Here we are at the very end of the "Metroid" marathon, and I'm extremely happy to make this the finishing point. I've enjoyed the "Metroid Prime" series up to this point, and I do remember "Metroid Prime" being one of the first games I ever owned for the GameCube, but it was a game I didn't play too much in my youth. "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption," however, was one of the first-ever first-person shooter games that I truly fell in love with. I remember being an eight-year-old kid bouncing off the walls over the Wii's release and just always thinking about how cool "Prime" looked. The game was delayed several times, having planned to be a launch title only to be announced for an August 20th, 2007 release, then being delayed to August 27th, and then for some reason not ending up in stores until August 28th. It was too much for my child self to handle! But after finally getting it, I remember very much falling in love with it...or what I played of it because I was terrible at beating games. Having finally done so, though...it was every bit as fun as I remembered, and then some.
"Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" takes everything that made the first two games great, polishes them to near perfection, and ends up being an essential Wii title. While the heavier emphasis on storytelling might be a detraction for some "Metroid" fans that prefer the "show, don't tell" approach, I think this game handles it very well, with incredible action set pieces and a cast of fascinating characters as well (who are actually voice acted this time around, and while that could be a worrying sign for a "Metroid" game, the voice acting is done very well here). The visuals look amazing, even for an early Wii game, and the sound design and music are the same top-notch stuff we expect out of this great franchise. In terms of the gameplay, this is perhaps the smoothest entry in the franchise. The shooting controls are incredible, and this feels like one of the first games that really proved that motion controls can be more than a gimmick. The level design is some of my personal favorite in the entire series, and I think the worlds in the game are dense and extremely fun to explore. Even though this game takes on a more linear approach, I think that's totally fine because it shows that the game knows itself and doesn't overstay its welcome. And even the linear approach doesn't distract from just how amazing the worlds are, or how the boss fights are some of the best in the series. Furthermore, while the game is a touch easier than before, I once again don't mind that: it's nice to have a "Metroid" game that doesn't make me rage because of frustrating bosses or confounding design choices. And finally, the Phazon powers are absolutely awesome: adding an extra layer of power to Samus's arsenal, they also allow the developers to get a bit wilder with different levels, making for some of the most memorable moments in the series.
I think the only thing that can detract from the game is, like many a "Metroid" game, the bouncing back and forth between worlds can be overwhelming for a newcomer to keep track of. Fortunately, the level design is so fantastic that it really isn't a problem.
Overall, "Metroid Prime 3: Corruption" definitely stands as my favorite entry in the "Metroid" series. Perhaps that's a hot take, but even beyond my general nostalgia, this is by far the most polished, fun, and memorable entry in the series in my eyes. It takes everything the "Prime" sub-series got right up to that point, fixes the things that may have been wrong before, and combines all of that into an excellent, unforgettable adventure. If you haven't gotten to play this yet, you're doing yourself a disservice. Go play it.
Final rating: 10 out of 10 "Fantastic"