Review
Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
It's been nine months after the Wii's release and the gamers that anticipated its arrival can finally get their hands on the game that truly exemplifies the "new-gen" experience that Nintendo promised. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption not only expands Samus' higly-acclaimed universe to levels never before seen in any other Metroid game, but it also sucks the player into another world like no other game on the console.
The Prime trilogy is coming to a close, and Samus Aran will need all of her skills and abilities to make it through this final battle with Dark Samus and the space pirates. Those who played Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime: Echoes will be quick to think that Corruption is about on par with the previous two games in the Prime series. After about an hour into the game, however, they will realize that it is better in just about every single way possible.
For the third time, players take control of the bounty hunter behind the visor, but the experience of being Samus is greatly enhanced. Unlike the previous Prime games that combined movement and aiming into one analog stick of the GameCube controller, Corruption separates aiming and movement between the Wii remote and nunchuck respectively. Because of this, controlling Samus feels much more natural, fluid and simple. Those used to the GameCube controls will need some time to become familiar with the new control scheme, but once they've gotten used to it they will never want to go back. Though it is still possible to lock Samus' vision onto a single target to strafe around it, combat is no longer simply dashing to the sides and repeatedly firing Samus' arm cannon. Instead, shoot-outs are much more immersive—and challenging—because the players will have to take careful aim with the Wii remote to hit their targets.
The motion-sensitive nunchuck is also used to throw and pull back Samus' grapple lasso to rip shields or armor off of some opponents, and this especially adds a strong physical dimension to the game. But this new control experience isn't always tied to combat. In some cases, the remote's infrared aiming is used to do something as simple as punching in a key code or twisting a lock into place. In other cases, players can use the grapple lasso to pull out a detracted platform or to remove obstacles inside a morph ball path. Every single one of these physical actions makes the game feel real, injecting a sense of verisimilitude into a fantastical sci-fi setting. You're not looking into the Metroid universe from behind the visor, you are interacting with it with Samus' fingertips and arm cannon.
Samus' gunship also plays a key role in making the Metroid universe feel dynamic. No longer is the gunship merely a save point at the beginning of Samus' adventure. By upgrading her gunship alongside her own personal weapons, she can now remotely pilot the ship to make bombing runs or to land in a clear spot to act as a save station and exit the area. Even more importantly, she will use it to travel between the multiple planets and points of interest in the galaxy.
Corruption is also a different experience due to how the Metroid universe is portrayed in a much more dynamic and living universe. Players will encounter creatures and characters that aren't entirely hostile. Some of them add to the environment, such as the technicians and marines on Galactic Federation starships. Others, like the AI Aurora units, will help to clarify Samus' objectives. And then there are the three rival bounty hunters, each with their own unique personalities and features, which contribute to the game's story and long list of challenging boss fights.
Even with all of these new and improved game mechanics, Corruption continues to immerse the player into the Metroid universe with its excellent presentation. The game's framerate is always smooth and the graphics are the best on the system with sharp textures, clear particles, and long draw distances, all of which are neatly tied together with excellent art direction to create amazing looking environments. What is truly enthralling visually, however, is the level ofdetail invested in the game. If an enemy is killed from a blast of hot plasma, its corpse will disintegrate into ashes, while metallic enemies will melt into a pool of hot liquid metal. If frozen by an ice missile, the creature will crack and shatter into shards of ice. When Samus walks through an area infected by phazon there are little globules of the blue material stuck to the walls and floors. In areas where there is nothing obscuring the sky, you might see a natural inhabitant—whether it be an AI drone or some sort of flying creature—flying about in the distance.
The high attention to detail also extends into the use of sound in the game. Each creature has its own specific sounds which makes it easier to determine where the real threat is coming from. Minor insect or bug-like enemies will emit little chittering noises while space pirates yell what are probably obscenities to Samus in their hissing and vicious-sounding language. Even Samus' footsteps will make different sounds depending on what she walks on. Furthermore, the game is accompanied by an excellent musical score which matches old music from previous Metroid games with new haunting and gloomy environment specific themes that accentuate the feelings of isolation and exploration.
All things considered, Corruption is one amazingly presented game. The cutscene-like loading screens look just as great and fit in with the real cutscenes and scripted sequences that are seen throughout the game. The only problem regarding presentation is that some doors take a while to open because the areas behind them need some time to load. Despite that issue, the rest of the game looks great. The microscopic life forms-themed menu interface is clear, easy to understand, and can be easily navigated using the Wii remote. The game also has an Xbox Live "achievement points"-like system where accomplishing certain feats such as killing a number of enemies or defeating bosses will earn you medals. These are then used to unlock bonus material such as concept art and music.
The Prime trilogy is coming to a close, and Samus Aran will need all of her skills and abilities to make it through this final battle with Dark Samus and the space pirates. Those who played Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime: Echoes will be quick to think that Corruption is about on par with the previous two games in the Prime series. After about an hour into the game, however, they will realize that it is better in just about every single way possible.
For the third time, players take control of the bounty hunter behind the visor, but the experience of being Samus is greatly enhanced. Unlike the previous Prime games that combined movement and aiming into one analog stick of the GameCube controller, Corruption separates aiming and movement between the Wii remote and nunchuck respectively. Because of this, controlling Samus feels much more natural, fluid and simple. Those used to the GameCube controls will need some time to become familiar with the new control scheme, but once they've gotten used to it they will never want to go back. Though it is still possible to lock Samus' vision onto a single target to strafe around it, combat is no longer simply dashing to the sides and repeatedly firing Samus' arm cannon. Instead, shoot-outs are much more immersive—and challenging—because the players will have to take careful aim with the Wii remote to hit their targets.
The motion-sensitive nunchuck is also used to throw and pull back Samus' grapple lasso to rip shields or armor off of some opponents, and this especially adds a strong physical dimension to the game. But this new control experience isn't always tied to combat. In some cases, the remote's infrared aiming is used to do something as simple as punching in a key code or twisting a lock into place. In other cases, players can use the grapple lasso to pull out a detracted platform or to remove obstacles inside a morph ball path. Every single one of these physical actions makes the game feel real, injecting a sense of verisimilitude into a fantastical sci-fi setting. You're not looking into the Metroid universe from behind the visor, you are interacting with it with Samus' fingertips and arm cannon.
Samus' gunship also plays a key role in making the Metroid universe feel dynamic. No longer is the gunship merely a save point at the beginning of Samus' adventure. By upgrading her gunship alongside her own personal weapons, she can now remotely pilot the ship to make bombing runs or to land in a clear spot to act as a save station and exit the area. Even more importantly, she will use it to travel between the multiple planets and points of interest in the galaxy.
Corruption is also a different experience due to how the Metroid universe is portrayed in a much more dynamic and living universe. Players will encounter creatures and characters that aren't entirely hostile. Some of them add to the environment, such as the technicians and marines on Galactic Federation starships. Others, like the AI Aurora units, will help to clarify Samus' objectives. And then there are the three rival bounty hunters, each with their own unique personalities and features, which contribute to the game's story and long list of challenging boss fights.
Even with all of these new and improved game mechanics, Corruption continues to immerse the player into the Metroid universe with its excellent presentation. The game's framerate is always smooth and the graphics are the best on the system with sharp textures, clear particles, and long draw distances, all of which are neatly tied together with excellent art direction to create amazing looking environments. What is truly enthralling visually, however, is the level ofdetail invested in the game. If an enemy is killed from a blast of hot plasma, its corpse will disintegrate into ashes, while metallic enemies will melt into a pool of hot liquid metal. If frozen by an ice missile, the creature will crack and shatter into shards of ice. When Samus walks through an area infected by phazon there are little globules of the blue material stuck to the walls and floors. In areas where there is nothing obscuring the sky, you might see a natural inhabitant—whether it be an AI drone or some sort of flying creature—flying about in the distance.
The high attention to detail also extends into the use of sound in the game. Each creature has its own specific sounds which makes it easier to determine where the real threat is coming from. Minor insect or bug-like enemies will emit little chittering noises while space pirates yell what are probably obscenities to Samus in their hissing and vicious-sounding language. Even Samus' footsteps will make different sounds depending on what she walks on. Furthermore, the game is accompanied by an excellent musical score which matches old music from previous Metroid games with new haunting and gloomy environment specific themes that accentuate the feelings of isolation and exploration.
All things considered, Corruption is one amazingly presented game. The cutscene-like loading screens look just as great and fit in with the real cutscenes and scripted sequences that are seen throughout the game. The only problem regarding presentation is that some doors take a while to open because the areas behind them need some time to load. Despite that issue, the rest of the game looks great. The microscopic life forms-themed menu interface is clear, easy to understand, and can be easily navigated using the Wii remote. The game also has an Xbox Live "achievement points"-like system where accomplishing certain feats such as killing a number of enemies or defeating bosses will earn you medals. These are then used to unlock bonus material such as concept art and music.
Closing Comments
It's just prime.
Fans of the series have no reason to worry. The Prime series was not drastically changed. Large portions of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption still have the characteristic isolated atmosphere and sense of desolation that made previous Metroid games what they are. Instead, the Metroid universe has simply been expanded to an unprecedented level to include more worlds, more ancient alien civilizations, and more rival bounty hunters, among many other things. The Metroid universe is no longer just about winding tunnels and dark caves, it is a whole galaxy that you can experience from within.
