Metroid Prime (GameCube) review "From the opening this game is a grabber and doesn't let go. This is, probably, the best crafted game that I have played since Perfect Dark. "

From the opening this game is a grabber and doesn't let go. This is, probably, the best crafted game that I have played since Perfect Dark.

Graphically speaking this game is excellent. From the fine detail to the shading and lighting changes this game is better than any game I have yet to play. Water, heat and fogging effects are all amazing - your visor gets fogged when you walk through steam, water rolls from the visor in natural looking streamlets when you exit water and you can almost feel heat as you see it rise.

Atmospherically, Metroid is one of the most immersive games I have yet to play. Whether you are set inside or outside the sounds which emanate from each area are distinctive. Whether it be the dripping of water, the sounds of fire or the buzzing of insects. Furthermore, it seems like every nasty little animal has it's own distinctive screech or growl. And did I mention the music? The music is different in each area and while somewhat repetitive - especially since you re-trace your steps numerous times - is excellent. I especially like the beginning music at the game start up.

As far as control goes it could be better. Having said this understand that the control does not take away from the game in the least. Mostly, the problems are from my propensity to hit the wrong buttons. From time to time I fire off a missle or a beam blast when I mean to jump. On occasion I bring up the map when I mean to scan an object. I have yet to lose a life due to the control layout. They just never seem to become second nature in the manner of Perfect Dark or Goldeneye.

As far as levels go, this game doesn't seem to have levels. What's more it doesn't have any loading time. The one thing I have always detested about CD or DVD type games is that they take a year and a day to load. This game is seemless. No breaks while the level changes. No breaks while it loads. And above all I have yet to see any problems with frame rates. Even the jumping aspects of this FPS are easy...I hated Turok for it's jumping. This game makes jumping work easily.

As for the challenges and exploration...I get very frustrated knowing that I have missed finding something in an area and then feel very silly upon finding it since it seems that it should have been obvious to me. The way the secrets and hidden areas are designed and implimented are excellent. Hard enough not to be so easy (See Star Fox on the Cube) and not so hard that they require a doctorate in gaming.

For my final notes on Metroid Prime I would like to say that the gameplay is more like an RPG from a first person perspective. It is frustratingly immersive. This is the most addictive and challenging game that I have played since Rares Perfect Dark or Conker BFD.

I must say that when Nintendo gave up Rare I thought that they were hurting themselves dramatically. Now, I see that they have a fine replacement.

Excellent!

Community review by bastaard (November 27, 2002) A bio for this contributor is currently unavailable, but check back soon to see if that changes. If you are the author of this review, you can update your bio from the Settings page.