Metroid Prime is a totally immersive experience with solid controls, addictive gameplay and lush visuals. Brilliant.

User Rating: 9.5 | Metroid Prime GC
When I was younger I didn't like Metroid Prime. It was slow, empty, dull and nowhere near as exciting as the other first person shooters on the market. It wasn't until many years later when I sat down with the game again, I decided to play it for what it is. A perfect translation of the Metroid gameplay into 3D.

Once I started playing, I was hooked and it wasn't long before I was totally immersed in the vibrant alien worlds of Tallon IV.

In terms of story, Metroid Prime doesn't really have one. It opens with Samus inspecting a derelict space station, scanning objects and the environment to work out what on earth happened. It's not long before all chaos breaks loose and Samus escapes to the planet Tallon IV having just lost all her power-ups. The majority of the game then involves collecting your lost and new gear while learning about the Space Pirates plot to mine a strange substance called Phazon from the planet.

The plot definitely takes a back seat to the gameplay but that's no bad thing when the gameplay is just so good. Although I don't know what makes the game so fun to play. After all, you are just wondering through environments, blasting aliens, collecting power-ups and then eventually backtracking through old environments to unlock new areas.

It doesn't sound very exciting but it's the sense of surprise that comes with discovering new locations that keeps you drawn in. You'll keep playing just to know what new item waits around the next corner and it won't be long before you notice that five or more hours have just passed.

Of course you don't spend the whole game just wondering around. The game is littered with platforming challenges (which work better than one would think), engaging puzzles and combat scenarios between the Space Pirates.

Samus' morph ball mode is also translated into 3D superbly, if not better than its 2D counterpart and rolling through tunnels, destroying rocks, activating spinners and travelling along spider-ball tracks is surprisingly engaging.

And the combat is handled perfectly too. One may question it's lock on feature at first, feeling it makes combat too easy but once you start engaging enemies that can charge at you, you realise that strafing to the side while still having the enemy in your sights is effective and perfect for this time of game.

Then there's the boss fights. There are six in total and all of them are excellently designed, each one making use of the powers-ups you obtain throughout your adventure. They are a blast to defeat and challenging enough without being too much of a pushover.

So you can probably tell I loved this game, but that's not going into one of the things that really sells the immersion: the graphics. Metroid Prime does show some age here and there with some very noticeable blurry textures but the game still holds up and the worlds the game creates are bursting with detail and tons of artistic touches.

The creature designs are fantastic with a good combination of menacing ones and more harmless ones. Also the neat effects that appear on Samus' visor such as it fogging up when you go through steam or when water droplets trickle down when you emerge from water, help add to the immersion.

Finally when it comes to the music, Metroid Prime offers some remember able tunes but they won't be ones that you will be humming to yourself in the shower. Sound effects do their job and help make blasting aliens satisfying.

Overall Metroid Prime is a totally immersive experience that excels in all areas and this review doesn't even mention the innovative scan mode which has been replicated in many games since (including the upcoming Halo Anniversary for Xbox 360). Simply put, Metroid Prime is Brilliant.