Metroid Prime 3: Corruption

9.6
Excellent

Gameplay	9.5	"One of the greatest games ever made."
Graphics	9.0
Sound	9.0
Value	9.0

By Mayur Gandhi

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Trilogies generally have the rough luck of not ending very well. Either the developers flush all their ideas out much before the third installment is even started or deadlines make the mission for high quality impossible. Arguably, this seemed to be the case for the Metroid Prime franchise; with the first being groundbreaking on almost every level and its sequel, though great, failing to be meet the high standard reached by its former.

Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is finally here after an all too lengthy wait, but does it continue along the downward spiral or take the series to higher levels?

If you've played either of the previous Metroid Prime titles you'll no doubt know about the significance of the mysterious otherworldly substance known as Phazon, and want to see some closure on the toll it's taking on the galaxy. Fortunately, closure is what Metroid Prime 3 is all about.

From the get go you're given the task of providing the cure for a virus which several supercomputers used by the Galactic Federation have been infected with. However, this is largely a superficial front for the crux of the prose, which is Samus' struggle to maintain the Phazon coursing through her blood.

Corruption contains more cinematics and voice-overs than we've ever seen in a Metroid title, which really gives the game a more commercial look and feel. And though they are plenty, they never ruin the pitch-perfect running mood of Metroid of being left alone in dark and desolate places. You'll get a torrent of exposition to set the scene early in the game, but slowly the game settles into a very Metroid tune, and in the end, things are brought together to finish with an epic conclusion.

The bump up on production values is a nice touch, but it doesn't mean all of it works. Some of the dialogue can be downright strange, but the story still remains at its core what you'd expect from a Metroid game. In the end, though, you'll get more out of the game and its universe by scanning logs and reading lore than you will from watching the game's cinematics.

Corruption's greatest change in design comes from the way you start the game. Usually, somehow, Samus will lose most-all her abilities from the outset; here, though, you'll start equipped quite adequately. By no means at all does this mean that by the game's end you won't have learned any new tricks. Chances are that you've heard all about these new abilities, but for those who haven't, experiencing the surprise is half the fun, and the other half is using them.

Previous Prime titles had Samus collecting multiple beam types; here, they basically work the same, although each has its own special passage it can open. To help simplify this, the traditional ice beam has been turned into an ice missile, and all beams are stackable. This means you won't need to switch between beams; your current beam inherits all the abilities of its previously collected ones. And this isn't the only area in which Corruption tidies the Prime formula.

Instead of presenting a huge over-world to explore, Samus must visit large areas on several planets to complete her mission. These areas, though large, are much easier to follow, and any fears of getting lost, something apparent in Metroid Prime 2: Echoes, have been put to rest.

Of course, Samus needs to get between these planets somehow, and that's where her gunship comes in. But flying isn't the only thing you'll be using your ship for; more on that shortly.

Backtracking has been an ongoing criticism of the Metroid series, which met its highest level in Echoes. Corruption still has the backtracking, and to be fair, it wouldn't be a Metroid game without it. What it does is strike a perfect balance, so when you are backtracking, you'll be hard pressed to realise that you actually are. This is due in large part to the sub-missions you'll be on, which range from investigating energy spikes, defeating enemies defending allies, taking out shield generators, and more, which always keep things freash. Corruption really adds a lot more depth to the overall mission this way. A checkpoint system has also been introduced here which allows you to restart from the last significant event as opposed to your last save at one of the game's evenly spread save-stations.

The game moves at an intense pace but will be brought to a screaming halt if you don't collect the computer system energy tanks scattered throughout the several worlds during your time leading up to the game's conclusion. This is unfortunate for gamers who don't realise this as they'll end up experiencing about five hours of the most exciting gameplay ever seen in gaming history, and find the game's conclusion split up by the scavenger hunt. However, play the game right and you're in for one hell of a treat.

It's obvious that this installment in the Metroid franchise was designed for a broader audience. With the streamlined backtracking, how the weapon and armour upgrades come much faster and now that mission objectives are much clearer, the game is really all the better off for it. The game's difficulty will have veteran fans worried as Corruption is undoubtedly the easiest in the series. Finish the game, though, and you'll be given access to Hyper mode, which will give any fan a good run for their money. And speaking of money, Corruption is great value, clocking in at 20 hours of gameplay before you try it on Hyper.

Metroid Prime was hailed as revolutionary for its first person lock-on mechanism, and Corruption deserves all the praise it receives for its own targeting system. All those promises you heard before Red Steel launched last year come to light here, and then some. The control system, quite simply, is the best you'll find on any home console.

You can still lock-on to enemies, but at the same time fine-tune your aim. In a matter of minutes you'll find yourself shooting with pinpoint accuracy and a few moments later you'll find it hard to want to use dual analogue sticks on a first person shooter ever again. If there's one thing which could've been improved, it's the colour of the targeting reticle. Because the environments you'll do combat in can be quite colourful, your reticle will often get lost amongst it all - but this aside, the combat is simply incredible.

The other Wii specific controls don't fare so well. The problem largely lies in actions which require you to push and pull the controller towards and away from the screen. This is a problem apparent in many Wii games where the Wii doesn't quite calculate correctly what you're doing. Fortunately, in the instances where you're required to perform such actions, you won't be doing so under duress.

As you'd expect, the morphball is back and with a greater emphasis; also returning are the classic visors like the scan and x-ray, but more importantly the command visor makes its debut. With this you'll be able to control Samus' ship from the ground and do a few things you'd not expect. You'll be able to call in the ship for air strikes, use it as a mobile save station on the various landing pads you find and more. Soon enough, the ship really becomes an extension of your armour, and thinking about how to tackle a puzzling situation means you've got to think outside the Samus-square.

One of the reasons why the game is so much easier than previous Metroid titles is due to the inclusion of the Hyper mode. By holding down the + button, Samus enters this mode and can decimate even the toughest of foes within seconds. You'll find that when the odds are against you Hyper mode is a good friend to call on for help. Minor issues aside, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption is a near-perfect gaming experience.

Most assume that particle effects and pixel shaders are the ingredients for a beautiful game, but Corruption proves that the core ingredient for the graphical recipe is art direction. Hands-down, this is the best-looking Wii game on the market and can even stand its ground against its stalwart "next-gen" brothers. This isn't to say that Corruption is without its own technical merit - bloom effects and transparencies really look fantastic and the further you get into the game, the better it looks. This almost acts as motivation for you to explore the next area, if the game's other expertly designed features weren't motivation enough. There are so many little details which really add to the overall experience - for example, as the game progresses Samus becomes more and more consumed by the Phazon inside her, and it takes a toll on her appearance. This isn't something you're told; instead, in brief moments when light flashes on Samus' visor her face is reflected back on to the glass and you'll see the damage progressively get worse as you get through the game. This detail is something most won't even notice. Another small detail is that when her face reflects on the glass you'll see Samus' eyes track where you're pointing your reticle.

The original Metroid Prime is one of the highest rated games of all time, and Metroid Prime 3: Corruption can easily stand by its side. Its incredible controls and even gameplay really elevate the franchise to new levels. Hardcore purists may find the greater emphasis on combat sacrilegious but for everyone else this is the Metroid game we've been waiting for since Super Metroid on the Super Nintendo. By the end of it all you'll find yourself justifying the purchase of your Wii, understanding why you're proud to be a gamer, and praying to the Gods for a sequel, and soon.

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