Metro 2033 Level Polis 2008 - 2010
Polis is the center of the Subway world, underground city. It was necessary to show that this is not an ordinary subway station, but an underground city, where the hero of the game wanted to get in. I decided to lay emphasis on the contrast between the dark tunnels and closed stations, where we used to be with a huge open space. Polis locates at the junction of four stations - Pokrovskaya, Arbatskaya, Alexander Garden, Library n.a. Lenin and I assumed that local residents could unite them through destruction of connecting tunnels and extending the adjacent space.
I wanted to display Polis as the capital of this underground world, where many people are meeting. Thus the idea was born to create a railroad station in Polis. I made it using the topics of Kiev railroad station in Moscow, where I used to come often from Kiev to Moscow when I was a kid. Kiev railroad station has memorable elements – glass arch dome with many metal constructions. That is how I decided to make the station in Polis.
Entry to Polis goes through a normal dark tunnel with a checkpoint. Right at the gate, I decided to place a defensive artillery battery like an armored train with a metal tower and canon. After that, the gates open and we get into a huge bright lounge with lots of bridges, station glass dome and multi-dwelling units. It is some kind of an underground city.
I wanted to focus the player’s attention on multilevel Polis, to show by means of such small details, how big and different it is. The idea of flooded tunnels and sailing boats will be implemented in the Metro sequel.