Well, earlier tonight I finally completely Metroid Prime 3: Corruption with 100% completion, and of course unlocked the best ending and Hyper Mode. There are some very minor spoilers in this review. So, here is my review of the game:
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Visuals: There is no denying that the Wii will never be able to display games that are as technically impressive as the Xbox 360 and Playstation 3, but Nintendo will do their best to show you that art is what's important. Metroid Prime 3 is a gorgeous game. The worlds are rendered to the last meticulous detail, and each world is completely unique and different from anything you have ever seen in past games. Some of the most creative uses of Bloom Lighting ever seen really give the game a surreal science fiction feel. The game runs at a rock solid 60 FPS, and is by far the most visually impressive Wii game to date.
Audio: Metroid Prime 3 has a beautifully orchestrated soundtrack. The music ranges from haunting to triumphant, and is always matched perfectly with the environment. From beginning to end the soundtrack of the game is excellent.
Story: The plot of the game is pretty good, especially if you unlock the 100% ending (be sure to watch through the end of the credits), but it's not anything special. The voice acting is beautifully delievered, but some of the lines are more than a little cheesy.
Despite the plot being nothing incredible, there is a lot of interesting (and well written) information to be gathered through scanning things. By things, I mean everything. Scan enemies, computers, objects, and even the ground itself. You will find a lot of interesting information, helpful hints, and histories of the planets you are visiting.
If you are looking for a story that's going to take you into the depths of the human soul, this isn't it. If you are looking for a decent plot that helps move along the exploration and combat, then it's pretty good. Let's face it; the plot in Metroid games is just an excuse to go off spelunking accross the galaxy.
Design: Metroid Prime 3 is undenaibly more action focussed than any previous Prime game, but rather than pick combat, exploration, or puzzle solving to focus on, Retro manages to find a balance that previous Metroid games have been unable to achieve.
The first world breaks away from this formula a bit and operates almost purely on action, however, considering that the purpose of this planet is to introduce you to Samus's abilities, and slowly introduce some simple puzzle gameplay to the gamer (so as not to scare away the casual), this is a minor complaint. Retro did it's best not to overwhelm those new to the Metroid series by throwing them into a desolate puzzle filled planet right away, and in that respect, they succeeded.
While on the subject of exploration: it's prominent throughout the game. Backtracking, a feature that was prominent in previous games (almost to the point of tedium), has been streamlined. Samus can now use her starship to fly in between certain locations on each planet. This certainly shortens the amount of time spent backtracking, but in no way eliminates it. Rather than time spent traveling to the locations, more time will be spent actually fighting the enemies and solving the puzzles. Samus can use her ship to fly between any landing pad whenever she wishes. The ship itself plays a much larger role in this game than any previous. Through a special visor it can be called as a portable save point, used as a platform, or used to execute bombing runs on enemies.
However, despite the freedom of exploration, the planets themselves are more linear than in previous games. Of course all Metroid games are truly pretty linear at heart. When there are 5 doors in the room, but your current suit upgrades only allow you to get in one, that doesn't exactly count as freedom. Retro seems to have realized this, and to eliminate confusion, organized levels much better. Rather than many many doors in a single room, instead you'll find a lot of puzzles focused on that individual room or a few nearby rooms. That's not to say that you will ever be able to get everything the first time through an area. You won't. There are still split paths and you may feel lost at times (even with the easily accessible map). The game itself is actually larger than previous games when all is said and done, and those looking to get exploring in some interesting and diverse alien worlds will find Prime 3's design to be very satisfying.
To add to the adventure, numerous unlockables, purchased with specialized points earned while playing the game, have been added . These include diorama trophies of big scenes in the game, a bobblehead of your Mii, a screenshot tool (which lets you send those screens to your friends), songs in the game, concept art, and more. Some of these can only be obtained through trading special points called "friend vouchers" over Wi-Fi.
There are a couple flaws in the design. One flaw in the game is a somewhat inconveniently placed fetch quest near the end. It's a bit annoying, but the hardcore Metroid fans who like to make sure they collect everything before the end of the game anyway will likely have already gathered almost all of the items in question. If you want the perfect ending, you will need to collect all items anyway. Another flaw is that the doors can take an uncomfortably long time to open on occasion. The game uses the doors to load the individual rooms and areas, but some of the load times can get over 10 seconds. This really interrupts the flow of the game, and can be deadly if you are trying to escape a lot of enemies. The game is a bit too easy (especially the final boss), even on the veteran setting, but Hyper Mode should present more of a challenge.
Gameplay: If you believe gameplay matters more than anything else, then I have good news for you: This is the best part of Metroid Prime 3 by far. The controls are simply the best FPS controls on any console. They are sharp, accurate, and incredibly responsive. It will not surpass a mouse and keyboard in accuracy and reaction speed, but it is certainly the next best thing. Despite not surpassing a mouse and keyboard, they are in many ways more fun. Be sure to play on the "advanced" control setting. The other two are not nearly as fun.
The other motion controls are not perfect. I recommend you over-exaggerate your motions, to make sure that the Wiimote and Nunchuck recognize them. If you don't mind doing this, it shouldn't give you any problems. Surprisingly, the simple motions like activating a switch or removing a power cell actually do feel pretty good. Coupled with varrying rumble intensities and the speaker in the Wiimote they really do add a lot of immersion.
Conclusion: Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is the best game on the Wii right now. It has gorgeous artwork, incredible music, the best FPS controls on any console, and a great balance of exploration, puzzle solving, and combat. The game is not perfect. There are some minor pacing issues, and some doors can take way too long to load, which can be very inconvenient. The motion control actions aren't perfect, but manageable. Overall, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a must own for FPS and Adventure game fans alike. Most important of all: It's a complete blast to play.
Metroid Prime 3, final score: 9.5/10
I hope you enjoyed my (admittedly lengthy) review of the game!
