Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
"Finally, a FPS style of gameplay that shows what the Wii is made to do."
When I first heard of Metroid Prime 3, I thought it would continue in the way Metroid Prime 2 did. I loved Metroid Prime, but Metroid Prime 2 didn't seem to fit. It brought an interesting character into the mess but something about it just felt like it was slipping away from the Metroid feel. And when I saw previews, screenshots and trailers of Metroid Prime 3, it looked closer to the Halo series then it did the Metroid series. Now that I've gotten my hands on it, I'm glad to saw that these visions were simply crushed.
The controls are simply amazing. This is how the Wii should handle the FPS genre. With three diffrent sensivity modes, and the ability to continue to free aim while locked on to a target, it takes away the difficulty, but also the ease of the first two games control scheme. You can even switch the jump and fire buttons with each other, if you prefer a trigger style shooting, or something more classic (and RE:4 like). The visors have gotten a bit of an upgrade. Instead of a button per visor, you press the - button (or + if you switch that around too) and you select what you want in a quick-option menu screen. The graphics and sound aren't exactly the most appealing thing about the game, but they're not bad in the slightest. The graphics keep on par with the past games, while the sound is fairly much like the others as well. Keeping some classic sounds. It's still very environmental, and really lets you feel like you're there, alone on a planet, or in grave danger and so on.
Much of the begging of the game didn't seem like the other Metroid Primes at all. It was very cinematic, with lots of speech. That's right, people are finally talking. But they kept Samus a mute. It's quite charming and good to hear that they did this. Samus still feels like herself. The Galactic Federation troopers from Metroid Prime 2 are finally seen in action. Everything from the battle front troopers, to the newbies that have the jobs nobody else wants, to the Admiral of the Olympus (who happens to share the same name as I). They can assist you in certain areas, but most of the time, you'll be rushing down a hallway in order to save them. Among them, you'll also meet three other bounty hunters. A cyborg type, an ice-being, and a metamorph. All unique with personalities, who take the workload off your shoulders... for a minimal amount, anyway. Metroid Prime 3 takes the aspect found in Metroid Prime hunters, with the different bounty hunters, as well as diffrent planets. You have (some) control over your ship when inside to move from plant to planet, as well as communication and a few others.
After a while, you'll finally be on your own again and the feel of the other Primes are back. Exploration of each and every room. With almost every room holding it's own puzzle. The puzzles have a Metroid Prime 1 feel to it, and that's a good thing. Scans a plenty as well, but this time, any missed one-time scans carry over to your next game. Your scanning is much the same as Prime 2, and post-scans are green in the scan visor. One new visor you get early on is the ship remote visor. Remember when Samus did some stuff on her arm-cannon to call up her ship? That power is yours now. You can move your ship to or from various landing docks. Sorta ruins the feel of being so far away from your ship, with little chance of survival. But there is still plenty of backtracking. Items and upgrades are still in the game, although I may have missed it, but it didn't explain how she lost all her upgrades from last time, in this game. It doesn't really matter, as most of the upgrades you knew, can now get upgrades on their own. The combat in the game is similar to the other Prime games. This time however, you have your Hypermode. Holding + (or - if you switched) will put you into hypermode, at the cost of one energy tank. You have a small chance of being corrupted and getting yourself killed, but you also gain immense firepower. You'll be needing it during a few puzzles, as well as many bosses. It is possible, however to get through most parts of the game without it. But playing on the hypermode difficulty of the game, and it's your best friend.
Overall, the game doesn't offer much more then the older Metroid Prime games, but is still a good play. Replaying on harder difficulties, or with minimal items and of course, speed runs, is good fun just with past Metroid games. And one of the best FPS style games yet on the Wii. It's defiantly worth a purchase.
Reviewer's Score: 8/10 | Originally Posted: 09/04/07
Game Release: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (US, 08/27/07)
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