Back Into the Tunnels With ‘Metro: Last Light’ [Safe Room Podcast]

There are certain franchises whose name becomes synonymous with elements of their design that go above and beyond the status quo. Resident Evil; abstract puzzles and monstrous mutations. Silent Hill; psychological nightmares. And when it comes to the Metro series, few other horror series have crafted a world as immersive and rich with horrifying texture as 4A Games did with Metro: Last Light. 

While my first post-apocalyptic survival horror love will always be S.T.A.L.K.E.R.: Shadows of Chernobyl, Metro made a name for itself in a way that the open world of S.T.A.L.K.E.R. never could. Given the intimacy of metro’s environments (made possible by the first two games linearity), 4A Games created a world reflective of the history of its unique setting. This first-person exploration of humanity’s survival in the face of nuclear annihilation was far more sobering, given the player was essentially knee-deep within the bones of the old world. 

While the save the world (again) stakes of the Metro series have never interested me much, the world and those residing within it had far more engaging narratives. Going out of one’s way to explore every nook and cranny of the metro yields the reward of information, which would further the player’s understanding of the daily lives of metro citizens, the politics of the metro, and the rumors of what horrors lay waiting just outside their protective walls. 

So, for Metro: Last Light‘s 10th anniversary, Neil and I further unpacked the game’s approach to world-building, the immersive sim-like quality of combat, and why linearity is imperative to retaining Metro’s signature brand of storytelling.

Safe Room is a weekly horror video game discussion podcast with new episodes every Monday on

iTunes/Apple, Sticher, Spotify, Google Podcasts, and Linktree for additional streaming services. 

Feel free to follow the show and hosts on Twitter:

Safe Room | Neil | Jay

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