Metroid: Other M

[SuperLink]

I was also plesantly surprised. Other M might has well been Fusion 3D. The setting, characters, bosses, and plot are all the same. I mean really.

Of course it makes sense. Nightmare had to have existed before an X could have infected it. And Nightmare was under GF control. Just no one expected Samus to have fought it prior to Fusion.

But Samus having undercovered a GF Metroid breeding program prior to Fusion certainly does make the one unveiled in Fusion less impactful. AI Adam certainly wasn't kidding when he said "You must have suspected it by now." They could've made Bottle Ship run by anyone else other than the GF. But no, let's give more bait for Samus to trust her government even less.

I wonder what'll happen with Samus after Fusion? She clearly can't trust the government at all anymore, plus she has gone against their orders multiple times.

It would be pretty depressing if she turned out to be a fugitive of some sort, despite how many times she's saved their asses.

Anyway, side-stepping the topic again (to Ridley).

I know I usually get really annoyed at Ridley's mindless inclusions into Metroid games, and I'm still pretty annoyed at Samus' reaction to him this time around, but I have to say...

The story of Ridley's rebirth really creeps me out in some ways, and it gives Ridley quite a lof of plot importance in Other M too. Basically, for possibly the first time in the series, Ridley is really important and interesting to an individual title, and I dig that.

[Agent York]

She goes through so much more in Fusion, dealing with a creepy AI that reminds her of the only man she ever really trusted, being stalked by an almost godly powered parasite who stole her identity, lack of contact with the outside world, heck, she died at the beginning of the game.

Yet in Fusion she remains cool calm at collected at almost all times, only to lose herself a little towards the end when she discovered the Metroids.

To be fair she has probably been through so much by that point that she's been desensitised, but I really would have appreciated more of a "badass" approach to Samus. Not an "uncaring jerk" approach per-se, those are different things, an approach that makes her just keep strongly clinging to hope, no matter how dire the situation. Other M isn't really making me any more attached to her than I already am, so if you ask me they've failed in that aspect.

Imo Fusion is the best portrayal of her character by far.

Fusion takes place after this game OR after this game and some other in-between title or a few. But at the end of this game... Well I better mark it with spoilers.

When Adam sacrifices himself Samus doesn't grief but feels herself accepting her duty and place in the world. There's more to it, but she feels as if Adam has given her his last gift, the calm eye-of-the-storm ability to be collected when everything around her is madness, to overcome problems to be calm and collected and do what needs to be done.

[Conando]

She's barely badass at all in Other M, so I'm naturally disappointed.

I'd like to see you climb up the flailing tentacles of a lava beast to deliver sweet plasma justice to its face. I don't know about you, but actions speak louder than words when it comes to badassery. At least in this case, because before she talked all that seemed to be coming from her was cold bitch. A bit harsh, yeah, but she didn't have a personality at all until Fusion. Which, I admit, IS rather different from Other M. Though, Dusk's spoiler explains that.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Hero Of Fate

[Doctor MK]

Got this yesterday, had about an hour or so of playtime thus far... and it's actually not as disappointing as I thought it was going to be. Nowhere near. The controls work surprisingly well and a few gripes aside *cough*forcedscanningsections*cough* this is shaping up to be a really good Metroid game. I'm finding it a bit difficult to pull of Lethal Strikes and Overblasts at the moment, but I'm sure I'll get the hang of them with time.

Also, Samus' voice seems less annoying when I hear it in-game. Dunno why. It's bearable, at any rate.

It's a thumbs up (or should that be thumbs down, eh Samus?) from me.

[Conando]

After playing it through myself (and deciding on whether to go through again) I'd have to say it's a lot better than people were making it out to be as well. I wonder if a lot of the negativity has to do with the fact that it's different, but even then the core game is still classic Metroid transitioned into a 3D plane.

[Yong]

I'd like to see you climb up the flailing tentacles of a lava beast to deliver sweet plasma justice to its face. I don't know about you, but actions speak louder than words when it comes to badassery.

Yeah, and Samus crying like a little girl at the mere sight of a certain creature is super badass.

[Noir]

I wonder what'll happen with Samus after Fusion? She clearly can't trust the government at all anymore, plus she has gone against their orders multiple times.

It would be pretty depressing if she turned out to be a fugitive of some sort, despite how many times she's saved their asses.

This would honestly be fucking awesome for a game, to have the Federation trying to track her down and capture her, with her fighting them off or something.

EDIT: Oh hey... this is my 1000th post. PARTY.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Noir

[Saint Nathan]

Yeah, and Samus crying like a little girl at the mere sight of a certain creature is super badass.

I actually don't think she cried. Did she? She just seemed to freak out and go inside her head for a second.

Which I still think you're far too hard on her for. Emotion must be baaaaad, if you shoot things and are next to superhuman, welp I guess you can never have your moments even though you are still human, sorry about that there.

[Diogenes]

Don't pull this shit. No one's saying she has to be an emotionless killer robot, but her actions should make sense given what she's done and how she's acted in the past, and this, doesn't.

[Saint Nathan]

Don't pull this shit. No one's saying she has to be an emotionless killer robot, but her actions should make sense given what she's done and how she's acted in the past, and this, doesn't.

That was mostly me talking stuff out of proportion for laughs, obviously nobody really thinks that. At the same time though,

it's a little strange to expect her not to freak out a little at first. The first time she was hunting him down, so she expected an attack, in Prime 1 she was hunting him down AGAIN, Prime 3 he'd attacked her twice by that point, and once AGAIN in Super Metroid he fought with her for two seconds and then left.

This is the first time he'd appeared and Samus' hasn't expected it.

[Noir]

That was mostly me talking stuff out of proportion for laughs, obviously nobody really thinks that. At the same time though,

it's a little strange to expect her not to freak out a little at first. The first time she was hunting him down, so she expected an attack, in Prime 1 she was hunting him down AGAIN, Prime 3 he'd attacked her twice by that point, and once AGAIN in Super Metroid he fought with her for two seconds and then left.

This is the first time he'd appeared and Samus' hasn't expected it.

That's actually a really good point that I hadn't thought of. In the past she's always been expecting to bump into him so it's probably safe to assume she came to terms with what she would have to do before the fight. This time she had no idea it would happen so it freaked her out.

[Saint Nathan]

That's actually a really good point that I hadn't thought of. In the past she's always been expecting to bump into him so it's probably safe to assume she came to terms with what she would have to do before the fight. This time she had no idea it would happen so it freaked her out.

Even in Fusion, you get a front row view to watch him be taken over by the X. And then she has nothing to worry about because, hey, it's not really him.

[Agent York]

In my opinion, no matter how much people complain about the Ridley scene, I really think that boss battle and onwards is where the game really picks up in story, gameplay, everything. It's the last third and I think that is where the game shines it's best. The problem is when it really starts kicking it feels like it's over too soon.

[SuperLink]

In my opinion, no matter how much people complain about the Ridley scene, I really think that boss battle and onwards is where the game really picks up in story, gameplay, everything. It's the last third and I think that is where the game shines it's best. The problem is when it really starts kicking it feels like it's over too soon.

Kinda agree.

No matter how I look at it, the plot pacing and telling is actually pretty bad in Other M, but I don't see the point in trying to defend it because the gameplay itself is fucking awesome.

Ridley again:

She should have been way more freaked out during her first ever battle with him in Metroid 1 though. There is no way you're going to persuade me otherwise. This guy killed her parents, you think she's emotionally prepared to battle him for the first time on what was once her home planet just because she's tracking him down? She should be so used to battling him by this point (Other M), there's no excuse for being paralysed with fear for well over a minute.

Endgame spoilers (not finished quite yet)

THE FINAL BOSS HOLY SHIT I WAS NOT EXPECTING THIS

EDIT: Lol okay I'm finished.

Quick summary of my experience:

Pros:

- Gameplay is a perfect 3D replica of the 2D Metroid experience, all of my love.

- Lots of nods/fanservice to other Metroid moments

- Metroidy music, enemies and areas galore

- Graphics bring out the crazier more cartoony side of Metroid better than the Prime games did

Cons:

- Controls

- Cutscenes and voice acting

- Gravity suit o7 nevar forget.

Overall I'd give it an 8 or 9/10, I can't decide yet. If I could ignore the melodrama and bad plot pacing I could probably give it a 9.

Edited September 4, 2010 by SuperLink

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

Cleared with 52% completion rate.

Game is great. The only things that bothered me are the forced scanning sections, anywhere where you have to rapidly switch between 1st and 3rd person, but even then you get the hang of it pretty quick, and the fact that I'm already done.

Loved everything about the plot and the voice acting, Samus included.

Less negativity in this thread plz. :3

[SuperLink]

I will gladly be less negative and admit that the gameplay is pretty much a dream come true for me, a 2D Metroid in 3D, a perfect transition.

But I'm not going to pretend the VA did justice to Samus.

Fair enough, that's quite a bit of work anyway, but there are so many VAs out there who would have done a better portrayal.

I also mostly like the plot, I just think the pacing is a bit erratic and could have achieved the same goal with less cutscenes (it really wasn't so deep that all these cutscenes are necessary), I especially like what they did with Ridley, however I don't like that the plot kinda demeans Fusion's events in some ways.

I think Other M sits comfortably alongside Super and Fusion.

[Agent York]

Did you guys get the real final boss and ending or the normal one? There is a bit ore to the game past the normal ending...

[Velotix von Skruviktorrius]

I did. It owned face.

No I'm not going to spoil it.

[SuperLink]

I'm hopefully headed towards that as we speak

[Agent York]

Probably for the best, Velotix Lexovetikan , it was very surprising.

I'm hopefully headed towards that as we speak

You're in for a treat, interested to hear your opinion on it when finished.

[Conando]

Did you guys get the real final boss and ending or the normal one? There is a bit ore to the game past the normal ending...

I got the true ending. The real final boss was epic.

[speedfreak]

I haven't beaten the normal game yet, but I've played long enough to say that this game is fucking awesome. The only parts I don't really like are the scanning the area crap and slow walking sections. I'm really enjoying the story and I think the voice acting/cut scenes are very well done.

Edited September 4, 2010 by speedfreak

[SuperStingray]

In my opinion, no matter how much people complain about the Ridley scene, I really think that boss battle and onwards is where the game really picks up in story, gameplay, everything. It's the last third and I think that is where the game shines it's best. The problem is when it really starts kicking it feels like it's over too soon.

Agreed. For most of the game, frankly, I found the story very lacking and predictable, but

her last encounter with Adam was probably one of the most touching moments in any Metroid game and the most humanizing of Samus. I don't think it was sexist to have Samus look to Adam as a father figure and cry when he died. Anyone in the same circumstances (i.e. orphaned) would need a father figure regardless of gender and seeing him die must've been like experiencing the death of her parents all over again. I don't care how nonchalant, powerful or badass you are in any other situation, the fact that one could collect herself so well after that is miraculous. The Ridley thing still irks me though. Fortunately, I was able to forgive it quickly because I was distracted by the return of his awesome theme song.

Edited September 4, 2010 by Hello. Look at my sig.

[SuperLink]

Welp, I just beat the extra boss.

Wow, I think I remember seeing this thing from Super Metroid, and if I was more attached the the game I'm sure I would have flipped a few lids.

I take it it's just a bonus boss, no particular story relevance? Still a fucking awesome easter egg, and a very fun battle!

EDIT: And of course, a Metroid game wouldn't be complete without the evacuation sequence!!

Edited September 5, 2010 by SuperLink

[Chaosmaster8753]

Played a bit of the beginning of the game at Gamestop, controls worked fine for me.