Very few times do I replay a game almost immediately after first beating it, much less completing it. The sole other example I can think of is when I did a Dragonslayer run of Dark Souls where I tried to play as Ornstein.
I usually try to stay away from writing up lengthy diatribes on why I enjoy (or don't enjoy) a game, because I believe a lot can be said about a game in fewer words and allows more accessibility to more casual readers. However I cannot simply go into this review of my second playthrough without gushing about how much I love this game. But to give a TL;DR, the best part about AM2R is that it is a video game.
This replay was in New Game+ with Fusion Mode turned on. New Game+ in this case doesn't let you keep your upgrades from the previous adventure, but instead allows you to kill 85% of the Metroids in whatever order you choose. This allows for an immense amount of pure exploration as you can skip areas to grab upgrades that will make those areas a breeze, or in Fusion Mode's case, actually feasible. Fusion Mode is exactly what I wanted it to be, a vicegrip on my testicles and I have to fight tooth and claw to defeat the Metroid threat as well as the slew of other bosses the game has to offer.
All of the terror from my first playthrough was doubled with how powerless I was, even with the Varia Suit and other upgrades, I felt like I could be slaughtered at any moment, and that was an amazing feeling. So amazing that when I went out of my way to get things like the Screw Attack and Gravity Suit earlier than intended, it made overcoming that fear even more rewarding than it was before.
Collecting 100% of the items didn't just feel like something I wanted to do, but something I needed to do to survive and rewarded my knowledge of the level design from my previous playthrough, and the fact that items were cut in half (minus health tanks and suit upgrades) meant that I couldn't be over reliant on Super Missiles and Power Bombs and had to think on how to beat a boss.
This entire playthrough felt like not only I was improving, but the game itself improved with me.
There are still a few problems I have, some Metroids have ridiculously small hitboxes (looking at you Gamma Metroids) and the only way to beat them was simply to brute force my way with missiles while abusing what little invincibility frames I had. I still agree with my earlier review that I-Frames need to be increased because getting juggled outside of a fighting game is just a bit too much.
But god damn, this is a video game. One of the finest I have ever had the privilege to play, and one I plan on replaying again in the near future.
AM2R is a crowning testament to achieving one's dreams, 10 years of hardwork and dedication, to create a genuine, spectacular Metroid game, and my favorite in the series.
This is the Return of Samus we deserved.
I usually try to stay away from writing up lengthy diatribes on why I enjoy (or don't enjoy) a game, because I believe a lot can be said about a game in fewer words and allows more accessibility to more casual readers. However I cannot simply go into this review of my second playthrough without gushing about how much I love this game. But to give a TL;DR, the best part about AM2R is that it is a video game.
This replay was in New Game+ with Fusion Mode turned on. New Game+ in this case doesn't let you keep your upgrades from the previous adventure, but instead allows you to kill 85% of the Metroids in whatever order you choose. This allows for an immense amount of pure exploration as you can skip areas to grab upgrades that will make those areas a breeze, or in Fusion Mode's case, actually feasible. Fusion Mode is exactly what I wanted it to be, a vicegrip on my testicles and I have to fight tooth and claw to defeat the Metroid threat as well as the slew of other bosses the game has to offer.
All of the terror from my first playthrough was doubled with how powerless I was, even with the Varia Suit and other upgrades, I felt like I could be slaughtered at any moment, and that was an amazing feeling. So amazing that when I went out of my way to get things like the Screw Attack and Gravity Suit earlier than intended, it made overcoming that fear even more rewarding than it was before.
Collecting 100% of the items didn't just feel like something I wanted to do, but something I needed to do to survive and rewarded my knowledge of the level design from my previous playthrough, and the fact that items were cut in half (minus health tanks and suit upgrades) meant that I couldn't be over reliant on Super Missiles and Power Bombs and had to think on how to beat a boss.
This entire playthrough felt like not only I was improving, but the game itself improved with me.
There are still a few problems I have, some Metroids have ridiculously small hitboxes (looking at you Gamma Metroids) and the only way to beat them was simply to brute force my way with missiles while abusing what little invincibility frames I had. I still agree with my earlier review that I-Frames need to be increased because getting juggled outside of a fighting game is just a bit too much.
But god damn, this is a video game. One of the finest I have ever had the privilege to play, and one I plan on replaying again in the near future.
AM2R is a crowning testament to achieving one's dreams, 10 years of hardwork and dedication, to create a genuine, spectacular Metroid game, and my favorite in the series.
This is the Return of Samus we deserved.