It's likely that if you possess a Wii, you've been eagerly awaiting the release of Corruption, the climactic game in the Metroid Prime series, for the last month. A lot is riding on the popularity and quality of this game, especially for the dedicated audience; \i>Metroid Prime 3 is the first major release to be created from the ground up for the electric blue marvel. It's an original Wii game that you can really play, not a GameCube version, not a mini-game compilation, not a sports game, and not a cheap knockoff of Pokémon. Metroid should be the royal flush in the hypothetical final hand between the casual and hardcore sets, regardless of your opinion of the series.
It's crunch time for the "novelty console," people. The adorable little guy has been moved in the direction of the buzz saw and tethered to the conveyor belt. Will Batman give in to the Joker's devious online tactics and publish an egregiously critical rant as a clear attention-getter? Or will Robin produce a gushing but callous puff article with Penguin's payback money?
For my evaluation, hook your grappling lasso on the leap.
You've probably heard by now that this game's most innovative feature is also its greatest gameplay element. Metroid Prime 3 has dream-like control. To put it simply, you move Samus around using the nunchuk analog stick and aim and shoot with the Wii controller. The ability to use improved reticule sensitivity, which reduces the on-screen "dead zone" of movement, in conjunction with a convenient lock-on connected to the Z button, is the winning combination in this case. This allows you to fire at everything that comes into your line of sight while keeping your screen centered on a certain adversary. It's rather helpful to lock onto targets in order to execute precise strafing or circle around them, but free-firing is still a viable strategy for those who like it. The fact that this control mechanism really works is what sets it apart. In addition to creating the most popular console game to date, Retro Studios has also managed to produce a playable first-person shooter for the Wii.
The control mechanism in earlier Prime games never bothered me, but after playing Metroid, where you can see around freely while moving and avoid bosses while simultaneously pointing and firing as you run away, the older system feels really outdated. Not only does the new control system provide much-needed involvement to the combat, but it also brings a sense of style to first-person shooters in general, not just the Metroid series. This game will undoubtedly win over new fans of the genre because of how natural and fluid the motions are.
A few more details that make the most of the Wii's capabilities are strewn throughout. Not only can you use your nunchuk to tear shields off of adversaries, but you can also pull levers to unlock locked chambers in many ways. Collectively, these elements provide an unmatched level of immersion, well beyond clumsy extras. I've never felt like I was really within a game's universe before.
But apart from the amazing control improvements, the fundamentals of gameplay are still very much the same. Without a doubt, this is Metroid Prime number nineteen. There aren't many new suit improvements in Corruption compared to earlier Metroid games, and the ones that are there aren't very noteworthy. Even while it's always nice to witness the original Plasma Beam and Ice Missiles, Samus needs to pick up some new skills. Retro has been quite transparent about this, calling it Metroid Prime 3 instead of Turbo Ultra Metroid Wii-tastic, which is in their advantage.
But even if you take just one little step back from your expectations, you'll still be amazed by how flawlessly the game's fundamental premise is executed. I wasn't expecting to see much graphical advancements in this edition, but the previous Prime games were notable successes in art design for the previous generation of gaming systems. Maybe that's why I was so shocked to see normal mapping, intricate textures, and luscious organic settings wherever I looked. Everything in the game that isn't composed of metal has a rounded, fully realized vibe to it.
Get ready for the light show this game has in store for you if you were pleased with how the GameCube handled the lighting effects in Resident Evil 4. Every planet is a riot of color, offering a visually stunning background for each riddle and combat. It's possible that you'll find yourself utilizing Screw Attack only to see the yellow sparks that arc in circles on the screen. You may explore hundreds of very beautiful sights that will make you feel like a classic "Metroid" with a tingling sensation in the pit of your stomach. Those who have followed the show for a long time will recognize what I mean: those few times when entertainment and art come together harmoniously.
If you're searching for intense action gaming, don't be turned off by all this art discussion; Prime 3 is a challenging game with fast-paced shooter battles. However, a large portion of this difficulty stems from having no idea how to proceed in a given boss fight or puzzle and having to struggle to survive until you find it out. For gamers seeking a really challenging experience, starting on Veteran mode will offer you a little edge as you get familiar with the game's mechanics and patterns. At the beginning of the game, both of these choices are accessible to new players.
In relation to bosses, some of the finest boss fights outside of Shadow of the Colossus can be found in Corruption. Like its predecessors, Corruption is as large-scale and epic, but it changes things up with many bosses who may take on a variety of different forms. You'll never stop being on your toes since some may switch between up to nine distinct mutations at any time. The fights are unquestionably the game's high point because of the diversity of fighting and creative boss design techniques, which keep them from becoming monotonous grinds of attrition as in previous Prime games.
Adventure gamer's dream come true in Metroid Prime 3 while you're not shredding alien bat-dragons to bits. This game's environmental puzzles are very intricate and captivating. You're tasked with completing enormous projects that result from hundreds of smaller, interconnected assignments. The joy and reward are indescribable — "I used just my hands to construct the devastating contraption before dropping it on that city! In my living room, I reign supreme!
Sadly, there are a few perplexing chores in Corruption that don't appear to make sense or flow organically. The game's typically slow speed may get tedious at these parts as you're left wondering what to do next. Though they don't completely ruin the experience, they are sufficient to call for improved textual or environmental indicators in troublesome areas where players often stray from the path.
Even worse, there are instances when the game's hint system is blatantly deceptive. A player who isn't spending the time to examine every bit of scanned information in the game can quickly get confused by a few situations in it. One of my favorite aspects of this series is heading out into the woods and exploring on my own, without a nanny computer to guide me through the game. However, the inconsistent nature of the hint system is the issue. I never really got along with the game's tips to the point where I thought I could rely on them to point me in the proper path at that particular time. By giving the game's message system the courtesy of trusting it, a player shouldn't be misled.
Horribly poor introduction to the game is another thing that makes it less enjoyable. While the previous Metroid Prime games throw you right into the action, this one appears to spend a lot of time on unnecessary fluff in the initial part of the game. The opening hour of Corruption looks to be a slow-moving action sequence in comparison to the remainder of the game; the setting is really boring and gets things off to a bad start. There seems to be no reason why such a fantastic game could start off weak. In \i>Corruption, the introduction of talking human NPCs seems out of place and undermines the series' signature solitude. The addition of English-speaking military personnel essentially kills the entire "stranger in a strange land" feeling. After all, how lonely and existential can one feel when there are soldiers constantly blaring from their headsets?
Thankfully, throughout the game, the human NPCs only sometimes emerge. Nevertheless, every time they do, you'll get that depressing sense you get whenever your favorite band records a song for a fast-food ad. It seems like someone at Retro was drinking some Halo syrup, and it shows throughout the game. Even though it was entertaining to play, the squad-based assault segment with these squishy-faced losers has no place in my Metroid franchise. Yes, I have the last say.
Following another series convention, you'll often have to go back and gather stray things that will enable you to defeat the final monster. Fortunately, corruption is far more prevalent in this department than it was in the other ones. The backtracking is not an afterthought that was added at the last minute or a cheap trick to make the game stay longer. In Corruption, going backwards opens up whole new areas on the old planets you've already visited, not simply confined to areas with missile expansions that were previously too high to reach without a double leap. You don't have to get ready for a tedious, three-hour slog through pointless errands or item gathering. The game develops swiftly to a fitting finish, and while some may find the final boss fight disappointing after facing so many fierce monsters before it, I doubt anybody will find anything to complain about in the game's last several chapters.
I don't even mind that my Wii could be just two GameCubes glued together after the pure joy I've experienced with this game this week. The fact that I can now use it to play a really lovely and thrilling game that isn't available on any other system is all that matters to me. This is the game for you if you like shooters, action, adventure, puzzle, or just want to see where game development is going in the future. This is the reason you've been waiting for, for those of you without a Wii, to get one.Metroid Prime 3 is the definitive game in the Prime series, fulfilling the long-awaited expectation of Wii owners looking for a system geared toward the extreme.
Conclusion: Purchase it!
Rating: 8.5/10 