Metroid Prime.
Ahhh………..Metroid Prime. How can I profess my love for such a great game? For
many gamers, including myself, Prime is considered one of the greatest games of
the past generation. In the same way that Mario 64 pushed Mario, Metroid Prime
pushed the Metroid series from a 2D juggernaut to an amazing 3D experience. The
same incredible gameplay in the early 2D versions successfully made the jump to
3D while giving the game the proper visual representation it deserved. You
finally felt as if you were just a small visitor to an enormous alien planet
full of secrets. The second Metroid Prime game seemed to fall off the radar
since it was released almost simultaneously as a certain Chief had his second
adventure. Now with the incredible popularity of the Wii, Metroid Prime 3
offers hardcore fans and new fans a tremendous sendoff for the Prime series.
The story of
Metroid Prime 3 centers upon the title: Corruption. The mysterious Dark Samus
has infected Samus Aran and the other bounty hunters with a deadly virus that
slowly takes control. It’s up to Samus to discover the secrets of the
infestation in the hopes of freeing herself from the virus before it’s too
late. The journey to find the cure will send Samus on a journey across several
planets with experiences familiar to veterans of the series along with new
elements not found in previous Prime games.
The gameplay in
Corruption continues the quasi First Person Shooter/Adventure game found in the
previous two games. The series has been about you controlling Samus Aran in a
first person perspective: fighting enemies and exploring every corner in the
game to uncover hidden secrets. The game has always more about exploration and
adventure than combat. The combat would usually happen the first time you
visited a location, but after the combat was over it was time to explore.
The first Prime
game had to reinvent the shooting elements since the game didn’t rely on the
typical dual analog stick popular on PS2 and Xbox FPS games. Instead you had to
hold down a shoulder button to move your arm/cannon and the game offered a lock
on targeting system to keep you centered on an enemy. This control scheme
worked fine for the first two Prime games but now with the Wii motion sensing
controllers the game has been revamped to work on the Wii. This is one area
where Prime 3 really shines when compared to the previous games. Controlling
Samus during combat is now a much smoother experience since the game retains the
lock on targeting feature while incorporating a free moving target reticule.
You simply lock on
to a target, by holding down the Z button on the nunchuk and then aim & blast
away with the Wiimote. While you’re locked on to a target you can move the
Wiimote in any direction you want, which lets you fight off multiple characters
at a time. Honestly at first the controls did feel a little strange, especially
coming from playing the first two Prime games. Aiming with the Wiimote feels
natural enough but it could cause veteran players a brief moment of discomfort
as they get used to the controls. But for new players to the series the freedom
of the controls might be a non-issue. You see your target, aim and fire in
almost perfect precision. Corruption seems to have pushed the action level to
the max due to the freedom offered by the controls. Every stage in the game is
always bubbling with enemies for you to take out and some at a relentless pace
compared to the earlier Prime games.
Aiming and
targeting aren’t the only changes offered by the motion sensing Wii controls.
One great feature that I loved was the grapple hook that allows you to pull
items in the game. Once you see a hook icon appear on the screen you will need
to lock onto the item, with the Z button, and then pull back on the nunchuk to
pull the item back. There are numerous items you can grapple onto in the game
but the best has to be enemy shields. You might have seen this in an early
video for the game but it always felt great in combat to rip the shield from the
enemy’s hands. Another motion sensing feature in the game revolves around
pushing and pulling locks and switches in the game. You might find a switch
that requires you to push in and out towards the screen with the Wiimote in
order to unlock the switch.
Another big change
for the series is the inclusion of the ship controls. Samus’ ship has always
been a focus of a Metroid game but this time her ship takes on a bigger role.
Now you can interact with the ship from inside the cockpit, order air strikes
and move from location to location within the game. The cockpit controls will
let you determine which part of the planet you want to explore as various
landing points are highlighted on your map. You can also check your Corruption
level to determine how far along the virus has taken over your suit. The air
strikes play a key role in the game since you will need the ship to destroy or
clear out certain areas in the game. If you can scan a strike icon then you
will order the air strike. Thankfully the backtracking of the previous Prime
games is limited this time around since you can move from one area to another
using the ship.
Metroid Prime 3:
Corruption does a great job of closing out the series while re-inventing itself
with the Wii controls. The motion sensing combat is second to none for a
console first person shooter and the additional Wii specific controls are
fantastic as well. The game’s scope and layout is just as grand and expansive
as in the previous Prime games. Almost every stage in the game has a secret or
two waiting to be discovered. The action in Prime 3 has definitely been turned
up compared to the earlier games since almost every location is full of enemies
to destroy. Key parts of the game are relentless at times with waves and waves
of enemies coming after you from location to location with no save point near
by. Regardless if you’re a newbie to the series or a die-hard fan Metroid Prime
3: Corruption is an excellent title for the Wii.
|
Review Scoring Details for Metroid Prime 3: Corruption |
Gameplay 9.3
To me the controls
do have a small learning curve since most of us have never played an FPS game
with this type of control layout. My only real gripe about the controls is the
placement of the Scan Visor, which is critical to the game. Now you have to
press the minus button and then select which scan visor you want to select with
by pointing with the Wiimote. It felt very awkward during the first several
hours of the game.
Graphics 8.8
Yes this is a Wii
game and yes Metroid Prime doesn’t look like a 360 or PS3 game. But visually
speaking this is still a nice looking title and the best looking Prime game so
far. No problems with the framerate or any issues with slow down even during
the heaviest of combat.
Sound 9.2
For the first time
in the series we get actual voice acting in the game. The majority of the voice
acting is very well done with only a few head shaking moments wondering what the
actor was thinking while performing the lines. The music in the game continues
the excellent music found in the previous Prime games along with the legendary
Metroid themes found in the earlier games. Sonically the Prime series always
did an amazing job of shaping the atmosphere in the game and Prime 3 is no
exception.
Difficulty
Medium
Retro Studio seems
to have taken the freedom of the Wii controls to mean we need a harder
challenge. Along with the great puzzles you get a tremendous amount of intense
moments of combat that will keep you on your toes.
Concept 9.0
This is the third
game in the Prime series but the one game that almost re-invents the game. The
Wii controls are the biggest change for the game and thankfully the game doesn’t
fall apart due to the motion controls.
Multiplayer
N/A
Why no Multiplayer
Nintendo? Was the built in Wi-Fi too much to handle for Multiplayer Metroid?
Overall 9.1
Metroid Prime 3 is
the game that everyone with a Wii should own, regardless if you’ve ever played a
Metroid game. The great controls, amazing size and scope and incredible music
are just a few elements that should get you hooked into the game. More gamers
need to experience just how special a Metroid game can be and Corruption should
be just the game to introduce a whole new audience to the franchise.
