Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

"..................Amazing, just amazing"

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

Hey there! You are thinking of getting the awesome game Metroid Prime 2: Echoes aren't ya? Well, I beat it at its max and I want to make you do the same. This is my first review so sorry if it isn't very good. Bear with it alright?

Intro

Well, Samus is sent on a mission to find some Galactic Federation troopers. You find them dangling by their feet apparently dead. She goes through their base and finds Dark Samus! She goes to the Dark World, a twisted version of the Light World. Going to the Dark world was a bad choice, for you come back with practically nothing. Maybe that huge temple thing in the sky can help. There, you find out that a Phazon meteorite had hit the planet. The Phazon ripped apart the space-time continuum and created Dark Aether. Along with this creation came the Ing. They are 5-legged creatures of darkness that know no mercy. When the planet had two sides, energy was created to support each side. The Ing and the Luminoth soon realized this and they tried to collect it. Now the 2 races are at war. The Luminoth had created an Energy Transporter to get the energy. The Ing Steal it and use it against them. The Ing are winning. The Luminoth are near defeat and Light Aether is about to crumble. You decided. You will help the Luminoth.

Gameplay

Basically the same as the Metroid Prime. If you liked the original, then you'll like this one. If you never played the original, rent it and you'll see what I mean. Many people consider this a FPS. It is actually a FPA, First-Person Adventure. That changes everything. The game is fairly difficult. The bosses are pretty easy. You might get bored after a bit with the backtracking but hey, that is what Metroid is about. The back tracking might bore you but the rest is just cool, especially when you get the Screw Attack. And the new beams (Dark,Light, and Annihilator) are just amazing. The Dark is the Ice, Light is Plasma, and Annihilator is the Wave Beam. This may be surprising but there is a ammo system to the beams. You may think "Oh great." or you can think "This will make things more difficult. I better get those expansions" What happens if you run out? You charge a shot. And you have the handy, dandy, Power Beam! Overall, it is a hard game and is pretty fun to play. 9/10

Story

Some people say this story is the same as Metroid Prime. Wrongo! You find the Federation dangling upside-down on a web. Whoopsie. They aren't dead. They were just possessed by something. Well, if they shoot, I should too. You continue to walk along. Then you'll meet Dark Samus who, if you remember getting 100% on Metroid Prime, is Metroid Prime. You chase it into a Dark Portal and you get the first taste of the Dark World. Dark Samus is absorbing Phazon! Now where the heck did that come from? Anyways, your sis shoots the crystal that is protecting you. While your circle of clean air is shrinking, about 10 creatures are surrounding you. Not very good odds. The bubble diminishes and you are drowning! Not really but the air in Dark Aether is poisonous. The Ing attack and you retreat back to the Light World. Check your screen. You lost everything except for your Scan Visor, Morph Ball, Power Beam, and Charge Beam. You figure that you can just escape and get some new ones from the Federation. Then you realize that you can't turn back! You, the player is about to weep and cry "Why? WHY?" you go to a temple in the sky, thinking that someone in their will help you. Some insect speaks to you and now you will go to the Dark Temples, unlock the door, defeat the boss, and return the energy to Aether. BOOM! Instant story. You must aid the Luminoth against the wicked Ing. You will find the Energy Controllers, bring them back and restore peace to Aether! Just one little problem. The Ing. They are furious at you and they want you in the corner of pay and back. This won't be easy. Though you are the best bounty hunter ever, you are no match for the thousands of Ing. Anyways, on your quest to find the Energy Controllers, you defeat the Ing. The Ing that stole your abilities. Now they are in the world of payback. By the time you get the final Energy Controller, you can defeat the Ing once and for all. Basically, you are helping an intellectual race of insects against 5-legged creatures of darkness. Sounds fun doesn't it? 9/10

Graphics/Sound

There are a few words I can use to describe this. Good, excellent, exciting. The graphics are just as good, if not better, than Metroid Prime. It seems so real, you may forget that you are sitting in front of your TV. The guts in your face, The mist on your visor, the way rain falls, it's all so perfect. And that's just the graphics. When you hear the sounds, you will feel like you are in Aether, fighting evil. The sounds are so realistic! You step in swampy land, you actually hear the squish. You jump in water, you hear a splash. You get hurt, you hear Samus grunt in pain. You kill a Pirate, you can hear him die. You walk along, you hear footsteps. The eerieness of the music in the Dark World is amazing as well. You will think about the scariness of Lord of the Rings. I have seen many games for the Gamecube, but the sounds and graphics for this goes way beyond my expectations. Seriously, this is the best graphics I've seen since Metroid Prime. The Cube really had its work cut out. Too bad I can't give it 11 out of 10. 10/10

Play Time/Replayability- This game is very long, especially if you aim for the 100%. You will backtrack a lot so that will slow you down. Include all the obstacles in your way and you are in for some serious time. This game will take you around 15 hours. Twenty if you aim for the 100%. The replayability isn't as good. You unlock Hard mode when you finish and you can always play multiplayer but it just isn't as good. Hard mode will give you an extra 5 hours but it isn't worth it. Oh well. At least the enemies are harder to kill. 8/10

Ect.

Adventure games usually don't have all that wowness and little details for you to notice, especially if they have an awesome first player. But this gets interesting. You can unlock art galleries and soundtracks for multiplayer. Sure the multiplayer isn't every good but at least they gave it a go. The graphics are toned down but it is fun for a while! 9/10

Recommendation

Get it. The game is excellent despite the lack of replayability. If you don't want to spend to 50 bucks, go rent it and change your mind. But I would buy it. Run to the nearest store and get it now. Don't got a Cube? Get one. The game is good enough to spend the extra 70 dollars. If you don't believe me, it's your loss.

Overall score: 9.5/10

I gave it an extra .5 because of the new beam system. I think it is a great feature to the game. It makes things way more challenging.It rounds up to 10.

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/05/05