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Metroid: Other M Preview
Look who's talking!
Written by Thomas Worthington, 03 August 2010
Haven't we had enough of Samus Aran? Despite being MIA during the Nintendo 64 era, it's hard not to turn a street corner these days without seeing the Bounty Hunter blasting some Space Pirates into outer space.
Metroid Other MPerhaps we haven't but it seems Retro Studios, the team behind the successful Prime trilogy certain has, leaving the franchise in the hands of Japanese developer Team Ninja to work their magic on Ms. Aran's next voyage into the galactic, Other M.
Metroid Other MAs revolutionary as it was to see things through the visor of our heroine, Team Ninja opts for a hybrid of old and new. For the most part, Other M is played like a 2D platformer ala classic Metroid accompanied by a more traditional control scheme - hold the Wii Remote sideways and you can move Samus around corridors in a 3D environment blasting parasites that trickle from the ceilings and drag along the walls.
Metroid Other MThat's not to say the efforts of Retro Studios efforts have been forgotten. A quick flick of the Wii Remote to the pointer position and now we see everything through Samus's visor ala the Metroid Prime series. Switching to this perspective allows for pin-point accuracy although this is strictly for scanning your surroundings and some delicate combat manouvers such as targeting an enemy's weak point or a structural weakness in a tightly locked door.
PlayZine Issue 41
For our latest Metroid Other M coverage, click here to download PlayZine Issue 41 for free.Switching between these gameplay styles is key to making your way through an abandoned Galactic Federation Vessel occupied by strange parasites. You're not alone in your exploration as moments into the game you'll discover former compadres Anthony Higgs and former commander Adam Malkovich onboard who will be issuing Samus with orders and lifting restrictions on her abilities as she progresses.
It's a change of pace from the isolated ventures of the Prime series. An early boss battle sees Samus working with the team, relying on their ice pistols to freeze the enemies which she can shatter into piece with her rockets. Of course Samus has come equipped with some new abilities although not of the Varia suit variety. New skills including a quick dodge and lethal cinematic kills allow Samus to get into the action more than ever before.
It is perhaps the change in storytelling that will appear most alien to Metroid fans. Regular flashbacks draw upon Samus Aran's tattered past and carefully piecing together the events that led her to become the Bounty Hunter she is today - In particular, the closing events of Super Metroid brought out of their former 16-bit glory and into the graphic prowess of the Wii are quite astonishing.
Perhaps it's the Team Ninja touch but my impression is that Other M does away with player immersion focussing more on delving into its heroines rich past. Samus has come equipped with a voice and she certainly wants to make it heard. She'll often narrate you through cut-scenes, segueing you into flashblacks or explaining a remark from a former colleague.
30 minutes into the opening chapter of Other M and it's clear that Team Ninja have been careful not to step on too many toes. It's hardly the perilous leap that Retro Studios managed with the Prime series managed but Team Ninja have respectfully allied both the old and new whilst taking risks of its own. A heavier storyline is evident and yes, Samus is now a walking talking threat to those in her path but Other M is shaping up to be a much deserved breath of fresh air. We've been stuck in that stuffy helmet for too long.
Metroid Other M coverage available in PlayZine Issue 41 - click here to download it for free!
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