Prime 3 manages to evolve upon FPS control and have some of the best visuals on Wii, but has it strayed from its roots?
Introduction:
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The first thing that you will notice about Prime 3 is its cinematic flair. You start the game with a quick tutorial in your ship. You will be asked to click buttons, type in a code, and ignite your engine, all with ships flying around you. All of this does a fantastic job of getting you familiar with just how you will control Samus through the game. You will find (on the Advanced Setting) that you can easily maneuver around making quick decisions and executing them faster than any previous First Person controlled game. As soon as you touch base on solid ground, this becomes even more obvious. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Controls:
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Controls are what separate Prime 3 from Samus's previous missions. The setup is similar (with a few changes to fit the Wii-mote), but the new, speedy controls make for a faster paced game. Whether it hurts the experience or not is objective, but it is important to know that this is NOT your ordinary easy-going Prime game where pure action is rarely the main focus. Because of the controls, the game tests you to aim in 2 or 3 directions at once. You will find several things that need attending to but you must complete them one at a time. Luckily, the controls make this experience a fun one. Zipping from enemy to enemy is a breeze, perhaps too much so. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Difficulty:
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Difficulty has taken a slight hit. Prime 3 is the first Metroid game to have 2 difficulty settings right from the start. Make sure you choose the harder one (Veteran) as it makes for a more enjoyable experience.
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Difficulty: Enemies
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Enemy AI is still not nearly as good as it should be. It doesn't seem like the enemies are even thinking about their surroundings at all, but instead follow a basic pattern of dodge, shoot, stand, dodge, lunge, stand, etc. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Difficulty: Bosses
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Bosses are a joy to watch and play against. You will find yourself enjoying bosses so much that you don't want them to die. The only complaint that can be made about them is that the smaller bosses are much more creative than the larger ones. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Difficulty: Backtracking/Puzzles
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Backtracking is present, but kept to a minimum and not nearly as difficult as it is in Metroid Prime 2. This could be seen as good or bad, but some of the magic of completing a particularly difficult puzzle is gone. You will find clever puzzles (particularly near the end of the game) that test you in both intelligence and patience. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Environments:
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Much like its predecessors, Prime 3 creates an imaginative world for Samus to explore. With significantly larger and more detailed worlds, Metroid Prime 3 has the best environments of all Prime games. Whether it be the floating sky city of Elisia, or the chained-moon planet of Bryyo, Metroid Prime 3 delivers! A good thing to mention is that environments have a much more drastic change in appearance than in Metroid Prime 2's dark purple drab. This should be a comfort to all those who enjoyed Prime 1's classic environments. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Story:
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The story is a limited affair. Dark Samus is back and causing chaos for you and your newly acquired friends. You all have become corrupted with the phazon that has taken over entire planets. The Federation has decided to have an all-out war against the Space Pirates' attempts to corrupt more planets. It's much more epic than before, but it does not compare with other, much better stories. The scanned Lore delivers as always though. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Music/Sound:
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Music in the game is superb. Environments become all the more interesting with the well fit music. Boss music does an excellent job of fitting the characteristics of the battle on hand. Sound effects ring with more solidity than previous Primes, and the newly added voice acting is well done. You will find yourself stopping to listen to the music which is an accomplishment on its own. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Conclusion:
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Metroid Prime 3 is an ambitious game that hits in all the right places. It is easily one of the best games of the year and is begging to be played. The new controls, voice acting, and fantastic pacing make for a superb game, but the easier difficulty and change in focus (from more exploration to more action) creates a game unlike any other Prime game. Pick it up and you will enjoy it!