Metroid Prime 3, and what I think…

Posted by steve on September 17, 2007 |

Metroid Prime 3 Corruption is almost without a doubt, the best game released on the Wii thus far. It pushes the Wii’s graphic engine to show that pretty games, even though not at HD resolution offered by other platforms, is still possible. It also shows that the Wiimote control scheme works almost (and I do mean almost, because it doesn’t quite get there, read on…) brilliantly with the right software programming. However, that is not to say that the game itself is without flaws. Despite the fact that Metroid Prime 3 garnered good reviews from just about any major outlet, I found some of the gameplay elements lacking and frustrating.

First we have to talk about the control of the game. Even though it is indeed the most fluid and well-calibrated use of the Wiimote so far, it still isn’t quite accurate enough to really get it right. There are basically two options to how you control the game, you can opt for the traditional, complete lock-on as offered on Gamecube before; or you can opt for the semi-lock-on, which allows you to lock onto the enemy and strafe around, but still aim your gun manually. The full lock-on makes encounters against non-boss enemies a joke, just lock on, move around and fire away blindly until the enemy dies, and find another enemy to lock onto. In contrast, the “advanced” mode controls is accurate most of the time, but it does lose tracking once in a while, and it’s easy to lose your cursor when tracking starts to get erratic. Before you know it, you’re staring at your feet trying to get the sensor to pick up the Wiimote properly.

An interesting side-effect of the contrasting control schemes, with one being overtly easy and the other being “moody”, is that the game pushes you towards the easier control; but the boss fights would be way too easy with it. So on many boss fights, your control scheme automatically returns back to the advanced mode, with manual aiming being mandatory on many fights. This caused some early confusion as I was playing through the game, as there’s a big red cursor for the boss that I’ve locked onto, but just a tiny little red cursor for where I’m actually firing.

Another sign that the control scheme is still buggy at times, is when you have to interact with switches in the game. I admit that the level of interactivity with the switch, many of which employs a variety of pull/twist/push mechanisms adds a whole level of immersion into the environment. At the same time, I’ve yet to come across a single switch in the game that just worked the way it was supposed to. Most of the time it fails to detect some of the motion I performed, and requires repeated push/pull action for the control to pick up at least some of the movements Similarly, the morph ball “jump” is controlled by a swing of the Wiimote, which often has problem recognizing multiple jumps performed in succession, causing some unnecessary grief in complex manuever situations (such as a bomb double jump with the morph ball).

Even with these flaws, the control scheme still offered a level of immersion that’s hugely appreciable. Except for those long boss fights where you can feel your shoulders getting sore, and at some point you just want the boss encounter to be over with. If minor control problems were Metroid Prime’s only detraction, I would’ve still loved this game. Of course the flaws doesn’t end there.

For Metroid veterans, you guys know what this game is all about. A mixture of some action elements, a lot of puzzle solving, and backtracking through previous levels to uncover new areas that you couldn’t reach until you’ve upgraded your abilities. Metroid Prime 3 still follows this tried and true formula, but I was really hoping that the series would progress and take that concept to a new level.

Puzzles are fun when they can be resolved quickly as to not disrupt the pace of the game. What worked well in Metroid’s 2d incarnations has never worked all that great in 3d. Finding a hairline crack to bomb on a 2d map was relatively obvious & easy. Finding the same hairline crack to bomb open, so you can use your morph ball and solve the puzzle in a fully realized 3d world is much harder. There are plenty of times when I got stuck running around the same area over and over again in attempt to solve a puzzle, only to find that I missed a little crack there, or I missed a double jump into a dark & vacant space that’s practically unidentifiable. That’s *not* good game design, when there are potentially too many points where you can get stuck trying to just get through a room to your next objective. At some point you would think that game testing would’ve caught these mistakes. Looking into every dark crack of every corner of every room, is not my idea of a good time.

The amount of backtracking, although a stable in Metroid’s gameplay, is also an outdated gaming element that should’ve evolved or just scrapped altogether. Visiting the same level that I’ve beaten 3 times before just to open up one more door, and get through 3 more rooms, is again, *NOT* my idea of a good time.

Overall, I think Metroid Prime 3 is a swell game, by far one of the best game on Wii. Does it qualify as a great game in comparison to Gears of War, or BioShock? Probably not, but Wii fans will have at least something to play that isn’t just another cutesy, casual title.

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