Jump to content
IGNORED

Metroid: Samus Returns

Mr Do 71

By Mr Do 71
in Discussion

 Share

Recommended Posts

strider

strider

Posted
Posted
49 minutes ago, Cyhwuhx said:

Some quick Metroid-obsessive notes from playing so far (don't say I didn't warn you):

 

  Hide contents

Good

  • Enemies have different attacks that are interesting.
  • Map on second screen. Like god intended.
  • Metroids are an actual threat

 

Bad

  • Sound effects/jingles directly copied
  • Atmosphere of SR388 gone: this is not an alien planet with secrets, just another Chozo church
  • Uses Circle Pad as opposed to d-pad
  • Walljumping is non-dynamic
  • Items are automatically picked-up (no effort or Charge Beam shortcut)
  • Aeion power is constantly replenished making it an odd choice to give it gauge to start with
  • Music remixes are tepid at least, lacking either the eeriness of M2 or the subtle recognition of AM2R
  • That said Lower Norfair theme is in there and by JOVE, will it make its presence known...
  • Enemies are not restricted to certain zones any more, mixed from all over?
  • Central corridor is gone, instead elevators now separate areas?
  • Save points have overt animations, yet the saving itself is nearly instant; weird friction, uneven visual/time cost vs. visual satisfaction balance
  • Save points are positioned at utterly random places; even by Metroid II standards
  • Samus feels slow, especially when going into crouch / Morph Ball; somersault animation makes her lanky instead of sleek
  • Reliance on pressing both shoulder buttons to aim and fire Missiles together feels needlessly complex; ironically the old Missile toggle would've been more convenient here
  • Upgrades handed out willy-nilly, odd sense of reward, no emphasis on importance

 

Ugly

  • Graphics are ugly, sorry. Just don't know what else to call it.
  • Gaudy reliance on overtly godly Chozo setting
  • Counter needed for just about every enemy or suffer instant hit; comparable to MercurySteam's insanely boring fatalities in Mirror of Fate.
  • Skill based challenges seem to allow only one specific skill rather than hint/allow other means (Zelda vs. Metroid issue)
  • Walljumping disabled in a 1 grid unit wide shaft; biggest WTF yet
  • Aiming and movement required (why not go whole-hog with a lock then?)
  • Bombs have their own destructible terrain now (why the distinction? just to gate areas and rely less on level design?)

 

Coherent reading structure will be applied after completing this.

Based on what you've written you could have been given free reign to design the game and marry Samus at the end of it and you still wouldn't be happy. ;)

 

Some of the things you've mentioned are nigglesome but it still feels like a Metroid game and I feel you're being massively harsh on it (although it's certainly not the incredibly game some reviews has suggested). Yes it's not a remake of the original but that would have been awful to play (it wasn't that incredible in the first place). It's clear you care about the franchise, but sometimes people care a little too much. I do agree with you about the circle pad. Will be interesting to see your overall views once you've completed it.

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cyhwuhx

Cyhwuhx

Posted
Posted
49 minutes ago, strider said:

Based on what you've written you could have been given free reign to design the game and marry Samus at the end of it and you still wouldn't be happy. ;)

 

Some of the things you've mentioned are nigglesome but it still feels like a Metroid game and I feel you're being massively harsh on it (although it's certainly not the incredibly game some reviews has suggested). Yes it's not a remake of the original but that would have been awful to play (it wasn't that incredible in the first place). It's clear you care about the franchise, but sometimes people care a little too much. I do agree with you about the circle pad. Will be interesting to see your overall views once you've completed it.

 

Hehe, I expect it to mellow out as I progress. A lot of decisions will probably make sense in the larger structure rather than just being pangs of amazement that I jot down while encountering them for the first time.

That said...

Spoiler

... the no walljump shaft thing is just mind-boggling to me.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Kevvy Metal

Kevvy Metal

Posted
Posted

My god seriously. 

I don't know how anyone could get any enjoyment out of anything in life if they were "disappointed" or found "flaws" with everything because it didn't totally match exactly what someone had already per-perceived in their heads. I'd rather approach games as a human being rather than a Vulcan.  

 Sometimes the whole bigger picture is just totally missed. Prime navel gazing, as someone else mentioned. 

 

But anyways, fuck it. I shall thread bail and leave you all to it as per usual. 

3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
gizmo1990

gizmo1990

Posted
Posted

I'm totally happy with ultra fans being super obsessive over things. It's a great thing to be enthusiastic about your interests. Unfortunately in the climate now of social media and 'opinions', these voices get hugely magnified. What would once be opinions seen by a few and read in the context of an obsessive,  are now seen by the many and given 'legitimacy' as general opinion.

 

I enjoy reading both sides but it's a shame the impact these kind of opinions can have nowadays.

2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dig Dug

Dig Dug

Posted
Posted

It's easier to die quickly in this but it doesn't mean anything anymore because the game just reloads you in the previous room.

 

After some not too great 1st impressions I've warmed to this a fair bit. After a few upgrades the stop/go issue with the combat begins to go away as you don't need to pause to counter everything.

The "hidden" skills in this game are restrictive compared to super/zero mission but less so than Fusion (a game where multi bomb jumps were impossible). Wall jumps and bomb jumps basically exist in this game to let you get minor things without backtracking for them with the appropriate power up later.  You can't wall jump in shafts but it would have made some of the power ups useless if you could do it.

Touching the screen for instant Morph ball isn't very intuitive as you're extending your thumb but at least they put it in. 

The soundtrack isn't amazing but the sound design is very good if you're wearing headphones as you'll hear things based on where the sound is coming from.

Linearity isn't really the issue as Fusion was far more linear in comparison. Metroid 2 by design was a linear game (you're going down a hole), even AM2R had this design.

 

Overall it's good, just not very fluid in pacing which is going to divide the fan base. 

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cyhwuhx

Cyhwuhx

Posted
Posted

Possible salvation on the combat side of things:

 

Spoiler

THE ICE BEAM!

 

Yes, just freeze EVERYTHING and pump them full with Missiles! Thank god, this instantly mitigates just about all of the boring counter manoeuvring and makes combat feel under your control again and a lot speedier. Takes about one and a half areas to get to it though, so persevere if Samus' CQC is turning you off.

 

On a physical note: the constant shoulder button access is wrecking havoc on my arm/hand muscles with the normal N3DS. You might want to opt for XL hardware if you're sensitive to that.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cyhwuhx

Cyhwuhx

Posted
Posted
1 hour ago, Dig Dug said:

It's easier to die quickly in this but it doesn't mean anything anymore because the game just reloads you in the previous room.

 

After some not too great 1st impressions I've warmed to this a fair bit. After a few upgrades the stop/go issue with the combat begins to go away as you don't need to pause to counter everything.

The "hidden" skills in this game are restrictive compared to super/zero mission but less so than Fusion (a game where multi bomb jumps were impossible). Wall jumps and bomb jumps basically exist in this game to let you get minor things without backtracking for them with the appropriate power up later.  You can't wall jump in shafts but it would have made some of the power ups useless if you could do it.

Touching the screen for instant Morph ball isn't very intuitive as you're extending your thumb but at least they put it in. 

The soundtrack isn't amazing but the sound design is very good if you're wearing headphones as you'll hear things based on where the sound is coming from.

Linearity isn't really the issue as Fusion was far more linear in comparison. Metroid 2 by design was a linear game (you're going down a hole), even AM2R had this design.

 

Overall it's good, just not very fluid in pacing which is going to divide the fan base. 

 

Overt segmentation of the world makes it feel a bit more restrictive though, nothing to make it problematic.

 

On the plus side: vertical bomb jumping is very easy this time around (one more bomb, easy timing), which explains all the "do not use other abilities here" signposting going on. I basically bomb jumped the second area map to 100%.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
the_debaser

the_debaser

Posted
Posted

My Amazon guy came through! Just played the first 30 minutes. It's absolutely brilliant. The melee quickly followed by shoot so you auto lock onto the enemies is really satisfying. Just beat the first Metroid and got the DNA piece and then went down the elevator. 

 

The only thing I'm not keen on so far is the left trigger aiming but I'm sure it'll be second nature soon enough. 

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cyhwuhx

Cyhwuhx

Posted
Posted
40 minutes ago, Dig Dug said:

I'm pretty far in now. I think my bad impressions with the game at the start were due to the first two areas of the game being fairly weak, area's 3 and 4 however ramp everything up and now I'm really enjoying it.

 

Yeah same here, the intro is like another game entirely. Difficulty has ramped up, new weapons means counters are basically QTEs for bosses and it's getting proper labyrinthine (even though it does like to cheat with those teleporters). Environments aren't really distinctive, and some enemies repeat a lot, but there are some really nice enemies that have been completely reworked in lethality.

 

Spoiler

Those stupid laser-neck robots from the GB version turned into bloody Pillars of Light in this game. :D

 

It's really Metroid Prime in 2D with some shades of Echoes. Lots of combat, singular/compact puzzle rooms (that are a bit more Zelda-ish, but *shrug*), and a heavier focus on balancing ammo and switching beams. It's also becoming a bit more recognizable in terms of map layout, but large parts are still completely new and bewildering in that respect. There's very little here in terms of the Super-branch, you won't feel particularly smart about getting past obstacles and the game is pretty heavy handed in demanding you to use ability x right now or you'll die. That can make it feel a bit on-rails in a way that II and Fusion didn't.

 

Basically if you can appreciate the challenge Echoes brought to the table, this will feel good. Similar recommendation if your Fusion highpoints were the Metal Slug like boss encounters. I've literally never used as much ammo in a Metroid as this one. Even in Echoes I was a bit more conservative with shots. If however your best idea of Metroid is serenely wandering about trying to figure out ability obstacles, this will be tough.

 

And while the save points are sometimes hard to find, at least it has some non-save checkpoints. Pretty happy with it now, even though it does mean my wish of ever seeing another leaf on the Super-branch is now dead, buried and blasted into oblivion from outer space, Bahamut Zero style.

 

Graphics and audio remain a bit weak unfortunately. :/

3
Link to comment
Share on other sites
MidWalian

MidWalian

Posted
Posted
51 minutes ago, Thwomp said:

This is really nice. I'd be surprised if they didn't eventually port it to the Switch, the backgrounds are mega detailed. Too good to waste on the 3DS's resolution.

 

Well, when the developer did the Castlevannia game on the 3DS they created the assets ready for HD.

 

https://www.engadget.com/amp/2013/02/04/konami-would-consider-hd-castlevania-mirror-of-fate-mercurys/

 

I've only played a bit so far, so too early to judge. Looks very nice in 3D, lovely sense of depth and I like how there are no actual floating platforms - they all connect to the background.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Cyhwuhx

Cyhwuhx

Posted
Posted
39 minutes ago, Thwomp said:

Is there a technique to beating the second metroid, or am I just shit at counterattacking? I had about 20 tries at killing him and couldn't hit him at all.

 

The second evolution? You can spam its nucleus with the ice beam inbetween waiting for counters on the ground. Also shoot the projectiles for items. Don't rely on counters exclusively. 

 

It is a bit of a bastard at that point, as being hit three times by it will most likely kill you. Try to avoid getting cornered as the thing is a bit too large to properly jump over when it stands still. 

2
Link to comment
Share on other sites
the_debaser

the_debaser

Posted
Posted
2 hours ago, Thwomp said:

Is there a technique to beating the second metroid, or am I just shit at counterattacking? I had about 20 tries at killing him and couldn't hit him at all.

 

You can only counter it when it goes for you when it's not electrified, you have to jump over it otherwise. At all other times, use the L button aiming to track it around the screen and shoot the shit out of it. 

1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Alex W.

Alex W.

Posted
Posted

Y'know, this isn't a bad game by any measure. It's certainly not had enough love though. The textures are blurred like they're scaled down from some higher-quality source, the 2D artwork is rough, they're stuck with Metroid Prime sound effects here and there for no clear reason, it refers to "parrying" when it otherwise means "Melee Counter"... it just feels like it wasn't quite taken as seriously as it should have been.

 

But it's completely Metroid and I like its new ideas. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Dig Dug

Dig Dug

Posted
Posted

I do think the pacing hasn't helped with the games rather cold early reception from fans. The level of fun you get from the game runs almost parallel with Samus' power level.

It'll get its deserved love eventually, it's moved 2D metroid combat on from "big thing, shoot it" to boss battles designed to test if you have mastered the power ups which is perhaps the one area the series was behind on.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share
Go to topic listing

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue. Use of this website is subject to our Privacy Policy, Terms of Use, and Guidelines.

  I accept