Critiquing the Metroid Prime Trilogy

[@kaelmic7476]

"Its like the planet was made for samus" i mean, yeah. Tallon 4 was. The chozo saw visions of her avenging their terrible demise to visions hundreds of years later, so they prepared things only she could access and tested her. Is it still pulpy? Yeah But i think people refer to visual and art design when they talk about immersion, which is sadly not really touched upon here. But thats ok! I think the video was really well done and brings out a lot of the good and bad points peoply dont talk about often. Here's hoping 4 will come out before beserk ends

[@kid14346]

"Here's hoping 4 will come out before beserk ends." Here's hoping Berserk has an ending...

[@Venom6967]

Actually most of the equipment like spider ball rails and doors were implemented by the the space pirates. In the lore if you read it it says that no one was allowed to use electromagnetic rail ways without authorization in an effort to keep Samus out. Same with the doors and missile locks on them and the beam locks. The more pirates she killed the higher they amped the security up by adding those locks says so in the pirate lore and other stuff despite it it all being there all along.

[@inarencommander4663]

He must hate Zelda and every puzzle/dungeon game ever. Those are always perfectly laid out for the protagonist.

[@Jdudec367]

Yeah....about berserk.

[@xxProjectJxx]

Doesn't explain why there are morph ball terminals in the Phazon Mines and in the Pirate base on Phendrana tho.

[@PurposelessRabbitholes]

Man, this was awesome. Eloquent and intelligently written, as always! Can’t remember the last time I heard a video game essay use the word “verisimilitude” lol

[@AntanovOCEFGC]

You two should do a script together, prolly make a great vid

[@ryansnow8359]

He's an English major. This is expected.

[@joebin3106]

🤓🤓🤓

[@dmgdisciple9680]

You seem to attribute world building with immersion which is misleading. Immersion is subjective, and I feel like the usage of the word when it comes to video games, has spanned several connotations with it. The “immersion” the Metroid series has to offer involves tone, atmosphere, exploration, and progression which the MP series certainly has and many others along with it. For example, two of my favorite games, dark souls and silent hill 2, can both be immersive without exploring its world building. As for your actual critique of MP 1 and 2s world building, I would say it’s incredibly misguided. Most of the areas in the first two games are dilapidated ghosts of their former selves (which is much more charming than the space bases of the third for me), meaning that there is room for interpretation, which is far more interesting, in my opinion, than having it being explicitly told. It’s like you’re an archeologist uncovering what was once lost, piecing together the cultural and practical usage of the area (although the spin ball ramps and luminoth height disparity with the rest of the world is inexcusable even though the doors are just masking loading screens). Your main complaint was that the world felt designed for Samus, which is true, but what’s equally true is that your upgrades were found on that planet, meaning this technology was readily available during its prime so of course it’ll be implemented throughout the world. When you say something didnt make sense, I was trying to make sense of it anyway. For example, you mentioned the spider ball tracks in sanctuary. My interpretation is that those spider ball tracks were a more energy efficient resource transportation system for unmanned drones leading to and from sanctuary to other sections of the world but is now broken down to the state you found it in, while the central bridge in that set piece was for larger items and luminoth commute. If that kind of thing doesn’t interest you, then the logbook and the scanning mechanic explicitly tells you about the area and lore and trust me there is more than enough to indulge in there. I can understand if the game isn’t for you, many of my friends can’t enjoy it with the same vigor as myself, but portraying that particular opinion to a larger audience as a “critique” undercuts what people who do enjoy these games have experienced and might even drive away potential fans.

[@googlesword9209]

This, exactly. This review missed the mark so many times. Especially with the incessant combat focus he looked at for no reason which actually flew in the face of the entire point of the first 2 games especially

[@christiankettlewell]

I wish I had a dollar for every time I said “yeah totally, but I like that” while watching this

[@christiankettlewell]

paula yeah for sure! I was 16 when Prime came out and I 100% it along with fusion, I loved every minute of it. I didn’t have hindsight to tell me any part of it was annoying or tedious. The game was just badass haha

[@Spiral81C1]

@@christiankettlewell That is a huge part of the problem with Prime's KZbin detractors. I find that in pretty much every case they are playing the game long after the fact and it's usually a guy who never liked the series. 9/10 of these reviews is the guy complaining that the adventure game from 20 years ago is not similar enough to first-person-shooters of today.

[@SallionMang]

@@christiankettlewell pffff getting lost in Prime 2 was tedious af and I think I was ~13 when that one came out. Maybe I just had no sense of direction but the amount of times I walked past that first Federation ship on the cliff made me stop playing for a few months before going back to finish it 🤷‍♂️ I 100% all 3 games and this is my second favorite series behind Legacy of Kain so this is definitely not an outside perspective lol

[@MadSociety-uy6zg]

@@SallionMang I never got lost in the prime except for trying to find the artifacts in prime 1 and the keys in prime 2 then prime 3 didn't know to get to the last level you have to collect a certain number batteries cell and pick the right doors to get to the final level otherwise better go find more batteries. So those were my biggest problems other than that I love the Metroid prime games so excited for Metroid prime 4 lol I wonder if somehow Ridley will magically show up lol just die already especially we destroyed him in prime 3 so how will he return this time lol 🤣🤣🤣

[@SallionMang]

@@MadSociety-uy6zg lmao they're definitely gonna find a way, everyone loves Ridley too much 🤣 Also I got so lost with the battery thing in 3 as well, what a nightmare. Personally, I hope they introduce the X Parasite and that it has some crazy reaction with Phazon (if they even bring Phazon back). Fusion had such a great story, I'd love to see elements from it included in other games. Maybe even another Omega Metroid 🤔

[@nathanlasart226]

If you ask me, Metroid is a exploration-based adventure game 1st, a platformer 2nd, and an action game/shooter a close 3rd, Which is why it's weird to me when people call Metroid Prime a FPS or compare it to Halo. Combat in Metroid is usually not a lot more than an obstacle to platforming, and platforming is little more than an obstacle to exploration. Think of Mario, Mega Man, Sonic, Crash Bandicoot, etcetera. The primary goal is to traverse the environment on a route from Point A to Point B, and the enemies and combat systems in their games are secondary. Not much more than an obstacle to jumping on platforms. That's Metroid, except the one difference is that you get to pick the point A and point B. That whole getting lost and not knowing where to go is what I play Metroidvanias for. It's my jam! The sense of discovery, and memorizing/optimizing the route on subsequent playthroughs is something I personally thrive on! But I get that it is actually a really niche genre that may not be what everyone else looks for in a game, particularly if they are initially interested in a game because it's in 1st person and you have a gun. That's why Prime 3's structure and being told where to go is unsatisfying to me, because that's not what I came here to play Metroid for. And the Atmosphere to me has never really been about the believability, but rather the mood. No, I don't think that these places are realistic, could actually exist, or are even cohesive all the time. But I'm immersed in it nonetheless because the world has a character. A living, breathing, mysterious vibe. Maybe slightly game-y, but I'm playing a game, and I'm wiggling a Wiimote around like a dumbass, so whatever. That isn't to say Prime 1 and 2 aren't flawed, and that you don't bring up valid points. Rather, I'm agreeing with the statement that maybe Metroid games aren't exactly your brand. And that's fine.

[@Nyug3r]

Fun fact: The difficulty in the trilogy is nerfed from the original GC versions.

[@ishtiaquerahman1220]

Not for speed runs. A lot of the bugs have been fixed so its hard to speed run them. We got spring ball though.

[@sneed915]

And thats why ai was able to beat emperor ing :p

[@FleetwayDude]

Thats really interesting. Seems I'm playing on hard mode constantly since I have both gc and the wii metroids.

[@dissonanceparadiddle]

I've heard the highest difficulty in trilogy is supposedly the original hard

[@alpsi285]

Is this true? That sucks, hopefully they give us the original difficulty if they port it to switch

[@zeroattentiongaming820]

"Every fight turns into enter Hyper Mode and blast them" damn it I wasn't looking to have DMC 2 flashbacks today.

[@Xfushion2]

I honestly don't know why Prime 3 gets so much shit, the reasons you stated is why it's basically my favorite of the trilogy: it still has the exploration the series is known for but with a reworked combat with much better enemy AI that actually test your aiming skill and attack way more often. I agree combat outside bosses was kinda a chore in 1 & 2, specially in the second one because of it's ammo that was used more at opening doors that shooting enemies. Not to mention Prime 3 had the strongest environments. Prime 1 did the classic Forest, Ice, Lava, Water levels and Prime 2 while all the levels was a more _integrated_ aesthetic it kinda blend with each other from time to time, specially in the dark world. Not that these approaches were bad, I just liked Prime 3 more _out there_ locations.

[@omg241]

Because prime 3 is more action oriented. The first two were more traditional with the enviroment, isolation, etc. Personaly i like prime 3 for the gameplay but i prefer prime 1 & 2 for sticking to its roots.

[@herrikudo]

I honestly love all three equally for different reasons. 3 you learn shit tons about samus and her place in the civilized galaxy, 2 you learn about the altetnate bizzare forces at work in the galaxy, and one teaches you ancient history

[@whoever12341]

I do agree that Prime 3 has the overall best visual variety and densely detailed environments, but i will say, that is as much of a strength of the game as it is a weakness. One thing Prime 1 and Specially 2 have over it is that they feel real, connected and believable. Prime 3, for me, crosses the line into gamey territory a bit too much for my liking.

[@sneed915]

Prime 3 is too casual and linear the multi planets breaks up the flow of the metroidvania none of it flows together combine that with tons of cutscenes and gimmicks in order to the next area it sucks i replay 1 and 2 yearly but ive beaten 3 once and i always lose interest in it when i try to replay it

[@couchmoba]

remember feeling alone on an alien planet: I didn't on the third game.

[@FrameRater]

Eyyy, now this I can get behind.

[@silly5905]

I can get behind Samus too

[@mr.pockets8523]

"Rooms are void of fights" -Part of the world building. Space pirates are only in areas they have business in(shipments,labs,landing zones,patrolling, headquaters,etc) All the wildlife is acting in self defense/territorial. It's not COD. Not everything has to be a shooting at you.

[@sequences8942]

“Combat was easy” Well of course, I noticed the flying Pirates hit you for like 3 damage, when they are supposed to do way more. Then I remembered the Wii version defaults to an easier mode than what was on GameCube. I’m not saying you would have died if you played the normal difficulty, but you’d probably feel more pressure.

[@Luke_Barz]

While I can't say I agree on a macro level with your critique, some of the micro complaints do ring especially true to me: - The McGuffin hunts are not that appealing to me, I wiki them and move on. - Some of the areas (like Magmoor Caverns and Phazon Mines in MP1) are WAYY too linear and pace-breaking, Magmoor is especially egregious because you have to traverse it SO MANY TIMES if you don't know what you're doing. - The mid-game-ish backtrack in MP2 is nonsensical and aggravating as hell. - Prime 1 is a bit too guilty of cramming varied (and at times unoriginal, IMO) locales close together. - Although I rank 3 lower than both 1 and 2, some people are way to fixated on rejecting some of its "streamlined" components. Also, I can't say for sure, but I think it would have been better if you had played 1 and 2 with the legacy lock-on method, I personally found it much more manageable.

[@indavalucazo3277]

I dont think the legacy method is "more manageable". I think the real problem is wii controls made the game too easy. They werent designed for that control scheme, where some games get more difficult with different controls, metroid just turned into snoremode. I grew up with the gamecube so I ended up mastering metroid with those controls. But even with that wii is still just too seamless, it trivializes moving and shooting.

[@sneed915]

@@indavalucazo3277 true having aiming and moving being tired to the same stick was something else i just wish the prime trilogy's hard mode was actually hard although the last boss in MP2 is still pretty hard

[@indavalucazo3277]

@@sneed915 yeah they coulda used a bit more damage. Maybe locking off doors the first run through so you don't just skip every battle.

[@MrCrowley2474]

@@sneed915 If you're talking about the Emperor Ing, just use the light beam. Don't bother with the dark or annihilator beams, they're not fast enough to hit him in the windows you have. Once you learn the patterns, he's pretty easy.

[@TwoTonTiger]

"Presumably it's brainless because you don't do bomb slot puzzles" had me rolling hahaha

[@bonk3746]

Talon 4 in prime 1 is similar to Zebes in the fact that they’re both Chozo planets. In prime 1 some scans talk about the prophecy of light, which predicts the story events of the game. Going by this prophecy and the fact Samus is on Talon 4 aswell as seeing that the Chozo made her armour, it makes sense that there are specific parts of the world that are designed with Samus’s Chozo armour in mind.

[@Ray3D]

Yes, there is no doubt that Metroid Prime does fall short in environmental world building. But it's focus is primarily on being a game first. There are elements of good environmental world-building, just not in the forefront. A lot of games these days get it wrong by trying to be cinematic action set pieces first before being an enjoyable game. Video-gamey-ness is definitely heavy in the first 2 games. But I don't think that's a bad thing. Besides considering this was made back in 2002, they did a pretty stellar job making the player feel immersed in the world.

[@vktrlndwll95]

Me, a metroid prime fanatic, after watching this video: "Yeah, that's pretty much it." But the gameplay of 1 and 2 just speaks to me man, and like you said when they improve the combat, they REALLY improve it. Shame that they blended the beams together in 3, I didn't like that. Another defense is that ALL enemies in 1 and 2 have a weakness that makes it so you can take them down in about 5 seconds. If you need to need to use some missiles, then you do it, it's not like the damn things are rare anyway.

[@theakiwar9118]

Actually the world feels like it was made for samus, because it was. The chozo placed all the needed artifacts, doors and enemies in order to test Samus if she is the one who will destroy phazon. If you sit down and read the logs you will see that they knew she would come, they were able to vaguely see the future. The pirates on the other Hand are the only not intended beings on the planet. Hence why the Phazon Mines don’t have your typical “intended” world design

[@theologamer]

I Apprrciate you understand that it "isn't for" you. I would add, "immersion" is not a single line of gradiance. "Immersive sims" can be decidedly less immersive for some. Eg, you seem to be most immersed by combat mechanics.

[@cyrus2395]

I'm a big fan of 2D Metroid, but I think there's room for a good 3D "Metroid" game that isn't true to "Metroid" if that makes any sense. I'd rather play a good game than one that's faithful to something else

[@omg241]

So... do you like other m, that game is very different and just a handful of people like it, (im not included). in my opinion if your going to make a metroid game that is not a metroid, then don't name it that way just make another IP. Because at the end of the day is only going to hurt the franchise.

[@cyrus2395]

@@omg241 Nah, Other M sucks, not just as a Metroid game, but as a game. I'm saying you can call the game "Metroid" and have it take after some elements of "Metroid" without it being the same as other games, kind of like a spinoff, if you will. Like how you can turn Mario into a different kind of game

[@sneed915]

Then why play it? Why does something have to be not what its known for metroid prime 3 did this instead of isolation you have an overload of interaction and because of that you lose the "lone bounty hunter" mystique of samus. Its one of the few things im afraid of them doing i always preferred samus being silent lone hero who has no reason to quip about stuff she just does it. she's very militaristic in that sense i have no desire to see that change i dont want her whiny about her old Sargent or how she cared so much about so and soand to be the no nonsense badass she has been for decades but i feel im the minority sadly

[@sneed915]

@@cyrus2395 i mean they already have Metroid PRIME is its own thing no other entry in the series does it

[@cyrus2395]

@@sneed915 Yeah, it's essentially a spinoff, so it can be its own thing without having to adhere to what made Metroid what it was before

[@Nitsirtriscuit]

If you read the lore you’d discover that the chozo did actually build their world with Samus in mind. They prophesied their demise and her arrival to heal the world so they prepared the way for her.

[@MegamiShin]

What about the creatures that have lived there for the entire time? Samus visits these places, those species *live* there.

[@Dahras1]

I feel like immersion is really the wrong word to use to describe the appeal of the Prime games. To be honest, it's not even something I'd use to describe the appeal of immersive Sims, though their appeal is very different than Metroid's. To me, the appeal of Prime is its Mood and the sense it gives you of slowly uncovering a world and a map. To be honest, I like Prime for the same reason Dark Souls 1 is my favorite SoulsBourne: while the easier teleportation of later Souls games respected your time more, it also reduced the feeling of Mastery over the space and the sense of isolation and interiority within the avatar. To me Prime 1 and 2 have a similar appeal, an appeal which is lost in 3. I still like 3 well enough, but while it definitely fixes some of the more plain and boring elements of the first two games, as you pointed out, it also completely abandons the solitary, uninterrupted vibe of the originals. It feels like Prime 3 fixes issues that were obscured by its predecessors mood, but by also removing that mood it draws attention to its weakest elements, namely the combat and the pulpy plot. Again, Prime 3 is absolutely not a bad game, but to me it doesn't do what I want a Prime game to do.

[@hauntedheathen2732]

Hit the nail on the head. I too feel like Dark Souls 3 also had the same problem as Corruption, where it was trying to be something it wasn't. With all the bombastic setpieces and flashy animations in linear levels, I'd rather just play a character action game or Dragon's Dogma. Just as how I'll play a Halo game or even The Conduit over Prime Corruption. That said, Elden Ring brings me back those ds1 feels thankfully. It's got the most QOL changes yes, but it also allows the player to breathe and reflect between areas.

[@robertkenny1201]

I hope the other two Prime games get HD Remastered someday.

[@LdNidd]

So, Metroid is my favorite series with Metroid Prime being arguably my favorite game of all time. That said, I really appreciated this video and how it made me think about why I love those games. For me, it comes down to a few things: atmosphere, progression, and immersion. I will fully admit that part of why I find the games so immersive is that things being "video game-y" has never bothered me. Is it objectively weird that so many different planets and species use technology that seems to fit Samus and Samus alone? Yeah, I guess. But I've never really thought of it that way. I always saw it as Samus's abilities let her interact with the varied technology she encountered. It never bothered me, and still doesn't, that that might not make perfect sense because it makes gameplay sense. Metroid is more about game mechanics creating worlds and challenges that realistic world-building that gameplay inhabits. Part of the immersion experience is almost certainly linked to the time you played these games. At launch, they (especially Prime 1) were graphical juggernauts that pushed their respective systems to their limits. Having things like falling rain drip down Samus's visor or seeing a brief reflection of her face when using the charge shot were amazing for the time, and the first time I ever really felt like I was experiencing a game world as the character instead of just a player playing a game. Whether or not the environments in the game made total sense, they were all consistent and the world felt interconnected in a way I'd never seen before. The scan visor giving lore and data on every little thing in the environment made the world feel real and deep to me. I've never been more immersed in a game than the first time I played Prime 1, and I would kill to relive that experience. I respect your opinions, and I think you make a lot of valid points, but I do disagree with a lot of it. And that's OK. These games were made for me, and it's OK that they weren't your cup of tea. Also, Prime 3's gameplay rocks, screw hating on it for being a better shooter.

[@Mikeykickdeball]

Hey, as a huge fan of the Metroid series and Prime, I think you make quite a few valid points. Backtracking can be a slog and could be remedied somewhat with a more tightly designed world (as Dark Souls shows is possible), and combat isn't a particular strength. One of the only things I disagree with is your comment on the storytelling of Prime 1 specifically (since I don't remember the stories of the other two too well). Prime's storytelling is rooted heavily in its environments and text from glyphs and hacked terminals. Like the Souls series, the plot is thin, but there's a lot there for the player to discover for themselves if they wish to do so, and even some interesting thematic narratives show themselves. For example, comparing the Chozo's philosophy, architecture, and relation to/treatment of nature compared to the Space Pirates yields some interesting insights. I'd also argue the game sets up a parallel between the Space Pirates and phazon as invasive, power-hungry, corrupting forces. And the game integrates a lot of this into its world with foreshadowing and a gradual progression. Honestly, I still find its world-building execution (at least these aspects of it) impressive, even by today's standards.

[@RPG_Hacker]

I love all three of the Prime games. Sure, they're all quite different, but I think every one of them has something it's great at, and I think they're all fun to play, even if in different ways. That being said, I do prefer the style and direction of Prime 1 and 2 and hope that 4 will be going into a similar direction - with maybe a few elements of 3 thrown into the mix. This may be weird to grasp for a lot of people, but I - and I think many other Metroid fans as well - actually like the back-tracking in the Prime games and even consider it an integral part of the experience. At least in the case of Prime 1 I think that way. The world is just small and interconnected enough that it's fast enough to traverse for my taste, and yet being built this way kinda makes it feel more immersive and real to me. I don't consider it a flaw, but rather an integral part of the experience, which is also why I liked Prime 3's smaller, independent areas considerably less. They were certainly more convenient, but also no longer felt like parts of a larger world to me. I do think that Prime 2 didn't manage this quite as well as the first game, though. The areas in it feel less interconnected and you often have to traverse through the central "hub" area to get to your destination, which kinda feels low-effort. I think it's a good example for showing that enjoyable back-tracking is difficult to get right. For me personally, Prime 1 was perfect in this regard, whereas 2 was a bit too much and 3 was too little. I also think when Metroid fans talk about liking the immersion or lore in Metroid Prime, they usually don't necessarily mean that the worlds feel "realistic" or have a complex narrative or anything like that. I think they're referring precisely to what I just tried to (but kinda failed to) describe. Back-tracking is definitely a part of that. Traversing from one area to another in Prime 1 can certainly take some time and (depending on your play style) be kinda uneventful, but doing it makes us feel grounded in the game, as if we were actually a part of it's world. It doesn't matter to us that morph ball tunnels or boost mechanisms don't make sense at all for a pirate base or a human society, it only matters that this kind of world makes sense to us, the player, and that it's something that is fun for us to traverse and that we can get lost in. Playing a Metroid game, I've never once stopped myself to think "well, having a bomb-activated mechanism here really doesn't make much sense", but I've very often stopped myself to think something like "wow, this is cool, getting the Gravity Suit opened up this new pathway for me, which acts as shortcut to the beginning at lets me traverse the world much quicker". It's a feeling I never got in the third game. In there, it was pretty much just "alright, done with this area, now back to the ship and on to the next one". Another important aspect for me in terms of immersion is isolation. Something that I feel the first game did best. Playing it feels like being alone on this alien planet, because, well, you kinda are. It was a very thrilling feeling to me and it made me feel alive. Prime 2 had a bit less of that, because there were now Luminoth besides you, and Prime 3 even less, because there were other hunters, NPCs and even a helper AI that regularly talked to you. It never really felt as though you were on your own. To me, that was precisely one of the defining features of Metroid Prime, though. Based on everything I've said so far, you can probably guess that Prime 1 is my favorite of the three games, but as I said, I think every one of them is great in their own right. Prime 2, in my opinion, feels the most depressing and has the darkest atmosphere. Exploration in Prime 1 could feel intense because of that feeling of isolation and also because of certain enemies that popped up in the second half of the game (I will never not be afraid of the Chozo ghosts and the music that accompanies them). Exploration in Prime 2, on the other hand, felt intense simply because the dark world was so immensely dangerous and felt so uncomfortable. Even after acquiring the Light Suit, I never really got a sense of security, because soon afterwards, dark Metroids started roaming the planet. As for Prime 3, what I really loved about that game were the narrative and how epic everything felt. I know that some people would probably rather not have voice acting in a Metroid game, but I personally think it was great and worked very well here, and while the narrative and gameplay structure kinda took away from the feeling of isolation, it was nice to feel like a part of something bigger for once and to experience aspects of the world that weren't focussed entirely on Samus. Having a difficult time putting my thoughts into words, but I hope it's somewhat understandable and relateable why I like each individual game the way I do. I really have no idea where Prime 4 could be going from here, but I'm almost certain that no matter how it turns out, it won't be able to please everyone. Personally, I would love to see back-tracking and a bigger, interconnected world again, but I know very well that some people just aren't into that at all, and that's perfectly valid. Though I guess the real question remains: why the heck isn't there a Prime Trilogy remaster on the Switch yet?!? Come on, Nintendo! You know damn well what we want.

[@WaveOfDestiny]

exactly, TLDR but i also feel that people who don't like prime cannot realize that skill based backtracking is the focus of the game, planning out where to go to save time and grab items is what makes you have fun. People just think backtracking is always boring, but only because they never used the brain for it. Of course if you not git gud and get lost you are going to be frustrated. The magic happens when you think about the exploration as a world sized puzzle.

[@teneesh3376]

I think Mark Brown and KingK compare 3 to halo is because of 2's sales numbers. 2 didn't sell well because of the hype of halo 2. So 3 takes inspiration from halo and takes some elements from it

[@Godzillakuj94]

That Ridley shaft fight in Corruption was the fucking shit

[@firestarex3544]

This comment is a sin.

[@herrikudo]

These games are masterpeices. The first one came out 01-02, the graphics look so real for a gamecube game it isnt even funny. Rain hitting your visor and reflection of samus' eyes when you shoot a wall too close to you... and all the lore. The plot is what you make of it. How much you scan is how much you understand the plot of the games.

[@xxProjectJxx]

I feel where you're coming from, but I love Prime 1 and 2. I didn't feel like any of your points of critique were invalid, but for me they were very minor things that didn't effect my enjoyment of the games. I love the atmosphere and that whole Metroidvania gameplay loop. Prime 3, I think is stuck in an awkward place where it isn't doing the Metroid thing as well as its predecessors, but it's not doing the action thing as well as its contemporaries. Still, it's really great at points. GFS Valhalla is easily the most immersive and atmospheric location in the whole Pime series, and it isn't even close IMO.

[@gilgamesh310]

He seems to be someone who just isn’t intro Metroidvanias and doesn’t care for exploration. Even in the 2D games, the enemies were rarely challenging. The enjoyment comes from the exploration.

[@davidsmith464]

I just feel like I need to mention that your criticism of the first game being "made for Samus" it was a planet inhabited by the aliens that created the technology Samus uses so yeah...

[@corvuscolbrand]

He brings that up

[@NHOLLOW01]

You know the amo drops in metroid echos works if you use dark you get light and you use light and get dark sou you never run out of amo

[@blackdragoncyrus]

I still have not completed the first one, though I have the trilogy on Wii U. I did play Hunters multiplayer a whole lot, though, lol... I prefer the 2D games.

[@Twisted_Logic]

The thing that chiches Prime 3 as being the weakest in the series for me isn't necessarily the lack of isolation and focus on combat (though that's part of it and I'll get back to the latter in a minute), but more in level design and balance. The areas are large loops with little in the way of transition point between them, each makes going through them pretty cool the first time with their epic action set pieces and whatnot, but a slog later in the game when you're trying to get from point to point because it takes so long to get anywhere even with the fast travel system. Prime 1 and especially 2 were designed with a lot of small loops and shortcuts that made navigation much more efficient. It's like they took the worst designed area of Prime 1, the Phazon Mines, and made that every area. My other problem extends from the combat focus, though not the combat focus itself. In fact, I welcome a bigger focus on combat in theory. My problem is that hypermode is so overpowered that it ruins the balance of the system. Due to its existence enemies are incredibly bullet spongy, but they die quickly from hypermode which makes the combat either tedious or boring. Which is an issue when it's the core focus of the game. I think if they'd expanded on Prime 2's system where every enemy has weaknesses and you have to balance managing resources with using the best tool for the job would make for a more engaging system. I did like the incorporation of grapple beam into combat, though.

[@jorixpalorn3738]

I'll give you one thing, I've been a big metroid fan most of my life, and even I hated the artifact hunts

[@omg241]

Me too, that mechanic is like a pace killer, you are ready for the final boss, but then the game decides that is time for some item hunt just because you need it to open the final door.. In TOLZ wind waker for me literally killed the mood for the rest of the game.

[@saturdazedreviews3591]

It's definitely probably the worst part of prime 1 imo.

[@WaveOfDestiny]

It was meant to give the ultimate challenge of what Prime is. The last boss isn't really the objective of the game. It technically is, but the actual goal, what the developpers wanted you to do, is to learn the map in your head and know how to traverse it and where to go, and most importantly, travel efficently. The magic of Prime happens when you learn and plan how to travel efficently, not in combat or random exploration. The artifacts force you to do that and if you grabbed them at the end it's only because you didn't master the game yet. It's an invisible skill floor and skill ceiling that most people don't realize it exists, knowing how to travel. The game is about orienting yourself and planning were to go. If you are good at that, you can grab most artifacts before end game even begins, even in your first playthrough. Even when some are well hidden, the game places you many times near the chozo temple where you can scan for the hints. You can get pretty much all of them while normally progressing or hunting for secondary items.

[@WaveOfDestiny]

@Michigan Wolverine in Dallas i hate to say it but it's more about gitting gud

[@unison_moody]

As a huge fan of MP3 this is such a refreshing take on the Metroid Prime Trilogy. So many points you make are just so true and were initial criticisms I had when I first played MP1. I revisited the series with MP3 several years later and really fell in love with it for the reasons you mentioned. In fact, the initial criticisms weakened over time for me, I was able to ignore them much better and had a great time with MP1 and MP2. Nowdays I believe MP2 is my favorite. But your review makes me really curious how MP3 feels like for me now, because I always found it better than MP1 and it could possibly knock MP2 off the throne again.

[@kennylives04]

metroid prime 2 is rewarding to revisit because you can do everything more efficiently, but it does assume you want the extra stuff and strongly hints when you are intended to take a break from the main quest and explore. For me it paid off and I love it. but I will say, the point of the ammo was to just create tension. You usually wont have full ammo but you usually wont run out unless you try. I am always frugal in any video game, so I didnt realize how much breathing room I had until the second playthrough.

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

Plus Prime 2 hints at exactly how not worrying the ammo is by flat-out telling you "using the opposite beam refills the beam you want." Hurting on Dark or Light ammo? Bother to use the other one for a couple enemies, problem solved. Plus even though they effectively reskin the Prime 1 beams, I feel like they're more powerful than Prime 1's equivalents so I have a reason to not just spam the Power Beam and be mindless about it.

[@brunomilocchi3897]

The ammo gimmick is pretty cool. If you're running out of a type of beam, just destroy something/somebody with the opposite beam and in turn you get the ammo for the first beam. Pretty easy stuff, but still cool.

[@johnmoser1889]

Hell yeah, this series on the Gamecube was my childhood bro!

[@kruegerpoolthe13th]

Metroid is a pretty niche series It’s all about exploration and non linearity, it’s not heavy on story or action Combat is more about satisfyingly blasting enemies into bits of meat than being super engaging like Halo Don’t blame you for not jiving with it, it ain’t for everyone and I commend you for recognizing that

[@TwilightWolf032]

14:16 I used to do the same, as I always do with limited ammo on games (one has to wonder how I even manage to play a Fire Emblem game), but after my first playthrough, I just started using more ammo and found out the game is very well balanced in terms of resupplying you. Just pay attention to what weapon you're using to kill enemies and destroy crates and you'll have plenty of ammo to deal with any threat on your way even without getting any ammo expansion. Just think of them as missiles - I never run out of missiles when I have more than 50.

[@brunomilocchi3897]

If Echoes repeated the same puzzle more than a couple of times you would call it repetitive, so there's really no way out of that one

[@kcato5879]

Be honest, Prime would NEVER in a million years work on N64

[@JulietStMoon]

Fair criticism but a small point that I feel matters: if you played "normal" on Prime trilogy, you didn't actually play normal. The prime trilogy version actually created a new much easier difficulty for Prime 1 and 2 called "normal," and renamed the original normal to "hard".

[@chironthecuddley6144]

Yep, and Prime 2 on the Wii version nerfed a couple of bosses directly (tweaking numbers basically) on the Boost Ball Guardian and indirectly through the improved movement like the morphball jump against the Spider Ball Guardian.

[@kizunagames]

I'm a devoted fan of all things Metroid and adore all 3 Prime games. This has been a very interesting but thought out review that opposes many similar view points other youtubers have had. I can respect the "not all games are meant for me" approach because I to feel that way about games. I still love the games but I think you made good cases why the games might not be for everyone and gave good defense points to Prime 3. I'll be sure to check out some more of your videos.

[@jupiterofthemonkeyii5569]

I get the hesitation to want to criticize acclaimed games, people take stuff too personally, but then on the other side of that, so much of a review shouldn't be potshots at what other people like followed by your own defensiveness by liking the entry that from your perspective gets the most flack (highly debatable if 2 or 3 are seen as the worst Primes).

[@foemon2345610]

Prime 2 is fairly highly regarded as an improvement from prime, prime 3 isn’t hated but isn’t regarded to add anything special to the series

[@LiftMasterDC-6]

My main problem with prime 3, is it's too easy to be fun on veteran, and on hypermode they had to overcompensate for hypermode, they made it so brutally hard that, no longer felt like it was my fault for dying (even 100% it), and became less fun than it being too easy, and this is coming from a guy who plays the other 2 on hypermode just fine

[@pivotguydc1149]

You've got an interesting perspective. GMTK and KingK are more familiar with 2D Metroid than they are modern shooters, and you're very much the reverse which is why y'all's opinions clash. I feel like if you came at the Prime games from the perspective of "really enjoying Super Metroid and Zero Mission" you might understand why Retro was working with a very different set of standards when developing these. But, your interpretation is just as valid - games don't exist in a vacuum, and modern retrospectives have merit.

[@teneesh3376]

That is one way to see it. As someone who grew up with halo 1 and 2 but only playing the metroid gamea much later. I find the prime games to be okay. Though I gave up half way on prime 1 and finished 3 so take what you will. The combat for all games are iffy. Having no hitscan weapons, you constantly have have to take in consideration on where the enemy is going to be. But prime 3 could have benefited from having the beams be seperate and not be combined into one beam. So having just one weapon in a shooter gets boring. Even if that weapon gets upgrades, you're still just shooting enemies the same way. But the biggest problem is that the enemies are bullet spongey until you go into hyper mode. While going into hyper mode has no downside. Enemies drop just as much health as you expend using hyper mode. It balances out

[@NiGHTSnoob]

Super Metroid and Zero Mission are two of my favorite games of all time, and honestly I mostly agree with KBash. Like he said the games are pretty fun to explore at first. I enjoy starting up a Prime game, but man they just become sloggy by the end. They just aren't nearly as kinetic as the old games (neither are Samus Returns or Dread), and that's fine. It's fine, but it doesn't get my blood pumping. The ability to just tear through an area with a near limitless ceiling on movement where you never have to stop is what I come to Metroid for, and not having it doesn't ruin the game outright, but it fails to resonate with me.

[@pivotguydc1149]

@@NiGHTSnoob That's also fair. All the Prime games are far slower-paced than 2D Metroid. I wonder if it would be possible to translate Metroid into 3D faithfully, but keep a faster pace.

[@NiGHTSnoob]

@@pivotguydc1149 It's definitely possible. I know we'd all like to forget about it because the game is.... problematic. But Other M shows some brief glimpses of what could be.

[@pivotguydc1149]

@@NiGHTSnoob Here's where our opinions might diverge. Other M needed to focus far less on story and more on exploration, like Super. The Ninja Gaiden action sequences were neat but ultimately superficial, IMO. Can it keep a brisk pace while still doing away with those? If you don't give the player the time to breathe and explore and take in the atmosphere, there's really no point to it having the "Metroid" title, for me. The best you can do at that point is just give Prime 1 the Speed Booster and call it a day. Maybe that's all we need.

[@lukerne9260]

You basically only talked about combat which is the least important mechanic in the game as it was in the 2d games.

[@MrCrowley2474]

I mean, it's absolutely required to beat the game, and makes up a pretty significant chunk of it, so...

[@DeviouslyKITT]

"Its fine for Talon IV if we accept the Chozo, who inhabited the planet and who's technology Samus uses, use morphball tracks, bomb slots, whatever to traverse their planet. The Chozo will be used for maximum world building convenience going forward, having apparently visited everybody and shared everything." -Whispers- *Because they did.* They are the cause for a lot of the Metroid universe's problems INCLUDING creating the Metroids themselves and even interfering so horribly with other races that it lead to the Space Pirates attacking the colony Samus was in, which lead to her parents being killed which lead to the Chozo going "Well we kinda did this so...lets raise this kid as a warrior". The Chozo DID go to Aether as well, and yes....very likely went to Bryyo and Elysia. I simultaneously would like to point out that the original Metroid games had Chozo influence, hence for the powerups to Samus' suit being available, doors needing to be shot, etc.... SO yes, its convenient to use the Chozo as the world building mcguffins that they are........but they have been established as interloping bird wizards. They legit thought themselves responsible for solving the universes problems........so........it works

[@jaikthesnake6285]

Man I really think you should do God of War soon. Then Dad of Boy as a separate vid, they're pretty good

[@user-kt6lg3yu9j]

Big agree on the God of War. Watching the game right now and being very pleasantly surprised.

[@wahmaster2788]

@@user-kt6lg3yu9j watching the game? I'm confused people think they can have an opinion on a game without playing it.

[@jaikthesnake6285]

@@wahmaster2788 eh you can gain a lot of insight on a game just by watching it. I think your opinion carries more weight if you've played and especially beaten it, but nobody should be not "allowed" to have an opinion

[@ethans.1905]

@@user-kt6lg3yu9j I mean I didn't play GoW but I was on the couch next to my brother as he played through the whole game and I'll say I was very impressed with most of it. There were issues I could tell without even playing, but watching it is enough to form an opinion on it so long as it isn't something restricted to entirely gameplay.

[@wahmaster2788]

@@jaikthesnake6285 you cannot say you like a game until you have played it I feel. Like the game may look ama,ing to you but then u play it and realize u absolutely hate the controls

[@dorogogogo]

While it's clear that KBash has a different set of priorities in a game like Metroid Prime than its fans, I understand both sides to the Corruption argument because of this argumentation. As a fan of the series, Corruption is a shining example of sanding down the edges of a flawed, niche product in the name of greater mass appeal. Metroid Prime and Echoes are decidedly lacking in the action department in many ways, that is true. However, the trade-off is the nearly impeccable mood and vibe of both Tallon IV and Aether. The environmental storytelling (scan logs and level details) add so much beyond simple lore because of how they relate to the levels themselves. That's the appeal of two-thirds of this trilogy: unmatched exploratory vibes. They're mechanically less demanding than their 2D counterparts, but they manage to be just as engaging to a similar audience because of the clunk and weirdness of it all. Prime 3, then, is the game for everyone else. That's fine in and of itself, but it's a lie to say it's true to the series core appeal. The story is pulpy and off the wall, but removing the mood from it makes it decidedly not Metroid anymore. By segmenting levels and emphasizing ship travel, the vibe is killed in favor of campy action that feels at-odds with the core themes of the series. I enjoy Prime 3, don't get me wrong, but the comparisons to Halo aren't based in mechanical complexity, they're based on marketability. Compounding that with it being pushed to be a Wii launch title marketed as the evolution of the FPS, and that's why the comparison exists. At the end of the day, it's better for both fans and critics that videos like these exist, even if I found myself irrationally frustrated by KBash not intrinsically understanding why I like the thing I like and fixating on everything else lmao. Maybe Prime 4 will successfully balance its mood with its mechanics in a satisfying way for both KBash and myself. I can only hope.

[@malachiheflin9178]

4:35 was a very accurate reaction from all of us. i laughed a bit more than i should've.

[@CoasterSn00p]

Did this guy just call the ammo in Echoes “scarce” lmao

[@jacksoncarder8103]

Every single video I’ve seen on this topic has just gushed over these games, I personally love them but I’m glad to see someone with a unique perspective

[@grassroots15]

you played trilogy on normal lmao, that's easy mode; Veteran is the original games' difficulty

[@landoncore92]

Man, this is one of my favorite videos that you've done. Excellent from start to finish!

[@ryanpercival9823]

Is it weird I can agree with a lot of your points on the first 2 games... but i still bloody love these games? They aren't perfect, and the end game artifact hunts are dumb, especially in 2, but there is so much merit to these games not touched on in this video as well, and when you said the allure of that merit "Is lost on me while I'm playing.", that is opposite of true for many, so are we "Doing fun wrong."? Absolutely not, is your point, and its a good one! I think 3 just has such a different game-feel and makes it feel starkly different from the other 2. As much as 3 my 3'rd favourite, because it lacks certain things 1 and 2 had, and adds motion gimmicks and hypermode as inadequate compensation, Skytown is beautiful! Plus, the combat took steps forward... so bring me back multiple beam types again. I LOVE your idea for a ricochet beam. Maybe even a tether beam that attaches enemies together and to objects? Proximity mines to encourage positioning in battle as a key focus; aimed with Wiimote or Gyro to stick on walls and such? And yes, ALL Enemies need to do considerably more damage, so dying is a real risk. All great ideas for Prime 4.

[@adambombdiggidy]

MP3 was actually my first Metroid game and I really enjoyed it! It opened the door for me playing other Metroid games as a result. While Super Metroid is my favorite these days, MP3 will always be held highly to me. Plus, I also hated MP2 safe zones in the dark world since I stopped moving after every small encounter to heal, thanks for confirming I'm not crazy!

[@chaincat33]

Ammo isn't as scarce as you seem to have thought. Shoot a crate with one beam, you get 20 of the opposite ammo. Ammo pickups are everywhere if you know how to get them. That said, you shouldn't just need to know, the game should have told you

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

The game literally does tell you I'm fairly certain. Samus makes her own personal notes about her own gear and I'm damn sure she says this.

[@chaincat33]

@@UltimaKeyMaster Buried in a menu isn't a good way to tell the player

[@JSHADOWM]

@@chaincat33 The moment you gt the light beam there is an on screen promptthat you HAVE to wait 3 seconds befor dismissing by A explaining you have to shoot things with the reverse beam than the one you want.

[@leonardoc.3931]

Your voice sounds like Static Shocks white friend from that CW cartoon

[@ognjenrad4905]

huch Samus is a chozo herself and has a armor from the chozo. Talon 4 is a Planet where the Chozo lived, so of course the Planet is made for her

[@noonethatspecial]

*part Chozo, basically a blood transfusion.

[@corvuscolbrand]

Again he says that and says it's more a problem with 2 than 1

[@MaledictusXCII]

This is more "Critiquing the combat of Metroid Prime Trilogy" and nothing about what these games really is (not Halo) like level design, exploration, backtracking, power ups, ambience and music.

[@zkrust5406]

Why don't they turn metroid into a pure exploration game then? (actually wouldn't mind that tbh). Combat is a large part of these games, and if they are going to insist on keeping it, they might as well try to make it more interesting and varied.

[@sneed915]

@@zkrust5406 because not everyone likes walking simulators

[@andleepfarooqui7874]

I think combat supplements the metroid experience but worked a hell of a lot better when full heals were rare and the enemies were obstacles keeping you from moving past. Resident Evil or re2 aren’t really about the combat either and it’s not the greatest but lacking combat and the tension of zombie encounters, ammo management etc. would make the game a lot worse. While Metroid was never at the level of survival horror, the same design decisions wrt ammo conservation and health management were present in it too, and the basic combat enables it feeling like a choice

[@KnuclesCp1]

i liked this video! i love the trilogy a non normal amount for the reasons you disliked it, but i still got where you were coming from and made me think about the games from a different point of view you also presented everything in a fun way!! like you were critical but you didn't bash the game unfairly, you just talked about your personal experience instead of trying to be too objective and that was refreshing too i liked this a lot!!

[@shi11tenshi]

Disagree with you a lot of your exploration points and world-building points however what I want to focus on here is your combat points for corruption I believe you're correct there the combat was more engaging and more fun in Metroid Prime 3 it could have used a little more of that in the future games instead of being something to progress it could be a strong pillar to stand on

[@chrismdb5686]

First coherent 'contrarian' review I've heard on one of my favorite series. Can't say I agree with most of your points (especially the complaints about the artifacts in MP1, since you can grab nearly all of them on the first pass), but I respect your opinion/take regardless, these games definitely aren't for everyone.

[@Road_to_Dawn]

As a lifelong fan of both 2D and 3D Metroid who thinks Prime 1 is pretty much the closest a game has ever come to being perfect, it's interesting hearing a completely different perspective. I've always loved Prime 1, having grown up on it ever since I was young when it first came out. I wish I liked Prime 2 more, but the insane amount of time waiting in bubbles to not die in the dark world and just how much harder the game is in general really put me off, and while I've gotten to pretty much the very end, I never got around to finishing it. I didn't own Prime 3 until long after it first came out, but I played my friend's copy for a while. I actually liked the motion controls a lot (but then again, I also thought the motion controls were one of the only good things about Skyward Sword), but I never got far enough into the game to appreciate the exploration side of it. I've never gotten around to actually starting it up after I finally bought a used copy of it.

[@IHeliosI]

Hey now, that part about the Metroids not being pets or target practice, the dumbass who tried to shoot at a metroid and got put in a coma, and their somewhat monotone staff reports are kinda funny given that they're supposed to be scary edgy space pirates. Then again, I really love and appreciate dry humor so I'm guessing Bashy here doesn't.

[@georgedellapiazza380]

Don't let Nintendo own you. Wish I was told that when I was in middle school.

[@teneesh3376]

Anyone emulating the prime trilogy, there's a mod makes the game more designed for mouse and keyboard. With the reticle staying in the middle and you can still move the camera, instead of moving the cursor to the edges of the screen to move the camera

[@Genasidal]

As a massive lifelong Metroid fan, I'm honestly super appreciative of videos like this one, that critique the games in an honestly fair way. Whether I agree with you or not, it's never the point. The point is, it gets me thinking about what exactly IS it that I love about Metroid as a franchise, and Prime as a Trilogy to be precise, so much. I think the interesting part was, you made a lot of points of criticism I actually DO somewhat agree with, many I wasn't initially expecting to until I heard you out. Like, your complaints about the World Building of Prime 2, particularly regarding Samus' presence there feeling like the entire world was made for her. The Luminoth almost feel like they have little presence on their own planet in a lot of areas, and I DEFINITELY agree with the door criticsm. It's one I've half-jokingly made to friends myself! I think this is also why I've always been so annoyed at how much criticism Corruption gets in a lot of areas, yet some others that were almost certainly improved, like the World Building, never seem to get mentioned, like, at all. The fact that the long lost civilisations of Bryyo and Elysium really have a strong presence amongst their own architecture feels like something the Luminoth were missing quite a lot in their own world. I love how you can peace together the massive civil war that took place on Bryyo through the environment just as much as the text logs at times, with different cultural ideals clashing, hidden areas leading to hidden truths and so much more. For all of my love of the first two titles, that I'll still defend, especially after recently replaying the entire Metroid Franchise b2b2b2b2b etc, I still solidly believe Corruption's discourse is and always has been too overblown, (and also with really bizarre comparisons that are often a stretch at best)

[@aivalera]

The problem with Metroid Prime 3 is that I LOATHED the motion controls. For some reason my controller almost never worked for me which broke my immersion and fun pretty damn thoroughly, especially since it’s so required in it.

[@aivalera]

Also iirc the wave beam has the lowest damage out of all the beam types, which is probably why the boss battles took so long. The power tiers goes from wave, ice, power, plasma, missiles and finally super missiles at the strongest I believe.

[@elbardelagrieta2820]

I believe youtube needed this review

[@ryansnow8359]

Yeah. These games were made for people like me. When my friend got the tutorial thing for the scan system he groaned "well that's a Ryan thjng"

[@shi11tenshi]

Well your friend is silly you only have to scan necessary objects for progression which are far and few between. that's like saying a burger is ruined because of pickles on it just take the pickles off

[@eduardolopez7323]

Takes a shot everytime he says "combat".

[@capttinklebutt3837]

Yeah! Let's go!

[@renealexanderdiaz]

That's a pretty well elaborated critique to the trilogy, you've made good points. I think each game is unique and brings different pros and cons, but I like to see the trilogy as a complete experience. By doing so, each game complements each other and offers something for every kind of player. In your case, Prime 3 appeals more to you because of the action element. Most Metroid fans (me included) prefer the sense of isolation and dread offered by Prime 1 and 2. In the end, it's a game that was inspired by the Alien movie.

[@mr.pockets8523]

Yea i think he missed the point of what metroid games are. Isolation>action

[@caseyhamm4292]

but you’re rarely forced to fight: shows footage of the chozo ghosts man, fuck retro for that one. there are tons of rooms when i’m replaying that game that i go ‘fuck fu- oh wait they aren’t triggered yet’

[@GoldenShine]

You ran into a massive issue I imagine alot of players did playing Metroid Prime Trilogy first. It's that Nintendo LIES about the difficulty. There's now normal, veteran, and hypermode difficulties. Except "veteran" is actually the original game's difficulty, with "normal" being the new casual/easy mode. Even with veteran mode, the simplified control scheme makes the first 2 games much easier since they weren't designed with that in mind. Though I am surprised you stuck with the Wave Beam in MP1 despite being all over MP3's Hyper Mode. It does the least damage of all beams, even the power beam, but makes fights easier with it's homing properties and stun. It's the game's defensive "safe" beam that just drags things out. Not sure why you wouldn't just spam super missiles or the ice-missile combo instead since they toss missiles at you like candy and you can easily justify health risks with normal/veteran mode's health pool.

[@Seoul_Soldier]

I will never understand this weird thing in nerd culture of "Metroid is a big brain boy sci fi game" when the main character has a gun arm that she received from giant space chickens. It's pulp sci fi that's afraid to be pulp sci fi. I love you for pointing that out. I wonder if the big brain boys ever considered Elite: Dangerous. Docking in a space port wrong in that game gets you killed.

[@zkrust5406]

This is the first time I've heard that metroid is a big brain game. It's a nintendo game for god's sake, we play them cuz they're fun.

[@andleepfarooqui7874]

The reason I was disappointed in Prime 3 was that everything felt linear and I had no opportunities to get really lost. I like the feeling of getting lost in an alien world enough to constantly seek it out and Metroid Prime was like the utterly fantastic Zelda I in that respect... I would say Metroid Prime 3 felt more like Doom II and that’s a fine game but it’s not a Metroid game- it lacks the core feeling of growing familiar with a setting that starts to feel like a second home.

[@dudujencarelli]

Unless you're playing in Novice Mode, there's no way you can damage sponge your way through battles or avoid enemies. You have to dodge and shoot with accuracy.

[@UltimaKeyMaster]

He says he played Trilogy on Normal, which means he didn't realize he was playing on Easy because Trilogy for some dumb reason titled its new Easy Mode "Normal" when the ACTUAL Normal is "Veteran."

[@mr.pockets8523]

I got fucked up playing prime 1&2 on gamecube. It not easy.

[@louis559]

I love this video. I love the first game, and Prime 2 is one of my favorite games of all time, but I totally agree with almost everything you had to say about the third game. Way too many Metroid fans write off Corruption for really petty reasons imo.

[@CarterHerrigstad]

Man, no kidding, this video really isn't for the fans. I feel like my heart was just ripped out I guess I get that this game isn't for everyone, and I think it really depends on playstyle. Exploration is a big part of it as well as atmosphere. I fight everything. Idk I won't try to argue. I agree about the artifacts tho, they're kind of a pace killer at the end

[@R-SXX]

My favorit still is metroid fusion, one of the best and scariest gba games ever

[@GHeinz]

18:10 “let me guess, corruption is his favorite”

[@Synathidy]

Funny: I didn't get the impression that Samus was slow in the first Prime game. To me, it felt like I could dash and leap across crazy topography with pretty good speed. I felt like I was running at all times, and cutting across the entire diameter of a room seemed to take a few seconds. Morph ball rolling was even faster. Can't compare the movement speed much among FPS games though, since I've played few. I'm not experienced with Metroid games either, but I did enjoy Prime. It was a vexing game at times, but pretty cool at others. The music was fantastic. And I didn't find it easy. For me, at least, I'd call it quite a difficult game to simply complete on default difficulty. I played the Gamecube release, though. I wonder if the Wii controls make it a bit easier?

[@MorTphyr]

Thats just like saying that the soul games doesnt have good lore just because its not in your face

[@Crazelord91]

I duno, I've just never been interested in these games while I really enjoy the 2D Metroid games. I think first person metroidvanias feels too aggravating to me. Good video though

[@Snyperwolf91]

Me too . But somehow if i play some third person metroidvanias then i dont get so overwhelmed . Maybe its because you get more orientation and the gameplay is most of the time faster which is a big plus in my book.

[@luvlybaluga]

Im the same. I do love the Prime series but I could never play them so ended up having to watch speedruns T_T. Oddly enough despite the many flaws of Other M the gameplay for the most part was actually more enjoyable then anything the Prime series had to offer for me T_T. Imagine they re-re-released the Prime Trilogy on the Switch with the other M style or a 3rd person option =D. ORRRRRR just give us more 2D metroids again T_T. Samus Returns was phenomenal.

[@GigaMan91]

"Don't let Nintendo own you." Brave words.

[@joebin3106]

Lmao so this is how you deflect criticism when you have shit take huh ? Just throw out shit like fanboy and sheeple when people disagree with you.

[@ardentparagon159]

The atmosphere is superb in prime 1 and 2, the atmosphere is the reason i play metroid. Prime 3 on the other hand does everything it can at every opportunity to rip you out of the experience.

[@justinstewart1057]

Except for Elysia - best area in Prime 3.

[@RadioactivePuppy01]

A great deal of your world-building critique sounds like it could be broadly applied across the Metroid franchise. I’m particularly worried that the series lacks direction, but Prime 3 offered up a variety of worlds and concepts that were much more engaging and showed some additional world-building. “Exploring alone on a planet only using the tools you have” means the obstacles in front of you need to be impacted by those tools. I feel Breath of the Wild could be used as a nice counterpoint, where experimentation with the game’s systems allows for new combinations and potential to be unlocked, and these system can be used to deepen the rudimentary exploration tools you already have accessible. Mostly, I think Metroid as a series is a bit too linear, which is funny considering how aimless the games often are. Also the MP trilogy is still great, just clearly not your cup of tea.

[@ghostofsilence2697]

At least you're fair in your criticism by either pointing out objective issues that could be taken either way or by stating that its just not your cup of tea instead of those other gatekeeper assjackets who say "its not a TRUE metroid game because it isnt the same as x y or z game in the franchise that came out before it" so thank you for playing it fair

[@Ckoz2829]

I know it’s been pointed out already, but Normal mode in the Wii version is actually easy. Switch that baby to hyper mode (which is actually just hard mode) and the bosses get to be more dangerous. I know in Prime 1 and 2 at least, I always found myself near death after a boss fight. Even some of the space pirate encounters can be tough. The bosses (and sometimes the environmental hazards) are the main reason for the numerous health and missile tanks, not the regular enemies. It’s very similar to the 2-D games in that regard.

[@ArgenteonYT]

My only problem with this review is when he says playing Halo on the hardest difficulty makes it less mindless, which is true, but continues to say Metroid was too easy. Of course it was easy! You played on the lowest setting! Otherwise it was a great video and really highlighted some of the series' faults, which I ultimately don't care about because the games are amazing for somebody like me.

[@Jarjarfunk]

your reasons for not liking this game is the same reason why i think most of the japanese audience doesn't like Metroid Prime.

[@fernando98322]

How dare you. Anyway I'm starting the video now

[@spacemarine2180]

"I wish my brain could enjoy what people have fun with"yeah i fell that.

[@jesusperez3926]

Loved the GMTK and KingK's videos about Metroid Prime 3, I kind of was expecting the same negative comments about it from this video, specially after your comments on Metroid Prime 1 and 2, but it was a refreshing way to look at Prime 3. It was the first game I got on my Wii and enjoyed it thoroughly, it was weird seeing people that didn't enjoy it as much as I did, or at least found more flaws in it.

[@gregbagel791]

It just approached story and gameplay in a much different manner then any previous metroid games as well as just the prime ones. My issues with not are not so much gameplay wise (altho hyper mode was op and not even an original idea for the game but tacked on later by a diffrent team) but story wise as the other characters felt a bit childish and style wise them and the some of the federation stuff especially samus' suit feel out of place in the metroid universe. The game felt more inclined to kids and trying to buff wii sales then to really giving a good seal off of the trilogy.

[@rmwolfe_]

this is a real weird video to watch as someone who likes Corruption the most out of a trilogy that i really love as a whole

[@0ctopusComp1etely]

This is the first review I've found that shares my opinions on the series. I like the first game, despite it feeling a little slow and drawn out. I want to like Echoes for everything it improves, but just couldn't stand playing past its halfway point due to growing nitpicks. I really liked Corruption because it catered to my enjoyment of pulpy fun, and felt the most engaging in story and combat.

[@mariokarter13]

But have you considered if Samus had swappable heads?

[@MACZ2021]

I think since I played them when I was younger I never really thought much about the stuff brought up in the video, but there were really good points that got me thinking. Hearing motion controls get brought up and how people would tend to consider them gimmicky reminds me of the videos Nerrel did on motion controls.

[@zkrust5406]

It's not so much the motion controls, it's the minigames themselves which are unnecessary and gimmicky.