Gamerinformer on Other M

[Varia]

I just got my February issue today and I wanted to share what the folks at Gamerinformer thought about Metroid:Other M. This issue was a recap of the best and worst games of 2010, and well... read on to see what they thought of Other M.

On the Top 10 'Disappointments' list (page 38)
Metroid Other M placed 3rd.

This is what they said, "TeamNinja's take on the Metroid formula promised an incredible mix of the exploration the series is known for and brutal, Ninja Gaiden-style combat. Instead, we got a badly paced, poorly written,story-heavy game that turned Samus into an unlikable child. For ruining the reputation of a beloved and iconic character, we give Metroid:Other M a heartfelt thumbs down."

That wasn't all... on the Top 10 'Dorks' list (page 31)
They listed Samus Aran 1st and said this, "This is why Metroid games are usually about exploration instead of story. Other M flings this iconic bounty hunter to rock bottom, painting Samus as a petulant brat instead of an awesome warrior. The ham-fisted delivery of her lame backstory doesn't help matters. Thumbs down!"

Maybe things will work out differently next Metroid game.

[KingBroly]

I wonder if their opinion of the story would change if they thought Adam was evil (because he clearly is, and probably the cause of all of the pain in her life) and alive. Maybe a little. But then you have to realize that whatever they decided to put out would've pissed you off, so that's probably why it is that way, and why choosing Team Ninja to do it was the perfect choice since most people probably blame them for the story.

However, poorly paced? I 100% disagree on that. If you want a poorly paced game, go play Castlevania Lords of Shadow. That game last 5 hours too long.

[Trishbot]

I read Game Informer's article, and I agree in many regards.

I do think Other M was badly paced, poorly written, and even rambling and incoherent at times. What Other M did to taint the pristine and flawless legacy of the franchise and Samus herself will remain a dark stain on the series for many people for quite some time.

@KingBroly, I don't think "Adam being evil" would honestly solve many of the problems. Samus found herself slavishly yearning for his affection and acceptance to the point of harm and injury to herself; making him "evil" would still leave Samus with a distorted mindset and an entire game spent in Adam's service, and I think fans would be even less thrilled to have been bossed around and looked down upon so much by someone who ultimately was no where near worth the effort or respect Samus offered him.

Beyond gameplay and overall plot issues, Samus herself was and remains my biggest problem with Other M. Like Game Informer mentions, in one fell swoop Other M tried to eradicate the concept MOST people had for Samus, that being of a heroine to aspire towards, to respect and look up to, and replaced that concept with one loaded with problems, issues, and psychological trauma, one far weaker, less independent, and less capable, fearless, and one far more talkative, whiny, immature, insecure, and codependent. It was like if Nintendo suddenly gave us a game where Mario or Link complained the entire time, were kept from using their abilities because someone the gamers have never met told them so, and then freaked out and cried for over a minute in front of Bowser and Ganondorf.... because that's what they did to Samus! If someone would have told me Samus was going to do all that five years ago, I'd have laughed right in their faces... but there Other M is, existent proof that the Samus millions of gamers have identified with and loved for two decades is NOT the amazing, awesome, superhero of space whose even cooler because she's a woman doing her job better than any man ever could....

... Nope. Game Informer got it right. Samus is a 2010's biggest Dork. And I'd like to give Adam the special mention of 2010's biggest D*ck. Here's hoping Metroid stops pretending to be a poorly done melodrama in space and starts being an amazing adventure game again.

[KingBroly]

But you don't know why she's in the mindset around Adam. How is he doing it? If he's manipulating her, which I believe he is, we don't know how and for how long he's been doing it. Plus, it would explain everything from the Ridley scene to the Sector Zero scene and the authorizations. And no, you can't simply say 'just because' since there's stuff in Other M that goes beyond Adam just being an evil dick and her knees buckling. He's got Samus wrapped around his little finger and I want to know how. You may not want to know how, but I do.

As far as "biggest dork," not saying anyone from FFXIII is an automatic fail. It's just how it is. Most would say Vanille, but I have to go with Hope. I hate that brat so much, but yet he's the most powerful mage. It's aggravating to have something to hate but at the same time be so important. Oh, and Zobek from Lords of Shadow. How do you make people hate Patrick Stewart? HOW? I thought it was impossible but they did it.

[Apothem]

@Trishbot: Seconded.


I'd say more but there's already a dozen or more threads here that're far more vocal on M:OM's shortcomings than I'd ever care to be.

[KingBroly]

Trish, I think you're wrong on the "stain for quite some time" part because gamers forget about things VERY quickly unless they're the most terrible thing ever. Other M definitely isn't in that category, nor do I think it's a bad game (It's a lot better than Hunters just from the standpoint of it being playable). If you want to say it's as bad as Sonic 2006, but everyone will laugh at you for it (Note: I like Sonic 06 more than Unleashed).

You might think that, but I don't. Bad Metroid game? Yes. But only because it's too linear, has questionable placement of some pick-ups and you can't skip or pause the long cutscenes on playthrough 1 (you can't do that in any other Metroid game either, but people are mad because they're longer here). However, I think we're going to get another Metroid game this year, and after that Metroid will be gone for 5-8 years.

"It's always darkest before dawn." That's a saying from a comic or a movie, but it holds true here. People have been wondering why Other M made it out the door, and to me, the answer is simple. To not have 2 Metroid games come out for its' 25th anniversary. Now, I'm sure they might go back and re-do Other M at some point just to make it a better product, but treating Samus like a slave on her 25th birthday isn't a very good present, you know? I think for her 25th Birthday she'll be serving a nice cake of death to Adam, and it will be very, very sweet.

And I say this because of that rumor a few years ago. There were 2 Metroid games in development post-Fusion and they were both 2D. Other M was supposed to be 2D, but that changed. Will Metroid 5 be 2D? Probably. When will we get an answer? Probably at GDC during Iwata's keynote. Iwata loves to drop the bombs.

You also should realize that the death of Adam would mean the death of "personal" Samus since she'd have no one to relate too anymore.

[Chris]

I wonder if their opinion of the story would change if they thought Adam was evil

Let it go, I cringe every time I see this now.

M:OM was a disappointment to many, nothing will change this.

[kronoridley]

If I see one more article on Other M in the forums that isn't positive, I am going to devour you all!
Also, these guys gave MP a 9, but COD4 a 10. Nuff f*cking said.

[KingBroly]

But COD4 was worth a 10. The problem is every other COD game afterwards isn't deserving of more than a 6 or so.

[The_Zoomer_Knight]

I stopped caring about what GI thought when they gave No More Heroes a 6 and Modern Warfare 2 a 9.75.

[KingBroly]

My original stance was 8 years because that's how Metroid games have traditionally been put out. 8 for the original Trilogy, then 8 years before Prime/Fusion, and another 8 until Other M. But that stance was before I really started thinking about the game and where it was going in terms of this arc. To leave a franchise blowing in the wind for 8 years after a bad moment usually means it never comes back.

They need to finish to this arc for the love of all things Metroid because it will make Samus awesome again, this I promise you. Then it can take a break. Leave them wanting more after something awesome, not after something bad. If they said 'Metroid Dread in 2011' it'd definitely raise a lot of eyebrows, but at least it'd make a lot of people realize that something actually was going on in Other M that they intend to answer.

I think the plot holes and lack of context for everything are intentional. I think it's a deconstruction of Samus as a character, and probably the franchise as well. It's part of character building. He's going to rebuild Samus "in his image." He's not done yet, realize that.

What is his image of Samus? The Ultimate Warrior. How do you do that? Get rid of her personal side by killing Adam because she's only personal with Adam. Make her the harborer of every Bioweapon known in the universe, making her unstoppable. Which by the way happens in Fusion.

[Animerican_Redeemed]

@Lost Walker

It's not that the board doesn't think that Prime Trilogy is "all that."

The thing is that first of all, Metroid Prime Trilogy is a compilation of 3 different games b/w 2002-2007, and they've surely occupied the majority of Metroid discussion within that tiimeframe. When MPT released in 2009, well... there's not too more to be said. Secondly, it is only natural that more stuff is said (or that there's much more density in conversation) when talking about a controversial game. Controversy means divided opinion, and people with divided and super-strong opinions always have more to debate than those that almost unanimously agree "it was so freakin' awesome.

I mean, imagine if the internet almost unanimously adored/hated Other M, with only a very extreme minority not caring for the game/actually loving the game. Wouldn't it be as if people were talking to mirrors of themselves when they gathered to discuss? A poster could say "Here's all the things that I loved/hated about OM," and then one poster right after another may repeat the same general statement, with only a few variances or tangents to the conversation. But soon enough, there really might not be more diversity left to the conversation, and thus such threads aren't responded to quite as actively.

Even so, I understand your sentiments, Lost Walker... sadly, it is usually easier to tear down negatively than build up positively, and there have been some "mirroring" in the dialogue between OM's naysayers. However, it doesn't look like that there's a super-majority of any one opinion on the game-- it just seems that some forum members are obsessive with its flaws, and thus devote more words and posts to them- so that provides ample room for discussion between fans and non-fans of OM.

[KingBroly]

I think the Prime Trilogy is insanely good, but they don't come close to Super. Nothing ever comes close to Super. It's too damn perfect. But they're insanely polished games.

Other M's problem comes from a lack of polish in pretty much every area. We don't know why either. It's a big mystery as to what's going on in it.

[KingBroly]

Either Sakamoto plans on telling us things in a second game or he's a really, really bad writer. If it's the latter he needs to come out and apologize for his lazy writing. If it's the former (which I think is the case) it'd at least make people understand why she doesn't turn on her Varia Suit if it's insightful enough. Plus, the quicker he puts something like that out the easier it will be for Nintendo and himself to say 'this was planned all along' and not be a case of them covering their ass.

[KingBroly]

It's a gameplay mechanic they put into the story with great emphasis and meaning for weapons. Then they just hap-hazardly say 'oh yeah, don't use your equipment either, now burn to death.'