Samus is both detective and futuristic ninja.
*This reads like a post-mortem, rather than a traditional review.
I went into this Metroid with no expectations. I'm always happy to accept that any game series has to evolve and change to keep fresh, so i'm definately not one of those people who are stubborn about 'how things should be'. The Wii is quite a different console to the 'standard', and so the games on it must be made differently.
Regarding the controls, I think they were necessary to get that accuracy of movement the series needed to be a 2D Metroid in a 3D environment. Analogue controls are not really suited to the precise and meticulous nature of Samus. The problem is that the D-pad is tiny, and designed for tiny Japanese fingers...But again, it doesn't really harm the game.
Why have first-person mode in Metroid: Other M at all? Because there are not enough buttons on the controller. How would you shoot missiles? I see it as a necessity that was turned into a smart integration with the Prime games, and the rest of the design as a whole. Also, if Samus was able to walk in first-person, it would not really work. They would essentially have to design two different games. Nor do you need to walk in first-person, there's just a problem with the speed of the response from the remote itself; it's not a mouse.
Samus herself is beautifully sculpted and rendered. Team Ninja really captured her femininity, and this was a big plus point for me. By fleshing her out as human, there's another layer to metroid than just pure destruction of obstacles. All i'm going to say is that they did it really well. We get to see a great contrast between power and weakness, soft curves and hard lines.
So I think the main problems with the game are NOT the control system OR the story. The problems as i see them are these:
-Environments come across as cliche and not very pretty or rich in detail.
-The soundtrack is either barely audible, or generally forgettable/uninteresting.
-Too many arenas. Other M is heavy on arena-based combat. These parts sometimes don't feel like Metroid.
-Shallow exploration elements.
-Too many repeated enemies and puzzles.
-Too short, too small.
-The story really is more of a context to the interactions, rather than anything interesting or suprising.
I think the combat is excellent though, and Samus feels and looks great, it's just that the whole game seems like an R&D test project - not that it's unfinished or rushed, but that it's in a very experimental state. But you can see and feel the painstaking details that went into birthing the project.
To me it's like a minature diorama - a little miracle of craftsmanship, but when actually playing it, it feels unsatisfying. It pleases me somewhat as a simple and elegant Wii action game (The 'run-and-gun' gameplay is so well done), but because it's also a Metroid game, that brings it down due to the expectations of such a title.
I've grown to love the perspective thing though. This is a game from the future. It's truly '2.5D'. It's so beautiful that they made the entire environment in 3D, but you play it with the tightness of a sidescroller, and then seamlessly you can both shoot monsters and observe your surroundings in the Z axis.
It's like the game is constantly adapting to the player and the given context, on the fly. Other M really tries to be everything to everyone. It must be very hard to constantly have to preserve the past but also make a game for 'now'.
There are other things to mention as well, about how well-directed the game is and how it feels comfortable that you're actually playing as Samus in a theatrical experience where genre is turned on its head for the sake of story and character. But it also feels as if you're still playing 'you' as well. Sakamoto San obviously wanted something very tightly composed.
I'm not bothered about the linearity so much though, as each metroid is differently balanced - and to me it seems like a good decision.
The stories (Both the theatrical plot, and the player experience) collide well, in a masterclass of restraint and reserved investigation.
Samus is both detective and futuristic ninja, and these two modes play off each others' strengths. For example, exploration and puzzle gameplay is brough into combat as fighting is as much about figuring enemies out as it is blasting them. But also, having Samus investigate her surroundings (Almost in surgical fashion) deepens the sense of exploration and interactivity. And Metroid has always been about exploration in some form.
So in conclusion, I guess I await the day when the creators finally get the balance right again. Hardware platforms are changing so much now though, so i have no idea where Metroid will be next. If they could make another solid one like Zero Mission I would be in heaven, fully 2D, just until they sort out how to make the next 3D Metroid.
I gave it a 4 because of the design, not because it was very satisfying to play through. Although on repeated playthroughs the play experience is much better because you're used to the bespoke control system and you've tempered your expectations somewhat.
Bring on the next M, the other one!
