--242, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption
Taking inspiration from Metroid Prime Hunters, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption integrates both Samus' ship and other bounty hunters into the gameplay and story in a very natural evolution of the franchise. If only more Wii games were like it, the reputation of the console would have likely been quite different! Since the first two Metroid Prime games had such an impact on gaming, Corruption needed to both honor its predecessors and provide significant additions to the subseries to capture maximum acclaim. It succeeds on both accounts. With Metroid Prime 4 on the distant horizon, the wait provides a great opportunity for Metroid fans to revisit one of the best games in the series.
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Production Values
As with the later game Other M, Metroid Prime 3 is one of the most attractive games on the Wii--and it was also one of the first. There are three main planets to visit, along with several ships, all of which have their own distinct atmospheres, ecosystems, and collectibles. The level design is incredibly diverse and thoughtful, with Corruption having the most unique planet to appear in a Metroid game thus far (Elysia).
There is plenty of voice acting for various characters, like Federation marines and other bounty hunters, but Samus never speaks as she does in Other M. She remains the silent, stoic warrior that she is in Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, and Metroid Prime Hunters. The characters that do speak have writing and voice acting that are generally neither incredible nor horrendously poor in quality, though some of the voice actors are great fits for their roles. The rest of the audio is great, from the music (the soundtrack, including the title theme, is gorgeous!) to the iconic sound effects of the series.
Gameplay
With the exception of some specific gestures used to twist objects or move handles, the motion controls tend to work very well. Players must use pulling gestures with the nunchuk to remove enemy shields, rip away loose materials, and open up certain pathways; this is a great application of the nunchuk's motion controls. The point-to-aim controls with the Wii remote feel great, since they allow for far more natural, broad glances and shooting than the GameCube controller does.
Other additions to the classic Prime gameplay include hypermode and ship abilities. Now Samus can sacrifice energy tanks to briefly obtain heightened combat power and can upgrade her ship to equip it with its own abilities, like the capability to launch missiles at large targets. The ship is much more thoroughly integrated into the gameplay. Whereas the ship stayed in one location in Metroid Prime and Metroid Prime 2, in Corruption players can enter inside and fly to different planets as the story or desire for exploration demands. This makes the accessible parts of the universe seem much more vast than before.
Story
Metroid chronology:
1. Metroid/Metroid: Zero Mission (NES/GBA)
2. Metroid Prime (GameCube)
3. Metroid Prime Hunters (DS)
4. Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (GameCube)
5. Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (Wii)
6. Metroid Prime: Federation Force (3DS)
7. Metroid II: Return of Samus/Metroid: Samus Returns (Game Boy/3DS)
8. Super Metroid (SNES)
9. Metroid: Other M (Wii)
10. Metroid Fusion (GBA)
Spoilers!
Samus lands her ship aboard a Galactic Federation vessel, where she and three other bounty hunters are educated about the Federation's AU (Aurora Unit) supercomputers and recent Space Pirate activity, including the theft of AU 313. After they are tasked with administering a software vaccine to the AUs on other planets, Space Pirates attack both the vessel and the planet Norion below--and soon a massive object plummets towards the surface. Dark Samus seemingly defeats all four hunters and leaves them unable to prevent the object, called a Leviathan Seed, from reaching Norion, but Samus activates a defense system before falling into a month-long coma.
When she awakens, Samus learns that her body is self-generating Phazon (as a result of exposure to the weaponry of Dark Samus), which she can harness to enter hypermode. An AU tells Samus to travel to two nearby planets, Bryyo and Elysia, as they were struck by Leviathan Seeds of their own, the seeds producing Phazon. Though the other hunters were dispatched to these planets, they have gone silent, succumbing to the corrupting power of the Phazon in their own bodies.
Eventually, Samus visits the Pirate Homeworld, which has also been penetrated by a Leviathan Seed, and delivers it from the Leviathan as she did Bryyo and Elysia. As she progresses, the Phazon in her body corrupts her to a further extent, but she soon travels to the planet Phaaze, the origin of all Phazon in the galaxy. Samus defeats Dark Samus for the final time (as well as a stolen Aurora Unit), liberating the universe, and herself, from the effects of Phazon.
Intellectual Content
Being a prominent Metroid game, Corruption features numerous items to acquire and puzzles to solve, both mandatory and optional. There are many ways to use new abilities and weapons in the search for missile expansions, ship missile expansions, energy tanks, and energy cells; since there are multiple planets to visit and multiple landing sites on each planet, there is an extensive virtual world to scour. Players must use Samus' many abilities and weapons along with her ship's abilities to unlock all of the pathways needed to obtain every collectible.
Conclusion
Corruption easily succeeds as both a Metroid title and as a science fiction/adventure shooter, taking full advantage of the Wii's hardware capabilities and carefully evolving its franchise. Whether a person likes exploration, exotic weaponry, or just the general Metroid atmosphere, it is likely that they will appreciate the game. It would be a thrilling relief if Metroid Prime 4 continues and improves the franchise the way that Corruption did!
Content:
1. Violence: Samus' beam and missile weapons can freeze, scorch, and incinerate enemies, but all deaths occur bloodlessly.
2. Profanity: A Federation leader uses a mild expletive in one scene.
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