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Metroid Prime 3 Retro Review
zeroomegazx
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Now that we've all had a week to play Prime 3. I have some things to say about it, and Im wondering what the rest of you out there think about it.
The controls are tight, graphics are above average, widescreen mode rocks, but there are just some things that didn't make me keep this as high on the list as I would have liked. Is it just me or does this game NOT feel like a Metroid game. I've beaten Prime 1, played and beaten ALL other Metroid games except the DS one and Prime 2. There is just something severly lacking about this one. I could go into different sub topics about it but I'll put it all in one quick sum up.
#1 Most Metroid games from 1 up to and Including Prime 1 have included a good deal of secrets and *puzzles*. MP3 seems to be MORE linear than Fusion, and I have yet to come across anything really secret in the game at all. I've been taking my time and scanning everything, bombing every wall, even went as far as checking walkthroughs to make sure i wasn't missing anything. Everything is within plain view, its very disheartening, and feels like a good amount of the game has been taken away or dumbed down.
#2 Powerup are VERY non existent in this game. I thought Prime 2 was lacking on the absence of beams/powerups but this is a little weird. 2 suits? no super missiles or bomb? 2 beams with the absence of the classics that have appeared in EVERY game prior? Hypermode that drains your health that you HAVE to use to kill many enemies? I mean come on. Hyper mode is *cool* and all, but it REALLY seems like they tacked it on to make the game harder, but in essence made the game much more annoying. With previous games in the series offering much more in the sense of upgrades, including Prime 1, it just makes this seem unfinished.
#3 Linear Linear Linear. People complained when Fusion came out, including me, as everything you had to do in the game was drawn out for you like a roadmap. You could easily finish the game without having to do any exploration on your own. Prime 3 is the same way. I've made it to the sky city and thus far, everything I've had to do has been like a straight line, even the level design, so if I DID forget what I was doing, I could just follow the straight path anyways and find what was next.
With all that being said, I still love the game. It is a good game, but it is NOT a Metroid game in my book for other than story. The game plays more like a combination of Halo merged with Metroid. More focus on story and action rather than exploration and adventuring. It discourages me because I know Prime 1 handled all of this fine, and made me feel like I was playing a classic 2D Metroid even though I wasn't. I mean I realize developers need to try new things to spice up the series but I thought the failure of that was evident with MP2. Prime 3 just seems too far removed from the Metroid universe technically wise. Story is great though and I can't wait to finish it. I will enjoy playing it for what it is but I really miss an actual Metroid inspired exploration game, and will eagarly to await the next one from Nintendo.
P.S. I didn't forget the absence of multiplayer but that's a discussion for a different day.
The controls are tight, graphics are above average, widescreen mode rocks, but there are just some things that didn't make me keep this as high on the list as I would have liked. Is it just me or does this game NOT feel like a Metroid game. I've beaten Prime 1, played and beaten ALL other Metroid games except the DS one and Prime 2. There is just something severly lacking about this one. I could go into different sub topics about it but I'll put it all in one quick sum up.
#1 Most Metroid games from 1 up to and Including Prime 1 have included a good deal of secrets and *puzzles*. MP3 seems to be MORE linear than Fusion, and I have yet to come across anything really secret in the game at all. I've been taking my time and scanning everything, bombing every wall, even went as far as checking walkthroughs to make sure i wasn't missing anything. Everything is within plain view, its very disheartening, and feels like a good amount of the game has been taken away or dumbed down.
#2 Powerup are VERY non existent in this game. I thought Prime 2 was lacking on the absence of beams/powerups but this is a little weird. 2 suits? no super missiles or bomb? 2 beams with the absence of the classics that have appeared in EVERY game prior? Hypermode that drains your health that you HAVE to use to kill many enemies? I mean come on. Hyper mode is *cool* and all, but it REALLY seems like they tacked it on to make the game harder, but in essence made the game much more annoying. With previous games in the series offering much more in the sense of upgrades, including Prime 1, it just makes this seem unfinished.
#3 Linear Linear Linear. People complained when Fusion came out, including me, as everything you had to do in the game was drawn out for you like a roadmap. You could easily finish the game without having to do any exploration on your own. Prime 3 is the same way. I've made it to the sky city and thus far, everything I've had to do has been like a straight line, even the level design, so if I DID forget what I was doing, I could just follow the straight path anyways and find what was next.
With all that being said, I still love the game. It is a good game, but it is NOT a Metroid game in my book for other than story. The game plays more like a combination of Halo merged with Metroid. More focus on story and action rather than exploration and adventuring. It discourages me because I know Prime 1 handled all of this fine, and made me feel like I was playing a classic 2D Metroid even though I wasn't. I mean I realize developers need to try new things to spice up the series but I thought the failure of that was evident with MP2. Prime 3 just seems too far removed from the Metroid universe technically wise. Story is great though and I can't wait to finish it. I will enjoy playing it for what it is but I really miss an actual Metroid inspired exploration game, and will eagarly to await the next one from Nintendo.
P.S. I didn't forget the absence of multiplayer but that's a discussion for a different day.
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zeroomegazx on
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I think you (and a lot of other people) are missing what Retro tried to do with the powerups in this game. Rather than throw at you more and more ways to stand back and shoot things, they tried to include powerups that have you interacting with the world more. They want you to experiment.
For example, the
Same thing for the
As far as the linear thing goes, I get the same feeling, but only with hint mode on. Play with it off and you'll find it's not as linear as you'd expect. I will agree, though, that there are not enough places where you need a later powerup to get into; there could have been many more spots where exploration with new equipment is necessary.
or Brawl. 4854.6102.3895 Name: NU..
- Where do I go? It isn't "exploring," it's frustrating trying to figure out where to go
- The items are EVERYWHERE, meaning that super-important items like Energy Tanks are easy to overlook without a strategy guide
To some people the fetch quest for items is fun. I personally can't stand it. However, the items are a reward, and not meant to be handed over, so I can deal with that. What I can't deal with is getting lost and not knowing where to go next.Then I scooched away from the TV another foot or so, and gave them a day.
Now I'm blastin fools with accuracy.
Blam blam. Take that Okie.
Also,
Pokémon HGSS: 1205 1613 4041
Oh wait Hunters. Bah.
As to the slightly more linear progression, I don't mind it . Retro had competently translated the Metroid Formula to 3D in one game. I think letting them tell a more cohesive story at the expense of a few hours of aimless wandering is a sacrifice alot of people were willing to make. Sure we got MP2 but everyone makes mistakes.
Konami needs to hire these guys for the 3-d Castlevanias it'd have to be Wii exclusive but *sigh* I guess I'd manage . . .
I agree completely, and reading the OP's comments has actually made me interested in checking out MP3.
I absolutely hated being stuck in a Metroid game and having to guess "well, which seemingly dead end do I have to go down now? This one? Nope, nothing here. backbackback This one? Oh, a missile tank, woo. backbackback What about this one? Ah, there's my next key. backbackback Now, where was the door it unlocked. This one? Nope. backbackback This one? No, that needs a different kind of key..."
Best game available on Wii to date.
1. There are still "secrets", just not in the same way as the old games. Instead of randomly attacking walls and locations to tediously find something hidden, you're presented with a simple logic problem to retrieve your prize, often involving the requirement of something you don't have yet. Can you actually sit there and claim you would be happy with a game that forced you to randomly investigate every single point of the game's three dimensional space just to find 5 more missiles?
2. For the pacing of the game, there were more than enough power-ups. You only had a few areas to explore anyway, so it's not like having 30 different suit power-ups and weapons would really be necessary anyway. You were given what you needed and essentially need to discover the benefits of said power-up.
3. Often it's better to be linear than a complete clusterfuck. That was part of the problem with Prime 2. You were given a very massive area to explore between two different worlds, and figuring out what to do next often required a strategy guide or a heavily detailed memory of some random room that may or may not have had a door that could possibly have something to do with your new power up.
If you think about it though, Metroid has always been linear. Sure, you could "explore" around as much as the game could let you, but it's essentially the same as taking the scenic route to the same destination. You'll still come across an area where you'll need a new power up to access. The only difference between the older Metroids and the Primes is that you had to figure out where that power up was on your own.
And please don't get started on multiplayer. The only reason you could be mentioning it is you most likely haven't played Hunters or the multiplayer in Prime 2.
As has been said already, there's a thread for this, already.
Already.
Hunters had great multiplayer, shut your face.
Yeah, it had great multiplayer, if you are a fan of broken piles of shit. Never before have I played such an unbalanced steaming pile.
Getting lost and having no idea where to go is not my idea of fun.
Battle.net: Fireflash#1425
Steam Friend code: 45386507
Hey, Hunters multiplayer was awesome.
It was serviceable. And only if you used the thumb-strap.
Well, I guess you must be retarded or something, then. The only problem with it was the random wifi; the issue there was that you were stuck playing one of two crappy match types out of 7 total. The rest were great.
I guess it depends on how large your hands are. I didn't have a problem at all. It controlled a whole fuckton better than most other non-PC FPSes.
edit: Now, if you started playing after the Action Replay DS came out, then I can understand the hate.
Technically the game did what it was supposed to.
However when a gun turns you invisible while not moving or a character's alt mode does more damage than any gun( and TURNS HIM INVISIBLE) then you got problems.
I don't mind changes to tradition, eschewing items and such—just as long as they keep the "essence" of Metroid alive and well. For me, the essence of Metroid is solitary, claustrophobic cave exploration. Prime 3 is a colorful, world-hopping adventure with a large cast. Instead of using the Wii's capabilities to explore new ways to capture the old essence of Metroid, they just adapted them to better suit the action-shooter mentality that most FPS games have.
Also, the Aurora Unit:
I almost feel like the whole AU-as-Mother-Brain thing was tacked on late into the production cycle, just like Ganon obviously was in Twilight Princess.
Uh, it's pretty shitty invisibility and no alt form can go invisible, and no alt form does more damage than the instant kill Imperialist headshot. The next best is doing ALMOST 100 damage (but not quite) with Sylux, but surrounding someone with three of those bombs in a triangle is quite difficult. You're pretty retarded.
The Sniper guy's alt form can turn invisible.
Oh and kudos to calling me a retard. Clearly you are King of the internet.
1. Linear or not, there are plenty of puzzles in Prime 3. Also, turning off hints makes it feel a lot less 'linear' than the earlier games.
I would argue that Metroid II is more linear than Prime 3. And that Prime 3 is about on par with Fusion in linearity.
2. Powerups are plentiful in this game. Yeah, you start with some, but you nevertheless gain some incredibly cool shit.
Just because the upgrades aren't 'traditional' ones doesn't mean that they do not count.
Plus, I love the grapple lasso gameplay mechanics.
Basically, I think there are plenty of good upgrades and I think you are wrong in this regard, at least in comparison to Prime 1 and 2.
Also, Hyper Mode is awesome, and I love the gameplay mechanic. It spices up the combat in a lot of situations. Also, the game is at a pretty ideal Metroid difficulty, but there is a Veteran mode for a lot of gamers who feel that isn't hard enough.
3. It's not any more linear than Fusion, and if you turn off hints, it feels a lot less linear. One could make the argument that every metroid game since Metroid II is linear because you have to gain access to certain worlds in a certain order based on item acquisition.
Furthermore, this game is probably less linear than Metroid II, which only opened new areas once you've destroyed the current Metroid type.
As far as multiplayer, I think it's absurd to expect multi from a Metroid game. The only one in the history of 'cannon' Metroids to have this was Echoes, and everyone that it was blah. If you want good multi, get Prime Hunters. People play Metroid to have a solid single player experience, and Prime 3 delivers.
Lastly, if you ask me, Prime 3 is one of the best games I've played in a long time. The game feels more streamlined and enjoyable to me. Echoes did indeed feel kind of like a clusterfuck what with two simultaneous worlds and changing between the two.
I personally put Prime 3, based purely on my opinion of its gameplay (although different in some regards), right alongside Prime 1.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Agreed regarding combat - but since MP3 still has to be in the same vein as Metroid Prime series, it's important for them not to change the combat too much since changing into the full blown FPS control system as it's doing now can garner extra ire from longtime Metroid fans - which strangely, it didn't here.
Mission fucking accomplished for Retro Studios I say.
XBL Gametag: mailarde
Screen Digest LOL3RZZ
Alright, you got me on one point. However, again, this ability is virtually useless in most of the game modes, where if you stay put in one spot, you'll lose. This only doesn't really work in the battle and survival modes, and those are both terrible anyway.
Edit: In any case, your main point was that these abilities made that guy unbalanced, which they in no way did. All the hunters had some unique abilites to them, and that's the point. You may as well complain that Sylux can steal health and almost kill people with one hit in his alt form, or that Weavel could make himself a turret, or that Noxus could freeze people.
Outside of Deathmatch I never touched any of the other modes. Seemed pointless since the match type didn't affect anything related to your ranking.
I get that you really like the game( side note have you killed it's pet rabbit for dinner yet?) but dude it's a mediocre FPS that has a somewhat clever in game mechanic as it's sole saving grace.
I'm still enjoying it though.
Yeah, that's pretty much what I did. I was hyped for Prime on the Cube, then I played it for a few hours (got to the artifact room), then packed it in. I totally skipped Prime 2.
Which is why I'm actually interested in Prime 3 - they've gotten away from the formula I hate, so I'm now actually intrigued.
I have to agree that the game, while not perfectly fucking balanced, was pretty well balanced in general. I mean, it's like a fighting game. You can either give everyone the same exact moves and abilities and have perfect balance, but a boring fucking game; or you can give everyone different moves and abilities and try to balance it out as best you can, making it not 100 percent perfect balance but keeping the game playable and enjoyable due to its variety.
That said, I kicked so, so, so much ass with Samus, and most people don't consider her to be all that great in deathmatch.
I should also say that while the Imperialist is very powerful, it also takes a lot of skill to use. Not unlike a rail gun in Quake.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
This is probably why you didn't like it much. Seriously, it's a terrible game mode for this particular game, because of the way it's set up. In battle mode, the only way to get kills are to abuse the game mechanics or cheat. You have to either get a headshot with the Imperialist, or use the Death Ball or something. The game is made so that it's terribly easy to get health back. If you start dying, just go to your alt form and run away to more health. This is a problem in that game mode, but it works well in others, like CTF or Nodes or King of the Hill, because if you spend the time running away and not fighting, you're actually penalized for it instead of rewarded. The wifi is pretty terrible if you just play with random people, just because you can only play one crappy game type. It shines when you play multiplayer with friends, either locally or over wifi. When it first came out, we had a lot of fantastic games over wifi going on here.
In any case, Hunters is probably the best handheld FPS, and is a great game on its own merits, even when compared to other shooters. Most of the people who say it sucks are whiny Metroid purists who hate everything but Super Metroid, or have never played it. Or they get hand cramps, which is actually understandable :P
Fusion is what made me love metroid.
Whoever decided to can Metroid Dread is my arch-nemesis, even if it turns out to be Shigsy himself.
Fusion is a great game, it is just not a great Metroid game.
If it's the first one you played, then it isn't such a big deal, but the more metroid a person has played before picking it up, the less they tend to like it.
Personally, it was one of my first Metroid games (either second or third) so I didn't mind it too much.
I personally even enjoyed its single player.
However, even if you consider it a 'mediocre' FPS compared to the rest of the entire genre, it's still possibly the best FPS on a handheld.
I think it'd be great if id put Quake 3 on the DS.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Not everyone has the time and/or willingness to finish a game in a small time frame. Stopping play of Metroid Prime for a few days meant that you were probably completely lost when you started playing again. I finished the first planet of MP3 this weekend And I know that I won't be lost when I continue my game, even if the next time I play is in 1 week or more.
And so Retro didn't cater to your purist desires. Welcome to MP3, the door is that way -->
Battle.net: Fireflash#1425
Steam Friend code: 45386507
Fusion is a great Metroid game. It's just not the greatest of the great Metroid games. I think it's better than Metroid and Metroid II and Echoes.
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games
Steam ID: slashx000______Twitter: @bill_at_zeboyd______ Facebook: Zeboyd Games