Metroid Prime 2: Echoes

[Psychanalysis05%]

Well, I just got Prime 2 today as an early Xmas present. So far I'm liking, I just got to the second part of the temple grounds (second save room) and it's really interesting. THe marine logs remind me a lot of Doom 3.
(By the way, Metroid Prime was my favourite game in the last 9 years since Secret of Mana.)

 

[NapalmAndFriends]

Metroid Prime was kickass. Too bad I was drugged and traded it in for Neverwinter Nights.

 

[Sui]

LMFAO!!

sorry Psychanalysis05%, but your avatar made me read an issue of johnny. i was reading the meanwhile sketch from issue 2... and a guy is at a candlelit dinner and has just shat himself. He tries to think of an excuse to get up, but can't. It ends up being so bad he jumps up, can't think of an excuse so he screams

"OH GOD! SOMEBODY PUT SHIT IN MY PANTS!!!1"

LMFAO!!! that was so hilarious i was laughing my head off for ages


andyway, back on topic. I've completed the first one (with 80% i think) and i'm goign to get the second one for Christmas. Is it diverse from the first one, or do the locations seem pretty similar? i can't wait till i get it (along with halo2)

 

[Psychanalysis05%]

Hahahaha, oh god, that was classic. I don't know if you've read I Feel Sick (the comic about Devi - the girl Johnny fell in love with) but it shows that she was the girl on the date with that guy. I personally preferred the Meanwhile about the vampire. Or the one about Super Jhonen! But anyway..

Metroid Prime is my favourite game, as I said earlier I've beaten it many times (even played through with the Fusion Suit a couple times, heh)...and Prime 2 seems even better. So here goes.
I'm currently, I'm thinking, about a 5th through it, 34% of the logable scans and 11% items so far. The locations so far are pretty astouding. They have an incredible alien architechture to them that gives the world a very divese and unique feeling. And the dark, twisted architecture of the Ing is a sight to behold The control system has been retained from Prime (personally, I think it's PERFECT) but has been loosened up a little to make it a bit more fluid. The graphics are a hell of a lot more detailed now, and the locations are a lot less cramped and contain more wide areas. The particle effects for splosions are spot-on and they make extra nice use of the visual twisting effects (like the way the air warped around a charge beam blast in Prime). The music is just as awesome as it was in Prime, if a little better in some instances (though the Phendrana Drifts in Prime had some of the best BGM in videogame history), they also make good use of dynamic music changes too. I scanned a computer in one room and some things opened up to reveal a puzzle of sorts, and the music changed to suit the atmosphere of...puzzle solving, really. The game seems just the right difficulty too so far, which is nice. Not easy, but not overly hard. Back to the subject of scanning, the scan visor has had a major overhaul. Instead of searching for those shitty little boxes to scan, not scannable objects are completely highlighted.Blue for normal scannable objects - scan to get a little info, red for important scans - switches, log book stuff, and green for already scanned stuff. The log book has also seen major changes. Now every log book item has a huge description that you have the option of readin whenever you want. When you scan the item it gives you a little info, and then says 'More information added to logbook.' which you can review any time. Very useful for getting backstory or readin up on enemy tactics. There also a very 'Doom 3' style marine log system where if you scan the dead bodies of some of the marines early on, you can read their logs...creepy stuff.
The story of the game is also very cool so far, but I won't divulge that just yet. All in all, it seems to be providing a better experience.
The feeling of cold, desolate isolation still remains somewhat from Prime also. Not as overwhelming (which was one of my favourite things about Prime), but it's still there, bearing down on you, wanting you to break.

The multiplayer - the thing many players were wary of, I have to say...is awesome! It was the first thing me and a friend who lives in my building tried and I have to say, damn. That was fun. It's kinda like Halo meets...Metroid really. It's basically Halo 1's MP with Metroid abilities. Very fun stuff.

All in all, I'm very impressed. Don't worry Suicide, you're in for a great Xmas with this beauty.

 

[Sui]

wow, this sounds amazing. I'm the kind of person who will read every scrap of info i get, carefully observing every word in the logbook- and i'm glad that theres more info. The music was one of my favoriute things in the origonal, so i'm glad they've kept with the trend here.

and lol- i loved the vampire sketch That saerves them damn goths for wanting to be vampires!

 

[Brian Damage]

Christmas money target # 2: AQUIRED!.

 

[Psychanalysis05%]

I forgot to mention. It has the screw attack. The view changes to third person for repeated jumps in the air (kinda like in the classic Metroid games). The one thing Prime was missing, this game has.

 

[Malfunction]

Ahh...Metroid, one of my favorite Nintendo-exclusive titles that I can shove in PS2/XBox fanboys' faces.

I LOVED the first one. I too read every bit of info there was. I just loved the Sci-Fi feel. I'm close to the end in Echoes, so I won't spoil anything, but I will say a few things.

Space Pirates are no longer the main enemy. They play a much lesser role in the game than you'd expect in a Metroid game, which isn't a bad thing.
The music is still great.
Visuals are pretty much identical to Prime, so don't expect to be blown away.
More cinematics.
REALLY COOL SUITS!
Multi-player is AMAZING! I haven't had that much fun in a console MP game since Goldeneye, and I was only playing against one person. Locking on does not ruin gameplay at all.
The morph ball is used much much more.

Also, Echoes is a lot harder than Prime. Throughout almost all of Prime I only relied on the hint system, no walkthroughs. Well, I was a baby and have been using a walkthrough through almost the entire game. After doing so, I can't imagine how I could have gotten through the game without it. Is it just me, or does it seem the hint system takes longer to come into effect than in Prime? I think I've only seen it guide me twice, maybe three times, but that was it.

Finally, the locales are not similar to Prime. There is no hot and cold areas, but the areas are pretty cool. They each have their own theme which you have to adapt to using suit enhancements or common skill. And at last, boss battles are much harder. I remember in Prime I only had trouble with the Omega Pirate, but in Echoes, I think I've died about double the amount I did in Prime.

Great game. I'd give it a 8/10, mainly because it won't appeal so much to the people who haven't been long-time fans. For me though, I'd set the bar a notch higher at 9/10. Great for anyone who has played any Metroid game.

 

[Loke]

Also, Echoes is a lot harder than Prime.

How are the bosses in MP2? The same difficult as MP1 or harder/easier?

I found the bosses in MP1 pretty frustrating actually (especially Omega Pirate and Metroid Prime).

 

[Direwolf]

From what I've heard now they're all like the Omega Pirate.

 

[SubKamran]

Dude, get Paper Mario: The Thousand-Year Door, my playtime is approaching 30 hours (it tells you) and I'm nearing Level 20. I'm probably at level 17 or something. Second best game for Gamecube (after Windwaker). Man, it's amazing.

 

[Psychanalysis05%]

Yes, I agree. Echoes is a LOT harder than Prime. I maybe died twice throughout the whole of the first game, whereas I just died 3 times alone on the Boost Ball boss. That was a pain in the ass. I enjoy difficulty though, stops you from flying through the game.

 

[Malfunction]

Yes, I agree. Echoes is a LOT harder than Prime. I maybe died twice throughout the whole of the first game, whereas I just died 3 times alone on the Boost Ball boss. That was a pain in the ass. I enjoy difficulty though, stops you from flying through the game.

Yeah, the Boost Ball Guardian was one of the hardest bosses in a Metroid game ever, at least, I think so. But after two or three times of trying, I figured out that you could get him into puddle form by having him run into your bombs while he was boosting about. Then you'd just pound him with more bombs until he got up.

I'd say that the easiest boss was a little easier than Omega Pirate, but on average, most are about the same or even harder. Really fun though.

 

[Direwolf]

Got a little play time in today. Really amazing design work on the environments. Very creepy.