The decision to have a 3D Metroid game have a first-person perspective was a stroke of genius. While especially for the 2000s it would've felt like trend-chasing, one of Metroid's core pillars is its atmosphere. And they amplify this point so hard with how many environmental effects there are, between walking through stream fogging up the visor, certain enemies causing electrical interference, causing the visor's HUD to glitch and fuzz up with static, and seeing water drop down your face, all really making the visor an extension of the player experience. As corny as it is to say this, it really puts you into the shoes of a power-suit-wearing bounty hunter exploring an alien planet.
Its story really works in this atmosphere-first approach too. The only important things to know is Samus arrived to a space pirate distress signal and she's here to investigate and stop whatever they're doing, eventually leading to destroying the source of Phazon deep in an impact crater. But to get a deeper context into what's going on, you use the scan visor to read both the data logs by pirates and the lore mural left behind by Chozo, allowing the player to piece together the bigger picture themselves, and it's brilliant to make lore more or less a collectible in a game like this.
While it doesn't have the dual-stick controls FPS games usually have, it's generally balanced around how you have to stop to look around, most enemies attacking you from eye-level and having the whole lock-on feature. Using Samus' arsenal is a snap and very intuitive for a game of this age, all the beam weapons being on a c-stick direction.
And it translates the Metroidvania genre to 3D perfectly, with there being a lot of secrets to find. Scan visor and a unique humming noise helps with detecting if an expansion is hidden nearby, especially good for beginners that don't have an eye for how they like to hide things yet.
Something about this game also makes upgrades feel a little more impactful than in 2D. Individual beam upgrades is really nice, but it doesn't quite match getting Plasma Beam for the first time in this game, stepping outside where jetpack pirates are nearby and killing this enemy that was previously a huge pain in the ass in a single charge shot.
As much as I love the game, there's two fumbles that I feel like keep it from reaching perfection, that being how often it asks you to backtrack to a previous area to grab a new upgraded needed to keep progressing through the area you're already in. At its worst when you pick up Boost Ball, have to then get out of Phendrana, trek all the way through Magmoor and Chozo Ruins, all to make your way back to Tallon Overworld to take the half-pipe there to grab Space Jump and then have to walk the entire way back to where you were.
I also feel like the boss fights are really dull. Flaggrha is laughably easy, the fight mainly just taking a while because it can knock down the solar discs you took offline. Thardus spends ridiculously long periods of doing nothing and being invulnerable to damage as you repeat a cycle of using Thermal Visor to find its weak spot, crack it open, switch back to combat visor, and then finish off that weak spot, repeat half a dozen times. Omega Pirate is only slightly better because it's easier to defeat it in as little cycles as possible. Ridley is the one winner of a boss fight, barring how long he spends flying in the background doing a very obviously telegraphed missile attack. And the final boss is just free, being real. Slightly forgivable because combat isn't 100% the focus of the game, but they're still overly long and boring.
Its story really works in this atmosphere-first approach too. The only important things to know is Samus arrived to a space pirate distress signal and she's here to investigate and stop whatever they're doing, eventually leading to destroying the source of Phazon deep in an impact crater. But to get a deeper context into what's going on, you use the scan visor to read both the data logs by pirates and the lore mural left behind by Chozo, allowing the player to piece together the bigger picture themselves, and it's brilliant to make lore more or less a collectible in a game like this.
While it doesn't have the dual-stick controls FPS games usually have, it's generally balanced around how you have to stop to look around, most enemies attacking you from eye-level and having the whole lock-on feature. Using Samus' arsenal is a snap and very intuitive for a game of this age, all the beam weapons being on a c-stick direction.
And it translates the Metroidvania genre to 3D perfectly, with there being a lot of secrets to find. Scan visor and a unique humming noise helps with detecting if an expansion is hidden nearby, especially good for beginners that don't have an eye for how they like to hide things yet.
Something about this game also makes upgrades feel a little more impactful than in 2D. Individual beam upgrades is really nice, but it doesn't quite match getting Plasma Beam for the first time in this game, stepping outside where jetpack pirates are nearby and killing this enemy that was previously a huge pain in the ass in a single charge shot.
As much as I love the game, there's two fumbles that I feel like keep it from reaching perfection, that being how often it asks you to backtrack to a previous area to grab a new upgraded needed to keep progressing through the area you're already in. At its worst when you pick up Boost Ball, have to then get out of Phendrana, trek all the way through Magmoor and Chozo Ruins, all to make your way back to Tallon Overworld to take the half-pipe there to grab Space Jump and then have to walk the entire way back to where you were.
I also feel like the boss fights are really dull. Flaggrha is laughably easy, the fight mainly just taking a while because it can knock down the solar discs you took offline. Thardus spends ridiculously long periods of doing nothing and being invulnerable to damage as you repeat a cycle of using Thermal Visor to find its weak spot, crack it open, switch back to combat visor, and then finish off that weak spot, repeat half a dozen times. Omega Pirate is only slightly better because it's easier to defeat it in as little cycles as possible. Ridley is the one winner of a boss fight, barring how long he spends flying in the background doing a very obviously telegraphed missile attack. And the final boss is just free, being real. Slightly forgivable because combat isn't 100% the focus of the game, but they're still overly long and boring.
People really say there are better 3D action/adventure games... Foolish mortals. Where is the 6th star?
wow up until phazon this game was near perfect
then after phazon it just plummets in quality
the fetch quest + the really lame final bosses paled in comparison to the rest of the game
overall i really enjoyed it and it really made me appreciate the world design that goes into the metroid games making me want to try out the other games in the series
then after phazon it just plummets in quality
the fetch quest + the really lame final bosses paled in comparison to the rest of the game
overall i really enjoyed it and it really made me appreciate the world design that goes into the metroid games making me want to try out the other games in the series
Where is Prime 4 at?
a día de hoy sigue siendo un juegazo
Se hace bolita, jeje.
I love the heck out of Metroidvanias, but the Metroid Prime games have never been something that interested me terribly much. I've never been comfortable with first person games on console, so I just always wrote the series off as something I'd never be able to enjoy. After enjoying Retro Studios's Recore so much last year, I definitely knew it'd be worth my while to eventually check out the Prime series, and August's theme of GameCube games finally pushed me into checking it out. I ended up being a lot more comfortable with it than I thought I ever would. It ended up taking me about 12.5 hours to finish the Japanese version of the game.
Taking place between Metroid 1 and 2, when there were still many Metroids to fight, Metroid Prime has more of a story in it than many prior Metroid games had, but still a fairly light story ultimately. Samus comes across a space pirate station in distress from the biological experiments they've been conducting, and after confronting the monsters hidden there (and losing all her upgrades due to a huge hit to her suit), she goes down to the planet it crashed on to investigate further. The story is mostly told through scanning logs of both the Chozo ruins as well as the space pirates' logs, and these logs were apparently changed significantly from the American release for the Japanese release. Regardless of the changes, the story is generally a very hands-off and atmosphere-heavy experience without a ton of focus on direct storytelling. It makes for a great, isolated atmosphere as you explore Tallon IV.
The gameplay is not so much a first-person shooter so much as a first-person Metroidvania. You explore around one large 3D environment, finding new powerups, fighting enemies, defeating bosses, and solving puzzles to progress. This isn't a more normal first-person game, however, as it uses only the analog stick to move. This works surprisingly well as a control method due to the way you can lock onto enemies with the shoulder buttons. The C-stick and D-pad are used for changing your beam type and visor type respectively, so they couldn't be used for camera controls.
The world and boss design is generally really solid, but there's a few bumps here and there. The first part of the game is really well signposted and put together, but then once you hit around the halfway point, the game suddenly expects you to know to go halfway across the world just to unlock one upgrade just to go back to where you were to keep progressing just slightly further. Given the hellish development cycle this game had, it's nothing short of incredible that it's even as good as it is, but even then, the marks of that troubled development cycle through that bad signposting. There are some other polish issues, such as certain areas (especially the mines) being weirdly devoid of save points despite how long and difficult they are, but the game is more often given a good difficulty curve.
The presentation is really excellent, as one would expect from one of Nintendo's big franchises. You have music that sets the isolated atmosphere really well, and graphics that really impress. The field of view is a bit too narrow at times, and sometimes the lighting strays towards being so dark that it's really difficult to see (in a way that isn't intentional), but it all makes up a really solid package.
The Japanese version of the game tightens some things up compared to the original American release aside from the previously mentioned somewhat altered story. The biggest things are rebalances to make the game just a bit harder. You die a lot faster in poison water (my first and one of my only deaths), and they also made the final boss fight significantly harder. It's nothing that makes this version better or worse than other versions, so far as I can tell, but they're interesting tweaks worth mentioning nonetheless.
Verdict: Highly Recommended. Metroid Prime shows some marks of its troubled development, no question, but it still manages to be a really excellent game regardless. It holds up great all these years later, and is definitely worth checking out for any Metroid or Metroidvania fan. A special shoutout to my friend Fii, who loves this game and did a lot to help me love it too~.
Canje por Nivek_Gazia
Uma das maiores injustiças do mundo foi Metroid Prime não ter inspirado jogos da mesma forma que Super Metroid inspirou.
Super Metroid não criou o estilo de progressão que hoje chamados de Metroidvania, mas trabalhou ele de uma maneira fenomenal que mostrou a todos do quê esse estilo realmente é capaz - e o quão divertido ele consegue ser.
Metroid Prime fez exatamente a mesma coisa: pegou aquele estilo de progressão já conhecido da série (e que, nesse momento, já havia sido utilizado em outras séries e jogos) e trabalhou ele como sendo um jogo FPS. Lendo assim, pode não parecer grande coisa, mas a forma que o gênero Metroidvania foi adaptado para 3D em primeira pessoa no Metroid Prime foi PERFEITO!!! E dizer isso não é exagero! Parece que você tá jogando um Metroid 2D só que em um universo 3D primeira pessoa. É EXATAMENTE O MESMO JOGO, SÓ QUE EM UM FPS - O QUE É ASSUSTADORAMENTE DESCONCERTANTE, PORQUE É UMA MUDANÇA RADICAL DEMAIS E MESMO ASSIM CONSEGUIRAM ADAPTAR DE UMA MANEIRA PERFEITA DEMAIS!
E é aí que entra a parte que me entristece MUITO:
Enquanto Super Metroid se tornou uma base do gênero Metroidvania e é usado até hoje para moldar inúmeros títulos, Metroid Prime, que foi um trabalho tão revolucionário no gênero quanto foi o Super, manteve seu estilo isolado à apenas a série Metroid Prime.
Sim, é óbvio que montar um metroidvania 3D dá muuuuito mais trabalho do que um 2D (que já é bem complicado de fazer), mas não é estranho que não tenha absolutamente NENHUM outro jogo até hoje que tentou fazer o que o Metroid Prime fez? Pelo menos eu, quando pesquisei, não achei nenhum. E ISSO ME DEIXA DE CARA!!! COMO É POSSÍVEL QUE NINGUÉM TENHA TENTADO COPIAR A RECEITA DE UM JOGO TÃO BOM??? AINDA MAIS UM JOGO QUE SOUBE DEIXAR ESSA RECEITA TÃO EVIDENTE E BEM DETALHADA NA GAMEPLAY!
Parando para pensar agora, as séries Metroid e The Legend of Zelda tem muita coisa em comum, e essa é mais uma delas: Ter tido um jogo 2D que retrabalhou magnificamente um estilo e se tornou modelo para inúmeros jogos (Super Metroid e A Link to the Past) e depois ter se adaptado fantasticamente bem ao universo 3D (Metroid Prime e Ocarina of Time) mas não ter nenhum ou quase nenhum jogo feito com base nesse título 3D...
...Mas é.
Meio que eu acabei usando essa análise mais pra desabafar a minha indignação... Porém realço que toda essa minha pagação de pau com o Metroid Prime não é sem motivo: esse jogo é uma obra-prima!
Caso você queira jogar, eu recomendo usar o PrimeHack, que é um mod feito no emulador Dolphin pra jogar Metroid Prime Trilogy com mouse e teclado - e, acreditem, É MUITO BOM E FUNCIONA QUE É UMA BELEZA!
E antes de finalizar, se vocês souberem de jogos que sejam similares a vibe do Metroid Prime ou Ocarina of Time, POR FAVOR ME DIGAM!
Eu amo MUITO esses jogos véi! Então qualquer coisinha que se pareça com eles eu to aceitando!
Super Metroid não criou o estilo de progressão que hoje chamados de Metroidvania, mas trabalhou ele de uma maneira fenomenal que mostrou a todos do quê esse estilo realmente é capaz - e o quão divertido ele consegue ser.
Metroid Prime fez exatamente a mesma coisa: pegou aquele estilo de progressão já conhecido da série (e que, nesse momento, já havia sido utilizado em outras séries e jogos) e trabalhou ele como sendo um jogo FPS. Lendo assim, pode não parecer grande coisa, mas a forma que o gênero Metroidvania foi adaptado para 3D em primeira pessoa no Metroid Prime foi PERFEITO!!! E dizer isso não é exagero! Parece que você tá jogando um Metroid 2D só que em um universo 3D primeira pessoa. É EXATAMENTE O MESMO JOGO, SÓ QUE EM UM FPS - O QUE É ASSUSTADORAMENTE DESCONCERTANTE, PORQUE É UMA MUDANÇA RADICAL DEMAIS E MESMO ASSIM CONSEGUIRAM ADAPTAR DE UMA MANEIRA PERFEITA DEMAIS!
E é aí que entra a parte que me entristece MUITO:
Enquanto Super Metroid se tornou uma base do gênero Metroidvania e é usado até hoje para moldar inúmeros títulos, Metroid Prime, que foi um trabalho tão revolucionário no gênero quanto foi o Super, manteve seu estilo isolado à apenas a série Metroid Prime.
Sim, é óbvio que montar um metroidvania 3D dá muuuuito mais trabalho do que um 2D (que já é bem complicado de fazer), mas não é estranho que não tenha absolutamente NENHUM outro jogo até hoje que tentou fazer o que o Metroid Prime fez? Pelo menos eu, quando pesquisei, não achei nenhum. E ISSO ME DEIXA DE CARA!!! COMO É POSSÍVEL QUE NINGUÉM TENHA TENTADO COPIAR A RECEITA DE UM JOGO TÃO BOM??? AINDA MAIS UM JOGO QUE SOUBE DEIXAR ESSA RECEITA TÃO EVIDENTE E BEM DETALHADA NA GAMEPLAY!
Parando para pensar agora, as séries Metroid e The Legend of Zelda tem muita coisa em comum, e essa é mais uma delas: Ter tido um jogo 2D que retrabalhou magnificamente um estilo e se tornou modelo para inúmeros jogos (Super Metroid e A Link to the Past) e depois ter se adaptado fantasticamente bem ao universo 3D (Metroid Prime e Ocarina of Time) mas não ter nenhum ou quase nenhum jogo feito com base nesse título 3D...
...Mas é.
Meio que eu acabei usando essa análise mais pra desabafar a minha indignação... Porém realço que toda essa minha pagação de pau com o Metroid Prime não é sem motivo: esse jogo é uma obra-prima!
Caso você queira jogar, eu recomendo usar o PrimeHack, que é um mod feito no emulador Dolphin pra jogar Metroid Prime Trilogy com mouse e teclado - e, acreditem, É MUITO BOM E FUNCIONA QUE É UMA BELEZA!
E antes de finalizar, se vocês souberem de jogos que sejam similares a vibe do Metroid Prime ou Ocarina of Time, POR FAVOR ME DIGAM!
Eu amo MUITO esses jogos véi! Então qualquer coisinha que se pareça com eles eu to aceitando!
Finally finished this one after struggling with the final bosses for a few days. What a masterpiece. Challenging to some who isn't the best at games and i often got lost and went around in circles after missing something very simple. However this never felt unfair or unduly punishing just me being an idiot. The game design is the selling point of the game and that fundamental Metroid feeling that i heard of so many times was introduced to me really well as the branching paths of the world unfurled before me. In fact the way that the game slowly introduces all of its features to you is truly rewarding and gives a sense of accomplishment that is missing in some modern games in which they just give you everything from the start. The only possible flaw is the lack of a rewarding story at least for me personally. I will go away and research it a bit more to get the full picture and the setting was explained atmospherically really well as I went along. A clear goal and desire for catharsis would have amplified it a notch though. I will be playing the sequel soon!
¿Qué tanta mala suerte tengo que el día que ya solo me queda 1/4 del juego anuncian un remaster que arregla todos los problemas que tengo con él? Una joya que me imagino que hoy en día es de lo mejor de lo mejor
For as antiquated its design, and with as truly horrendous controls as the GameCube version has, I still couldn't help but enjoy Metroid Prime. Sure, it may have a lot of blemishes, and doesn't hold up as well as a game this beloved probably should, but the hypnotic effect long sessions of this game can have is something everyone should experience at some point or another.
Absolutely fantastic jump to 3D, Metroid Prime perfectly, and arguably better, encapsulates the feelings of exploring an alien planet as a lone badass. Framing the game as if you are playing as Samus from first person, having HUD elements on your helmet visor and effects such as fog and liquid covering it is such a genius design decision, making you ever more immersed in the world. If the last third of this game wasn't a fetch quest and/or there was a better shortcut system this might have been one of the greatest games ever made.
Story: 9
Sound: 10
Concept: 10
Graphics: 10
Gameplay: 9
Characters: 9
Replay Value: 9
Overall Enjoyment: 9
I give Metroid Prime a STRONG 9!
I believe Metroid Prime is one of the greatest games ever made. I played Remastered first and stepped into the original recently, and wow. The game has some of the best environmental storytelling ever in my opinion, and the exploration is just so fun. I could seriously run around this map for days on end without getting bored. There is so much to find, so much to do, and it is so fun to upgrade everything. This game was not only WAY ahead of its time, but also stands up today as one of the juggernauts of gaming.
Sound: 10
Concept: 10
Graphics: 10
Gameplay: 9
Characters: 9
Replay Value: 9
Overall Enjoyment: 9
I give Metroid Prime a STRONG 9!
I believe Metroid Prime is one of the greatest games ever made. I played Remastered first and stepped into the original recently, and wow. The game has some of the best environmental storytelling ever in my opinion, and the exploration is just so fun. I could seriously run around this map for days on end without getting bored. There is so much to find, so much to do, and it is so fun to upgrade everything. This game was not only WAY ahead of its time, but also stands up today as one of the juggernauts of gaming.
I played both the GC and Trilogy version of this game.
Spent years hearing people say this is a masterpiece and one of the best games of all time, a work of art and the like.
And surprise surprise.
I agree.
Its the first game that was hyped to this degree for me that it delivered as much as it was praised.
The transition to 3D took 8 years for Metroid, and hearing how awful the development cycle was for this game, it is so amazing to see this game be as incredible as it is because the devs were able to overcome all of that shit (which should've NEVER happened in the first place) and create one of gaming's best masterpieces.
The OST is so amazing, like its incredible how good the composition is for both the atmosphere, and to listen outside of it (Phendrana Drifts my beloved).
Adding the hint system was so great, and even moreso making it optional, and I think for this game, it works for it to be there as an option.
The level design is so good and the area design is very memorable, Tallon overworld, Frigate Orpheon, Chozo Ruins, Magmor Caverns, Phendrana Drifts, Phazon Mines and Impact Crater are all very memorable and fun to traverse and explore.
The boss design is really great for the main bosses.
Parasite Queen, Flahgraa, Thardus, Omega Pirate, Meta Ridley and Metroid Prime are all very memorable as bosses and stand out a lot.
A shame the sub bosses suck, but oh well, you win some, you lose some.
Anyways, this game's masterful and a must play.
GC, Trilogy, Remastered.
Whatever the version, its an incredible game.
Spent years hearing people say this is a masterpiece and one of the best games of all time, a work of art and the like.
And surprise surprise.
I agree.
Its the first game that was hyped to this degree for me that it delivered as much as it was praised.
The transition to 3D took 8 years for Metroid, and hearing how awful the development cycle was for this game, it is so amazing to see this game be as incredible as it is because the devs were able to overcome all of that shit (which should've NEVER happened in the first place) and create one of gaming's best masterpieces.
The OST is so amazing, like its incredible how good the composition is for both the atmosphere, and to listen outside of it (Phendrana Drifts my beloved).
Adding the hint system was so great, and even moreso making it optional, and I think for this game, it works for it to be there as an option.
The level design is so good and the area design is very memorable, Tallon overworld, Frigate Orpheon, Chozo Ruins, Magmor Caverns, Phendrana Drifts, Phazon Mines and Impact Crater are all very memorable and fun to traverse and explore.
The boss design is really great for the main bosses.
Parasite Queen, Flahgraa, Thardus, Omega Pirate, Meta Ridley and Metroid Prime are all very memorable as bosses and stand out a lot.
A shame the sub bosses suck, but oh well, you win some, you lose some.
Anyways, this game's masterful and a must play.
GC, Trilogy, Remastered.
Whatever the version, its an incredible game.
immaculate vibes, world etc and great pacing in this half but yeah the second half really lets it down, it loses the energy
collecting the artefacts made me stop playing for a bit, the game design just seems rushed,
two bosses right after each other, that both get sluggish and annoying to fight, the mechanics aren't made for the amount of metroid at the end (or maybe get gud etc)
but glad i finally got round to this, the "metroidvania" game design (which you could argue it's not I guess without the rpg elements circa tim rogers on insert credit) is a such a satisfying almost SPIRITUAL way of design approaching - thinking about ursula k le guin and the dispossed "true voyage is return" (with powerups)
collecting the artefacts made me stop playing for a bit, the game design just seems rushed,
two bosses right after each other, that both get sluggish and annoying to fight, the mechanics aren't made for the amount of metroid at the end (or maybe get gud etc)
but glad i finally got round to this, the "metroidvania" game design (which you could argue it's not I guess without the rpg elements circa tim rogers on insert credit) is a such a satisfying almost SPIRITUAL way of design approaching - thinking about ursula k le guin and the dispossed "true voyage is return" (with powerups)
why did you break my disc, Will
Perfected the Metroidvania formula.
amazing game, but just play the remaster
A masterclass of gaming. One of the best games ever made.
I could not care less about the artifact hunt, I still think this game is my unbeatable all-time best.
Played for 20 hrs and defeated omega prorate and collected 10 artifacts but got tired of all the backtracking. Good game and way ahead of its time. Fast travel would’ve made this more bearable.
Couldn't really see what was going on 75% of the time.
I love this game, my only complaint is the lighting is kinda bad in some section, but the remastered version fixed that anyways. Best soundtrack in Metroid, my favourite gauntlet of bosses, and a variety of ways to explore and sequence break if you're brave and skilled enough.
Ruined by artifacts
It’s a crime to have a GameCube without this one.
This review contains spoilers
When playing Metroid Prime, I found myself not only curious about its world and mechanics, but I found myself curious about our world. It's the kind of game that inspires me to learn more. There are some intense moments and some cinematic moments, but some of the best moments in the story exist in the fallout of that tension - clearing out a room of Space Pirates and spending time in silence reading their research logs, understanding more and more about them. On the complete opposite side of this example, loved returning to to the Chozo Ruins, being able to explore more of its catacombs and finding more writings the Chozo civilisation left behind in their struggle. How the story is being told, is just as important as the story being told.
The scan visor is a smart way to get you to learn about the world. Through it, you learn more about the creatures you’ll face in battle, swapping beams and visors to get a better hold of many combat encounters. You learn about how you can destroy and traverse the world, and you can read scripts left behind by the two dominating races on the planet of Tallon IV. The combat isn’t particularly deep, but the visors and beams give each encounter a unique quirk. When using the wave beam against the final boss, I found myself acting more acrobatically to weave around its attacks, due to the wave beam’s homing properties. In other encounters, the wave beam made me act more aggressively, because it stuns smaller enemies. The other three beams have this same kind of situational variety. At the bare minimum, for the more superfluous applications of each beam and each visor, they add that kind of frenzied panic to the combat which I appreciated a lot in Super Metroid. The scan visor often contextualizes how you’ll be using each beam/visor. Sometimes you’ll reason out to use certain beams against certain enemies, like the plasma beam against ice enemies. Other times, the scan visor will aid you in understanding what beams, visors, and by extension, strategies, to use.
Mechanically, the world is a pretty good translation of the 2D Metroid formula. Get an upgrade, find the path the game’s unseen hand is guiding you towards, repeat - with a few optional upgrades and artifacts to find for observant or replaying players. The last half of the game challenged me into thinking critically - I found it very fun to plan my route on the fly to maximize the amount of upgrades and artifacts I could find in the shortest amount of time possible. I think because of the third dimension, Prime can’t get away with as many well kept secrets as its 2D siblings, without them being impossible to find. Thankfully, I find that there are a lot more puzzles and activities that test your spatial awareness - even then, they can be a little simplistic and boring. In a game with a literal added dimension to it, the hint system is a welcome addition, and an even more welcome addition is being able to disable it. The physical world isn’t the most interesting visually or mechanically, but it has some fantastic setpieces, and uses Samus’ available movement well. Samus’ main visor, the one you’ll have equipped for most of the game, has a lot of impressive details to it, further grounding the user interface and “video-game-y” mechanics into the world’s canon, which I appreciate.
Metroid Prime, for me, more than anything, is about the environment and knowledge, and life. Every facet of it feels deliberate, and in service of its greater experience. The Space Pirates are insistent on their believed place in the hierarchy of the cosmos, taking all that they can from the Metroid Prime, augmenting themselves beyond health and sentience. Then, the Metroid Prime, subtextually, represents not a poison, but knowledge itself. Knowledge the Chozo knew to keep at bay, and knowledge the Space Pirates believed they could harness. Samus then, is a kind of succession, who drives away the last sentient beings from Tallon IV, and kills the memory of the knowledge they tried to control, like an empty earth burying the last remaining memory of a nuclear war that wiped out humanity - nuclear energy and waste, comparisons I think are inevitable to Phazon.
There’s a lot more to think about when it comes to Metroid Prime’s story. I think its told organically and does a wonderful job of building tension in the game’s narrative. I think it’s very thought provoking.
I think everything about it is great! The gameplay is not slacking by any means but the story truly elevates it. What I see as its overarching theme, it succeeds at conveying - delivering one of the most focused and immersive games I have had the pleasure to learn more about.
The scan visor is a smart way to get you to learn about the world. Through it, you learn more about the creatures you’ll face in battle, swapping beams and visors to get a better hold of many combat encounters. You learn about how you can destroy and traverse the world, and you can read scripts left behind by the two dominating races on the planet of Tallon IV. The combat isn’t particularly deep, but the visors and beams give each encounter a unique quirk. When using the wave beam against the final boss, I found myself acting more acrobatically to weave around its attacks, due to the wave beam’s homing properties. In other encounters, the wave beam made me act more aggressively, because it stuns smaller enemies. The other three beams have this same kind of situational variety. At the bare minimum, for the more superfluous applications of each beam and each visor, they add that kind of frenzied panic to the combat which I appreciated a lot in Super Metroid. The scan visor often contextualizes how you’ll be using each beam/visor. Sometimes you’ll reason out to use certain beams against certain enemies, like the plasma beam against ice enemies. Other times, the scan visor will aid you in understanding what beams, visors, and by extension, strategies, to use.
Mechanically, the world is a pretty good translation of the 2D Metroid formula. Get an upgrade, find the path the game’s unseen hand is guiding you towards, repeat - with a few optional upgrades and artifacts to find for observant or replaying players. The last half of the game challenged me into thinking critically - I found it very fun to plan my route on the fly to maximize the amount of upgrades and artifacts I could find in the shortest amount of time possible. I think because of the third dimension, Prime can’t get away with as many well kept secrets as its 2D siblings, without them being impossible to find. Thankfully, I find that there are a lot more puzzles and activities that test your spatial awareness - even then, they can be a little simplistic and boring. In a game with a literal added dimension to it, the hint system is a welcome addition, and an even more welcome addition is being able to disable it. The physical world isn’t the most interesting visually or mechanically, but it has some fantastic setpieces, and uses Samus’ available movement well. Samus’ main visor, the one you’ll have equipped for most of the game, has a lot of impressive details to it, further grounding the user interface and “video-game-y” mechanics into the world’s canon, which I appreciate.
Metroid Prime, for me, more than anything, is about the environment and knowledge, and life. Every facet of it feels deliberate, and in service of its greater experience. The Space Pirates are insistent on their believed place in the hierarchy of the cosmos, taking all that they can from the Metroid Prime, augmenting themselves beyond health and sentience. Then, the Metroid Prime, subtextually, represents not a poison, but knowledge itself. Knowledge the Chozo knew to keep at bay, and knowledge the Space Pirates believed they could harness. Samus then, is a kind of succession, who drives away the last sentient beings from Tallon IV, and kills the memory of the knowledge they tried to control, like an empty earth burying the last remaining memory of a nuclear war that wiped out humanity - nuclear energy and waste, comparisons I think are inevitable to Phazon.
There’s a lot more to think about when it comes to Metroid Prime’s story. I think its told organically and does a wonderful job of building tension in the game’s narrative. I think it’s very thought provoking.
I think everything about it is great! The gameplay is not slacking by any means but the story truly elevates it. What I see as its overarching theme, it succeeds at conveying - delivering one of the most focused and immersive games I have had the pleasure to learn more about.
I remember before starting this game my thoughts were, "how do you turn a perfect 2D game into 3D?" Then immediately after I loaded in and left the first room I said, "Oh that's how." This game was perfect up until the final section where it tried to push the boundaries of controls a bit. Maybe I'm just bad though, who knows.
I really wanted to like this game. But it was just tedious to know where to go next. Even with a guide, it was just painful.
I did not like the level design and the music. To me, this game has no charm. It is a shame because i really liked the 2D games.
I did not like the level design and the music. To me, this game has no charm. It is a shame because i really liked the 2D games.
Una de las cosas que no esperaba de Metroid Prime es que fuera un zelda. Los jefes son de zelda, cada nivel está planteado como mazmorra de zelda y hasta suena la tonada de zelda cada vez que resuelves un puzzle. Pero también es super metroid, así que prepárate para dar vueltas, muchas vueltas, y ahí tienes tus puertas cerradas para más adelante y el tramo final de recolección de 12 artefactos. El tedio de la filosofía Nintendo se prolonga toda la aventura, sala por sala. Llegas a una puerta sin energía, busca tres interruptores con la visión térmica para abrirla. Entras a la siguiente sala, la puerta está sin energía, busca tres interruptores con la visión térmica para abrirla. Consigues una mejora para el blaster, una señal te indica que debes ir a la zona contraria del mapa.
La mazmorra no funciona como lugar creíble pues la verosimilitud se pierde entre artificales secciones de plataformas y rompecabezas. No funciona como espacio a resolver ya que la exploración no es el reto en ningún momento. No funciona como escenario para una acción de repetitivos encuentros con la profundidad de un charco. Y yo me pregunto, ¿en qué funciona Metroid Prime?
Lo que tiene de propio suena mejor en la teoría que en la práctica. La primera persona, que nos pone en la piel de la cazarrecompensas, con su interfaz orgánica, tiene su gracia y da personalidad a un avatar que de otra forma quedaría desdibujado. Aparte, intenta sacarle algo de partido al punto de vista con los distintos visores, aunque acaben teniendo un uso anecdótico. El escáner, la excusa narrativa para conocer la fauna y flora local, termina siendo una herramienta de ayuda al avance y una guía de puntos débiles de jefes y enemigos antes que un instrumento para el aprendizaje y descubrimiento del ecosistema. Poco interés naturalista muestra el juego cuando los únicos seres que podemos escanear son los que tienen repercusión directa en el juego y nada nos dirá de un banco de peces, insectos fluorescentes o las aves del cielo.
Me da hasta pena Samus, pues con todo su traje de terminator y habilidades extraordinarias no deja de tener la misma voluntad individual que el escarabajo que se te lanza al ataque en el mismo pasillo de siempre. En este escenario artificial con apariencia de mundo, ocupa su lugar como eslabón que mueve el engranaje que es el videojuego, pero nunca como exploradora, cazadora o aventurera.
La mazmorra no funciona como lugar creíble pues la verosimilitud se pierde entre artificales secciones de plataformas y rompecabezas. No funciona como espacio a resolver ya que la exploración no es el reto en ningún momento. No funciona como escenario para una acción de repetitivos encuentros con la profundidad de un charco. Y yo me pregunto, ¿en qué funciona Metroid Prime?
Lo que tiene de propio suena mejor en la teoría que en la práctica. La primera persona, que nos pone en la piel de la cazarrecompensas, con su interfaz orgánica, tiene su gracia y da personalidad a un avatar que de otra forma quedaría desdibujado. Aparte, intenta sacarle algo de partido al punto de vista con los distintos visores, aunque acaben teniendo un uso anecdótico. El escáner, la excusa narrativa para conocer la fauna y flora local, termina siendo una herramienta de ayuda al avance y una guía de puntos débiles de jefes y enemigos antes que un instrumento para el aprendizaje y descubrimiento del ecosistema. Poco interés naturalista muestra el juego cuando los únicos seres que podemos escanear son los que tienen repercusión directa en el juego y nada nos dirá de un banco de peces, insectos fluorescentes o las aves del cielo.
Me da hasta pena Samus, pues con todo su traje de terminator y habilidades extraordinarias no deja de tener la misma voluntad individual que el escarabajo que se te lanza al ataque en el mismo pasillo de siempre. En este escenario artificial con apariencia de mundo, ocupa su lugar como eslabón que mueve el engranaje que es el videojuego, pero nunca como exploradora, cazadora o aventurera.