I've started the game and I know I'm probably less than two hours in, but the game doesn't feel nearly as bad as I've been hearing. The camera angles are used properly, the dodge and finisher moves look just like what I imagined Samus should fight like (after playing Smash bros and watching Haloid) and they reduced (not eliminated) puzzles for a more action oriented experience. I still have 2 Prime Games to beat so I don't mind playing with less puzzles and a third person view, it's a nice change of pace. I do miss the fact that I can't scan almost everything like I could in the prime games, it became a little addiction for me. Just like I missed using my fairy to get info on anything I could Z-target in the gamecube Zelda games.

Sounds about right to me

What part are you at?? Just asking out of curiosity... I promise not to spoil anything

What the hell does Haloid and Smash Bros have to do with the mainline Metroid games?

@theRepublic, it makes me picture Samus in combat, and the way she fights in Other M is more like what I pictured than the way she fights in the prime games. Besides, I played Fusion and Zero mission first so I missed the acrobatics, shooting while climbing and the fact that I could see samus when I played Prime 1. Glad to have that back in Other M.
@Gumby, just got to the part where they partially restore a computer and discover that the Galactic Federation was illegally experimenting with bioweapons. They split up to search for further intel, I hit the save room and stopped playing. OK, there's no exploration, they even lock you out of previously accessible areas, but there's still hidden upgrades and that was the most important aspect of the exploration to me anyway.

The game was specifically designed to only have one control scheme. Don't ask me why, I read an interview but I don't remember their reason. Not being able to move in first person mode was also intentional. Otherwise finding hidden items would be too easy, and it makes for strategic mode switching, and I like it. As other people have mentioned, the attack and dodge buttons are not the same, but it still is easy to spam the dodge button. But you don't have to spam it. If you find it too easy, then use hard mode after you beat the game. Speaking of which, I just beat it yesterday, and I loved it. It was amazing.

Yeah, I'm guessing they were a bit to scared people would get lost in the game if they left the areas openned, but all areas unlock when you finish the game.