The previous post sums up my exact thoughts.
The reaction online reminds me of the first time I was banned here many moons ago. A user whose literal username was SamusAran told me that "maybe Metroid isn't the franchise for you" because Prime 3 was my favorite of the trilogy, thanks to its early areas and plot featuring NPCs that you actually talk to and interact with instead of merely shooting them. To me, it makes the game and protagonist feel more immersive and have more depth and stakes instead of merely controlling what amounts to a soulless robot in a bodysuit (I am well aware that Samus is a human woman, but for the vast majority of the franchise, she might as well be a robot following programming). I ripped him to pieces and basically told him that he loves and relates to Samus so much because he too doesn't have friends or social skills to make them either.
In hindsight, that was overly harsh and immature of me, lol. However, I'm still in the camp of favoring a more fleshed out Metroid universe with some world building beyond the atmosphere you see in the background or read from scans as you run around by your lonesome. I find myself more motivated to play as Samus when she has more personal motivations and it's not just "The Federation told me to go hunt/investigate ___, so I'm doing it". When there's other sentient characters in the universe that are worth saving beyond the resident flora and fauna just going about their business. When I can see that there are things going on in that universe with NPCs having their own agency and motivations to make it seem more fleshed out instead of it being 100 percent everything that ever exists is designed to give Samus a puzzle to solve, upgrade to acquire or obstacle to overcome.
I am aware that there is an active user here called therealsamusaran, but given how long ago that old post was and that the current user seems like a much more agreeable, sociable person, I highly doubt they are the same person, heh.
Last edited by burninmylight - on 22 November 2025
