2D Platformers / Metroidvanias

Haven't played it

Metroid: Samus Returns (3DS)

Bit of an odd one. A "new" developer's remarkable first attempt at a Metroid game that kind of gets Metroid but at the same time kind of... doesn't? Definitely a good game in its own right, but imo doesn't quite reach the greatness of the best Metroid games.

I appreciate that it's a tight action platformer, I'm always in for that--even if I'm not super happy with the over-reliance on the parry mechanic. That may just be me, I just dislike parry mechanics in general. Not a huge fan of how free aim locks you into position either, I prefer the "mobile diagonal aim" of the previous games. But still, it's fine for what it is, it's entertaining enough.

However, a serious problem with the combat is how repetitive it is. It feels like you're fighting the same 3 basic enemies over and over again throughout the entire game, especially those fucking bats. It's not entertaining enough to sustain the endless repetition, and the main reason why I abandoned a second playthrough because it gets really, really old. It also hurts the distinctiveness of different areas: although they differ in looks and atmosphere, the ever-the-same enemy encounters make them blur together in a way that everything feels the same.

Boss and Metroid fights are mechanically solid, but they're too long, especially for how many there are. Particularly egregious with Gammas, some of which you have to fight 3 times in 3 different rooms. Too much! I've had many complaints about M2, but "more time should be spent fighting Metroids" was not among them. I even prefer the Gamma fights in AM2R, they're janky but at least they're brief.

And while mechanically solid, boss encounters feel a bit too gamey for my liking. As in, it feels a bit like you're fighting generic video game bosses with the same generic patterns that you've fought in a hundred other games. In contrast, even though I wouldn't count Super's bosses among the best in gaming, they're very distinct. Take Draygon for example, you're up against a big fucking scary alien in a unique and memorable fight--in SR, most boss fights feel like "now telegraphed charge attack X, now 360° laser beam Y, now flying left and right dropping shit Z". It feels a little like it's all taken from a game design textbook, and that hurts my immersion a bit.

Related to that, one thing I think the game really doesn't get is when it's supposed to let you breathe and just let the environment sink in. There's this ominous giant empty room shortly before the final section, and then there's the final sequence after beating the final boss. AM2R honours both, SR ruins both by cramming more of the same gamey stuff in.

I also think it's overdoing the environmental puzzles/mazes. They're fine on a first playthrough, although even within that I had concerns about replayability. And sure enough, it's not fun to do them again on the second one. They also contribute to everything blurring together because they feel kind of the same in all areas.

And last but not least, I think the game is too big. M2 wasn't that small to begin with, AM2R added some extra areas but hits a sweet spot and it stays true enough to the original game to be vaguely recognisable. SR puffs everything up too much, areas are huge and crammed with stuff.

I criticised forced backtracking in the GBA games, but it's even worse here. Exacerbated by how linear the one-way paths from A to B tend to be, compared to the more open-ended, interconnected nature of the previous games. Somehow backtracking is more tedious than ever before despite having a fast travel system.

I think there's a great lot in this game that screams More Is More^TM like so many newer games do, probably so reviewers can say "you get 15 hours for your 40 quid" or something like that. But that's not good if it's repetitive, padded, overblown. What happened to "replay value"? In my opinion, that's a greater virtue than a long single playthrough, and one that ultimately provides more play hours per quid.

All of this must sound harsh. It is still a good game built on a very solid basis, and a must play if you're into Metroid. But it does have a lot of issues that in my opinion prevent it from being up there with the previous games from Super to AM2R.

7.5/10

I really miss run & guns. Something Contra-like. Last I can think of is Blazing Chrome, which was great, but that was a while ago now, and I’ve played it to nauseum.
But yeah, everything these days is a Symphony of the Night clone with a “Souls” reference used as a buzzword.