Metroid is my favorite game series, one I hold to very high standards. It was with both a high degree of enthusiasm and an uneasy feeling of trepidation that I approached the Metroid: Other M demo first thing Wednesday morning when the convention doors opened. I'd read earlier impressions of the game criticizing the control scheme and the rough look of an earlier build of the graphics, and now it was time for me to see it for myself.
As for that second complaint, I think the game looks pretty good. I played two areas: one with space station metal corridors and a more organic area, with the halls overgrown with alien plant life. It doesn't possess the living-world "wow" factor of Retro's Metroid Prime, but does capture the aesthetic of the 2-D Metroids, fitting in perfectly with the likes of Zero Mission and Fusion. Friend and foe are finely detailed and nicely animated. Everything looked quite polished and varied, if a bit simple.
The demo stations were equipped with headphones, allowing me to check out the voice acting and sound effects. Music, however, was either very low key or absent altogether. Characters are generally voiced very well, with nicely written dialog and solid delivery. My only complaint is reserved for Samus herself, unfortunately. She sounded a little stiff delivering her lines; I hope her voice artist relaxes into the role as the story proceeds. But none of the acting was truly badly written or delivered and I felt it was a step or two up from Prime 3.
The aspect of the game that needed to prove itself to me the most was the controls. Other M uses just the Wii Remote, held sideways (NES style) as well as the pointer, requiring players to change their grip on the controller and move from 2.5D to first-person perspective for the purpose of looking around, examining objects, and firing missiles. Once in first-person view, the camera can be moved but Samus herself remains stationary and can not walk around. After playing the demo twice, I can say this control scheme works, but it lacks elegance. Switching is awkward, especially if Samus isn't facing the enemy I want to target, requiring me to slowly rotate the view or switch back out to the 3rd person camera.
I also wasn't thrilled with using the d-pad to move Samus. Digital control means Samus is either standing still or running full speed. Tapping the d-pad to twitch Samus in front of a computer terminal so I could open a locked door made me long for the analog stick and the ability to just walk. After playing the the game I can certainly see myself getting used to the controls, but using the nunchuck along with the remote would have allowed for a much better control solution.
I am very excited to play Metroid: Other M in full. I will own this game. But the developers made a few questionable control decisions I'd like to hear an explanation for. Other M will be hitting retail very soon and we'll be giving it the full review treatment. We'll just have to wait for now and see how the full experience pans out.
As for that second complaint, I think the game looks pretty good. I played two areas: one with space station metal corridors and a more organic area, with the halls overgrown with alien plant life. It doesn't possess the living-world "wow" factor of Retro's Metroid Prime, but does capture the aesthetic of the 2-D Metroids, fitting in perfectly with the likes of Zero Mission and Fusion. Friend and foe are finely detailed and nicely animated. Everything looked quite polished and varied, if a bit simple.
The demo stations were equipped with headphones, allowing me to check out the voice acting and sound effects. Music, however, was either very low key or absent altogether. Characters are generally voiced very well, with nicely written dialog and solid delivery. My only complaint is reserved for Samus herself, unfortunately. She sounded a little stiff delivering her lines; I hope her voice artist relaxes into the role as the story proceeds. But none of the acting was truly badly written or delivered and I felt it was a step or two up from Prime 3.
The aspect of the game that needed to prove itself to me the most was the controls. Other M uses just the Wii Remote, held sideways (NES style) as well as the pointer, requiring players to change their grip on the controller and move from 2.5D to first-person perspective for the purpose of looking around, examining objects, and firing missiles. Once in first-person view, the camera can be moved but Samus herself remains stationary and can not walk around. After playing the demo twice, I can say this control scheme works, but it lacks elegance. Switching is awkward, especially if Samus isn't facing the enemy I want to target, requiring me to slowly rotate the view or switch back out to the 3rd person camera.
I also wasn't thrilled with using the d-pad to move Samus. Digital control means Samus is either standing still or running full speed. Tapping the d-pad to twitch Samus in front of a computer terminal so I could open a locked door made me long for the analog stick and the ability to just walk. After playing the the game I can certainly see myself getting used to the controls, but using the nunchuck along with the remote would have allowed for a much better control solution.
I am very excited to play Metroid: Other M in full. I will own this game. But the developers made a few questionable control decisions I'd like to hear an explanation for. Other M will be hitting retail very soon and we'll be giving it the full review treatment. We'll just have to wait for now and see how the full experience pans out.