14 DAY TRIAL // Despite the sales success, publisher THQ has handled the Metro franchise badly and has plans to offer more support for the post-apocalyptic shooter on its second outing and capitalize on the launch of the upcoming Metro: Last Light.
Huw Beynon, who is the leader of the communications on the Metro franchise, has told Ausgamer that, “I think we said last time around, on Metro 2033, that THQ came to realise a little too late, that it had this unpolished gem on its hands.”
He added, “And for whatever reason, that meant that the first game didn’t quite get the production support from THQ that could have raised the polish and quality level a little bit. It obviously didn’t get the lasting support at the same time, but despite that, it went on to become a significant success – it’s referred to as a cult-hit still.”
Despite the image of an indie game, Metro has managed to sell more than 1 million units on the PC and even more on home consoles.
THQ has understood the requirements of the 4A Games team working on Metro: Last Light and has given them both the time and the resources they needed to polish their title, a big move considering the difficult business position that the publisher is in.
Metro: Last Light picks up after the events of the first game in the series and will see the player move to the surface as he explores a post-apocalyptic Moscow and faces off against new mutated threats.
The core mechanics of the original, including bullets as money, will return with the team also promising improvements when it comes to the firefight sequences.
At the moment Metro: Last Light is being prepared for an early 2013 launch on the PC, the PlayStation 3 and the Xbox 360, but a delay is always a possibility.