Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

9

Metroid Prime 3 scores high on graphics and gameplay and dazzles on the Wii!
Reviewed By: gp_markergreen

I remember the first time I played Super Mario and I bounced the controller up and down to make Mario jump. The automatic expectation is for the action on the screen to mimic the action of the controller. I have since unlearned that expectation and can sit and play games without my controller bouncing around. Since the Wii was released I’m back to my controller flinging again and it’s great fun.

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In Metroid 3 I get to jump Samus Aran around and point my remote at what I want to shoot. I love it! What I’m trying to say is that Metroid Prime 3 for the Wii, is the way video games should be made. The game is a happy marriage between my action and my avatar’s action. It makes me feel like I’m in the game. This game rocks because it makes me feel more in tune with the game than any game has ever made me feel.

The greatest success of Metroid 3 is that I feel like I’m in the game. Game designers have a term for this, it is called the “immersive-ness” of a game. Metroid 3 is the most immersive video game I’ve ever played on my home TV. That is the first point I wanted to make in my review.

Point number two is that I like this style of game. Metroid 3 is a first person shooter but it is also a puzzle solving game. For me, this means that I’m not getting dumber while playing this game. When I enter a room, I have to first clear it of all the enemies and then I have to figure out, using my limited grey matter, how to get to the next room.

I have to admit that I’m not as good at solving puzzles as some people and I had to get some help when going through this game. I didn’t know that you have to scan every single item in every room to figure out all the puzzles in this game and this is the first Metroid game I’ve played.

As it turns out, this is the case. It’s a game design decision and so it’s nice that usually you aren’t rushed through the game and you’ve given plenty of opportunities to return to your ship to refill your energy and weapons. Otherwise the game would be a little frustrating.

The graphics team on Metroid 3 have done a great job. What I mean to say is that while the Wii isn’t HD, the world that it is placed in can hold its own beside some of the titles from other systems like Halo 3. Metroid 3 is set in a uniquely designed world that is gorgeous. You start off on your regular techy spaceship but once you land on the alien worlds the graphics team went to town! The worlds feel convincingly alien with their strange colour palettes and oddly shaped flora and fauna.

I have only a few complaints with this game. I’ve heard that the original Metroid Prime game was amazingly polished with incredibly high production value and no major glitches. This is almost the case for this 3rd installment of the game. I have, however, run across an incredibly annoying door opening glitch. It seems like a simple thing to do, just make the door open if I’ve shot it and I’m right in front of it but somehow the game programmers seem to have screwed this part of the game up.

In this game you have to shoot a door to unlock it and then, when you get close enough, it’ll open up for you. This happens about 60% of the time. Commonly, you’ll run into the doors and they won’t open as they should and you’ll find yourself going through these simple steps a few times to open an unlocked door; very frustrating.

Secondly, the close quarters combat isn’t very strong in this game. If an enemy is right beside you, you can’t see it at all and then it takes a little time to turn to glance at it. You should be able to lock onto the enemy and it should stay in the middle of your screen. This doesn’t happen consistently and often you’ll be locked onto a character that ends up standing behind some of the game interface so you can’t see very well. Beyond these complaints, I have little to criticize.

Overall, this game is a quality first person shooter with fun puzzle elements and enjoyable boss battles. If you’ve got a Wii then you should give this game a try since it is making great use of the motion controls of the Wii. This game definitely worth your while and I’ll give it a 9 out of 10.

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