Metroid Prime is a great adventure-FPS, but some of the design simply feels better suited for 2D sidescrolling
Despite my excitement the first impression really couldn't have been much worse. The main menu theme was absolutely lovely and amongst the best ever, but after that the first gameplay moments in space looked like the game was made for N64. The game didn't only look bad, but having to press a button to manually move the crosshair vertically seemed ridicilous. After getting used to the dual stick mechanisms of games like Halo I was thinking what kind of FPS is this? Fortunately it quickly turns out Metroid Prime isn't just a first person shooter, it's actually an adventure-action game in first person mode.
After the rough start the game slowly started to grow on me. The planet Tallion IV has everything from wildlife creatures to platform segments to puzzles to lots of scannable writings that give you background and info on the story. What starts as a simple and easy exploration, slowly but steadily turns more challenging and larger in scale. The HUD does a great job of adding immersion, and the music in this game is absolutely solid and makes me remember the days when game music was game music. Wandering into new environment with a simple but wonderous tune playing out is really memorable. It's good these set the mood so well because graphically the game is rather bare, although everything looks good compared to the space in the beginning, and mostly you are moving in tight corridors connected to larger rooms. As the game goes on there is also more shooting, which isn't all that great mechanically, but it works well enough and often has strategic elements into it.
A key trait in Metroid is exploration. Right from the start you can see lots of doors and paths leading to different directions. Catch is that Samus Aran's capabilities are very limited at first, so most paths are inaccessible. This is sort of a double-edged sword. While unlocking more paths to explore and improving your effiency in combat and platforming is great, the bare options actually limit exploration. Moving long ways into a direction only to realize that I lack the item needed to get past some obstacle is really frustrating at times, leading into plenty of unnecessary backtracking. On the other hand when you finally have the item to proceed, the sense of accomplishment couldn't be much greater. At times after progressing long ways in dangerous sectors near death and finding a save room also gives a nice sense of survival. Tallion can get quite inhospitable and you should save often.
Summary:
Metroid Prime does a great job combining immersive FPS-elements into a diverse world that demands exploration. You start weak and the game gently guides you towards the right direction, eventually leading you to become a total badass. The story doesn't deserve rewards, but the game allows you to skip all the writings and focus on what matters - exploration and discovery. The game had some frustrating moments and weird design choices like doors constantly requiring different ammo and while the game looks nice, it feels somehow artificial and cramped. As refreshing and enjoyable expedition Metroid Prime was, I still prefer the 2D Metroid, especially when considering replay-value.
***
8/10