(This like most of my first reviews here was first written for nintendo's online forum. The only part that was changed was the multiplayer because when first written I had not yet played it now I have, so it was changed. Other than that it is in it's orginal form this is what I thought of the game fresh after beating it my opinion on it might have changed but no scores or words in this review were changed.)
Well all I beat Prime 2 with 100% so I figured it was time to write a reveiw of this incredible game. Remeber my overall score is not a average I don't liek t average things out I don't think it makes for a truly fair reveiw.All pictures courtesy of Nintendo.coma nd IGN. And whith that here is my Reveiw.
Intro
-Mission File- 02546 this is what first appears on the screen once you start your game it goes on to explain how the galactic federation lost contact with a group of federation troops. Samus was the one they went to she exepted the mission to go find the missin toops and she set her course for the planet Aether. The climate of the planet damged her ship she so she embarked on her quest. What she found was nothing but desturction and death Federation bodies where everywhere but they didn't stay dead a strange dark force seemed to have brought their bodies back to life. Samus was eaisly able to defeat them as she continued on she found what appeared to be a portal she entered the dark portal which transported her to a parrelel world where she first encountred her shadowy double Dark Samus dark Samus seemed to be absorbing Phozon how it got here was unkown but the evil substance had been found on a new planet. In the cliff's above wated tons of dark creatures wating to get a attack at Samus. Samus was standing in the portection of a crystal that emited light Dark Samus destroyed the crystal suddenly the very air of the world was cuasing damage to Samus and now nothing wa sholding the dark creatures from attacking her. Dark Samus let out a dark laugh and left Samus for the dark creatres she would later know as the Ing. Saus was able to escape through the portal she had entred through but barely losing amny of her weapons and power ups in the porces. She continued on her quest and eventually found the Federations starship it was greatly damged. after plugging into the ships computer Samus learned that the Troops where attacked by the same creatures she encontred in the dark world but rather than coming in their true form they possed the bodies of other creatures making them more powerful then before and making even weak creatures a foe that could slaughter a platoon of troops even as highely trained as the federation Troopers. All where dead but Samus continued on for now she knew there was more to this mission than originaly thought. She made her way to waht appeared to be a temple inside she encountred a Alpha Splinter not a great threat but still a creature that was not just a pushover after fighting the creature for a bit a dark cloud appeared above the creature and possed the Splinter now the creature was more than a dangerous creature it was a great threat. Samus came through and destroyed the creature and obtained some unkown technology. Samus continued on and eventually encountred the only friend she owuld make in her journey. U-mos was of a race called the Luminoth he was the last of their gurdians. He explained how they where a peaceful race and they found Aether and called it their home they had scinetific minds that rivaled even the great Chozo and did many amazing thing. Times where good and peaceful for a time then a metoer struck causing the land to become harsh and dangerous as well as spliting the planet into two a world of Light and a world of dark that when the Ing where born. Samus was their last hope so her true quest had just began.
Plot
If there is one thing I thoguth was lacking it had to be the plot. And it's not the plto itself it's just how it's handled other than the begining of the game the plot parts are all rather short and other than U-mos there is no talking at all. The end aslo seemed t be rushed and the plot wasn't the most orignal plto ever I mean Light World dark world remind you of A Link to The Past? But it wasn't horrible either and it was intresting to see what happned next and the whole thing with Dark Samus kept my attention. Overall I thought it was ok The plot could have been deeper but it was't horrible it was intresting just not real complexed.
6.0/10.0
Graphics
One word AMAZING. Just like it's predececor Metoriod Prime delivers one of if not the best grahic display on the GCN to date every creature had great detail and the world seemed like a world I could reach out and touch. The style is also perfect for Metroid it has that erie look to it that maes it look realitic but not too realitic. If your looking for a game that test's the GCN power I would highly recomend this game.
10.0/10.0
Music/Sound
When you first turn on the game you hear this dramatic earie and awsome music. The music isn't super loud or noticable but when you do listen too it you here how well it fits the game withouth the music a lot of the erie sci-fi element of the game would be lost. As for sound it is also great the sound of a super missle nailing a space pirate is enough to make me apperciate it and i never noticed any like weird noises that didn't belong it sounded great. And the coolest sounds are when the Echoes visor is on it makes that sonar like sound and you can here everything as it has a mysterious echoe to it. My only complaint would be the music often gets repetitive esspecialyw hen spending a lot of time in one area.
9.8/10.0
Gameplay
Well we've come to the most important part of the reveiw the gameplay. It's what makes the game a game can have awsome graphics and a deep plot but if it's not fun to play then foget it. Luckily Metroid Prime 2 delivers more here than anywhere else to put it simple this game is just fun. If you've played the first Prime and liked it then you'll like this on just Like Majora's Mask to Ocarina of Time this game feels almost lie a extension of it's predececor. The game aint no pleasure cruise either your goin to end up meating a few good challenges before it's over. First time through no players guide this game will take probably at least 15 hours and add the 100% to it could add quiet a few more hours. I loved how they incorprated the morhp ball this time there are at least two bosses where your pretty much in morhp ball form the whole time. I do have a couple complaints the biggest one is the hint system it takes way too long to work and without a guide that the onlyw ay you know what you doin and it could take a long time before it finally gives you the hint i've probably wasted at least 30 minutes wating for it. Another negative is that whiel this game is awsome it doesn't have the sense of originality the original Prime had. Another thing I didn't like is it didn't seem as free roaming as Prime was in Prime you woudl often revisit the Chozo ruins late in the game but in Prime 2 it seemed more like Zelda as though there where dungeons I felt the first Prime had a more free feeling to it. But overall it was awsome the puzzle's are fun and challenging and the Boss battles rival The Legend of Zelda.
9.8/10.0
Multiplayer
A lot of websites critisized this part of the game and brought the review down based ont he multiplayer. And I think they were expecting it to try to compete with Halo 2 or something and it was clearly not made to do that. That said the multiplayer isn't horrible in fact it is pretty fun. I haven't got to play it a whole lot but from what I have played it is an enjoyable expierience for prime fans. Although there are definetly some problems. The graphics of the multiplayer are clearly not as good as the mian game is. The courses are small and there are bad respawn spots i've had people respawn right in front of me so I could start blasting away again. So yeah it's not perfect but it's also not the main epmhisis of the game don't buy this game for it's multiplayer buy it for the amazing one player expirience.
6.0/10.0
Final Comments
Overall this game is great it delivers in pretty much every area. I loved it Retro Studios has proven that Metroid Prime wa snot a one hit wonder and hoepfully Nintendo and Retro studios have a good future ahead of them and hopefully Nintendo will start to give them some new projects outside of Metroid. But I must be honest if asked which I liek better Metroid Prime or Metorid Prime 2 I would say Metroid Prime. Prime 2 was great but it didn't have the sense of new that Prime had and a lot of the stuff in Prime 2 seemed like something from Prime with a new look. The Light Beam looks like the wave beam when equiped and works jsut like the plasma beam, the Dark Beam looks and works like the Ice beam and the final Beam looks like the plasma beam it's the only one of the bunch that seemed to have a new feeling shot to it and it still felt a little bit like the wave beam. A lot of the enimies also seemed to just be Prime enimies with a new look the best example is the Grenchler probably one of the coolest looking enimies it acts and is defeated pretty much exaclty the same way as a Baby Shegoth from Prime the only diffrence is the beam their each weak against. But saying that Prime was better than Prime 2 isn't putting it down their both great games and I not only recoment them but I would call them the two best games on the GCN to date and owning a GCN and not Prime 1 & 2 is a mistake.
Overall Score
9.8/10.0
Igneous · Tue Jan 03, 2006 @ 02:35am · 0 Comments