For those of you who liked the previous game, you're in for a fun time with Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Game play: 9. Anyone familiar with Metroid will know the basics of how this game works; however, there is a new factor in Echoes: the parallel version of the planet, Aether, the game takes place on, Dark Aether. In this dark, parallel version of the planet, you take damage when you walk out of the protected light areas. This concept slows things down, makes combat more than just strafing around, and even gives this particular part of the game a creepy feel to it (Dark Aether is quite unpleasant). Other than that, the core game play is about the same as the last Prime.
It also needs to be stated that there is a multiplayer mode. It won't really provide that much entertainment however. It just feels tacked on and feels as though it really could have been better than it was.
The controls are as good as the first game. Echoes doesn't change the formula too much nor does it rehash it either.
Everything that you may have loved about the first game is back in Echoes: good boss fights, good combat, top level design, etc.
Presentation: 10. The graphics are slightly improved from the first game, so needless to say these are awesome graphics (for a GameCube game from 2004 anyway).
The sound effects and sound track is top-notch. I especially liked the track for Dark Aether.
The story is pretty good as well. Like with the first game, you have to figure a lot of it out for yourself by scanning things.
Value: 8. The single-player experience is about as long as the last game: 15 to 18 hours; pretty good. It is also good enough to where it is worth playing again on the hard difficulty. As for the multiplayer experience, that doesn't really extend the value of this game by very much because like I said earlier, it's pretty tacked on.
PROS:
Great controls
Great boss fights
Amazing graphics
Great level design
CONS
It isn't longer
The multiplayer is pretty useless
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is a must-buy for fans of the original Metroid Prime. It brings back all the things you loved about it, and adds in some new elements to keep it fresh. Overall, it is an excellent game.