(Please Note: This review will contain spoilers for people who have never played this game before so read this review at your own risk.)
Nintendo is known for creating a large number of controversies when it comes to angering their fans, wither it was Nintendo's poor response to the Nintendo Switch's Joy-Con Drift, the Nintendo Switch Online Expansion Pack which raised the price of the Nintendo Switch's Online Service or the Super Smash Bros community which is something that is never going to ever be pleased about whatever gets announced. However, no Nintendo related controversy could ever top the announcement Nintendo would made in their E3 panel in 2015 when they announced Metroid Prime Federation Force which was both going to be a 4-Player Cooperative Multiplayer game and also what was possibly going to be the next E-Sports game. The announcement caused massive uproar from not only Metroid fans but also the Nintendo community and fanbase in general. I can remember the reveal trailer alone on Youtube getting massive dislike ratios than any other Youtube video, people actually made online petitions to try and convince Nintendo to cancel the game moments after the game's announcement. It was one of the worst things Nintendo could ever announce in all their years as a gaming studio and it was a game no one wanted to see exist. The sad reality was that Nintendo wanted people to like it because it was the first Metroid game to come out since 2010's Metroid Other M which had serious issues yes but at least at its heart it was a Metroid game through and through. If you want to be even depressed about Metroid facts, this game is also the first Metroid Prime game to come out since 2007's Metroid Prime Corruption without counting the Metroid Prime Trilogy so to come out with a Metroid spin-off game let alone a multiplayer focused one was just a terrible decision especially from Nintendo considering no other Metroid game came out within that time. It is also developed by a different studio which was Next Level Games which had a bit of a good reputation when it came to the Nintendo 3DS hardware.
I was however one of few people that wanted to wait and actually give Metroid Prime Federation Force a chance, this was because the Nintendo 3DS unlike the original DS consoles was lacking in quality First-Person Shooters for the platform. Up until that point there was Battleminer which was a Minecraft wannabe but with giant killer Ants and with Guns instead of Swords & Bomb exploding Creepers and that controlled poorly and then there also was the remaster of Renegade Kid's 2009 shooter Moon with Moon Chronicles which did come to America but sadly not for gamers like myself living in the UK which was a massive shame. So, I was looking forward to the release of Metroid Prime Federation Force with the mindset that it would play and control fantastically well like what Nintendo did with the excellent Metroid Prime Hunters back for the Nintendo DS back then. I figured that as long it was going to be just like that game, I figured that the game wasn't to be so bad and yet here I am writing this review up just to admit just how wrong I was for believing so and how right they were.
To show how much people have a massive disapproval of this game we need to go back in time to 2002 when the Metroid Prime Series started. Launched originally in 2002 (2003 when it came out in the UK) for the Nintendo Gamecube developed by Retro Studios and it was the first Metroid game after Super Metroid in 1994 and it took the Metroid franchise in an all-new direction, going from a 2D side scroller action game that focused on exploration to a full 3D game where the game played from a First-Person perspective. It still had a big emphasis on exploration but it allowed you to scan the environment at either door, switches and also enemies which allowed you to learn their weaknesses, you got to explore around and collect expansions and eventually find upgrades which allowed you to explore more areas that you couldn't get to before. The combat was really tight and engaging as you had to learn the enemies attack pattern and how to beat them, the game has a lock-on mechanic which allows the player to lock-on to enemies so that they can circle-strafe around enemies and also to dodge attacks while keeping the targeting locked on. It did work surprisingly well considering the limited buttons that the Nintendo Gamecube controller had although it took time to get used to. Metroid Prime did go on to be one of the best games for the Nintendo Gamecube console, getting massive acclaim from both critics and long-time fans for the gameplay and also the presentation, which still holds up well. The sequels Metroid Prime 2 Echoes and Metroid Prime 3 Corruption were also really incredible games as well improving on game mechanics and also eventually the Metroid Prime Trilogy would then utilize the control scheme from Metroid Prime 3 Corruption which took advantage of the Wii Remote which allowed for free movement and aiming. The Nintendo DS would come out as Nintendo's next generation of handheld gaming and it would come packed in with a Demo of Metroid Prime Hunters which showcased not only the potential of Touch Screen gaming but also how First-Person Shooters could be controlled on the portable device. Dragging the Stylus on the Touch Screen allowed you to look around and aim around and it was smooth, responsive and most importantly it worked fantastically well. Eventually the full game of Metroid Prime Hunters would release in 2006 which would prove popular for the Nintendo DS console and would be one of the best reasons to own a Nintendo Wi-Fi Connection for it because the online play for Metroid Prime Hunters was really enjoyable and had tons of dedicated players. The Nintendo DS would also have another Metroid Prime game with Metroid Prime Pinball released in 2005 but that one was a very different game entirely but it was a pinball game which worked into the Metroid universe and it was reasonably well done and it was one of the reasons alongside Metroid Prime Hunters to own a Rumble Pak Accessory for the Nintendo DS.
This then brings us onto Metroid Prime Federation Force where of all things is a multiplayer focused game that has little resemblance to the Metroid franchise and only exists to try and rebrand the series in the worst way possible. It's without a doubt one of if not one of the worst games in the Metroid franchise and it is an absolute travesty of a game and there just really isn't any need for the whole series to go this route especially after not having a Metroid game for so long. This wouldn't be such a terrible idea if the gameplay itself was good right? Well, no it isn't cause on top of the whole controversy is a game that suffers from a lineup of terrible controls and gameplay design choices that do not make for a good time.
Now I did take a look at the Metroid Prime Blast Ball game when it was offered as a free download and it wasn't a very good first impression for what was to come and I just didn't like how it controlled and played. The online mode for the Blast Ball downloadable game was discontinued but it is still online in the Federation Force game itself for anyone that cares which is at this point in time no one. To give a small brief explanation it was that soccer like game similar to Rocket League where two teams attempt to a get the gigantic ball into the opposing team's goal with charged energy blasts, while also using some power ups to help even the odds. The Bot AI at least is competent and is very aware of how to get the ball around and into the player's goal, they are reactive to what the player does, is able to block their own goal when they are about to be ejected from their mech-suits but they are fairly balanced so that the player can make use of the abilities and mechanics available to counter the AI. If you want a full review of the Blast Ball Mode then you should check out my Metroid Prime Blast Ball review that I did a couple of years ago on my Gamespot channel.
As for the Metroid Prime Federation Force game itself, eventually I would get the full game after it was released but it has taken up to now when I just recently get my New Nintendo 2DS XL that I would play through the whole thing and see this whole mess in its entirety and it is worse than I thought it would be.
I am however going to be talking about the game from a Single Player point of view rather a 4-Player CO-OP Multiplayer game like the devs intended because I could never find anybody online actually playing it, this was a game had a dead online player base when it came out and it hasn't gotten any better by the time, I'm reviewing this game for myself just like the Blast Ball Mode for this game.
Taking place after the events of Metroid Prime 3 Corruption where instead of playing as everyone's favourite bounty hunter Samus Aran you are playing as a member of the Marines who pilot a specially powered mech-suit, carrying out missions for the Galactic Federation who are at war with the Space Pirates. Samus Aran this time is downgraded to the role of an NPC but does appear occasionally in some of the missions throughout the campaign which does help to keep the purpose of the Metroid universe storyline in check. She does have dialogue but thankfully they managed to make it so that she only speaks when necessary. Throughout the game you travel between three different planets of the Bermuda System, Excelcion, Bion and finally Talvania completing objectives and taking out enemies that get in your way. Eventually later you learn that the Space Pirates are preparing to use a devastatingly powerful new weapon called the Doomseye to wipe out the Galactic Federation so it is up to the Federation Force to put a stop to the weapon and defeat the Space Pirates once and for all.
Visually the game is a mixed bag, the art direction that they have chosen to go for with the somewhat cartoony super deformed character designs completely goes against serious tone of the Metroid universe. At least some of the monster and boss designs do look cool though and the Metroids (Yes, the game actually does have actual Metroids hence the title) at the very least look like Metroids and they don't look all that bad in this game. The environments on the other hand look superb and are the highlight of the game. The game has some really good detail and I like some of the weather effects like how it is constantly snowing in the Ice Planet of Excelcion and in one of the areas of the Planet of Talvania it is raining and these are pretty good details, I also do like the animations as well especially when charging the Blasters, the plates around them come down to reveal the blast before it is ready to fire. All Metroid games, especially the Metroid Prime games, have always been visually impressive when it comes to detail but Metroid Prime Federation Force is the weakest looking game in the series especially with the awful artstyle they choose to go with.
As for the soundtrack it is just bland and generic, it doesn't remix any of the classic Metroid tunes and every track is just remotely forgettable. Metroid games always had some of the best video game tracks that fit the mood and the atmosphere but Federation Force is just a very typical Sci-fi soundtrack that is just terrible.
Gameplay in Metroid Prime Federation Force is heavily focused on the combat rather than exploration which is something the series is known for, normally Metroid games are all about the non-linear exploration but this game does with all of that which makes the game strictly linear. That means you are not going to be using Morph-Balls to go into small areas to crawl around or anything like that. Every level has some hidden areas that you find if you take your time to explore but these are heavily restricted to finding MODs which are buffs you can apply to your Mech, from increased Blaster & Charged Shot damage, reduced damage you take but I only found a handful of MODs useful while others not really making much of a difference in attack power against basic enemies. The game does give you a MOD which helps balance the game out for Solo Play which is heavily recommended especially if you are going to be playing the game by yourself if you can't find anybody to this game with which is likely not going to happen especially with Online Play as I stated before.
This game at least attempts to mimic the combat mechanics of the previous Metroid Prime games, you have a Lock-On system which allows you to target enemies and Circle-Strafe around them and dodge incoming attacks, you can charge up your Blaster by holding down the Fire Button and releasing it when fully charged up as well as using power ups that can be used against tougher enemies. This game does have an interesting power up system where before each mission you can choose what power ups you want to take with you on a mission but you need to watch the carrying weight as you can only a certain number of power ups with you. In CO-OP this system is made so that players can have a role they would want like should one player do the healing the reviving, should another player have the Missiles and so on. Power Ups range from the aforementioned Missiles alongside the Super Missile variant which takes more weight but is more powerful, there are also Flame Blast and the expected Ice Blast which stops enemies in their tracks, there's Proximity Mines that detonate when anyone gets close, Shock Blasts and also Drones that can attack enemies on sight. Some of the power ups are really good enough when used on the right enemies like using Flame Blasts on Ice Enemies, using Ice Blasts on either Fire Enemies or to freeze regular enemies so that it leaves them open for bigger damage or using Mines or Missiles on bigger and more armoured enemies. However, I did find other power ups useless like the Time Stop power up which only stops one enemy in place and it requires nearly a full use of it just to hold enemy down only for that enemy to then get back up and start attacking again. There is a Scan Bolt which highlights enemy weaknesses but it's really not necessary to have them because enemy weaknesses are very obvious and in plain sight that you can just shoot at. Then there is the Decoy power up which sends out a fake look alike of Samus to which actually distracts enemies and the decoy device itself looks like a stupid put together device that looks like nothing like Samus and it is looks ridiculous how they go off and attack the decoy when they are clearly aware of the presence of the Galactic Federation Mechs.
Enemies range from legions of Space Pirates from standard variants to more elite and more powerful units. There are also some new and original enemies like Goliath beetles, Bruisers and Fire Hoppers and these are a decent line up of them. Like with other Metroid Prime games they are really reactive and mobile and can manoeuvre around you quite well. Metroid Prime games have always done a good job with the enemy variety and also ensuring that their AI is adaptive so that you are always going to be dealing with enemies that know exactly what they are and what you are doing and Federation Force does a decent job at that.
Easily the biggest issue with the game are the controls which are atrocious and just feel archaic and outdated by both Metroid Prime standards and especially by Nintendo DS/3DS standards. There are two control options for this game, one control scheme supporting Gyro controls and another where you use the C-Stick, that is if you are playing it on the New Nintendo 3DS models. The problem with these control setups is that they are both cumbersome and uncomfortable for a couple of reasons. For the default controls the Circle Pad moves you forward, backward and turning left or right, A button Fires, Y uses power ups, X switches between what power ups you have B makes you jump while double taping to slide to the side, L locks on to nearby targets and holding the R Button enters Gyro aiming mode where you move the 3DS system anywhere to aim. This free aiming system is annoying especially if you are trying to play the game sitting or lying down because it forces you to move the console to try and get a lock on enemies if there are above you, it causes you to lose sight of the game while you are trying to control the crosshair while in locked on because staying locked on isn't enough apparently as you need to move the crosshair to be able to target an enemy's weakpoint and sound's fun, right? The second control scheme attempts to mimic the control schemes of console shooters with movement and strafing on the Circle Pad and aiming on the C-Stick. The issue playing it with that control scheme especially if playing on the New Nintendo 3DS models and also the New Nintendo 2DS XL is that the C-Stick is too tiny and is very uncomfortable and unreliable for camera control especially for a First-Person Shooter made for the portable device. If you are not one of those people who has the luxury of having an old Nintendo 3DS model and wasn't able to get one of those Circle-Pad Pro devices then you are stuck with having to put with the Gyro controls or that stupid tiny C-Stick. Switching between power ups is also a chore as well because you only switch between power ups forward when using the X Button as it throws you off trying to get the power up you need to use.
Worst of all this is one that is considered the biggest war crime of all is that this game does not support the Touch Screen Stylus Controls for aiming and all I can ask about this is why? Why would you leave out the Touch Screen Stylus Controls for a First-Person Shooter game like this? Battle Miner did the exact same thing as well and it made the controls, especially the aiming in the game, a chore to get used to instead of being second nature. Now I get that the controls are supposed to resemble the control scheme of the Metroid Prime games on the Nintendo Gamecube when it was done that way because of the limited buttons that the Gamecube Controller had to work with. But the thing with the Nintendo 3DS and in-fact the entire Nintendo DS family of consoles is that the original DS console launched with a demo of Metroid Prime Hunters a game that came out a decade prior which showcased the incredible functionality and capabilities of the device. The Touch Screen Stylus Controls paved the way for First-Person Shooters to be on the portable device which made it smooth and easy to aim and shoot and enemies, it was the Mouse & Keyboard control schemes for portable devices and it was a fantastic way to have smooth, easily responsive shooters like that on the go. Thanks to the popularity of Metroid Prime Hunters other shooters on the DS would follow that control scheme and improve upon it such as the DS ports Call of Duty, Goldeneye Rogue Agent, Bionicle Heroes and the Dementium games. Sure, Metroid Prime Hunters abandoned the lock on mechanics of the other Metroid Prime games but it abandoned it for a good cause because it wanted to take advantage of what the Touch Screen could utilize in terms of control and it worked really well even if you had to move the crosshair by like one or two frames to get it rotate your view. So, to not include any kind Touch Screen Stylus Control support when this game really, really needed it and having to put with the terrible Gyro and C-Stick controls completely goes against what the Nintendo DS brand stands for First-Person Shooter games especially for the Nintendo 3DS brand, there is just no excuse for it. Plenty of times I would lock on to the wrong enemy like from far away instead someone close by, there are times I couldn't see the game properly when I was moving the console which made unaware of my surroundings when I try to use the Gyro to aim, the C-Stick like I said is just too small for these kinds of games and is very imprecise plus it made my thumb hurt a lot just from minutes of using it. Instead, the Stylus Touch Screen is used for pinpointing where to go on the map or doing callouts in the menus or something and it is just stupid honestly.
The missions do not fare any better than the actual gameplay, look again I understand that this was meant to be a 4-Player Cooperative game and the game was truly designed around that I get that, you and three other players are meant to cover each other, watch each other's back, stay together and help each other out if they need assistance taking out enemies that they are struggling against. If any of the players are down, they need to be revived and the game does make it clear that everyone needs to be together. However, there are some missions that were meant to only be beaten in co-op as they were never balanced out for Solo Play. Some missions just involve making your way from room to the next taking out enemies and then you make to a boss target to take out, others involve having to carry an objective item back to the ship and some of are a pain then they are while other missions stretch out sequences that tend to wear out their welcome. Every mission has a primary objective that needs to be completed before you move on to the next but there is also a secondary objective which usually is a challenge that is usually very difficult to do.
So, the first mission doesn't start out too bad as it allows you to try and get used to the terrible controls as you clear out a Hooper's Nest in an Icy Outpost, the second mission then starts the game throwing really bad puzzle sequences by making you guide some sphere balls into the holes by shooting at them and the physics often have a mind of their own and never seem to go where you want them to go before you eventually recover an artifact and extract it. One mission has you capturing Ice Titans by louring them into cages, there's one where you fight against a large killer fish called the Sawken which the first form isn't bad that is until the second form where it has an instant kill attack and that's fun. I hope you enjoy replaying minutes' worth of gameplay to get back to where you were because if all players are down or the objective is failed its Game Over and you get booted back to the mission select screen because the game has no checkpoints. You are going to die a lot in this game as on top of having to deal with the atrocious controls the enemies can deal a lot of damage especially in co-op mode and some enemies can withstand a lot damage like some enemies so soak up take a couple of missiles like only it's a minor nuisance. It's easy to take critical damage unless you really make use of the sidesteping because the movement is so slow and so are your blaster shots which no joke fire slower than the shots Samus can fire with her arm cannon in every other Metroid game, because of this you end up missing plenty of shots especially against faster enemies. In combat areas that become flooded by groups of enemies it becomes difficult to avoid taking damage and the only way to go any faster is to sidestep to the left or right like an idiot. There will also be times where if you mess up and chances are one of your MODs ends up breaking and you have to swap out one of them for a different one and it is just annoying.
Some later missions will have boss battles which require firing at their weakpoints to defeat them. Some don't seem too hard as long as you have enough power ups to deal with it, but then there are some bosses can be an absolute pain when they have multiple forms usually three just to mess with you and it just drags these moments on and on.
Getting back to the missions one has you holding off waves and waves of Space Pirate enemies while defeating the drill, there is one mission where it is on-rails as you are on a Cargo Tram shooting at enemies that appear and making sure that the Tram gets to the end, and there is one mission where you have to escort carts to the end of the level, taking out enemies and removing any obstructions while having to avoid getting caught in the storm and it is just incredibly boring. The worst levels in the game are one where you need to get three Architects which you need to shoot them so that you can carry them back to the ship whilst having to deal with infinite spawning enemies that can attack you causing you to drop them and dropping the Architects makes them revive and fly away and it just becomes absolutely rage inducing even with other players helping you. The other worst mission and one I had the most trouble with in the game is the one where you have to defend an Uplink Terminal against incoming Elite Space Pirates that just easily swarm all over you, if the controls of the game haven't frustrated you enough than the Uplink Mission will defiantly make you seriously rage at the controls. How will you get frustrated with the mission you ask? Well you can actually lock on to the Uplink Terminal and this absolutely screws up your aim because you are trying to get a lock on at an enemy that's attacking the Uplink Terminal only for the lock on to completely throw your aim off and target the Uplink Terminal instead which you don't want, so you try to lock on to shoot enemies only for you to aim at the Uplink Terminal which completely messes you up and causes you to waste time and tons of health because of the awful controls. I failed the Uplink dozens of times and spent about an hour and a half on that one mission alone because I couldn't aim at my targets properly due to the lock on mechanics not working as it should, this is the definitive reason the Touch Screen Stylus should have been a better option than the Gyro and C-Stick lock on controls because they suck and are super frustrating.
The game does have a scoring system were doing things in the game like making kills with charge blasts, missiles, healing allies and so forth and you do get multiple amounts of points if you can kill enemies when they are grouped together. You do get medals if you can get a high score by completing secondary objectives, completing the mission fast enough, but again the secondary objectives can often be very difficult and worst of all the scoring has a limit on how many points you get like you'll get points for killing a good amount enemies but you don't get any more points because the game says you got enough points from this one enemy and can't earn despite that said enemy type still has a few that need to be taken and it is just stupid and doesn't make any sense. You should be able to earn points from any kind of enemy with any measure necessary without any scoring restriction, it would be like if you were playing any other game and the scoring stopped going up when you were doing so well and having this system kind of makes getting three medal rankings not worth doing at all.
There are only one or two parts where the game could potentially show how fun this game could have been without having to deal with the frustrations that has thrown on me at this point. There is a mission where you eject from your Mechs and have to infiltrate a Space Pirates using stealth tactics, it reminds me of a sequence in the remake of the first Metroid game Metroid Zero Mission where Samus was without her Power Suit and has to make it past patrolling Space Pirates except that in this game you don't get the luxury of carrying around a rather useless emergency pistol with you. A similar section like that happens late into the game where all 4-Players are ejected from their Mechs and have to complete a brief stealth section and then one player gets into a Mech to cover their unarmed teammates before they get into theirs. These are moments that could have been fun, that is if the mechanics didn't suck so much. There are moments where the game does resemble a Metroid game also like in some missions there will be a self-destruct sequence with a time and you have to get out like in every Metroid game, there is even a mission where you go inside a factory where Space Pirates are harvesting Metroid lifeforms and you have to be careful when dealing with them because weapons can't damage them beside Ice Blasts. It's got that Metroid identity inside of a co-op game yet a lot of the gameplay elements are frustrating and take away a lot of the moments that could have been fun.
This all then leads to the three late game missions where you have to take down the Transfer Devices which are making the Doomseye invisible. This is where the game has officially given up at this point because every single room are just massive gauntlets where you just face off against waves and waves of enemies before finally reaching the Transfer Device and everything becomes repetitive and boring.
Eventually if you manage to survive going through this slog-fest the Doomseye reveals itself and it's time to enter it to disable the shield so that the Galactic Federation can then attack and destroy the Doomseye for and for all. Upon reaching the core you then end up with the final boss against Samus Aran who is.....wait what? Okay, now the game just enters major BS territory. How did Samus one of the most renowned and badass of female Bounty Hunters managed to get captured by the Space Pirates after what she has been through at this point in the Metroid Chronology Timeline? Samus Aran has went to Planet Zebes to eradicate the Space Pirate bosses Ridley, Kraid and their leader Mother Brain before crashing landing back to then infiltrate the Space Pirate Mother Ship and lead waste to the massive amount of Space Pirates after getting her upgraded Power Suit. In the other Prime games that followed after the events from the very first Metroid game she fought against Metroid Prime, fought against Dark Samus her darkside and also fought to contain the Phazon Corruption that was within her. So, at this point in the timeline Samus has had quite a fair amount of combat experience and is respected by the federation for her actions and this also the same character who has managed to lose most of her power ups in every single Metroid game. So, for her to get captured and brainwashed by the Space Pirates without any kind of explanation makes no sense. It was at this point I just lost all sense of care with this game and really wanted it to be over. So, after defeating Samus the team then heads to the control room to take out the Master Brain which controlled the Doomseye shields, this then leaves the Doomseye open to the Galactic Federation's full-on assault as they open fire at the super weapon while the Marines still inside fight off more enemies and eventually Samus who recovers assists the team in giving them a chance to escape and hitch a ride on her spaceship. The Doomseye is then destroyed, the last of the Space Pirates have been wiped out and the galaxy is at peace...
You can see what this game had going for it, the developers at Next Level games wanted to make a co-op shooter with in the Metroid Universe that focused entirely on the Galactic Federation and while they had ideas it just wasn't well executed and the overly negative reactions from the Nintendo Community didn't help. This game has the ideas in there to make for a cooperative experience but it is just a poorly executed disaster that barely feels like a Metroid game. Metroid Prime Federation Force does everything to betray its fans from every angle, from terrible controls that should have been left in the past, super deformed artstyle that clashes with the series mature tone and look, forgettable and uninspired music, boring & frustrating mission structure, some story elements that make no sense and badly thought-out gameplay mechanics. Combine this with the controversy between Nintendo and its overly negative and toxic fan communities with their reaction to the whole thing from the beginning then you became the most honorary contender for worst games on the 3DS.
Eventually Mercury Steam took over the Metroid series and released one more Metroid game for the Nintendo 3DS with Metroid Samus Returns which was a re-imagining of Metroid II Return of Samus for the Gameboy and it was an excellent re-imagining and an amazing Metroid game that helped recover from the failure of Metroid Prime Federation Force. Eventually Metroid fans finally got what they wanted in 2021 when Nintendo announced and released Metroid Dread which was a new mainline entry 19 years after the release of Metroid Fusion on the GBA. It was at this point the Metroid series has redeemed itself and was able to win back its fans also celebrated its 35th Anniversary last year. We do know that Nintendo and Retro Studios are still on the highly anticipated Metroid Prime 4 game which may come out for the Nintendo Switch but they have yet to give us any new information about it. We can only hope that they announce more info about it and also it doesn't turn out like what Federation Force tried to do.
If you still however wanted to play a Metroid Prime game on the go with multiplayer and own a Nintendo 3DS or the last Ninetdno 3DS model the New 2DS XL than I strongly advise playing Metroid Prime Hunters for the Nintendo DS instead. It has a very enjoyable multiplayer component and it has all of the bells and whistles that a Metroid Prime game has just brought to the DS Dual Screen system. Sure, the online play for the game has ended but you can still gather a couple of friends around who still their DS' to play 4-player if they own their own copy of the game or not plus you can also play the game with AI bots who can provide a very decent challenge and can record multiplayer statistics which is a good thing. Plus, most importantly it controls very well with the DS Touch Screen Stylus which makes it a pick up and play FPS game for the platform. It shows that a decade old Metroid game can still have value prove superior and have more enjoyment factor plus have more replay value than a so-called Metroid game in 2016 and talking about Metroid Prime Hunters now is going to make me want to dust off that game next.
Okay now this review is getting too side-tracked, look Metroid Prime Federation Force is a very poor attempt of a 4-player cooperative game that bares little of the Metroid franchise and now that I have played this game for myself, I can agree that wasn't the Metroid game we wanted. It's a shame too really because I was looking forward to the game and I seriously wanted to give this game a chance but at the end of the day this game is just wasted potential and I don't recommend getting this game any-more considering that Nintendo is shutting their 3DS and Wii U EShop services in 2023. Least if you do end up getting a copy of the game considering that a physical copy doesn't cost much, you'll at least be one of few people that might have wanted to see what the game was like yourself while avoiding the overly toxic Nintendo fanboys that they still to some extent continue to be. Least with this game out of the way I won't need to play it again and I can a fresh start with Nintendo games again.
For everything that is bad and poorly executed the whole game is still better than the Peter Jackson King Kong game for the DS.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Score: 3.0/10
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Game Title: Metroid Prime Federation Force
Platform: Nintendo 3DS
Developer: Next Level Games/Nintendo
Genre: First-Person Shooter
Age Rating: PEGI: 12+
Release Date: 2nd September 2016 (Europe)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Good Points:
---------------------
A 4-player cooperative shooter set in the Metroid universe
It has Metroids and Samus Aran
The Bad Points:
---------------------
Story elements that make no sense
Dull and generic Sci-Fi Soundtrack
Very bad and annoying missions
Poor gameplay mechanics
Terrible control schemes that feel outdated and don't feel comfortable for an FPS game on the 3DS
No Stylus Touch Screen Aiming Support
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reviewed by: Anthony Hayball (AQWBlaZer91)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------