Review: Metroid Prime | Shoot first, don't ask questions, because a bitch is mute

Samus is a bad bitch. I probably shouldn't have referred to her as a bitch. I bet she's rolled into a ball and speeding to my house with murderous intent as I type this. I'm sure she'll forgive me when she realises I've got some good words about her very first 3D adventure.

Metroid Prime is not your average first person shoot 'em up. Nintendo have coined it as more of a first person adventure and this sums up the game pretty well. In fact it sums it up pretty perfectly! The game world is not divided into stages or missions as with most FPS's, but one huge area in which Samus must explore. What also causes this game to stray from standard FPS territory is what Samus is able to do. Being a woman she's naturally able to do things that fellas in other first person shooters can't do. Such as curling herself up into a ball and rolling around at top speed, using a grapple beam to swing across chasms and nabbing a perfect lock on her enemies amongst other things.

The straying from FPS territory also spreads to the controls. Unlike most other first person shooters, Samus can get a dead lock onto enemies. Doing so enables her to strafe around her foes whilst pelting them with shots. Using this manoeuvre is vital, as strafing allows Samus to move faster than she would normally - allowing her to quickly get around the back of enemies and shoot them or dodge fast enemy attacks. If you want to aim for something in particular or look around, Samus can can be planted with the R button whilst the analog stick can be used to survey the surroundings. This is useful for aiming for a boss' weak point or shooting a target that is too far away for Samus to lock onto. Metroid Prime doesn't control like your average run of the mill FPS, so there is a learning curve to it all. But after the initial awkwardness you will quickly find that the controls are pretty spot-on. They make sense and are logical for the way in which the game plays.

Metroid Prime has a storyline, but it's not something which drives this particular entry into the Prime series. This is not a game which relies on cinematic cut scenes or any strong form of narrative for that matter. So those expecting a story which unfolds via beautifully directed cut scenes, complete Samus kicking ass in bullet time and close up's of her jiggling titties - will be disappointed. Major parts of the story are revealed by scanning logs. There are dozens of them dotted throughout the game, and the amount of them you find will determine your ending. If you don't mind reading chunks of text you'll find a decent little story tucked away. Just don't go expecting an epic masterpiece of a story to be unfolded to you by default.

Metroid Prime is a pretty looking game. At the time of its release it looked great, and it still holds nicely to this day and shits on much of the shovel ware on the white GameCube with the remote control. Everything has a clean look about it. But what really sells this game is its artistic direction. Every area you discover oozes character. From the organic foliage and colossal stone architectures of the Chozo ruins, to the rusted steel structures within the lava filled Magmoor caverns: every area is distinct and looks completely different from the last. The GameCube's graphical muscle alongside the talented art directors at Retro studios make for a hot looking game.

The audio in Metroid Prime is pretty much what you'd expect. Shots, blasts, explosion, lots of robotic clanks, prangs and locks. The game supports Dobly pro logic, so if you are fortunate enough to have the setup: you're in for a treat. As with most of Nintendo's heroes, Samus doesn't talk. She just goes around killing people. She moans, groans and screams when she's hit and when she dies. But other than that, she's a mute. Samus lets her gun do the talking so she don't have to. She's too bad of a bitch to say anything.

The difficulty of Metroid is balanced perfectly. In a bid to please everyone the difficulty is switch-able. So if you find the game too easy, tackle a harder difficulty. If you find the game too hard, step it down a notch. As you progress through the game you find that enemies take more shots, bosses weak points aren't so obvious and that once you acquire a new weapon the fiendish enemies begin to pop up al over the place. It strikes a perfect balance. Those who clear the game on their first play through and want more of a challenge can take on the unlockable expert mode. Swarms of seemingly bulletproof enemies and greater punishments for taking damage.

The world of Metroid Prime is vast and sprawling. It is easy to get lost and find yourself stalled because you've missed a vital item, didn't scan a particular area or overlooked a crack in the wall that you should've blasted. You need to be aware of your surroundings and assess situations to succeed. This is what makes Metroid Prime so brilliant. You'll comes across a platform you can't reach. A wall that looks a little conspicuous. A door that refuses to open. You know in the back of your mind you can access these areas, but you need to find a means first. This is where Prime shines, because you'll have to keep a mental note of all of these things until you acquire an ability that allows you to overcome these obstacles - and when you finally do you feel a grand sense of achievement. However, it's these very elements that may put those off wanting a shooter more immediacy - such as Modern warfare.

Metroid Prime manages to pull things off that not every developer would have been able to. There are many aspects of the game that shouldn't work, but do because of the execution and how well the game sells it. Retro studios did an amazing job of transitioning the classic Metroid experience into 3D in a way that feels like a natural evolution and maintains the core elements of the older games. There are bound to be Super Metroid fans who are unhappy with the new direction. But Metroid Prime was taken in the only direction the series could seriously go on a console. Retro did everything regarding the 3D shift in the best possible way. This still feels like Metroid with no compromise, and lots of new welcomed features and gameplay quirks to appreciate.

Metroid Prime 1 is a must own for every GameCube and Wii owner. Its immersing gameplay, stunning graphics, responsive controls and accessibility make it a winner. Even with the third game in the series already out on Wii, the first in the series is still a must have. There wouldn't have been a third game without it after all.

👍🏾 Great graphics
👍🏾 Solid gameplay
👍🏾 A brilliant 3D transition of the classic 2D gameplay

👎🏾 Not much to go back to once completed
👎🏾 The pace can be a little too slow at times

Verdict: A must have.