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Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Review
Jon Wilcox
29/10/2007
Samus returns for the final part of the Metroid Prime trilogy, but does Corruption finally deliver the FPS experience on Wii we've been waiting for...
The third part of the classic Nintendo trinity of franchises (the others being Super Mario and Zelda), Metroid finally lands on Wii as the Metroid Prime trilogy comes to an end. Developed once more by US-based Retro Studios, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption rejoins the First Lady of Videogames, Samus Arran, as she battles Space Pirates, Meta-Ridley, and of course, Dark Samus. Fans of the series to date have been waiting for some time to discover how the trilogy ends, with a number of delays to its release - Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Amie stated that Corruption would only be released when it was 'perfect' - so there is absolutely no pressure on Retro to deliver the flagship FPS title on Wii. Eager to succeed where others have failed since Wii launched at the tail end of 2006, has Retro pulled it out of the bag?
Set six months after the climax of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, Corruption see the return of Samus to the Galactic Federation as they try to purge a Space Pirate virus from their AI Aurora network. But (as perfectionists of Echoes will already be aware of) Dark Samus is far from defeated, leading Samus on an intergalactic hunt to finally rid herself of the malevolent being and the Phazon, once and for all. Dropping the multiplayer of its predecessor and leaving players to focus on a solid action and puzzle-packed experience that befits the franchise, the gameplay of Corruption will be more than familiar to any veteran of the series to date. A heavy mix of exploration, creature identification, shooter, and Screwball Scramble, Corruption remains faithful to both the original and Echoes - though Retro has switched it so Samus can move and shoot at the same time, bringing the game closer to other FPS titles.
In her prime
Integrating Wii's motion controls in a way that would put most other titles for Nintendo's platform to shame, Retro Studios has managed to create a game where it's difficult to remember playing its predecessors with a standard controller. The FPS genre has always been bandied about as one that should succeed on Wii, offering an immersive experience that would rival the keyboard/mouse of PC, but so far, none have managed to quite do the job. Finally Wii has a game that breaks the mould, as Metroid Prime 3 is incredibly solid and intuitive, with touches like the series' use of 'lock-on' put to good use to ensure the pace during action sequences doesn't let up. All of the functionality the series is famous for, including the use of a grapple hook and multiple visors, makes it into Samus' Prime farewell adventure though Retro has tweaked and changed a small number of elements to suit the Wii-remote/nunchuk combination. Accessing different visors now brings up an overlay menu with the usual addition of a Scanning option, along with an X-Ray Visor (to identify invisible enemies), and a Command Visor that allows Samus limited remote control over her spaceship - another first for the series.
Following an encounter with a Phazon Leviathan Seed also sees the Hunter gain added powers in the form of 'Hypermode', a high powered Phazon-based energy weapon that throws the visuals into a near-whiteout, and a Phazon Enhancement Device (P.E.D.) developed by the Galactic Federation to control the Phazon that has the power to corrupt Samus. Hypermode is accessible for a short period of time and powered by Samus' energy tanks, bringing a level of risk versus reward when used against some of the more powerful enemies. More lethal is the corrupting nature of the Phazon, which when used for too long forces Samus to vent off rapid bolts of fire to bring the levels of the substance back down to safe levels. Somewhat sinisterly, Samus turns to the dark side if the Phazon isn't dealt with, bringing instant game over.
FPS titles usually feel like one long race for the finishing line, but Corruption is one to savour, not least because the puzzles help guide the pace of the gameplay, ensuring that players are left scratching their heads and nursing aching thumbs in equal measure. Along with ball-rolling mazes, and other puzzles, timed escapes (something that has been a part of the Metroid series since it emerged in the mid-1980s) once again feature, and are just as frustratingly compelling. Contextual interaction with the environment remains a distinct part of the game, though Corruption takes advantage once more of Wii's motion controls to deliver another layer of immersion for players to enjoy. Pulling switches, pumping pressure gauges, and swinging the nunchuk to launch the grappling hook not only use the accelerometers in the controls, but they're accurate and remarkably responsive in the process - something that can't be said other Wii titles and motion-based SIXAXIS titles on PS3. But there is action in the game too...
It will be perfect...
Set-pieces encounters with boss characters remain dotted throughout Corruption, with one early example in particular standing out. Whilst we try not to ruin too much of the storyline, the sequence sees recurring pterodactyl-like boss Meta-Ripley go head to head with Samus as the two fall down a seemingly never-ending chasm in a way that would make Gandalf and the Balrog proud. Other boss encounters inevitably lead Samus to the final encounters with her malevolent twin, and help to upgrade her armour suits along the way. But for all the puzzles and depth, the enemies themselves are largely disappointing adversaries and lack a lot of the AI that perhaps first-person shooters are now expected to have. Attacking in numbers or in a number of waves seems to be the order of the day, and even the most challenging opponents can have their weak points identified with a quick scan with the right visor... What it does offer is the so-called 'FPA' first-person adventure trademarked throughout by the series as a whole, which comes pretty close to the 'perfect' promise of Reggie.
Despite the lack of a multiplayer mode, perhaps it just seemed to fly in the face of the single-player gameplay when Deathmatch was added to Echoes, Metroid Prime 3 isn't without some link to the outside world. Various tokens can be collected as the game progresses including 'Friends Tokens', which can then - in the spirit of Nintendo's attitude to online gaming - be sent to people, unlocking bonuses and upgrades. At first a neat idea, the fact is that it all seems rather frivolous, and wouldn't have been missed if it had been left out. Considering how polished the rest of the Corruption experience feels, the collection of tokens just seems a little tacked on, and it even could be argued by some of the Metroid Prime hardcore as contrasting to Samus' Bounty Hunter status...selfless acts aren't exactly prevalent in that line of work after all.
Solid ending to the trilogy.
Whimsical token exchange.
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