Metroid: Other M discussion
General Discussion
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Metroid: Other M discussion
The reviews are starting to come in, and they're decidedly mixed.
Like many people, I love the Metroid franchise. Whether it's the complex, confusing, and open-ended gameplay of the original, the more linear yet action-packed second game, the universally heralded two classic Super Metroid, or the dramatic, or controversial, switch to first-person for the critically acclaimed Metroid Prime series. Metroid has provided a consistent rush of space-faring isolation, exploration, and narrative restraint.
The beauty of the older games is not what Samus says, but what she does. The plot thrives on the story the world around her tells, not what cutscenes tell us. The game is rewarding for the thrill and satisfaction of achieving new powers, discovering new upgrades, and reveal new secrets.
I have my skepticism that Other M, the new big thing, and the direct sequel to Super Metroid, comes even close to retaining these traits, and yet I struggle to fault it for trying something new and different, even if it doesn't do it well.
What are other people's feelings about this game on the eve of its arrival? Are you eager for some kung fu, body-slamming Samus action with beautiful CG cutscenes? Or do you dread what some critics lament is the ruination of a "speak softly, carry a big stick" character like Samus who has turned into an emotionally insecure, immature girl with father-figure issues?
Should be quite the discussion.
Like many people, I love the Metroid franchise. Whether it's the complex, confusing, and open-ended gameplay of the original, the more linear yet action-packed second game, the universally heralded two classic Super Metroid, or the dramatic, or controversial, switch to first-person for the critically acclaimed Metroid Prime series. Metroid has provided a consistent rush of space-faring isolation, exploration, and narrative restraint.
The beauty of the older games is not what Samus says, but what she does. The plot thrives on the story the world around her tells, not what cutscenes tell us. The game is rewarding for the thrill and satisfaction of achieving new powers, discovering new upgrades, and reveal new secrets.
I have my skepticism that Other M, the new big thing, and the direct sequel to Super Metroid, comes even close to retaining these traits, and yet I struggle to fault it for trying something new and different, even if it doesn't do it well.
What are other people's feelings about this game on the eve of its arrival? Are you eager for some kung fu, body-slamming Samus action with beautiful CG cutscenes? Or do you dread what some critics lament is the ruination of a "speak softly, carry a big stick" character like Samus who has turned into an emotionally insecure, immature girl with father-figure issues?
Should be quite the discussion.
About Me
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I want to play it so badly, and I have the cash for it, but I didn't play any of the Primes (didn't have a GC). I doubt I'll be able to play my way through the trilogy in time to check out Other M, but it's just a matter of time before I sit down with all the Metroids.
Hell, I'm just now playing Okami. New reason to love MvsC3.
Hell, I'm just now playing Okami. New reason to love MvsC3.
About Me
0
Spoony reviewed Metroid Other M and decimated it. I'm still going to play the game eventually, but if what he says about Samus's character alterations is true, then ugh.
Spoony Review. It should be the second video, not the first.
Spoony Review. It should be the second video, not the first.
Well, I've finally played and seen the game in action.... and I'm rather heartbreakingly disappointed.
It's difficult to summarize, but my impressions basically is that the game tries to be too many things and never succeeds in doing any of them well.
The combat is fast, but repetitive. With auto-aim, you just mash the button and clear the room. You can auto-dodge at any time as well. The challenge is almost non-existent, yet it looks flashy and is kinetic and very "Ninja Gaiden" inspired.
Exploration took a HUGE hit. This is the most linear Metroid game ever, which is a bit of a sacrilege considering the series single-handed kick-started and defined speed runs and sequence breaking. There's none of that here and you can't genuinely explore at your leisure until AFTER the game.
Visually, it's spectacular. I won't say it's better looking than Mario Galaxy, or even the very first Metroid Prime, but it looks good for a Wii game, especially the FMVs. The audio isn't quite so good. It's quiet, almost non-existent, and don't expect to hear the iconic Metroid themes.
Gameplay is rather baffling restrictive. Controls work... but they don't work well. You only move with the D-pad, but the game would work better with Nunchuck support. You have unused buttons that could have been used for missiles, and yet you have to reorient the controller every time you want to fire one by pointing at the screen (and always recalibrating every time. Better hope you're facing the right direction.)
There are no real power-ups that you need, since you refill your health and ammo just by holding the remote upwards and holding the A button. It sort of defeats the purpose of getting missile expansions. And baffling story decisions have you getting killed in a lava level instead of just turning on your heat-proof armor.
And that brings me to the biggest disappointment; the story is absolutely terrible. The main story, actually, is not bad. It's typical sci-fi intrigue and cliches, but it works to move the game along. But where it drops the ball is in the voice work and characterization. Samus has permanently been altered in my mind from a quiet, badass bounty hunter, like a female Boba Fett, and turned instead into a chatty, whiny, scared, fragile, indecisive, codependent, moronic doormat of a hero. It's a huge step back for her as a character, the franchise, and I even say for female characters in games. It likely wasn't intentional, but it came across as very outdated and sexist in her portrayal, and that, surprisingly, is all the fault of her original co-creator's story involvement.
I'm further upset by said creator's involvement, where he sort of passed the Metroid Prime games off as non-canon (Other M has some discrepancies with the prior Prime games), and then said that "Other M" is the "real" Samus, while claiming he had no involvement in Prime (which is absolutely untrue. Retro conferred with him quite a bit.)
So, overall, the game is fun, but lacking in some of the most beloved elements of the Metroid formula. The lack of exploration, the linearity, the cutscene-heavy and melodramatic narrative, the odd controls, and the baffling regression of Samus as a character, to me, outweigh the fun I honestly did have. Without those elements, or if they were just polished, it would have been a great game. I call this a pretty-looking, well-intentioned, mediocre effort.
It's still better than 90% of the games on the Wii, but a game that is just "good" falls far short of the "great" legacy that Metroid has established. It's a good game, but a bad Metroid, if that makes sense, and depending on how you view the older games, what you expect, and even Samus Aran herself, you'll come away with vastly different experiences and expectations.
For me, this is the worst Metroid, the black sheep, that ironically became the mindless linear space shooter fans originally feared Retro would make Metroid Prime into. Oh well, there's always Super Metroid, Zero Mission, and the Prime series to take away the disappointed aftertaste.
It's difficult to summarize, but my impressions basically is that the game tries to be too many things and never succeeds in doing any of them well.
The combat is fast, but repetitive. With auto-aim, you just mash the button and clear the room. You can auto-dodge at any time as well. The challenge is almost non-existent, yet it looks flashy and is kinetic and very "Ninja Gaiden" inspired.
Exploration took a HUGE hit. This is the most linear Metroid game ever, which is a bit of a sacrilege considering the series single-handed kick-started and defined speed runs and sequence breaking. There's none of that here and you can't genuinely explore at your leisure until AFTER the game.
Visually, it's spectacular. I won't say it's better looking than Mario Galaxy, or even the very first Metroid Prime, but it looks good for a Wii game, especially the FMVs. The audio isn't quite so good. It's quiet, almost non-existent, and don't expect to hear the iconic Metroid themes.
Gameplay is rather baffling restrictive. Controls work... but they don't work well. You only move with the D-pad, but the game would work better with Nunchuck support. You have unused buttons that could have been used for missiles, and yet you have to reorient the controller every time you want to fire one by pointing at the screen (and always recalibrating every time. Better hope you're facing the right direction.)
There are no real power-ups that you need, since you refill your health and ammo just by holding the remote upwards and holding the A button. It sort of defeats the purpose of getting missile expansions. And baffling story decisions have you getting killed in a lava level instead of just turning on your heat-proof armor.
And that brings me to the biggest disappointment; the story is absolutely terrible. The main story, actually, is not bad. It's typical sci-fi intrigue and cliches, but it works to move the game along. But where it drops the ball is in the voice work and characterization. Samus has permanently been altered in my mind from a quiet, badass bounty hunter, like a female Boba Fett, and turned instead into a chatty, whiny, scared, fragile, indecisive, codependent, moronic doormat of a hero. It's a huge step back for her as a character, the franchise, and I even say for female characters in games. It likely wasn't intentional, but it came across as very outdated and sexist in her portrayal, and that, surprisingly, is all the fault of her original co-creator's story involvement.
I'm further upset by said creator's involvement, where he sort of passed the Metroid Prime games off as non-canon (Other M has some discrepancies with the prior Prime games), and then said that "Other M" is the "real" Samus, while claiming he had no involvement in Prime (which is absolutely untrue. Retro conferred with him quite a bit.)
So, overall, the game is fun, but lacking in some of the most beloved elements of the Metroid formula. The lack of exploration, the linearity, the cutscene-heavy and melodramatic narrative, the odd controls, and the baffling regression of Samus as a character, to me, outweigh the fun I honestly did have. Without those elements, or if they were just polished, it would have been a great game. I call this a pretty-looking, well-intentioned, mediocre effort.
It's still better than 90% of the games on the Wii, but a game that is just "good" falls far short of the "great" legacy that Metroid has established. It's a good game, but a bad Metroid, if that makes sense, and depending on how you view the older games, what you expect, and even Samus Aran herself, you'll come away with vastly different experiences and expectations.
For me, this is the worst Metroid, the black sheep, that ironically became the mindless linear space shooter fans originally feared Retro would make Metroid Prime into. Oh well, there's always Super Metroid, Zero Mission, and the Prime series to take away the disappointed aftertaste.
That was a great read Garlador, I hope I don't feel the same whenever I decide to pick this game up though. Personally, I love linear games, and that is exactly why Metroid: Zero Mission is really the only one I have ever finished to completion. You know, like, even with Resident Evil 4, the game will have haters because it is different from the rest in the series. It's still my favourite Resident Evil, and I am hoping this 'new' Metroid will be my favourite.
(Erik) Wrote:
That was a great read Garlador, I hope I don't feel the same whenever I decide to pick this game up though. Personally, I love linear games, and that is exactly why Metroid: Zero Mission is really the only one I have ever finished to completion. You know, like, even with Resident Evil 4, the game will have haters because it is different from the rest in the series. It's still my favourite Resident Evil, and I am hoping this 'new' Metroid will be my favourite.
That was a great read Garlador, I hope I don't feel the same whenever I decide to pick this game up though. Personally, I love linear games, and that is exactly why Metroid: Zero Mission is really the only one I have ever finished to completion. You know, like, even with Resident Evil 4, the game will have haters because it is different from the rest in the series. It's still my favourite Resident Evil, and I am hoping this 'new' Metroid will be my favourite.
I was probably rather harsh, but, yeah, I DO recommend checking the game out. It is still a good game, there's no denying it. It looks great, has great level and monsters, very good boss fights, and some people might enjoy a very robust narrative in the vein of Metal Gear Solid.
And I will say this; the post-game content, without the story cutscenes interfering and the restrictions, are some of the best Metroid moments in the series and exist as the game I felt everyone wanted it to be from the beginning. You just have to beat the game to get to the best bits.
The character of Samus is still damaged, though, and it's nowhere near as good as the other games in the series.
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