Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

I've only had 2 hours in MP3, and as a generally non-fan of the FPS genre, I think that's long enough for me to say that this 3rd and final installment in the Metroid Prime saga is not only the best game I've played on my Wii, but also tangible proof that first-person shooters can work on this little console and its gadget... and work beautifully.

Let me preface this early review by saying that even if you're not a fan of FPS games, or the Metroid Prime series, you should at the very least rent this title. In general, I suck at FPS games. Or at least I think I do. I always manage well enough, so maybe I just suck at competitive FPS games... regardless, don't let the First-Person perspective and the gun-for-an-arm thing throw you... Metroid Prime 3, like its predecessors, has just as much in common with Zelda as it does Doom. It's a wonderful blend of the shooter and adventure genres.

I liked the 1st MP a lot, but at one point became so frustrated with the fight against the Omega Pirate, that I traded the game in and never regretted it. I barely ever touched the sequel, as I was too enthralled with WoW at the time. But this one takes the cake. The beautiful way Retro has blended genres, combined with the precision and interactivity of the Wii-mote make for one hell of an awesome adventure, that shouldn't be missed by anyone who owns a Wii and wishes the system had more "real" meaty games.

The controls work nearly flawlessly. At 1st you're tossed into the game using the standard control method, which feels about the same as say, Red Steel or Elebits in its responsiveness. That is to say, it's slow. It's clunky, there's a large bounding box you'll need to navigate before you begin to turn, and you'll wish it was quicker to react to your movements. And it can be. Simply go into the options and set the controls to "Advanced" and be prepared to experience the best console-FPS controls to date. Precision second only to the mouse, but immersion second to none thanks to the wii-mote and nunchuk being used like the actual arms of Samus Aran. It's simply the closest I've felt to being a character in a game, bar none.

The graphics, obviously not on par with the 360 or PS3, do however show just how little other parties are pushing the Wii's abilities. Retro's very familiar with the suped up Gamecube hardware, and it shows. The games runs at an always steady 60fps (or as close as my naked eye can tell) or 30fps. Though most reporters with debuggers say it's 60 constantly and I believe them. The artistry of the landscape is at once familiar from other titles, and then altogether something new. There's a less claustrophobic feel, perhaps thanks to the added horsepower of the Wii, and environments seem much more epic because of the scope.

The music is fittingly electronic, and the sounds are ambient but nothing you haven't heard in the 1st two games. The big addition to the sounds though, is that of voice acting for seemingly every character but Samus (maybe she's related to Link?). And to top that little story-driving aspect off... it's well done. VERY much so. Not like what one might be used to with Capcom's Resident Evil series, or any series for that matter.

The fact that there are other bounty hunters, and military people and that they have personalities that can come through with their voices adds a lot to the overall cinematic feel of the game. There is certainly more focus on the story through scenes, and less focus on obtaining it through scanning objects in this title. Though there's still plenty to be gained from using that scanning visor. All these little things combined, really flesh out the feeling that you're part of a story, and not just a nameless bounty hunter that can become a ball at will.

I'll not ramble on too much more, as it's getting late at work and I've still got work to do. Just know that a non-shooter game person loves the title and recommends it. You won't be sorry if you try it. Unless you hate fun. :)

Cheers, you lot.

PS- Heather I swear I'm working on that MEME you tagged me with. It'll pop up on here eventually.