The Flaws of the Metroid Prime Trilogy

[theRepublic]

MTZehvor said:

METROID PRIME 2: ECHOES

1. Now that that's done, let's talk what's new that's bad about Echoes. I like the concept of the light/dark world in general, but what I'm not a fan of is a dark world that's artifically blocked off in a number of places, making it impossible to stay in the dark world and go from place to place easily. What this means is that it's oftentimes very difficult to get to a specific place in the dark world, because doors that work in the light world will be randomly blocked by the game, and the only way to get to them is to enter a very specific portal in the light world. Not only does this kind of hurt the sense of the dark world being an entirely equal and seperate dimension rather than just a bland extension of the light world, it makes the game a chore to navigate.

METROID PRIME 3: CORRUPTION

2. I don't mind the existence of multiple NPCs in Prime 3, particularly the Hunters, since they mostly exist to get mind controlled by Dark Samus and show off Phazon's mind controlling powers rather than actually be meaningful characters, but the game does press things a bit too far towards the end with the "protect the Demolition Trooper" section on the Pirate Homeworld. I generally dislike being forced to protect things in any video game, but it's particularly out of place in a Metroid game. It makes little sense logically either; why not simply wait until the Pirates have been beaten back, and then send the troopers in? Or just send some bombs along with the fully armored troops? Oh whatever. Regardless, please, don't do linear "protect the X" sections in any video games, let alone exploration ones.

3. I like the wii remote aiming in Prime 3, but much like Skyward Sword, Corruption goes overboard and wants to make everything that can possibly be controlled by the Wii remote...be controlled by the Wii remote. From using the grapple beam, to flipping switches, to extracting full cels; everything that can use motion control will use motion control. It's not awful, but it certainly doesn't help immersion and it's just obnoxious at points, particularly on those train car segments in the Pirate Homeworld. Having a cool new gimmick is great, but when you're putting it all over the game, ask yourself if it really adds to the experience in any positive manner.

1. I don't get this complaint at all.  If you could just easily navigate the dark world, what would be the point of flipping back and forth between the two?  There are differences between the worlds to make it interesting.  It would be a "bland extension of the light world" if they were the same, not the other way around.  Same with light/dark worlds in Zelda.

2. I believe you are talking about near the end of the game where you are helping the Federation Troopers attack?  Yeah, I thought that segement felt very un-Metroid-like.  I did like the other bounty hunters.  Everyone went on their own path, and that kept it feeling like a Metroid game.

3. I could not disagree more.  I loved using the grappling beam.  It felt great.  The other uses for the motion control were all simple and intutive, and greatly increased the immersion for me.  I largely feel the same for Skyward Sword.  The one place that game failed with motion controls, was with the puzzles where you needed to spin the oddly shaped key in the correct position to make the door open (I think this was only at the boss doors in dungeons).  This was an unintutive puzzle, which the motion controls made that much more frusturating.