A two-steps-forward, one-step-back kind of sequel. A few mechanical tweaks and an added emphasis on narrative made this more memorable on the whole than its predecessor, but there's still a feeling of "not quite there" that's hard to shake. Partly, this stems from the linear cul-de-sac design of the world compared to the circuitous labyrinth of the original - knowing that you can't proceed until you fully explore a giant chunk of the world to find a single Metroid only gets more frustrating as the game goes along, and the lack of a map makes the lack of direction truly painful at points.

The story is the star here, though - it's still indirect like the original, but the harshness of Samus's genocidal assignment begins to seriously weigh on the player as they dive deeper and deeper into the Metroid planet. That ending is a stunner too, a brief ray of hope after a truly harrowing odyssey of extinction.

Can't say I loved it, but much like the first game, my overall respect for this game is boundless.