A novel mechanic that was better suited for a platformer, not a faux RPG. The story dragged, which slowed the whole experience down.

"Oh yes! A new 2D Metroid! The first since Super Metroid!" And then the entire game was the guide saying "go here, now go here, now go here."

Beautiful art style, novel drawing mechanic. But the combat is too repetitive, the painting can be wonky, and in the end I just felt like I was playing a Zelda game with a dog.

Squaresoft can do no wrong, correct? This game is held in fond memory, but too often people forget how slow it moves and how little depth there is. It's not a bad game, but after an hour of play you know everything the game is about. At this point I would much rather listen to the soundtrack than actually play it.

I say that this game "peaked" too early primarily because you play as the badass for the first hour but are suddenly cast as the goofy Raiden. The actual gameplay is consistent all the way through, if at times boring, and the narrative has interesting twists and turns. However, there's nothing quite as cool as playing as Solid Snake.