Developer: Retro Studios Publisher: Nintendo Release: 11/15/04 Genre: Action
Metroid Prime is one of the highest rated games of all time and one of the best transitions from 2d to 3d gameplay. It silenced all critics who were absolutely sure it would be a disaster to be one of the defining games of its generation. So how do you follow up such a classic? By not rocking the boat and continuing the excellent gameplay established by its predecessor. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes also throws in a dual world mechanic that is at times brilliant and equal parts frustrating. While not as great as the game that preceded it Metroid Prime 2 still makes for a great time.
After her adventures on Tallon IV Samus is sent to rescue Galactic Federation Marines stranded on planet Aether. No sooner does she land on the planet she is attacked with most of her weapons systems offline or stolen. The native Luminoth on the planet inform her that the troops were slaughtered by the Ing, their mortal enemy and the ones who attacked her. Now Samus must aid the Luminoth in fighting the Ing, both to restore her equipment and to stop her evil doppelganger who has also landed on the planet.
Where Metroid Prime left most of its story content in its optional scan logs Metroid Prime 2 is more direct. There are more well directed cutscenes and Samus interacts with a few NPCs over the course of the adventure. Those worried that this betrays the series focus on Samus’ isolated journey need not worry as they are scattered and brief. I appreciate a little bit more narrative in addition to the oodles of new scan logs. This time around your scans will unlock production artwork and such as a reward, incentivizing using this great feature.
The general gameplay is near identical to Metroid Prime. As Samus you explore Aether in pursuit of your stolen gear and new ones as well. The controls will still be a source of contention among players. Those that embraced the lock-on controls will be at home. If you want dual analog controls like every other first person shooter seek elsewhere. While I would have liked a choice the control never bothered me. The scan visor is still your best friend but has subtle changes. Critical scans are red while general information items are blue. This makes it easier to navigate if you do not like the feature. While many of the familiar weapons from previous games return Samus earns a cool set of new gadgets this time.
The equipment Retro Studios created for Metroid Prime was pretty cool and somehow they top themselves. A new set of visors have been added: the dark visor replaces the thermal visor as it highlights enemies in red and reveals hidden platforms, enemies, and objects. The echo visor detects sound waves used to lock doors and can reveal invisible enemies. The visual of it is insanely cool although I wish it were used more. The seeker missiles can target groups of enemies as well as locks. Surprisingly they have included the screw attack and made it work in 3d. The most prominent are the light and dark beams which tie in to the game’s dual theme.
The big hook of Metroid Prime 2 is exploration of both light and dark Aether. There are two versions of the planet out of sync with each other and Samus must navigate both to achieve her goals. For the most part the Dark Aether version of each room is very similar. This version of the planet is poisonous and will constantly damage you, forcing you to seek shelter under light crystals to restore health. The designers have done a good job of balancing this as even before obtaining the Dark Suit you can easily navigate around it. The draining atmosphere adds another element of danger and makes trudging through the same environment feel different. The Ing inhabit this world and can corrupt enemies and objects making them stronger. This is where the two beams and their ammo come in, giving more combat options like a traditional first person shooter.
The design of the two worlds is downright brilliant. Working out how to access each room by cycling through both shows how clever the developers are. There are more puzzles that involve both worlds and solving them is satisfying on the level of a Zelda game. Even the morph ball sees more use through its own share of puzzles involving the boost ball and spider ball. I cannot imagine how much of a nightmare it must have been to create puzzles involving two worlds an ensure they work yet somehow they have. Metroid Prime set a high bar and while the sequel feels familiar Retro have given it its own identity.
As much as I praise the game the two world mechanic has its faults. While they try to make them varied there is heavy repetition throughout the game. Dark Aether is boring visually as everything is purple. The environments of Light Aether are absolutely stunning as they are more organic with breathtaking lighting effects. Going through the same terrain with a coat of purple and black smeared over is not as interesting. Because the puzzles revolve around the dual worlds the backtracking intrinsic to the series is laborious. I usually enjoy revisiting prior areas but limited that in this game because of the portal switching. They also repeat one of the most hated elements of the original, the key hunt. Where you could collect some of the keys early in the first game you must wait until the end of this one to do so which is lame.
The difficulty is another reason some will probably play this less. It is immediately apparent that Metroid Prime 2 is a more difficult title. Enemies deal more damage, energy tanks require a good deal of equipment to find and they take a lot more punishment. In the original there was a noticeable rise in the difficulty when they introduce space pirates midway. They arrive much earlier this time and are a lot stronger, necessitating more careful play. The poisonous atmosphere of Dark Aether is another layer on top of this as well. But the rising challenge is no more evident than in the more involved boss battles. I can appreciate the attempt to make the boss battles more than a war of attrition. They involve multiple stages and mechanics that are at times downright clever. However they drag on too long which undermines the attempt at variety.
The difficulty can become overbearing and unfair. They space save points too far apart. In the light world it is not much of a problem. But in Dark Aether there are significant stretches with no save room. Sometimes it is better to switch worlds just to save! The game leans on this too much, especially before boss battles. If you die you often have to replay a decent amount to retrace your steps. During some of the longer boss battles like Quadraxis and Chykka death is especially demoralizing. I wish they would have balanced it better. When it works it is brilliant; when it doesn’t it is frustrating.
In Closing
Metroid Prime 2 is an excellent game that bests its predecessor in some ways but overall does not reach the same legendary heights. It offers more of the same great gameplay while offering slight advancements that do not always work out. The multiplayer mode is decent but considering Xbox and PS2 games were online it feels too little too late. Despite that however this is still one of the GameCube’s best games in my opinion and an essential purchase.
