Metroid Prime 2 is one of the best games at this year's E3. Fans of the first game are going to be happy to hear that the sequel looks even better than the first while maintaining a fantastic frame rate. The game plays just like the first Prime, but of course there are some new visors and weapons that will add new play mechanics. The screw attack and wall jump are in the game and the light beam and dark beam are just a sample of the new features. The planet that Samus's new adventure takes place on is split into a dark world and a light world. The light beam hurts those enemies in the dark, and the dark beam is very damaging to those creatures in the light world. There are sure to be more new weapons and items as well.
Thus far I have mainly played the multiplayer mode. At first I was skeptical and curious to see how this mode would work. After all, target lock-on is still present in the game and I figured I see people die all the time due to this. Luckily, Retro Studios and Nintendo have created a very balanced game and it looks like there won't be any unfair adavantages. The level that was playable took place on a space station and the level is packed with secret passages and small areas where Samus must morph into a ball to traverse. Littered about the level are small switches that are activated by moving on top of them in the ball form. This will activate a device that will launch the player to a new area of the level, thus creating a fast escape from impending doom. Power-ups are scattered about. Besides the usual weapons like the charge beam, the new weapons are in place (light beam for example) as well as a very cool power-up called the death ball. When players get this they inflict massive damage to enemies simply by running into them. Similar to other FPS out there, invisibility and invunerability power-ups are hidden as well.
Retro promises many mutliplayer maps and plenty of different modes of play when the game ships this November. Unfortunately, no plans are currently in the works to create customized controls, so players unhappy with the control scheme from the first game may have to look elsewhere. Overall Metroid Prime 2 is one of the most polished games on the show floor and one of the most fun. I heard from several attendees that they feel it's the "next Goldeneye". Obviously Metroid Prime 2 plays very differently from Goldeneye, but my guess is they were simply implying it'll be just as fun. Multiplayer doesn't really fit into the story of the Metroid franchise and it's not supposed to. Just think of it as an added play mode to increase replay value.
We'll have much more on Metroid Prime 2 as it approaches release.
RSS
