Metroid Prime 3: First Impressions

I fought through a sore right leg and a bad back to walk nearly two miles to my local Toys R’ Us the other day. Why? Well, to pick up Metroid Prime 3 for the Wii of course! It’s been two days since I started playing Samus Aran’s latest 3D outing and I thought I’d share my initial thoughts on this highly-anticipated “final” installment in the Metroid Prime series.

Graphics-

First off, Metroid Prime 3 looks beautiful. The graphics have come a long way from the first unveiled screenshots of the game, which back then made it almost indistinguishable from Metroid Prime 2. It wouldn’t have killed Retro to tweak Samus’s HUD a little, but the backgrounds and locales are rich, lively and easily comparable to first-generation Xbox 360 games. I’m not even 1/4 into the game yet, but so far Prime 3 is the best-looking Wii game I’ve ever seen.

Sound-

Another area of huge improvement. The first Prime had a primitive soundtrack that was saved by some familiar tunes, whereas the second Prime’s entire audio collection sounded like something an electronica maniac composed in his basement using software from the original Game Boy. I’m happy to report that Metroid Prime 3 sounds nothing resembling this.

Most of MP3’s sound effects seem to be refined samples from the past two Primes, but the music is another story. Gone are the grating MIDIs from the past two Primes (save a few recycled, if slightly improved selections); replaced with much grander, more sophisticated orchestral pieces. Much similar to Super Metroid than anything else. This is a good thing, although Retro could’ve done even better with a live orchestra performing the score.

Oh yeah, and everyone talks now….except Samus. Why, oh why, did Retro tweak her body with shapelier legs and sexier eyes and yet leave out the final feminine trait that could potentially reel in thousands of female Metroid fans? I just don’t see the point in continuing to make Samus mute. Why even bother to give her a name if Nintendo wants her to feel like the player? Excluding Samus, though, the voice acting is actually pretty good. Particularly for the Aurora Unit, a “good” version of the Mother Brain who oddly sounds like a combination of Frieza from Dragonball Z and my college speech professor.

Controls-

Relatively smooth, and not as difficult to get adjusted to as one might think. Targeting is more challenging now that you have to manually aim the Wiimote at your enemy after locking on, but I suppose it’s more true to life. It also helps that so far most of the enemies I’ve encountered are relatively slow and stay in plain sight. Turning is slower than it used to be though, and the buttons for missiles and changing visors are also somewhat awkwardly placed. Just wait till you get your hands on the fun Grapple Lasso though. It just might make you yearn for Wii Castlevania.

Gameplay-

Different from the get-go. Unlike past Metroid games, where it was essentially you against an entire planet, Samus has company this time around. In addition to the presence of rival bounty hunters, interaction in MP3 is plentiful. For the first time in a Metroid game you have the ability to talk to NPCs. The Aurora Unit is also a constant throughout, serving as a guiding ear that briefs you on missions, maps your destination and provides hints and advice.

Your travels in Prime 3 no longer take place on a single planet, but several. Let’s face it, constant backtracking nearly ruined Metroid Prime 2. In Prime 3, however, instead of Samus being forced to navigate one giant, confusing map, each world is divided into multiple, much smaller sections. Each of these sections can be reached using Samus’s redesigned ship, which acts as a mobile home base. Not only can you save and replenish your energy and weapon supply, but you can view the inside of the cockpit and use the various controls to find out what your percentage of Phazon corruption is, for example. The ship can also supposedly be summoned for an air strike at certain points, although I haven’t had the pleasure of experiencing this yet.

Final thoughts-

Let me clarify that these are only my first impressions of Metroid Prime 3 and my opinion of the game could change very suddenly, very dramatically. So far, however, this is shaping up to be a most exciting conclusion to the Prime series. I’m very pleased at Retro Studios for the greater emphasis on story and the faster, more action-oriented gameplay. It just feels….right. I can’t wait to delve deeper into Prime 3 and finally figure out how Dark Samus, the Mother Brain and Phazon are connected. Look for my full review in PTD #310.