For many, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is the first true "game" from Nintendo on the Wii since Twilight Princess arrived at the launch of the console nine months ago. Critics and Nintendo faithful have accused Nintendo of selling out the hardcore gamer in favor of a casual approach. With the success Nintendo has now achieved, many feared others would follow suit, and that the days of the traditional "hardcore" gamer were numbered. The fact that Nintendo has seemingly let Corruption slide under the radar, with minimal hype until the last minute, only reinforced this notion. But now Corruption has finally arrived - the first of many "hardcore" titles due out this final quarter of the year - and delivers on the promise of a traditional, hardcore game that still uses the unique capabilities of the Wii Remote. The first true "hardcore" title developed ground-up for the Wii by Nintendo that showcases that Wii can produce traditional games as well as casual.
Samus earns a power-up.
Controlling Samus Aran with the Wii Remote and Nunchuk provides a level of control not seen before in a console shooter. While the precision doesn't quite surpass that of a mouse and keyboard setup (even on the advanced sensitivity setting) that most PC shooters enjoy, it is still an impressive feat and probably the first solid, definitive example of how the Wii can deliver a more traditional gaming experience while changing up the normal control conventions.
One other important innovation in the control department is the ability to use a grappling beam to latch onto objects, such as enemy shields, and rip them away using a tugging motion on the Nunchuk. There's also the ability for Samus to use her hand as an input device on terminals; she can press buttons to enter a security code, grab a pump and charge up an energy device, or twist switches. All of this is done with the motion sensitivity and would otherwise be trivial on a typical controller, but yet the Wii Remote makes it fun and engaging.
As for the basics and returning features, players still control Samus with the control stick for movement, though the pointer on screen controls the aiming of her cannon as well as the ability to turn the screen. Depending on which control setting one selects, the range of motion controlled by certain devices, in particular the Wii Remote, varies. Players can also still lock-on to enemies, but on the more advanced settings, weapons other than the missiles will not "home-in" on the target. Instead, the advance setting allows for players to target an enemy to keep the camera focused in that direction (as well as open up the ability for side-dashing), but the option to aim Samus' cannon at other enemies and objects is available. This does take some time to get used to, and even the most advanced player may find it a bit difficult to master.
Samus takes on some droids.
Another classic ability to return is the morph ball. This ability is largely controlled in the same manner as previous titles, but the spring ball is performed by flicking the Wii Remote up, which causes Samus to bounce up into the air. The visor takes a radical departure from the first two Prime titles. Players will quickly notice that they have to press and hold either the "-" or "+" button - which is in an inconvenient location to begin with - and then move the arrow cursor over one of three regions of Samus' visor and then press the "-" or "+" button again. For those who have not played a previous title in this franchise, toggling between visors was previously done by pressing one of the d-pad directions on the GameCube controller. The new process takes longer and is in no way more innovative or easier to perform.
After the initial segment of the game, one last element of major gameplay is revealed to the player - the PED suit and the hypermode ability. Samus can go into "hypermode" by injecting an energy tank into her suit. Hypermode gives Samus temporary invincibility from damage (although she will still physically recoil from being hit) as well as the ability to fire incredibly powerful energy beams that take down even the staunchest of bosses with ease. The use of this ability is really a juggling act - while it is true many bosses can be torn to shreds rather quickly with the use of the hypermode, Samus will lose an incredible amount of energy at the same time. All major bosses will require several attack sequences even with this ability, and if players rush into hypermode without any thought, they may be left near death without the ability to return into hypermode (one full energy tank is required).
As for the objectives in the game itself, after about an hour-long introduction where Samus goes from a Galactic Federation cruiser down to the planet Norion's surface in a bid to help thwart a space pirate attack, Samus awakens a month later and begins her primary tasks. After speaking with an Aurora Unit (a biological supercomputer that bears an uncanny resemblance to Mother Brain), Samus learns that the other hunters she was teamed up with in the beginning of the game have gone AWOL. Your main objective is to complete their missions in their wake. The main gameplay revolves around traveling between different planets and their areas in order to complete the tasks.
Samus interacts with a switch.
One major difference is that the regions of each world do not feel connected in a natural way. The seamless blending of environments and areas - a staple of the Metroid franchise - seems to have been pushed aside for a more "epic" feel. Individual drop zones - regions Samus' gun ship can reach - aren't quite as large as individual regions from previous games, either. The Aurora Unit from the beginning of the game (as well as other characters later on) acts as Samus' guide, communicating at points what Samus' next objective is as well as uploading the locations of certain important objectives to the map. Players then need to navigate the areas, solving puzzles and fighting enemies, until they reach the spot on the map.
Typically this area is accompanied by a boss battle of some sort. Once the objectives are cleared in the area, or a point is reached where Samus can no longer progress, she will need to return to her ship and travel to another region. Surprisingly, there is very little backtracking in Corruption. Part of this is due to the very linear nature of many of the regions of each planet and the fact regions do not necessarily interconnect. Another reason is that Samus will have the new ability to call her gun ship to other landing spots on the map where available using her visor, and thus she can perform an extraction to get out from a different location rather than backtracking to the start of the map (although this is still done a few times). On a quick side-note, the gun ship can also be commanded to attack certain objects or structures in an area using the visor command - a really cool feature.
That's not to say there isn't any real exploration and backtracking in the game; there will be several times where Samus can no longer progress and will need to not only go back through the same area to find something to aid her, but sometimes the task will require her to revisit a planet she has already "cleared" or visited. The truth is, though, that the feel from the previous two Prime titles really isn't preserved - that the player will feel more like backtracking is an "afterthought" when it is required rather than an intuitive gameplay device.
At the end of each planet is a boss awaiting Samus. There are smaller bosses that guard power ups along the way, as well as really cool "halfway" bosses (which to avoid major spoilers, we won't reveal anything about them) that typically guard the key power-up that will enable Samus to reach the final boss of the area. In terms of difficulty, many of the bosses have self-explanatory weak points and scanning them with Samus' visor will also reveal potent clues as to what to do. Many of the smaller bosses will be pretty easy to defeat with the hypermode ability once players figure out how to use it effectively. As for the major bosses, even with knowing what to do, many of them seemed to take a long time to defeat. Many of the boss battles, including the smaller ones, are fast-paced and the most intense of the series.
Samus takes on a space pirate.
Corruption breaks the norm by providing one of the most intricate and involving stories in the series. The game's plot is also further heightened by the fact Nintendo opted to use voice acting for every character's dialogue. Fans need not worry about Samus, though, as she remains a mute. Rather than receiving minor updates that revealed the new objectives to Samus in previous Prime titles, voice actors bring to life what is going on in the game. Other characters Samus encounters also have spoken dialogue, and all of it really demonstrates just how far voice work goes to liven up a story. The story, though, still mostly revolves around Samus' solitude for much of the game, so hardcore Metroid fanatics need not worry the game is becoming a soap opera.
Visually, the game is cleaner and crisper looking than the other two Prime titles, especially with playing the game with component cables at the best resolution possible. Art direction helps out a great deal with the designs of the environments, but there are still noticeable issues here and there. Early on near the start, as Samus is trying to reach her gun ship, a series of doors will close in a corridor, but not before revealing a poorly placed "facade" that is supposed to be where Samus' gun ship resides. This "painting" effect is seen in more than just this area.
Still, the detailed worlds Samus visits are brought to life just as one would expect of a Prime title, and enemies and characters are very detailed and diverse in design. Lighting effects and the "environment" effects return, as well as the ability for elements to affect Samus' visor, and thus, impeding the player's visibility. A cool notable is that in the scanning mode in the visor, players can see Samus' face and eyes very clearly - much more so than seeing a glimpse of it as a reflection when a bright light flashed in the other Prime titles. Players may also notice how "open" many of the rooms and areas are in comparison to the previous installments, as the design of the areas has shifted focus in order to accommodate larger, more intricate battle sequences and puzzles. Corruption is definitely the best looking Wii title to date.
Samus inputs a security code.
The soundtrack of Corruption seems like it borrowed a page from the Halo series. Or maybe Nintendo is just becoming obsessed with chanting and choir "ohs" and "ahs". The music definitely, at points, is something completely unexpected, though the techno-rock tracks make their rounds. Immediately players will know the difference at the title screen, which boasts a very Halo-esque tune. The soundtrack, though, is the best in the Prime series and demonstrates a greater variety of sound then any installment before it.
Accompanying the great soundtrack is the voice work - a first for the franchise. While Samus has made grunts and moans before, Corruption includes full voice work for spoken dialogue, with the exception of Samus herself. Most of the voice work is average or above average, with only one or two noticeable roles not up to par. Though, for a first attempt in the series, it isn't half-bad and hopefully demonstrates that other franchises may need to shift to this type of dialogue delivery (paging The Legend of Zelda series). Sound effects from weapon fire, to explosions, to other elements are touched up a bit, but mostly familiar to anyone who has played a Prime title - great quality and enhance the atmosphere of the game.
The few faults of Corruption lie both in the gameplay and the controls. Many will complain about the lack of exploration and "backtracking" that the series is known for. This mainly can be attributed to the story - a more complex and developed storyline typically leads to a more linear experience. The gameplay also revolves around more action-oriented sequences, with puzzles being more obvious and open and less in frequency. Also, power-ups aren't as numerous - players will begin the game with many abilities already and will pick up a few along the way. Mostly players will be exploring the nooks and crannies for the last remaining missile expansions and energy tanks. Loading times - that is, waiting for a door to open while the area ahead loads - are much more annoying in Corruption as well. They seem to happen more often and last longer.
Samus rips the shield from a space pirate.
As for the controls, even on the most advanced sensitivity setting, there were points where the ability to "turn" around quickly wasn't easily accomplished. Some sort of "quick-turn", like in Resident Evil 4, would be much appreciated. But the main control qualm is the fact this is a long, intense game and holding the Wii Remote and needing to aim with precision nearly all the time (for both movement and combat) really wears on the player physically. After a six-hour session on our first day, we had soar wrists for the entire next day and couldn't play for half the day. This means that the game may not be for everyone, or that some may be limited in the amount of time they can physically dedicate to playing.
Still, it should be noted one can hold the "Z" button whenever the cursor is aimed and the camera will "lock" on that position, so players can rest their hands and not need to aim, or simply rest the remote so it isn't picking up on screen and the aim will default to the neutral position. Or one can use a different sensitivity setting. But on the more advanced settings, you lose camera control if you do not use the Wii Remote at all times, and even during precision platforming segments, players need to focus on aiming the Wii Remote so as to not suddenly drift in the wrong direction.
If not for the increased number of cutscenes and spoken dialogue, the game's length also would have been much shorter, so the title may seem long the first time through, but actually gameplay segments totaled probably do not surpass those of the previous two titles, making this probably the shortest title of the three, though the actual experience will be much longer for many. The difficulty is pretty decent, though players will have the option to play the game on harder settings and to outright disable in-game clues to make the game even more trying. Still, though a very superb effort from Nintendo and Retro Studios, there are just many segments which do not feel like "Metroid". Though, some may find this a much welcomed deviation.
