Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

As for the soundtrack, it’s equally as amazing as the game’s appearance and Retro made sure to further the series’ tenure of providing eerie music to strengthen the mood. The music fits seamlessly throughout your adventure in a marvelously atmospheric soundtrack that rivals that of the original Prime. Plus, there are a few remixed songs from Super Metroid and the original Metroid Prime to add a sense of nostalgia to the mix. Sound effects are equally appealing and voice acting is strong throughout the title. All in all, the game’s presentation aspects are truly legendary aside from…

Progressive Corruption

My biggest complaint about the game involves its progression. Not true to the Metroid series, this game holds your hand throughout its entirety (much like Metroid Fusion for the Game Boy Advance). Don’t get me wrong, this can be good at times, but in my opinion, the defining factor that separates Metroid from the other platforming/adventure/FPS/whatever titles out there is the fact that it forces you to explore meticulously throughout the environment at hand. Sure there was a hint system in Prime 1 & 2 and you can turn it off in all three of the games but in neither of the first two titles did you have Aurora units and generals commanding you throughout the game (or at any time through the game for that matter).

And that’s another point that makes this game feel like less of a Metroid game than any of the previous ones: amongst all of the interaction that Samus has with other humans and creatures, Corruption never gives you a sense of being lost in an unknown environment. In fact, your ability to move from planet to planet via your ship takes away this feeling entirely. Don’t get me wrong, moving around on your ship does prevent a lot of needless backtracking; it’s the fact that it takes away the ability to interconnect areas (which was one of the coolest parts of previous Metroid titles in my opinion) that makes this game feel less like Metroid.

Call me crazy but one of the parts of Metroid’s format that appeals most to me is the eerie thought of being stuck in a place where the only answers arise as you explore further into the wilderness. And as the epic galactic space war continued throughout Corruption—generals barking orders, troops and other bounty hunters being sent to help Samus with her mission, ships fighting off hordes of space pirates—I sometimes found myself wondering whether Retro was portraying this game as action or adventure (the latter being more suitable for a Metroid title).

I’m Having a (Morph) Ball

Despite my personal opinions about the game’s format, I still had a blast playing through this game. Getting all of the upgrades and playing through on Veteran were musts for me on my first time through and after seeing the last area and defeating the last boss, I can say that I am very satisfied with Samus’s first debut on the Wii. Whether or not we’ll see another title in the near future is yet to be determined but until then, Wii owners have another solid title to add to their library. Highly Recommended.