Metroid Prime 3: Corruption Review

There are games that, through the virtue of expertly designed gameplay, prove to be seamlessly accessible and eminently playable. Even if other aspects of such games are not up to par, they still pull us in because they deliver a compelling experience that keeps us mashing the buttons and clicking the mouse (and in this case, pointing the Wii Remote) long after the game's story, visuals and level design have lost their luster.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is that kind of game. On one hand, you can't help but be impressed with how Nintendo and lead developer Retro Studios have implemented the Wii's motion controls into the game and delivered the kind of first-person shooter experience on a console that can actually rival the accuracy of a mouse and keyboard for PC games. But as superb as the can't-miss gameplay is - and it is superb, let there be no doubt - it sadly exposes shortcomings throughout Corruption and can't quite cover up an extremely derivative story, occasionally weak visuals, and some stale level design. That doesn't make Corruption a bad game; in fact, it's one of the strongest titles yet for the Wii. But at the same time, Corruption does little different that the previous two Metroid Prime titles besides its fantastic control scheme. It's the kind of game that you'll enjoy while you're playing but wonder, once it's finished, why it couldn't have fulfilled all of its potential.

Of all the things that bothered me about Corruption, the story has to be at the top of the list. Two hours into the game left me feeling like I was playing a Halo knockoff, and while some may consider that a harsh assessment, I submit there are quite a few similarities between the two games early on. For example, both games begin on a command ship, where players must find their way to the bridge and befriend an artificial intelligence guide (also illustrated as a blue hologram). Then players must defend the ship and defeat invading alien troops (which, let's be honest, bear some resemblance to the Covenant) before escaping to the planet below and attempting to defeat the aliens.

The good news is, this part of the game doesn't last very long - Dark Samus makes sure of that - and Corruption certainly gets better as time goes on. Still, the storyline seems content with merely concluding the Metroid Prime plot without adding much new material or significant twists while relying on some derivative conventions (in a later level, after its Halo stage, Corruption goes on to emulate Cloud City "The Empire Strikes Back" with the not-so-original name SkyTown). In fact, the game feels slightly dumbed down and streamlined for mass appeal (indeed, other reviews have speculated the "Halo-ization" of Corruption was a conscience decision to appeal to a wider audience). I suppose it may be too much to ask for a final chapter in a trilogy to throw out something radically different or new, but for a premiere legacy title for Nintendo's resurgent platform, I was expecting a bit more.

Let's get to what the game does right, specifically the controls. Corruption's control scheme is simply fantastic. I don't think that it would be an overstatement to claim that nearly all of the FPS titles for Nintendo's console have been significantly less than stellar. The one saving grace for the genre has been none other than Resident Evil 4: Wii Edition, which amazingly improved on the original GameCube and PlayStation 2 version.

The Grapple Lasso is one of the best new features in Corruption.

Corruption's use of the Wii Remote and Nunchuck is as good, if not better, than Resident Evil 4. The targeting is smooth and precise; the designers wisely chose the Wii Remote's A button for firing Samus' canon rather than the B trigger button underneath the controller (which controls jumps). The A button is easier to use than the B button because you're using your thumb instead of the index finger and can hold the Wii more steadily. In this regard, Corruption outdoes Resident Evil 4. Another great addition is the Grapple ability, which players control using the Wii Nunchuk. Samus' grapple lasso comes in handy in a number of situations, from interacting with different types of machinery to swinging across chasms and disarming Space Pirates.

One of the gameplay additions I enjoyed the most was Samus' new Command Visor, which allows players to control her gunship and select targets for remote bombing runs. But perhaps the most important additions are the Hypermode and Phazon meter. Samus is outfitted with a Phazon Enhancement Device (PED) that gives players the option to enter Hypermode for a limited time to access enhanced firepower and abilities. If players stay in Hypermode too long (the Phazon Meter indicates how much time you've got) then Samus enters Corrupted Hypermode and will be completely corrupted by Dark Samus unless players empty all their Phazon by rapidly firing the Power Suit canon. Corrupted Hypermode makes for some thrilling and intense action sequences, and the designers deserve credit for introducing new weapons, attack techniques, and abilities at a steady pace throughout the game.

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