So it's safe to say I've been greatly anticipating the new Metroid Prime game for Wii. Not only was the original Prime one of my favorite games for gamecube, it was also one of my favorites of all time. I've played the first two games multiple times, something I can't say about several other games. So how is the third installment stacking up?
The first thing you'll notice starting up Prime 3 is the incredible production values. When you are used to the simplicity of the Wii and it's games, it's quite mind blowing to see and hear even the title music of Prime 3 coming out of Nintendo's "casual" console. The menu interface is super slick, and really captures the mood of the game. When was the last time a menu did that?
So after messing around with options (Advanced controls are the only way to go) and sound, I decided to start a new game on the "Veteran" difficulty. This is either the smartest or stupidest decision I could have made. Several reviews have mentioned that Prime 3s "Normal" mode is much easier then previous Prime games. So hopefully I've made the right decision, I crossed my fingers, hoped for the best, and pressed start.
Prime 3 begins in your ship of all places, an area never explored in the previous games. It's here where you'll be able to feel the controls for the first time. Once again, I've chosen Advanced controls based on several website recommendations. At first it's a little strange, but moving an arm on screen using the Wiimote feels strangely satisfying. As you mess with all your ships gadgets and buttons, you are eventually in front of the Federation fleet. Then it happens...VOICE ACTING!!! Wow, Nintendo welcome to the next level!. To the best of my memory there has never been significant voice acting in a Nintendo game ever. (Mario Sunshine doesn't count, I said significant). Throughout my brief playtime I've found the voice acting to be top notch, which is something I hope to see in more Nintendo 1st party titles to come. Graphics are still just above Cube levels, but Ive heard things improve throughout the game. You are then ordered to dock on the local battleship.
Ok, enough. How does it play? Well to be truthful, I'm not sure yet. The controls work well enough, but not being an avid FPS gamer, I will admit to having a few problems. I think my biggest trouble is remapping my brain to Metroid's new controls. Having played the first two games several times, it's hard to have such a sudden change to the control schemes. It's almost like learning a new game altogether. Sure the basics are there, scanning, morphball, and missiles, but the execution is much different. Depending on aim rather then Prime's original lock-on system has it's challenges. It's a good thing aiming is a breeze thanks to the accuracy of the Wii-mote. The new control system adds a much more action-oriented feel to the combat, which makes things much more exciting, though more difficult. I still haven't decided how I feel about these controls, after about an hour of play, I still need practice.
It's important to remember that this is not a typical FPS, although it feels more like one. Unfortunately, I was only able to play through the intro level of Prime 3, and this was the most FPS level the series has ever seen. Inside a battleship, the scenario and linear structure seemed ripped right out of Halo. Filled with NPC (non-playable characters) and tons of stuff to scan, I spent a good amount of time just looking around. Which is actually rewarded with medals (similar to Xbox Achievements). Things are pretty quiet, and then all hell breaks loose, and the space pirates attack. Even on Veteran difficulty, I was able to plow through most of the enemies without much work, it just took a little practice aiming. The intro level is topped with a boss fight, that I admit to dying once. I blame my lack of control experience over the actual difficulty of the boss or Veteran mode in general. Once he was defeated it was time to get my feet on solid ground and to save my game.
So after just an hour of play, I still have some reservations about Prime 3. For one, it controls MUCH different then the other games, but that doesn't mean it controls poorly. It's just going to take me a bit more time to adjust, regular FPS gamers should have less trouble. I also haven't seen any real sign of exploration or puzzle solving, something I feel the Prime series shines at. I'm sure to see more of that VERY soon. I'm definitely looking forward to spending more time with Metroid Prime 3, and cannot wait to see that happens next. Let's hope this "Veteran" difficulty doesn't come back to bite me in the ass.
One thing is for sure, this is the hardest of hardcore games available on Wii. This baby aint for casuals, at all. It will be interesting to see how well it will sell to Wii's so-called "non-gamer" audience. More Impressions to come..