Even with the weight of its predecessor upon it, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes delivers an incredibly engaging adventure.
With Samus Aran's journey on Tallon IV behind her, the bounty huntress is drawn to the battlefield once again when a group of Space Marines on the distant planet Aether are attacked by odd monsters. Turns out that the attack isn't the only thing shaking up Aether; the planet is actually split apart into Dark and Light worlds. With the planet's future at stake, Samus follows cryptic messages from the planet's natives, the Luminoth, who describe of the monsters' true nature. The monsters are the Ing, beings composed of pure darkness whose destructive nature threatens Aether's future. Samus bravely dives into the Dark Aether world, only to be swarmed by the Ing and robbed of her abilities. It's up to Samus to regain her skills and rescue the planet from its impending destruction. Along the way, Samus encounters old and new foes, ranging from the Ing to Space Pirates, along with an unexpected creature tied to the events of the first Metroid Prime. This really isn't a very deep narrative, but Metroid Prime was fueled by isolation, loneliness, and an incredible feeling of emptiness. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is no different. The exploration mixed with the isolation offers a feeling unseen in any other series, and the narrative only permeates the fearful loneliness.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes introduces the idea of the Dark and Light worlds, a concept that's been used in countless games before it. Fortunately, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes mixes up the setup in some great ways. When Samus traverses the Light Aether, you'll see the expected indigenous lifeforms and well-designed puzzles. Once Samus transports to the Dark Aether through an inter-dimensional portal, things take a turn. The atmosphere of Dark Aether is toxic, so Samus must use Luminoth crystals to create protective barriers to avoid the darkness. The game doesn't feel as fast-paced as its predecessor, and it definitely isn't as inviting, but the Dark Aether world has a nice mix of action and survival horror aspects. The claustrophobic caverns and haunting enemy designs keep tension high, so it's very easy to feel a bit uneasy when traversing Dark Aether, especially when scrambling for traces of light.
Metroid Prime 2: Echoes doesn't mess with the original formula that the original Metroid Prime set up. You still are locking onto enemies and blasting them with charge shots, scanning every piece of architecture and wildlife for clues and plot elements, and solving extremely well-crafted puzzles. Metroid Prime mainstays like Morph Ball labyrinths and Space Pirates are frequent, always adding a pleasant familiarity to the system. The exploration is still prominent over the combat, which is just fine. The game offers plenty of incentives to go off the beaten path, like searching for energy or weapon expansions. The Metroid series has always encouraged digging deep to find secrets, and Metroid Prime 2: Echoes doesn't ignore that quality in the least.
The few things that do change in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes are pretty cool, but don't break the mold too much. The Luminoth technology offers some brand new abilities to experiment with, some of which work better than others. New to the mix are the Dark and Light Beams, both of which require management of ammunition. This can add some survival-horror-esque suspense, but doesn't really feel essential to Metroid Prime 2: Echoes' gameplay. Fortunately, many of the other abilities Samus can learn are inventive and progressive for the series. One change that's a little less welcome is the environment variety. The original Metroid Prime diversified its world constantly, and while Metroid Prime 2: Echoes offers some pretty interesting layouts, you won't find too much variety in the environments. This is especially problematic in the labyrinthine Dark Aether, where dark shades permeate the world, making it pretty easy to get lost. Compared to the original Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes can get a little stale and the backtracking can make it a bit harder to endure but the clever puzzles and excellent combat keep the tedium at bay for a great majority of the game.
Metroid Prime had some colossal boss encounters, and its sequel doesn't skip on the epic confrontations. There are plenty of intricately constructed boss fights, many of which really push the difficulty to new levels. With the ability to possess lifeforms on Aether, the Ing aren't afraid to take advantage of their hosts' skillsets and lay down the hurt on Samus. Fortunately, the abilities are well-worth fighting for and the bosses themselves can even add some insight as to how to use them effectively once the abilities are obtained. The Metroid Prime series has weaved combat and exploration into a cohesive whole, and the boss fights, with their expertly crafted design, never disappoint.
Though multiplayer is normally a great inclusion to some games, some games really don't work well with a multiplayer component. Sadly, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is more the latter. The multiplayer feels like an afterthought in almost every way. It relies on split-screen only, so not even a LAN component is available. There aren't even any CPU characters to play against. The modes are disappointingly slim, with only Deathmatch and Bounty modes, and the map count is extremely low. To be fair, the controls still work and the Morph Ball adds an interesting twist to some situations, but there are much better multiplayer offerings on the Gamecube. Besides, Metroid Prime is a single-player experience first and foremost, so just enjoy the ride solo and forget the slim multiplayer.
Metroid Prime set the bar for immersion. Every natural element felt real and constantly drew the player in. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes sacrifices the environmental variety for suspenseful claustrophobia, but still is a fantastic-looking game. The textured shadows of Dark Aether are a stark parallel to the hopeful shines of Light Aether; it's that contrast that really draws the player in. Excellent lighting and beam weapon effects are constant. Sound is equally superb, with stellar themes throughout the game and plenty of solid weapon burst design from each attack. Though it lacks variety and that awe factor of its predecessor, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is still one of the best-looking games of its generation.
Pros
+ Captures the superb exploration and combat of its predecessor
+ Creates a creepy, isolated atmosphere, especially in Dark Aether
+ Stellar challenges and boss design
+ Great presentation
Cons
- Lacks the variety of the original Metroid Prime
- Multiplayer feels like an afterthought
I didn't expect anything in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes to match up to the original Metroid Prime, but remarkably, Retro Studios has created a finely tuned and engaging sequel to one of the Gamecube's greatest titles. Every piece of stellar gameplay and brilliant puzzle design seen in past Metroid games is in Samus's dimension duality dive. Though the isolation and haunting atmosphere of Dark Aether may call unto the spirits of survival horror, the exploratory elements and powerful combat sequences keep the souls of Metroid alive and kicking. The multiplayer is forgettable, but an extensive and content-packed single-player component more than makes up for it. At the end of the day, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is a creepy, cohesive action-adventure title that has enough energy and strength to stand on its own two feet. It does feel a bit familiar, but Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is a sequel worthy of the Metroid Prime name.