HOT TAKE OF THE CENTURY - METROID PRIME 2 IS JUST AS GOOD AS THE FIRST ONE.
Now granted - this is assuming some stuff about the way you're playing. There's three pretty massive issues that can stop plenty of people from enjoying this one.
1) AWFUL save placement in Agon Wastes - I just used save states during that part, but if you don't use them this is probably so much more painful.
2) Dark World draining your health - Don't wait until your health is all the way back up!! There's health pickups everywhere!! Don't be a coward!!
3) Both starting areas are pretty gray - If you can't have me at my Temple Grounds, you don't deserve me at my Sanctuary Fortress. 😙
But aside from the above? My GOD I loved this game. There's so many little improvements from the first.
Big open rooms that make the planet feel less claustrophobic, while still keeping things tight and tense when the devs want to mix things up. Dramatically more unique area theming, meaning you get way more than just the "ice area" or "lava area" of Prime 1. World design that uses ESPECIALLY creative vertical and interconnected maps compared to the "hallway" approach of the first game. Different beams that actually require some on-the-fly strategy to mess with. World progression that's convenient to navigate AND avoids having the solution be a room you forgot about on the opposite side of the planet (most of the time). Tons more focus on kinetic movement! Making Samus feel so much more powerful at the end compared to the start!! The Dark World genuinely making you feel powerless and spooked!! Actually fun bosses!!! (most of the time).
Even the ability to use mouse and keyboard on PrimeHack was such an improvement for my overall immersion...I wish I could use this control scheme for the first game's remaster. It's SO good.
I think there's some totally fair points against Echoes, like the Dark World's areas totally blending together, dimension hopping being fairly underbaked, the love-it-or-hate-it implementation of Zelda elements, and some pretty tanky enemies here and there. I also can't ignore the fact that emulation and some minor cheats - like automatically skipping the world transition cutscenes - definitely impacted my time with it, and in a more "vanilla" play-through I probably would be much more annoyed.
But even with those in mind...I still think Echoes deserves way more love. It's easily the most underrated entry in the Metroid series, and with some minor fixes, it's JUST as fun as the first Prime entry. IMAGINE what this game could look like with an official remaster!!
I'm eating SO good as a new-ish Metroid fan wowwww.
Now granted - this is assuming some stuff about the way you're playing. There's three pretty massive issues that can stop plenty of people from enjoying this one.
1) AWFUL save placement in Agon Wastes - I just used save states during that part, but if you don't use them this is probably so much more painful.
2) Dark World draining your health - Don't wait until your health is all the way back up!! There's health pickups everywhere!! Don't be a coward!!
3) Both starting areas are pretty gray - If you can't have me at my Temple Grounds, you don't deserve me at my Sanctuary Fortress. 😙
But aside from the above? My GOD I loved this game. There's so many little improvements from the first.
Big open rooms that make the planet feel less claustrophobic, while still keeping things tight and tense when the devs want to mix things up. Dramatically more unique area theming, meaning you get way more than just the "ice area" or "lava area" of Prime 1. World design that uses ESPECIALLY creative vertical and interconnected maps compared to the "hallway" approach of the first game. Different beams that actually require some on-the-fly strategy to mess with. World progression that's convenient to navigate AND avoids having the solution be a room you forgot about on the opposite side of the planet (most of the time). Tons more focus on kinetic movement! Making Samus feel so much more powerful at the end compared to the start!! The Dark World genuinely making you feel powerless and spooked!! Actually fun bosses!!! (most of the time).
Even the ability to use mouse and keyboard on PrimeHack was such an improvement for my overall immersion...I wish I could use this control scheme for the first game's remaster. It's SO good.
I think there's some totally fair points against Echoes, like the Dark World's areas totally blending together, dimension hopping being fairly underbaked, the love-it-or-hate-it implementation of Zelda elements, and some pretty tanky enemies here and there. I also can't ignore the fact that emulation and some minor cheats - like automatically skipping the world transition cutscenes - definitely impacted my time with it, and in a more "vanilla" play-through I probably would be much more annoyed.
But even with those in mind...I still think Echoes deserves way more love. It's easily the most underrated entry in the Metroid series, and with some minor fixes, it's JUST as fun as the first Prime entry. IMAGINE what this game could look like with an official remaster!!
I'm eating SO good as a new-ish Metroid fan wowwww.
I fucking love metroid
Worst out of the primes but still great. I like the dark vs light motif is cool but switching back and forth is annoying. The areas are kinda similar for most of the game but Sanctuary Fortress is amazing.
Take everything Metroid Prime did, and multiply it by 2. This game takes all of the elements seen in the first game, and amplifies it all. I mean everything. The Beam system has been transformed into a special light/dark themed shot. The map has basically been doubled, if not tripled in size, due to both the increase in general size, and the fact that the map has both a normal side and almost identical dark side. The bosses are crazier, the enemies are tougher, the game is in general harder. This games whole motto was go big. Now, if you absolutely loved the things Metroid Prime did and really wanted it extended and expanded on, then this is definitely for you. That being said, I do not like whats been done to the map. The first games map felt intertwined and fun to traverse even when back-tracking. This games map has one path to each area, with "shortcuts" that open up very late, and back-tracking may be this games worst aspect. As far as things that I really like about this game, it makes a huge pivot towards themes that you would almost expect to see in a horror game. It's really dark and eerie constantly, vibes of the original Metroid at times. Not much else to say, it's just taking the first game, making it twice as big and exaggerated, and unrealizing some of the things that the first game did best. I get why this one has such a specific following.
I liked this but not as much as the first game. I wasn't in love with the light/dark gimmick. Probably got 60% of the way through the game but I borrowed it from Nick and never finished it. I hear they are putting this on Switch. If they do then I'll finish it. Your move, Nintendo.
I would hesitate to call this game underrated due to it's cultural significance as a part of a well regarded trilogy but between all 3 games I really believe this one is a triumph in every way the first was and looking at the sales numbers I do think it deserves a second look from fans and non fans alike. The texture of the game is more artificial and technological but it makes it organic moments feel that much more gross. I think the level design is top notch and the beam ammo is not as big a deal as we initially made it out to be
Similar formula to its predecessor, tighter more fragmented Legend of Zelda dungeon based exploration progression with a emphasis on a darker tone.
I'm really fascinated by how divided opinions are on this game, lots of people says its the most underrated in the prime series and other really hate the light and dark theming and gameplay.
I'm still undecided as I need to round off the Prime trilogy, Prime 1 definitely had a much bigger effect on me when I first played it but I do think I enjoyed Prime 2 for its areas a lot more. I felt less lost and the atmosphere in each section was fantastic and really thoughtout.
I'm really fascinated by how divided opinions are on this game, lots of people says its the most underrated in the prime series and other really hate the light and dark theming and gameplay.
I'm still undecided as I need to round off the Prime trilogy, Prime 1 definitely had a much bigger effect on me when I first played it but I do think I enjoyed Prime 2 for its areas a lot more. I felt less lost and the atmosphere in each section was fantastic and really thoughtout.
the best metroid prime game. it trims the fat of the first game and improves by leagues on the action. areas are unique and atmospheric, bosses are mostly good with some standout encounters. incredible
A great sequel
I felt drawn to this game over the original despite being terrified of the dark world. Was real cool, and the multiplayer is a neat diversion when not playing the campaign. Remaster when?
8.1 For everything better it does than Prime it also does worse, I think I enjoyed Prime more but I do remember enjoying Prime 2 more back when, it's a more interesting game as a whole (but at the same time I find the world lacking) and further from the usual Metroid linearity than before but it just feels like it's different to be different at times. It emphasises exploration a bit more which fits it's genre more but also means a whole lot more backtracking where I found Prime 1 to be a lot more linear with lesser or more streamlined backtracking. Which I both like more and less for different reasons
With a story that's nothing to write home about, a total step down from its predecessor's weapon system, an infamously aggravating dual-world mechanic, and a terrible late-game fetch quest, you'd expect Metroid Prime 2: Echoes to be a game wholly not worth remembering or revisiting.
Call it style over substance, but an atmosphere as gripping as Metroid Prime 2's does not come along often.
Call it style over substance, but an atmosphere as gripping as Metroid Prime 2's does not come along often.
Time has made me appreciate Prime 2's tight design, gloomy tone, and difficulty over the original Primes. It is a spectacular game, and the bosses alone carry it over the line for best Prime game in my book.
I did not like this game as much as the first, and because of that I never continued on in the trilogy. I thought the first one was pretty incredible. I thought this one was okay.
Dommage que le jeu soit raciste :/.