Rate Metroid: Other M

[Emperor Ing]

I will need to play through to get 100%, and then through hard mode before I make a definitive judgment, but I am definitely leaning in the solid meaningless 8.5-8.9 territory for me.

[Lex]

9/10.

SPOILERS INCLUDED; READ AT YOUR OWN RISK

Despite others' complaints, I thought it played very much like a Metroid game- in the sense that the gameplay worked the way it should. Beams, Morph Ball, Speed Booster, Grapple Beam, Space Jump & Screw Attack combo - all of them were perfectly implemented. Missiles had a bit of a learning curve but once I got the hang of it using them became second nature. The action in this game is the best in the series. I would have liked more new items besides the Diffusion Beam but they did such a good job with the classic inventory that I don't especially mind. I'd love for them to do another game with the same gameplay engine but in more of a classic nonlinear style.

(I'd really like a Metroid II remake done with this gameplay actually, with a seamless and open world where you're free to go anywhere your abilities allow; I think having the solitary objective of "destroy all Metroids" would be really conducive to this type of game.)

The linearity of the story was obvious in that you always had a clear objective, but honestly there were enough secret items along your path (not to mention hallways that seemed to go in a completely different direction than the map ping) that there was still a good bit of classic Metroid scenery investigation. I thought the use of the first-person perspective to find breakable objects was a good emulation of the X-Ray/Scan Visors from Super and Prime respectively. And I really loved being able to go back and explore the ship after the main story was over (although I would have liked more secret bosses). Difficulty was spot-on, and I loved the way they did Hard Mode.

[spoiler]Phantoon in this game is my new favorite boss of the series.[/spoiler]

I liked the story, although parts of it seemed unfinished (for example, it was obvious that they intended for you to explore Sector Zero and actually fight MB in the ending but cut both out) and it was kind of annoying that most of the cutscenes were heavily expository. I felt like there should have been more action cutscenes and fewer monologues. I also would really like to know how the whole situation was dealt with after the game's conclusion, but I suppose they'll save that for a sequel.

The game looked visually speaking like a good translation of Fusion's environments into 3D, which was both good and bad in that everything looked beautiful but there was nothing particularly groundbreaking about the designs. (Comparisons to Prime's art direction go here.) Character and enemy design is as bland as any other video game honestly (I don't even know why people bother critiquing games on this anymore). They did a good job with the graphics engine in general though. Sound effects were good (not great), but the lack of strong (or even loud) music was very strongly present. Certain ambient tracks worked well, such as the one in the Biological Experiment Floor, but for the most part the music was pretty forgettable.

[Osutinik]

I honestly thought Other M would be my fav game of all time.

WRONG!

I couldn't believe how much of the Metroid atmosphere was lost. Exploration was the biggest thing missing. I never felt like I was exploring recreations of different extreme enviorments, I felt like I was running through confined, lifeless rooms. Although I appreciated the attempt to expand on story, but that just made it worse gameplay-wise; essentially, I felt like I was only playing to see cutscenes. Also, the "item get!" music was sorely missed.

Oh, and the gameplay was pretty nice. A little gimicky, but nice.

Still waiting for the Ultimate Metroid.

[Lex]

Forgot to mention-
Had the obviously "unfinished" sequences been included and the music been better, I would probably give this game a 10/10.

[Phazon Ridley]

It's on par (for me) with Primes 2 and 3. These games all have in common a decent gameplay experience which is somewhat harassed by their story counterparts.

I say 'harassed' because it's the only verb I can imagine applying to the storylines of Primes 2 and 3 and Other M.


I give it a seven (which might be generous...now that I'm thinking about it).

[Project538]

I gave it a 9. I loved it, but it wasn't perfect. The biggest problem I had with it was all the Search View pixel-hunt segments. The over-the-shoulder slow walk segments were too clunky as well. Other than that though, I thought it was great

[ark]

I'll go with a 7 / 10. It was good, but i just felt nothing particularly stood out about it.

It was too linear to be a great Metroid, and too tame to be a great action game.

[Troid]

I don't even know what to rate this game. I love some parts, hate some others, and am actually neutral on most other aspects. As such, to me this game is either a 9, a 7.5, a 4, or a 1.

Not sure which.

[Shadow Wolf75]

Yeah, it gets a 9 from me. Some parts were kind of annoying (didn't like switching to first-person for missiles), but I'd be happy with another game using most of this engine.

As for the story, yeah, some of it was Narmy as all hell, but it was decent. I'd barely read any of the manga before playing the game, but Samus' characterization there and here were what I expected.

[TrackerPrime]

I gave this game a 7.

The gameplay itself was pretty fun. It was good to zip around as Samus, it was also good to see her old moves in a 2.5D game with updated graphics. However, I thought that shooting with the wiimote was kind of awkward. It wasn't terrible, but not actually that intuitive either.

Speaking of intuitive, I seem to remember an interview stating that a story segment would effortlessly flow into the gameplay. I think it failed on this count. Samus narrating how she is feeling is not a seamless transition. Granted, I didn't like her character very much. I thought that she might have been like that when she was in the GF army, but she is still scared after she beat Ridely, metroids, and mother brain so many times? [spoiler]That doesn't seem to fit her, she fought Ridely many times without hesitation, but freezes up when she encounters him this time. Something I did like about this scene was how her suit seems to deactivate when she experiences strong emotion. It fits into how I think the Chozo would design a weapon, it should be deadly but not used carelessly.[/spoiler] In short, I like her character more in Fusion.

The story telling was very amateurish. In the beginning of the story Adam snubs her slightly, but they don't leave it at that. Samus actually narrates that she feels slighted by Adam... as if we couldn't figure that out. Maybe Samus is such a badass that she thinks we are all idiots.

Another big complaint for me is that you cannot get all the items until AFTER you beat the game. If I can already beat the big last boss, why do I need more upgrades? In all other Metroid games, you can collect the items shortly before the last boss. Not this one, you have to return afterward.

I know it sounds like I didn't enjoy the game, but that isn't really true. The combat was fun, and sometime challenging. The graphics are very nice and I liked the few tracks that appeared in the game. It was also nice to see the cameo boss battles. The game is not my favorite Metroid. I think most of the series is at least equal to this one. I can only hope that the next mission will be a better one.

[invulnerablemetroid]

I finally beat Other M a couple of days ago and I think it's about time I review it. Before I start... This review contains LOTS OF SPOILERS. I will break up this review in catagories.



CONTROLS: This game is ALMOST perfect imo gameplaywise. The controls in third person are great! Everything is simple but not too simple. I was very sceptical about auto aim, however it works just fine for me. I also love the camera, seriously it's awesome and gives multiple feelings for just one room. I love how the sense move and overblast are performed, I do wish that finishing moves took more effort (they ARE finishing moves after all). First person controls are awesome to an extent. I think I'm the only person that didn't mind the first person combat sequences. Yeah the controls take some time to get used too, but after lots of practice, quickly switching to first and third person during a boss fight just becomes 2nd nature. The one gripe I have with the first person controls are the later missile related upgrades. This is where it gets TOO simple. For the super missile, I hate the idea of doing it Prime style, I would have prefered pressing the - button to switch to Super, or even stack it like in Fusion. The charge method just seems... stupid. And the Seeker launcher would have been a perfect time to implement Lock On-Free Aim into the game. I really miss this feature from Trilogy.

Sidenote: I LOVED the find the pixel sequences except for the Ridley one, though that doesn't count because you LITERALLY can't see shit. Over the shoulder parts kick ass and raise tension.



UPGRADES/POWER UPS: Speaking of the Seeker Missile, I was kinda dissapointed in the lack of new power ups. Including the Seeker Missile (which isn't technically even a new power up since it's been in Primes 2 and 3) there are only 2 new upgrades. Seeker Missile and Diffusion Beam. I mean C'MON! That's it?!?!?!?! Although the lack of new upgrades was a dissapointment, the old ones and the new ways you can use them make up for it (kinda). All the old upgrades transition well into 3D. I especially love the new Speedbooster/Shinespark. Also, I like the additional collectibles (missile tanks, energy tanks, etc.) to an extent. I think Charge Accel and Concentration power ups were welcome, but Energy Parts just seemed very unnecessary. The placements of these I didn't like too much. It seemed for the most part to aquire a power up I had to find a hidden morphball tunnel, shinespark somewhere, or blast some shit with a missile, etc. I really would have loved more puzzle related item aquisitions.

Sidenote: I loved how the Grapple Beam wasn't completely useless once you got the Space Jump. Though I wish it had more uses like it did in Corruption.





THE BOSS FIGHTS: Y'know as insanely epic as the boss fights were (especialy the volcano monster thing) I would have appreciated more variety then a "shoot the glowing weakpoint" game. I would have loved for a boss that actually required you to think outside the box (Quandraxis is a great example). However I loved all the returning bosses (I pumped my fist in the air when Nightmare and Phantoon appeared).



THE STORY: It was going in a great direction, the suspense kept rising and rising, it was getting more and more mysterious, the climax was one hell of a climax... and then the end came and the first 3 words out of my mouth were... WTF? I'm sorry but the ending sequences... and then the... Melissa er Mother Brai... WTF IS THIS!?!?!?!?!?!?! Dude! Calm down! She's a fucking android for godsakes! Why are you so emotionally attached to her?!?!?!?! Do you have aids or something and not have a kid of your own!?!?!?!?! Seriously WTF!?!?!?!?!?! I also gotta say WTF at the Ridley scene. Why the hell does Samus hesitate to fight Ridley when she has fought him AT LEAST 6 times in the past without any hesitation at all whatsoever? Also how does Ridley come out of a furby? I don't see at all how that is physically possible without the whole body exploding. And can someone explain what the title means. I still see absolutely no connection to the title and the story. To sum this whole thing up, the story is great up until the resolution which blows and confuses the living shit out of me.

Sidenote: I did like the epilogue. It didn't have a major significance to the story, but it was a nice finishing touch.




THE VOICE ACTING: For the most part, the voice acting it top notch. Helluva lot better than the terrible voice acting in Corruption. Yeah there are times once in a while that Samus seems a bit monotone, but overall I'm really starting to like and understand her personality (especially with how she interacts with other characters). This is something that has been needed for a long time imo.

Sidenote: "No Dice!"








THE ART DIRECTION: I like the art direction. It brings both new and old design concepts into one and I like it. One of my favorite pieces is simply the Canyon in the Biosector. I also like the updates to all the classic enemies.





THE MUSIC: *silence* What? I was just doing an accurate recreation of the game's sub par music. Music is one of the things that I pay A LOT of attention to in games. I have to say the music for the most part was very dissapointing. It was mostly just ambience. When the game did call for ambience I think it delivired nicely, and the action sequences were great and went with the flow, I just wish they wern't repeated and overused as they were. I want Kenji back for the next instalment, he knows what he's doing.



OVERVIEW/SUMMARY: As linear as it is, Metroid: Other M is a fantastic and entertaining game. It's one of the best in the series. The top things this game needs are more original power ups, more unique bosses, harder item aquisitions, and a story that makes more sense in the end. If the next installment can do those things, it has the potential to top Super Metroid. But until then, Metroid: Other M is tied with Metroid Prime as my 2nd favorite game in the series.




I authorize Metroid: Other M the 9/10 ability.

[mehe]

I really liked this game, a 9.
But the art direction was just not on par with the Primes and just too generic as well. Fire, ice, and jungle. Sure Prime 1 had it to but it's an old game and it also had Phazon mines, Pirate Base, Chozo ruins.
I would've liked it better to find new items on my own, one because it gives feeling of discovery and two because I want my item fanfare back!

[Dohz]

I thoroughly enjoyed the game. A solid 9 for me.

I loved the gameplay. They implemented some Samus' abilities that I thought couldn't work in 3D such as the Speed Booster, Shinespark, Space Jump, etc. They worked incredibly well. The game looked great, albeit a little generic in the art direction. I wish they could've expanded more in environments beyond the typical fire, ice, and jungle theme. They should've just went ahead and gave us a whole Hydrosphere to explore, put that Gravity feature to work. I also would've loved to explore Sector Zero before Adam stopped us.

I loved the way Samus was animated. She was very natural and nimble, exactly what I thought she would be. It felt really satisfy pulling off Sense Move. I didn't like how linear the game was and after playing through a few times, how incredibly short the game actually is. But the gameplay just trumps these complaints. In my subsequent play throughs, it just felt completely Metroid blasting my way through, defeating bosses, and picking up upgrades like a pro.

[Naner]

I officially started my blog today with an Other M review. Check it out if you want to.

[Meta_Ridley89]

Gave a 9 instantly. From my first step in Bottle Ship, I'd no problems with controls since I understood how to play tge game AND I bought it for the story (and I've enjoyed it). I've enjoyed the game so much than I totally forgot the rest.