Finally started playing a couple days ago, made it through Fury Green and Volt Forge and into the big ol' desert.
First impressions are all over the place really. The soundtrack and audio design are fantastic, though I think it gets a bit too noisy in combat rooms. The visuals are absolutely amazing, jaw-dropping stuff constantly. This is my favorite-looking game of 2025.
The motorcycle stuff I felt very iffy about when it was revealed, and even more iffy when people started giving their opinions on the game and this was a common point of criticism. Having just gotten in and played around in the desert for a bit... um, a good bit... I'm having fun I admit. Samus on a bike is just too cool. I thought my love for driving motorcycles in videogames had stayed with GTA: San Andreas in my teenage years, but nah, it's still here lol.
On the other controversial thing, MacKenzie, I despised him at first. It's not so much having a companion who talks to you as much as it is how much his dialogue really sounds like MCU writing, also in that he talks so much... I was cringing all the time he was on my screen, it ruined the atmosphere for me. I just wished he was quieter, and you know what, it seems I got my wish, because he's barely said a thing since I got to Volt Forge. If it stays like this I'll be okay. The game's got amazing atmosphere when he's not ruining it.
I think the main shortcoming really is just the level design. It's linear and easy to the point where it feels like you are watching the game more than playing it. This feels like a playable tech demo – the kind of amazing visuals you dream of, but you know a real game with actual levels and deep gameplay could never look like that. So they actually made a whole game like that!
So yeah, I'm still processing each thing as it comes, but I'm enjoying the game for what it is: an audiovisual experience. A great one at that.
