Honestly, i was really close to give this one a 7/10, but the story and the atmosphere of this game are so good that they easely secure this game at a 8/10
The story isnt complex or anything, but all the dialogu that samus have with the AI (especially in the ending) or herself, the urgency behind everything you do in the game, the ominous presence of the SA-X, the impeccable atmosphere, that almost make you feel like you play a horror game...its all great stuff, and they are easely the highlight of the game
As for the presentation, and thats maybe an unpopular opinion, but they are far from the best in the franchise: sure, the environnement looks good and varied, and they often enhance the atmosphere, but, idk, the environnement lack that sort of...mystical aura that other game in the franchise have (the prime trilogy, super metroid...). Obviously, its still good, but idk, to me, they are more in the same level as metroid dread: good, but not incredible (same goes for the soundtrack : good but not Amazing). The creature design are exceptionnal thought : the new creature all have that unic design that make them standout compared to the rest of the franchise, and enhance the fact that they are sort of...unatural and extremely dangerous... because yeah...for once, samus feels...less in control that usual, and even become the prey in some instance (for example, with the clone), and even when she aint, she get caught in traps or goes against insane bossfight that almost left her dead more often than usual...yeah, this game is incredible at creating dread (pun intended lol) to the player
Speaking of insane boss, lets talk about the thing that almost made the game drop half a star: the gameplay. Ok, i love metroid prime 3: sure the game is really linear, but i felt like the linearity, wasnt as intrusive as in this game. I cannot explain why, but, in Fusion in particular, i felt like the linearity was more...intrusive and a obstacle to the experience. Sure, sometimes, the game drop the linearity (when you have to get the spreading effect thing for the missile for example), but the game doesnt allow you to explore and discover things that much (outside from optional collectable, i mean). The linearity isnt bad, but to me, it kinda make the game a bit worse...but the main problem i have with this game is when it decide to just become annoyingly difficult, like with certain bossfight or some section, and when i mean annoyingly, i mean when the game doesnt allow you to see something that might hurt or kill you, due to the screencrunch, the fact that the gba lack buttons, therefore making certain move trickier to pull off and the game not that precise when you dont have room to manoeuvre, or when the game decide to throw dozens of things at you for no reason: unpopular opinion, i guess, but i really didnt like nightmare bossfight for those reason: the screencrunch made avoiding the charge of this enormous boss harder and almost random, the lesser precise gameplay made me panic, and the fact that sometime, he was straight up unavoidable (add to that skill issue) and that hitbox were kinda weird in this bossfight, and yeah, i didnt have a good time. Again, the gameplay is still good and very enjoyable like 90% of the Time (i wouldnt give this 8/10 otherwise), and honestly, the fact that this game can be hard enhance the ominous atmosphere, but yeah, sometimes the game was straight up non fun
I was really harsh in this last paragraph, but thats probably not deserved, because the game is still great: its fun, the atmosphere is on point, the story is interesting, the présentation is solid, it feel good to play, for the most part, and is overall a good metroid game (better than metroid prime 3, honestly, but i prefer it, because im bias, stfu)
Props for this game for not making Adam insufferable thought, and for having a great characterisation of samus.... BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A CERTAIN GAME HAD ISSUES IN THAT REGARD
The story isnt complex or anything, but all the dialogu that samus have with the AI (especially in the ending) or herself, the urgency behind everything you do in the game, the ominous presence of the SA-X, the impeccable atmosphere, that almost make you feel like you play a horror game...its all great stuff, and they are easely the highlight of the game
As for the presentation, and thats maybe an unpopular opinion, but they are far from the best in the franchise: sure, the environnement looks good and varied, and they often enhance the atmosphere, but, idk, the environnement lack that sort of...mystical aura that other game in the franchise have (the prime trilogy, super metroid...). Obviously, its still good, but idk, to me, they are more in the same level as metroid dread: good, but not incredible (same goes for the soundtrack : good but not Amazing). The creature design are exceptionnal thought : the new creature all have that unic design that make them standout compared to the rest of the franchise, and enhance the fact that they are sort of...unatural and extremely dangerous... because yeah...for once, samus feels...less in control that usual, and even become the prey in some instance (for example, with the clone), and even when she aint, she get caught in traps or goes against insane bossfight that almost left her dead more often than usual...yeah, this game is incredible at creating dread (pun intended lol) to the player
Speaking of insane boss, lets talk about the thing that almost made the game drop half a star: the gameplay. Ok, i love metroid prime 3: sure the game is really linear, but i felt like the linearity, wasnt as intrusive as in this game. I cannot explain why, but, in Fusion in particular, i felt like the linearity was more...intrusive and a obstacle to the experience. Sure, sometimes, the game drop the linearity (when you have to get the spreading effect thing for the missile for example), but the game doesnt allow you to explore and discover things that much (outside from optional collectable, i mean). The linearity isnt bad, but to me, it kinda make the game a bit worse...but the main problem i have with this game is when it decide to just become annoyingly difficult, like with certain bossfight or some section, and when i mean annoyingly, i mean when the game doesnt allow you to see something that might hurt or kill you, due to the screencrunch, the fact that the gba lack buttons, therefore making certain move trickier to pull off and the game not that precise when you dont have room to manoeuvre, or when the game decide to throw dozens of things at you for no reason: unpopular opinion, i guess, but i really didnt like nightmare bossfight for those reason: the screencrunch made avoiding the charge of this enormous boss harder and almost random, the lesser precise gameplay made me panic, and the fact that sometime, he was straight up unavoidable (add to that skill issue) and that hitbox were kinda weird in this bossfight, and yeah, i didnt have a good time. Again, the gameplay is still good and very enjoyable like 90% of the Time (i wouldnt give this 8/10 otherwise), and honestly, the fact that this game can be hard enhance the ominous atmosphere, but yeah, sometimes the game was straight up non fun
I was really harsh in this last paragraph, but thats probably not deserved, because the game is still great: its fun, the atmosphere is on point, the story is interesting, the présentation is solid, it feel good to play, for the most part, and is overall a good metroid game (better than metroid prime 3, honestly, but i prefer it, because im bias, stfu)
Props for this game for not making Adam insufferable thought, and for having a great characterisation of samus.... BECAUSE I FEEL LIKE A CERTAIN GAME HAD ISSUES IN THAT REGARD