to keep that sense of player urgency, and player narrative, if they're constantly distracted with side quests and missions. So we tried to find this hybrid that worked for Metro, that works for us. There's still a golden threat, critical path, and story threat to keep driving you forward."

But what about those that love to explore? They're staying true to that, absolutely, as Beynon's explains "All of the things that people love about more open environment. The freedom to explore, go off the beaten track; we have organically put that into the environment. You don't have these fetch quests, and side missions, and all this busy work. It's more exploration for its own sake. You make your way towards the objective, it's totally up to you if you want to explore. You might find what stories you might discover, what gear might be hid in there. So it's about finding that balance between a more open game and a natural game. We think we've given this a really unique hybrid feel."

Excited for the new adventure? Metro Exodus launches on February 22nd of next year.

You can also check out the full interview right here.