Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Review Preview

This is only going up cause the blogs aren't being blasted with MP3:C posts. And keep in mind, this isn't my final review but a preview to it. Keep in mind I am not finished but almost finished. Maybe pic on this soon...not sure!

PS: NO SPOILERS!

So where do I start? How about Metroid Prime 3: Corruption's CONTROLS since namelessted had an interesting point with them. As I commented, at first I had a little difficulty getting into them. Just trying to use the Wiimote and all. From the start you can tell this is NO Red Steel. So why was there an issue? Um, cause it was different. It wasn't something I was use to. You can't tell me that the first time you played a 3D shooter you picked it up with ZERO problems. It took some getting use to.

Try not starting this game on NO sleep and being tired?

Once I got the controls in me, I was set. As namelessted said with the button mapping, it was pretty wierd. But the direction they were going with it was to TRY to mimic the GameCube controller. Didn't you hear their speech about GameCube was the step in the ONE BUTTON direction with the big A Button? If you remember the previous Prime's the A Button was fire. Big and red and it went PEW, PEW, PEW. The B Trigger might think like the best bet but it doesn't feel like an actual trigger much and it would feel wierd to use the A Button to jump. Also, anyone who thought/thinks that you should flick the Wiimote up to jump, they are a MORON. The game is a FPS or FPA and it is all about keeping your aim and shooting while you dodge. How are you going to keep your aim on someone if you have to flip the Wiimote to jump?

It was nice to see that Nintendo strayed away from the norm of "Wiimote = upper body and Nunchuck = lower body." Although it might work at times. I see why they did this. The Z Button is for targeting, I would think the C Button would be but the Z is bigger and the targeting would be more used. What about switching the C Button (Ball Morph) and B Button (Jump) around but you use the jump as boost so that could complicate things. So the set up really does work for the game. Ignore those who have only played 10 minutes of the game, no offense.

Other controls...I like how the + (Phazon Overload) is out of the way. On other controllers, I could see how it could be accidentally pressed. With it set up this way, you have to go out of your way to press it which is mostly a blessing. Of course this is the same with the - (Visor selection) and 1 (Pause) but it really does work.

But I eventually got into it and it really does work. I am still personally deciding on how well it works but I just know it is fun.

Now for the prettyness with GRAPHICS. Yeah, this is a taboo subject. First off, yes I have played Gears of War on an HDTV and no I wasn't able to play MP3 on one, so I am stuck on 480i. It still looks good. It definitely retains the Metroid Prime essense. There were some cutscenes and such that I was just in awe of. It was VERY pretty! I love seeing my baby's eyes when in scan mode. If you have see Metroid Prime, it looks slightly better at best but no worse.

The number one thing to take from this graphics department is that I have YET to see a single GLITCH. No hands or body parts through walls, doors or anything. Everything is self-contained and works in the area. I don't know if you can get out of map but other than that nothing. That is a good thing...

What else is there? Gameplay? Yeah, it is fun. And contrary to what Wired said about the gimicky hand controls, it feels unique and differnt. Hopefully that word will die soon. The Wiimote was to get people in the game, why press a button when you could actually do the motion with motion controls. Do Wired still think Wii Sports have gimicky controls? If they don't they shouldn't call foul play on this one. I will admit that the grapple beam is lots of fun. Especially when you come cross the enemies you use the grapple beam on. That is the most spoilerish I will get! But this game is definitely ALL about the grapple beam which is far from bad, but makes it less gimicky.

Backtracking, oh yeah. There is still backtracking but not as much. It is no where NEAR the "go back to all the areas again to find this hidden keys." Well that I don't think it is, it could be at the end? There are ITEMS you can get that are required to get to another area but I am not sure what is in there. Is it a secret or the finale? And when you heard that the "backtracking make sense," it is pretty much your ship/computer telling you that there is an item on another planet that could perhaps help you get by on the current planet you are on. usually there is quick and easy access to this item via your ship. It really isn't too bad.

Searching for extra stuff is not as deep as other games. I am not sure what the total is but I have 145 missiles and what looks like all but two Enegery Tanks and I am 69% done (12ish hours). It is either they have a lot of hidden missiles and the total is 200ish missiles or they aren't hiding them like they use to. Remember using the Echo Visor from Prime 2? Memories. But I still am not finished yet. At least they have the < delete > visor so you can < delete this 3 word phrase >. Pretty sweet!

The game plays like Metroid Prime mixed with Metroid Prime: Hunters. It is a small yet notable difference. I would complain that it isn't like traditional Metroid titles but going inside your spaceship is just so cool! Plus it is still like the old titles, just imagine you ship being one of those up and down elevators that can take you anywhere. Kind of like that Wonkalator! But if you have played Metroid Prime or Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, you pretty much know what you are getting.

I can't think of anything else to comment on but here are MY BEEFS.

Sometimes the Wiimote control is not 1:1, it is 1:1ish. An example is a level you pull by tilting back and then tilt back down to move it again. It doesn't always work exactly. Another time is when you go into your ship and do the Corruption test. I am not 100% what to do with it but I do know is that it is hard to get it running. Some of the pull and twist ones don't like to work 100% but it really is a give and take. None of it destroys the gameplay, just shows it isn't perfect and needs a little work.

My only other beef are the stupid streaming/loading doors. I tend to loathe going from most rooms to the next. The game has "no load times." What they mean is that some areas are grouped together in areas and when you cross into the next one, they stream/load the next area when you shoot the door. I noticed it in the other games but just thought the door had a glitch. I didn' tknow it was loading, but MP3 has the worst load times of them all. Countless times I stand around doors waiting for the loading. Sure it is better than the alternative of loading each room individually and going to a load screen, but doesn't mean I can't be urked by it!

Overrall, the game is fun and is sweet. Really going head first in a firefight with two Elite Pirates in the rain and blasting them to pieces just feels so good. I'd venture to say this could be the one of the if not THE first real WII game. As some idiots think, there are some ports but this definitely feels like it was designed for the Wii and made for it. I don't think a bunch of the controls would work on any console (maybe PS3MO with their gimicky SIXAXIS, haha). It is a unique game that everyone with a Wii should own or try for more than 10 minutes.

Probably look for a review in near future or next week!