Review Guild's Metroid: Other M Review

Guild McCommunist

(not on boat)
OP
Member
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
18,148
Trophies
0
Age
31
Location
The Danger Zone
XP
10,323
Country
United States
Man, I'm a little rusty, just been out of reviewing for a while. But behold, Metroid has gotten me back in the groove. Unfortunately, that mood is not a "handing out high scores" mood. Other M is truly another meh.

<div align="center"><img src="http://ve3dmedia.ign.com/images/04/91/49118_orig.jpg" border="0" class="linked-image" /></div>

Nintendo decided to take a big leap of faith with Other M. They tried redesigning Metroid like they did with Prime. Different type of gameplay, different team, different styling. While I was no fan of Prime I can say they stuck it pretty well with that. This, on the other hand, while not a terrible fumble that will go down as one of gaming's worst leaps of faith (that award probably goes to some Sonic game), it certainly doesn't stick the landing. I can easily say Other M is the worst Metroid game out there except for Hunters (although the original Metroid is rather dated and clearly outdone by it's GBA remake). Still, as a game, it's definitely playable and you'll probably give it a run. If I was to go with the "skip it, pirate it, buy it" scale, I'd say pirate it. It's not worth your cash though.

Other M's first big leap is that it focuses a lot of narrative. It's got a lot of cutscenes, lots of voice acting, and is definitely a departure from the usual "You're on a planet, shoot stuff" approach. The plot involves Samus after the events of Super Metroid receiving a distress signal from a remote and unknown facility. On board she meets up with her ex-commanding officer, Adam, and begins to unwind what the facility really is and your typical conspiracy stuff. I would've loved this if it actually worked well, but simply it doesn't. The game seems to rely on having a large, fleshed out universe that you'll know a lot about, but really you don't. Stuff like Space Pirates, the Galactic Federation, all that was just backdrops for the short summary you find in the manual of your game. It was never really fleshed out, and with Metroid's natural feel of isolation, it was hard to have it terribly fleshed out yourself. Cutscenes are also pretty poorly presented. A lot of the times it'll be a flashback from Samus' past that has really no relevance to the game. Maybe it'll add a little more context on a character but it's a minuscule amount of info for a character that you hardly see and will probably die off anyway. The script is also filled with poor word cliches and it hardly gives much depth to the characters or to the universe. The action cutscenes look cool and what not and I would've loved it to be cinematic in that sense, but having all these random and often uselessly boring flashbacks is not what I want.

A quick side note, but probably the silliest presentation choice here was your unlocking of weapons. You see, Samus comes on board the ship with all her weapons. But as she joins Adam and his team, Adam tells her to only use weapons when authorized. So instead of defeating some bad guy and having him turn into a magical Super Missile upgrade, Adam will say "Okay, you can use this now". And it's not timed well. Through (most of) the game Adam has a direct feed through your visor. If I was him and I saw you were in front of a door that can only be busted with Super Missiles, I'd say "Samus, go ahead and bust open that door with some Super Missiles". Or when I'm half dead from running through an overheated area where my health is going down the drain, I think then would be a good time to authorize your Varia suit. And really, why would you require authorization for non-lethal equipment, like the Varia suit? I could see it for the Power Bomb and what not since it may be hazardous to the team but I doubt anyone is gonna get hurt from a Varia suit. But whatever, it's just a way to implement the whole "unlock upgrades as you go" thing.

The gameplay here is also overhauled. First Metroid was in 2-D sidescrolling, then it went to a 3-D world in the first person. Now it's a 3-D world in the third person. The biggest worry I had for the game was luckily taken care of though: this is a Metroid game. There's plenty of backtracking to do and upgrades to unlock. With that out of the way, I thought this game was gonna be spectacular. But unfortunately it gets a whole host of other problems. First is controls. The game uses only the Wiimote, no Nunchuck, Gamecube, or Classic Controller support. And when you're in a fully 3-D world, it seems like a poor choice to only have a D-Pad to use over an analog stick. D-Pads in 3-D worlds aren't terrible but they're inferior in every way to an analog stick. The other thing with the game is that you can switch to first person when you turn the Wiimote towards the screen. This lets you grapple and shoot missiles among other things. Why couldn't I just put that to a button instead and use a Nunchuck? That way I'd always have my Wiimote ready to aim on screen, plus I'd get more buttons and an analog stick. It's just a poor design choice that I still don't comprehend. The game also totes a more "graphic" combat system with finishing moves and dodging and counter attacks, stuff you'd expect from Team Ninja. But that doesn't quite work so well either. First complaint with this is that there's no dodge button; dodging is mapped to the D-Pad (which is also movement) so you can only dodge at certain times in an enemy's attack, which doesn't quite work as well as it should. Combat itself is also very boring, as you don't do anything like combos, you simply shoot. If an enemy gets weak enough and is knocked down you can execute a finisher move, as well as occasionally performing counter attacks and jumping on enemies for a more powerful attack, but those are still just your standard D-Pad and shoot button commands. Most battles can be beaten by pressing (or holding and releasing) the shoot button and mashing the D-Pad around. Level designs also seem significantly weaker than past titles and enemies aren't terribly varied (even if they look different, most are just reskins/slightly beefier versions of enemies you fought hours ago). Boss battles can be fun though and the standard formula of getting a new weapon and using it to unlock new areas still works well.

Graphics wise the game looks pretty good as you expect from any big Nintendo game. Still, with that being said, it doesn't look as good as Super Mario Galaxy (or SMG2). It doesn't even look as good as Metroid Prime 3 (which came out two years ago). Character models are excellent, framerate is steady, but environments are underwhelming. It's one of the better looking Wii games but there's plenty there that look better.

Audio wise we got a mixed bag. The traditional Metroid tunes still sound fine, as do sound effects and the like. But the big let down is voice acting. For a game that was taking a big risk with major voice acting and cinematics, the voice acting is pretty damn average. It's not the worst I've heard and the voices themselves are nice, but the lines being delivered are so lifeless and lacking emotion that it really hurts the game's presentation even more. I mean, a thoroughly mediocre script doesn't help, but if I was trying to make the whole "cinematic and story driven" thing work, I'd be pulling out the big guns for voice acting. Samus in particular has a pretty poor voice work, and you'll be hearing her narrate and talk 90% of the time.

Overall, Other M isn't the Metroid game we've been waiting for. While it takes a big leap for the new styles that, with effort, could work well, it simply doesn't pull them off as good as they should. The game as a whole hardly feels like a main Metroid game but more a spin off, which isn't necessarily a good thing. Odds are you'll want to ride it out to the end and what not, but as a whole the game is lacking and feels terribly unpolished and unrefined.

<b>Presentation</b>: Story is mediocre and feels like a lamer version of Metal Gear Solid 2's story to an extent, except not anywhere near as good (and yes, I did like MGS2's zany plot twists and what not). Cutscenes are often random and poorly spread out, characters are weakly developed, and it seems to rely on a nonexistent fleshed out universe. There is a neat feature to watch the game as "movie" upon completion, but really, who would want to? The map also lacks the detail it does in Metroid Prime, such as 3-D models of areas and even basics like markers for certain areas that need certain upgrades. <b>5/10</b>

<b>Graphics</b>: The game looks pretty good and has some very strong character models. Environments aren't as good but still decent. Not as good looking as Super Mario Galaxy, not as good looking as Metroid Prime 3, but still good looking. <b>8/10</b>

<b>Audio</b>: Traditional Metroid tunes sound good here along with sound effects. Voice acting is pretty bland though. The voices themselves are good but lines are delivered stale and without inflection or emotion. <b>7/10</b>

<b>Gameplay</b>: It still has Metroid's formula of backtracking, which is a godsend. But poor control choices hurt and the combat, despite looking flashy, feels very limited and stale. It looks good on screen but feels worse in your hands. Level designs also seem weaker than past Metroid games and enemies lack variety. Boss battles are decent though. <b>7/10</b>

<b>Lasting Appeal</b>: The game can be done in a matter of hours or take a lot longer if you want to get upgrades and find the rest of the items. It's still general Metroid length which isn't bad, but the already hindering choices of gameplay and presentation won't make it nearly as fun to play through a few times. <b>7/10</b>

Overall: <b>7/10</b>

I was tempted to go lower but it's still worth playing. Wouldn't cough up my cash for it though.

I sure hope Nintendo does better on Donkey Kong Country Returns and Kirby's Epic Yarn.

If you're planning on commenting with "GUILD YOU'RE SO WRONG THIS GAME IS AMAZING", just take a second and consider a few things. Is the game REALLY that good or is all that hype you made up for it just blinding your vision and making you think it's what you wanted it to be?
 

wyndcrosser

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
725
Trophies
0
XP
200
Country
United States
You stole my Metal Gear Solid 2 line, wtf. lol. I personally hate the use of the wii remote for firing missles. I don't understand why you wouldn't roll with just the wii remote sidewayz, and make the game less "3D".

Wario Shake It! IS AWESOME 2D, as well as Super Mario Bros.

Wynd
 

Guild McCommunist

(not on boat)
OP
Member
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
18,148
Trophies
0
Age
31
Location
The Danger Zone
XP
10,323
Country
United States
wyndcrosser said:
You stole my Metal Gear Solid 2 line, wtf. lol. I personally hate the use of the wii remote for firing missles. I don't understand why you wouldn't roll with just the wii remote sidewayz, and make the game less "3D".

Wario Shake It! IS AWESOME 2D, as well as Super Mario Bros.

Wynd

Heh, great minds think alike
wink.gif


The problem is that the game is supposed to be played in a 3-D world all the time. You have free movement on three dimensions all the time, and using a D-Pad to do that is a terrible decision when you can use a Nunchuck. And playing 2-D games with an analog stick isn't even that bad. I remember having a damn good time doing the 2-D segments of Super Mario Galaxy 2 with the Nunchuck.
 

geoflcl

Permanent GBAtemp Newbie
Member
Joined
Jan 18, 2009
Messages
1,375
Trophies
0
Age
30
Website
loganderb.in
XP
522
Country
United States
Great review! Glad to see you're in the swing of things again.

Yes, my biggest gripe would be the "Choosey Adam and his selective Power-ups" thing. Quite ridiculous, really.

Most of the control problems seemed to me as if they could be remedied or improved with the addition of the nunchuck. You could totally tell that the developers were being constrained because Sakamoto was stubborn and demanded they conform to the "Wiimote-only" control setup.
 

Fudge

Remember that death is not the end, but only a tra
Banned
Joined
Aug 26, 2009
Messages
2,653
Trophies
0
Age
27
Location
New York
Website
Visit site
XP
662
Country
United States
geoflcl said:
Great review! Glad to see you're in the swing of things again.

Yes, my biggest gripe would be the "Choosey Adam and his selective Power-ups" thing. Quite ridiculous, really.

Most of the control problems seemed to me as if they could be remedied or improved with the addition of the nunchuck. You could totally tell that the developers were being constrained because Sakamoto was stubborn and demanded they conform to the "Wiimote-only" control setup.
I hate that. "Samus, you are not authorized to use missiles". Bullshit. I gotta play the game more, I'm only about a hour in.
 

wyndcrosser

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
May 28, 2009
Messages
725
Trophies
0
XP
200
Country
United States
It's not bad. Like i said I bought it, I will always support companies bringing back the classics, but this game is kinda rough.... how I continue to go back to every hour or so.

Wynd
 
D

Deleted_171835

Guest
Good review.
I agree with you on the control scheme. It was really dumb for the developers to only allow you to use the Wiimote. The nunchuk looks like it would have been much better for moving Samus. I was listening to Samus talk on walkthroughs on Youtube and I also agree with you that she sounds extremely bland and lifeless. Her voice was nothing like I imagined it. I'm trying not to judge the game until I play it but with all these mediocre reviews, it's hard not to be a little disappointed.

One question, though. Have you seen the two-hour film presentation that the game apparently has once you beat it?
 

Revolution [9]

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Mar 27, 2010
Messages
112
Trophies
0
XP
46
Country
United States
Once I heard it was all going to be ported to the Wii, I was like screw this. (I get motion sickness very easily.)

On a side note "Guild", I certainly hope you do not write essays like that. I cringed a little when I saw some grammar fallacies. Then again... Nah.
 

Lily

One Scary Lady
Former Staff
Joined
Jun 18, 2004
Messages
5,727
Trophies
0
Age
43
Location
British Columbia
XP
778
Country
Canada
Revolution [9 said:
]
I cringed a little when I saw some grammar fallacies. Then again... Nah.

Just as I cringe at your complete and utter horrid use of the English language? Grammar "fallacies"?

Aren't we finished picking on people's spelling and grammar on the internet? Almost every time that you see someone "correct" someone else, the person correcting also does it wrong.

:\

As for the review, sounds like a bizarre Metroid game, but whatever. Nothing can be worse than Prime 3.
 

Guild McCommunist

(not on boat)
OP
Member
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
18,148
Trophies
0
Age
31
Location
The Danger Zone
XP
10,323
Country
United States
lilsypha said:
Revolution [9 said:
]
I cringed a little when I saw some grammar fallacies. Then again... Nah.

Just as I cringe at your complete and utter horrid use of the English language? Grammar "fallacies"?

Aren't we finished picking on people's spelling and grammar on the internet? Almost every time that you see someone "correct" someone else, the person correcting also does it wrong.

He's a friend, he's just kidding around
smile.gif


EDIT: Derp.
 

purplesludge

anyone have any ideas for this space
Member
Joined
Mar 2, 2009
Messages
1,047
Trophies
0
Age
34
Location
wv
Website
Visit site
XP
260
Country
United States
Guild McCommunist said:
purplesludge said:
Guild, you are not authorized to use reviews.

Sorry that I'm not like you and blindly take anything Nintendo poops out and thinks it's the greatest. I actually criticize things when criticism is due, unlike you and your typical fanboyism. And I've done more reviews then you've ever done, so how about you can that little trap of yours.
I think you missed the humor in it. I was referencing not being authorized to use weapons. As for being a fanboy of Nintendo not really. Only game I play on my wii is Tatsunoko vs capcom. I mainly play xbox more since I prefer it over wii and ps3.
 

Guild McCommunist

(not on boat)
OP
Member
Joined
May 6, 2009
Messages
18,148
Trophies
0
Age
31
Location
The Danger Zone
XP
10,323
Country
United States
purplesludge said:
Guild McCommunist said:
purplesludge said:
Guild, you are not authorized to use reviews.

Sorry that I'm not like you and blindly take anything Nintendo poops out and thinks it's the greatest. I actually criticize things when criticism is due, unlike you and your typical fanboyism. And I've done more reviews then you've ever done, so how about you can that little trap of yours.
I think you missed the humor in it. I was referencing not being authorized to use weapons. As for being a fanboy of Nintendo not really. Only game I play on my wii is Tatsunoko vs capcom. I mainly play xbox more since I prefer it over wii and ps3.

Oh fuck, I'm sorry dude, I get it now. Real sorry, I'm just a bit tired and a little on edge today
smile.gif
 

giratina16

Born This Way
Member
Joined
Apr 10, 2010
Messages
922
Trophies
1
Age
30
Location
G.O.A.T.
Website
Visit site
XP
94
Country
Oh man the controls are on the d-pad? I don't know about anyone else but I think it hurts my thumb when I use the d-pad on the remote. I was thinking about getting this game as I haven't bought a Wii game in ages, but I think I'll give this a miss.
 

Gaiaknight

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Aug 26, 2008
Messages
960
Trophies
1
Age
41
Location
howell, Michigan
Website
Visit site
XP
471
Country
United States
This is what i think of your review

2vkgqck.jpg



















JK bro lol im tempted to write a review cause you dont mention the after game side quest that adds to the replay value of the game and my score would be about an 8-8.5.
 

.psyched

Well-Known Member
Member
Joined
Aug 13, 2010
Messages
295
Trophies
0
XP
33
Country
France
Bladexdsl said:
this is the worst metroid yet it's the controls that really kill it.

Well, it really isn't that bad. It's just that Nintendo made a baaad decision. Why Team Ninja among all the people out there? Seriously, DOA AND Ninja Gaiden? Bollocks.
 

Site & Scene News

Popular threads in this forum

General chit-chat
Help Users
    K3Nv2 @ K3Nv2: Pump the chocolate into my veins