"As usual, Nintendo's big titles do not upset."

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is the highly anticipated sequel to Metroid Prime, considered one of the best if not the best game for the Gamecube. Released in 2002, Metroid Prime amazed almost everyone with its graphics, gameplay, and amazing layout. Two years later, Retro Studios brings out its sequel for Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes (MP2E). Metroid Prime was probably the best franchise for a previous 2-D only game to be turned into a 3-D game franchise. I have always been a Metroid fan, and Metroid Prime blew my socks off. But, did Retro Studios continue with the great work?
Gameplay: 10/10

Like in Metroid Prime, the gameplay for MP2E is simply amazing. Like many sequles, Retro Studios used the "if it ain't broke, don't touch it" routine. This is where I find many sequles to big title games fall. MP2E has the EXACT same control style as Metroid Prime. B Button still used to jump, A button still used to shoot, R button still used to lock onto enemies and look around, and so on. Gameplay is pretty much everything to me, and especially in a First Person Adventure game, it really does matter. Retro did an amazing job with this in the first game, and I tip my hat to them for leaving this alone. Of course, there are some new upgrades in MP2E that have some new combinations, but they have been worked in very nicely with a classic video game feel to them. One example is the new gravity float upgrade you get. Normally, you press B once to jump and B again to do a double jump (thanks to your trust space boots), but while underwater you can press and hold B again after the double jump to float for a good while going upwards. This is a great option to get out of hassels and reach new heights!

Scanning things is back in MP2E. If you haven't played Metroid Prime, Samus is able to use her special Scanning Visor to scan things around. She is able to scan computers, enemies to find out their weaknesses, and certain objects to find out what to do with them/how to use them. There are scans in pretty much every different area in this game, and there are hundreds of them in the game, if not thousands. There are a couple of hundred that are special and are downloaded into your log book, such as enemies and research data which you can come back to anytime during your adventure by accessing your logbook (which is on the start pause screen). There are more scans in MP2E than there were in Metroid Prime by far. This is really what makes the game an adventure. Infact, if you don't scan most of the things, the full story of the game isn't released, as you learn things from the Lore's (the history of certain things, such as the Luminoth).

Probably one of the best things about the gameplay is your sense knowing, well, nothing. The game starts off with a short cutscene with your ship crash landing on Planet Aether, and you're left to search. This is where the game starts, nearly no background information. It just throws you in there, and for a first person adventure, I feel thats important to give you a sense of feeling lost, as it makes it feel more like reality.

The learning curve to the controls will be either short or long, depending if you have played Metroid Prime (in which case you'll know them right away, obviously) or not. If you have played Zelda games or any first person shooter game (such as Goldeneye or Halo), you'll pick it up quite fast. Metroid Prime 2 uses the same lock-onto-enemies scheme as Zelda games do, and your view is out of Samus's eyes like in First Person Shooters. The only difference between FPS and first person adventures? Metroid Prime 2 never breaks for a level change, its one continous world. Great job on the gameplay by Retro Studios.

Story: 9.5/10

I'm picky when it comes to stories for adventure games, as it really does matter. Metroid games have never really had much of a story, rather the story is spread out among many games. To keep things short, at the end of Metroid Prime, you defeat a race of aliens called the Space Pirates on a large planet called Tallon IV. You also discover a radioactive material called Phazon which as horrible mutating effects on anything it touches. You defeat this large, Phazon mutated enemy at the end, and that is where Metroid Prime leaves off.

MP2E takes off right about here. Messages from Galactic Federation Marine Squad Bravo havn't responded for days, and Samus gets the call to go see whats going on. Her ship targets the planet they're on, and she heads there immediately. Upon arriving, the planet known as Aether looks a little bit, different. The planet seems to have two very different atmospheres. One dark, one light. As she approaches a planet, she gets caught in a atmosphiric storm, and she crash lands in a little cave below the surface of Aether. Her ship is damaged, but Samus must find out what is going on here. After searching for a little while, you come across the squad's ship. After watching a Marine video, you learn that the whole squad has been killed by a bunch of dark, spider like enemies. Upon venturing further into the planet, Samus finds a Luminoth, the race of Planet Aether. A while ago, a huge metoriate crashed into Aether (seems a little bit familiar doesn't it...), and tore the planet up into two, a light side, and a dark side. Both are in different time dimensions. You learn about the evil race known as the Ing, who are increadibly strong foes to the Luminoth. Despite their stuggles, the Luminoth are slowly loosing the war against the Ing. The light side of Aether is starting to fall into a barren desert, bog, and swamps. The energy from the light world has been take, and Samus has asked to find the energy and take it back to the light world, or else Aether is doomed. Thats basically the storyline. I love the fact how the story unfoldes as the game progresses, and its not all released at the beginning, middle, or end.

If you scan everything, the story in this game will unfold even more.

Graphics / Sound : 10/10

Like Metroid Prime, the graphics are just unbelivable. The in-game graphics are superb, the textures on rocks are amazing, enemies look just plain great, and even the rooms you search once have an increadible amount of detail. Retro didn't snooze here, as MP2E really uses the Gamecube's graphic engin to its full extent. The lighting effects are very good. Like in Metroid Prime, if you look up when its raining, you can see rain drops appear on Samus's visor, and if you walk under a waterfall your visor fogs up for a few seconds, which makes this game very realistic. You can see water splash off your arm cannon when its raining, and the detail on Samus's suit is great. You must play the game to fully experience it. Also, if you have a tv that supports Progressive Scan and have the special HD component on the Gamecube, you can excel the graphic power even more.

The music in MP2E is just great. It really does give a feel to the certain attitude of how the level is suposed to feel. For example, if you're in a room with a lot of shadowy enemies, the music sounds freaky. If you're in a place where its raining and everything is moving very slowly, nature at its fullest, the music is slow and echoey. Metroid Prime supports Dolby Pro Logic II, so all of you out there with 5.1 surround sound will experience this game at its best. If something is charging at you from being, you hear its footsteps against the ground in the rear speakers, the track recognition is simply amazing.

Play Time / Replayability: 10/10

If you're a fan of very long games, then MP2E is definitly for you. MP2E is probably one of the longest games I've ever played, as it just never feels like its going to end. The first time I played, it took me about 8 hours to get to 40% completion (yea, I might be very slow, I know =D ), which means if you go after every scan point and item, this game can easily have 20 + hours of gameplay in it. Great for those people who just love a game that keeps on going over and over, well worth the time to.

Replayiability is quite good. Although the puzzles stay the same and the enemies are usualy the same in the same area, the game is so big that you'll most likley forget how to do half of the stuff. MP2E is VERY hard, the Hard Mode on Metroid Prime equals the normal difficulty on MP2E. The Hard Mode on MP2E, which I have just started, I can already tell is going to keep me playing for a very, very long time.

Multiplayer: 7/10

Ok, well its not the best multiplayer feature out there. Compares nothing to Halo 2's, but its still fun and good for laughs. The levels are quire good, rounded out well (although there could have been some more of them). The way they layed out the weapons were nice, and everyone has a very equal change at the game as you can all do the same things. It comes down to who has more skills (as having the biggest beam weapon isn't always the best...). Good job for introducing multiplayer to the Metroid series.

Final Recommendation

If you played and liked Metroid Prime, get Metroid Prime 2. It is simply amazing, and probably one of the best sequals to a game that I've ever witnessed. Here's a little sumup:

Pros:
+ Exteremly long for the people who lke long games :)
+ Very hard for the people who like challenging puzzles
+ Story unfoldes well
+ Gameplay is amazing
+ Graphics and Sound use the most out of Gamecube's abilities
+ Control Style is the same as Metroid Prime, which is good
+ Multiplayer is fun
+ No loading times

Cons:
- More levels in multiplayer would have been nice
- Some enemies can get a little bit annoying

Final Score: 10/10
Retro did a fantastic job.

Rent or Buy?

- If you never played Metroid Prime, you should rent first to see if you like the control style.

- If you have played Metroid Prime, or like the gameplay style of Zelda, then you'll love this game, guarenteed!

Reviewer's Score: 10/10, Originally Posted: 02/13/06