Topic: I don't like metroid prime. Heres why:

[Reverse_Gecko]

Metroid Prime is a great game. Exerything about that game is perfect, perfect sound, perfvect graphics, perfect gameplay, perfect execution, perfect menus, ect...But it lacks something that keeps you going. Instead of thinking "im sooo close to beating this game!!im soooo exited", its like "ugg...why the hell cant the game just end. I wanna beat it, but i dont want to go all the way over there and fight that annoying boss, then do the other stuff, and.... aw screw it im gonna go play smash brothers."

One of the problems is that the story is driven by the log book. You gotta walk around scanning things, and then read hundreds of entries. I didn't want to do that, so there basically was no story for me. Cenimatics would of been far far superior.

Also there no emotion. Some games I get really into and I really hate the bad guy, and i go " im gonna beat the living sh*t out of this motherf*cking son *!# of a@#$$ ADJ33@@!# stupid 214#!@@! $!#@@head!" then im motiovated to beat the game. OR some games are soo intruiging i can't wait to find out what happens next. But with metroid prime, theres no motivation.

I beat the game once, and I didn't enjoy it that much. I've been trying to go through it on hard, but I just can't. I can't play it anymore. When i start up the game i immediatly go to the image gallery or play metroid 1.

Anyways, I really really looking forward to metroid prime 2. If they do everything like metroid prime, ecept make it so you want to play, it will be the best game ever.

Comments?

[Taco]

you have an opinion yay!!


you:1
us:0

[Grey Ninja]

I agree with you 100%

[StRaNgE]

i actually liked it because it had no real cinimatics, i enjoyed reading to uncover the story and plot. it was unlike all the other games  similar to it because of this. I do think the story could have been writen better, bringing some emotional connection into it.  To this day even after scanning about every damn thing in the game, i am still not exactly sure what the hell the plot was, lol.  i love  the way  it was set up, learning what the story was all by actual game play and no movies but the story could have been a bit more grabbing.

damn cool concept and  the sounds were just great especially in surround sound.

["Sky"]

Metroid games have never been heavy on story. There's no such thing and nor should there be any real "dialogues" or narratives in a Metroid game. The game is focused on a lone bounty hunter landing on a planet on some mission... ALONE. A whole planet to explore and to complete the mission she set out to complete. Besides... she's battling against some "natural animal". I'm sure you all don't go ballistic and  hate poisonous snakes just cause they bite people and therefore poisoning them... if you do have something against their instincts then I think you have some major problems .

It's alright to have an opinion don't get me wrong, but I just thought I'd clear up a few things about the Metroid franchise.

A Metroid w/ cinematics outside of the intro and the ending would really ruin it for me, being a long time follower of the series. Seriously... a cinematics w/ what? Samus doesn't even have anyone or anything to interact with and nor is she supposed to, outside of the regular "animals" of the planet and of course a hostile group of aliens who knows Samus is coming to kill them so obviously it's a "kill on sight" type of deal.

I found the story very interesting, as the logs themselves were very well written plus they gave in a lot of background on Samus, the Chozos, as well as the activities of the Space Pirates. I guess the story would be less grabbing to people who can't put the pieces of the texts together, or have no background with the Metroid franchise.

If you don't like Metroid, that's fine with me, but I really disagree with a heavy or even medium use of cinematics in a Metroid game.

[Grey Ninja]

Quote
Originally posted by: "Sky"
If you don't like Metroid, that's fine with me, but I really disagree with a heavy or even medium use of cinematics in a Metroid game.

I agree with that as well.  I would just like some incentive to keep playing.  I never really found that in Metroid.  After the graphical beauty and the novelty of a GOOD first person game wore off... I didn't have much to do.  I really do mean to play some more of it soon though.

[Scyth3r]

I agree.  Theres nothing really to make you keep going.  Theres no advancement in story at all.

I mean updgrades and such are cool, but its still the same thing.  At this point, I'm just trying to finish the game.  I've gotten most of the log book so I know whats happening and such, but thers still nothing dramatic or anything.  I'm just reading and going "okay" and then going on to get the next upgrade.  

I just need to go get all the missed artifacts and I will be done.  Good game, but not my flavor to make it great.

[NinGurl69 *huggles]

Quote
Originally posted by: Reverse_Gecko
But it lacks something that keeps you going

That's simply your case, and you seem to want motives or objectives elaborately instilled in you via automated storytelling.

Games in the Metroid and Castlevania series, for example, have little story development in them.  They have beginnings and endings, with gameplay occupying the middle, and I'm wholly satisfied with that.

Metroid (Prime's) story is a 2-step process:
1) Samus go somewhere.
2) Samus KILL EVERYTHING!!

Castlevania is similar:
1) Go to Castle Dracula.
2) KILL DRACULA!!

That's just lovely.  Having a bad guy that a game can prompt you to hate isn't really necessary for me.  Usually, I begin playing knowing I'm gonna KILL HIM AND EVERYTHING ELSE in the first place.  For me, Metroid Prime's experience is a single mission for Samus to complete, and nowhere in the middle of the game do I tell myself, "I haven't talked to anyone on this planet. I'm alone, all I do is kill everything, but I need some story to liven things up.  I guess I'll go back to my gunship for some coffee."  I just finish the damn mission, cuz that's what Samus' line of work called for, and it's what I expected from the Metroid franchise.  The experience I derive from my interaction(gameplay) with the game(s) is all the story I personally need.  When Samus visits a new place, or defeats a boss, hey, that just became part of my game's story.  My motivation for further play is expressed by the question, "OK, what do KILL now?"

I like Metroid Prime a lot, but I wish it had just one more, one more huge boss.

[thecubedcanuck]

I agree 100%. This game just didnt excite me to keep playing. I wanted to finish it just to say I did, but I have finally givin up on that, I just cant stand playing it. It is honestly the most boring game I have ever played.
I much prefer playing SSX tricky and Tiger Woods 2003.

[EL Pollo DIablos]

Quote
Originally posted by: thecubedcanuck
Tiger Woods 2003.

Now that'sexciting?!?!?!?!

I like the element of scanning. There is as much story in this game as you want to.
U want more story , u scan more.And if I look the arguments here I conclude that u would rather had Metroid  prime a FPS with no story just shooting and grwesome  bosses.
And that's exactly what Metroid wasn't ment to be.
I find 1thing anoying...........respawning enemies.

EL Pollo Diablos

[The Omen]

  I love Metroid, and I recommend everyone give it a good month of playing.  Having said that, I accidently erased my file (thinking I copied it to my other card).  I was pretty far in the game. (18 hrs) I haven't picked it up since.  I want to some times, but i can't get started, for some reason.  I still rank it as 1 of my favorite games.  I really was in love with it when I was deep into it for a 3 week period.  So, maybe it's because i'm aggravated that I erased it.  Also, I enjoyed reading the Log book, and I felt it really added some background to the game and series, as a whole.  On another note, I think the feeling of isolation would be lost if they added movies throughout, for me anyway.

[epiphany]

Quote
but i dont want to go all the way over there and fight that annoying boss, then do the other stuff, and....

You've apparently never played any Metroid game before...

[theaveng]

Metroid doesn't work in 3D.  In the Original Metroid and Super Metroid, you can take in the entire room in a glance.  That meant you could run almost non-stop from room-to-room-to-room without fear of dying.  It made these games *exciting* because of the almost non-stop pace.

Not so in Metroid 3D (Prime).  You have to walk into a room and then stop and look around.  And then look around some more.  And then again just to make sure you didn't miss anything.  That pace is waaaaay too slow.

Metroid on GameCube should have followed the same side-view as Castlevania: SOTN and Super Metroid.  They should have kept the same style of game, just with hi-res, multi-million color graphics.  In my opinion, it would have made a better game.

[BlackGriffen]

Quote
Originally posted by: theaveng
Metroid doesn't work in 3D.  In the Original Metroid and Super Metroid, you can take in the entire room in a glance.  That meant you could run almost non-stop from room-to-room-to-room without fear of dying.  It made these games *exciting* because of the almost non-stop pace.

Not so in Metroid 3D (Prime).  You have to walk into a room and then stop and look around.  And then look around some more.  And then again just to make sure you didn't miss anything.  That pace is waaaaay too slow.

That's because you don't have "tha skillz." I would run through rooms all the time in MP, you only need to explore them once (taking mental note of anything that stands out, mind you). You probably missed a lot in Super Metroid, too, because those rooms required exploration at least once.  The thing you need to keep in mind is that Samus is tough enough to take a hit, so if you can't see it, and it can hit you on the run, then you need to stop for it, otherwise just keep running.

I thought the game was great. You people who didn't like the story have no imagination. It's a pity that you have to have stories spoon fed to you instead of creating your own. I played the game not because I wanted to know what happens to Samus, I played because I was Samus (gender bending aside...). I was an actor in a play, and my part was as small or as large as I chose to make it. It's the same way with Link: the major stuff is supplied, but you need to bring your own plot details (only moreso because Samus is alone).

Lay off the caffeine, and dare to dream for yourself. It's better that way.

BlackGriffen

[thecubedcanuck]

Quote
I thought the game was great. You people who didn't like the story have no imagination

I am glad to see you think your "opinion" is better than his, a real sign of maturity.

I have a great imagination, I draw, I paint (some of my work is shown in 2 canadian gallaries) and I cant stand Prime.

You like the game, 3 cheeres for you. I think it sucked.

Opinions, oh how they scare the weak.

[theblindtree]

IMO the only "problem" with Metroid Prime is something like what Denis Dyack said about Eternal Darkness; it's probably a bit too subtle for a lot of gamers.   It's really one of those "get it/don't get it" games, in regard to the underlying feeling of everything.

[Ian Sane]

"One of the problems is that the story is driven by the log book. You gotta walk around scanning things, and then read hundreds of entries. I didn't want to do that, so there basically was no story for me. Cenimatics would of been far far superior."

Personally I find scanning to be one the most interesting parts of the game.  It allows you to have as much or as little information as you want.  I think it's great and I would actually find an archaeology game where you just walk around ruins, solve puzzles, and scan objects really fun.  I think most fans of the game like the scanning too so it's not really something that should be "fixed" for the sequel.

My only major complaint is that Samus is just too damn slow and I find I lose a lot of energy just because she won't turn around fast enough to shoot the enemy behind her.  Samus is pretty damn quick and agile in the other games so it make sense for her to be a little more speedy.

I haven't beaten the game yet but I find my lack of motivation is mostly due to standard Metroid conventions I don't really care for in the first place (respawning enemies, backtracking without any sort of easy way to teleport between areas).  I don't think they should change the design though.  Metroid fans like it and therefore it should stay as is.  As a Zelda fan I would hate it is they changed the general design because a non-fan thought it was stupid how there was no jump button or something like that.

[egman]

I think there's something else that bothers people about Metroid Prime which goes to the heart of the game's design.

The other Metroids, while not exactly fast paced, are designed to be beaten in a few hours depending on your skill. Metroid Prime completey breaks from that tradition. While previous Metorid didn't last very long, MP goes long enough to feel like a chore. I think if Super Metroid was a 20 hour game, it would've never been considered a classic.

The only thing I can suggest to people who are not clicking with it is to take your concerntration away from primarily completing goals. Soak up the enviorments and atmosphere. Try to admire level of design that was put in the game. The only way to really play the game is to allow yourself to get immersed in it, much what is to appreaciate in the game comes not from goal completion, but from those small details that give it a sense of life.  

[Sean]

This is where tastes really come into play.  NO ONE IS RIGHT OR WRONG.

The fact is, Metroid Prime is a very old-fashioned game.  The "story" is there if you want it, but otherwise, it's a game of atmosphere, spectacle, and exploration.  If that's your bag, and in MP's case it's definitely mine, you're going to love this game, and the "motivation" to complete the game is in simply dying to see more and more and more.  I turn on the game and just marvel at it.  On top of that, I find it exceptionally fun and clever.

I completely respect one's opinion when they say the just didn't feel motivated to finish, or even keep playing, Metroid Prime.  That's just being honest, and there's nothing wrong with that at all.

Where I would find fault with someone's "opinion" would be if they said the game was poorly designed or generally badly made, or that Metroid Prime cannot be considered good because of its subtle narrative.  But if you find it boring, well, the game isn't for everyone--that much seems clear.

I've personally had as much fun with Metroid Prime as I have with any of my favorite games ever.

As for cinematics, Metroid Prime is in the great tradition of Nintendo Silent Movie Games, and if you ask me, it's not a sign of retrograde thought that keeps Nintendo making games in this way--they do it purely for art's sake.  It's the difference between a film director like Tarkovsky who "painted" and composed his films and relied MAINLY on pure visual inventiveness to drive what little narrative there is to be found, and a director like David Mamet (also a playwright) whose movies rely on the literary merits of the stage.

It's just a choice, and you know which one you generally gravitate towards.

[Icons by Size]

i see what your saying about no emotion....it did need some interaction between something...i mean, like you, i felt no motivation to do anything.  i did like reading the log books though
i have another thing to say....not about metroid prime but about future metroid games...samus is a bounty hunter, right?  so is she ever going to collect her bounty and move on to something completely different and that has nothing to do with metroids? like assassinating someone or doing something else?!!? its possible and it would be interesting to see it happen!

[TheOnionMan]

I am very glad to hear that I was not the only one that felt like this. Everything in this game was near perfect except for an undescribable feel that certain games have. An example of a game with this feel is Zelda. It is so fun and it has lots of emotion. It just makes you want to keep playing. I was afraid that I had some kind of problem because I didn't like the game as much as other people did. AND NOW I MUST GO TO the Hylian Legends Forum. Bye.

[aoi tsuki]

Also there no emotion.

i think this was more by design than not. The feeling of solitude is a character unto itself. If you have a Pro Logic I/II capable sound system, the scream of an enemy in the distance or the constant droning of a nearby powerup break the silence, yet still contribute to the "empty" feel of the game. What kept me going was the desire to see more of the great level design, and to get more powerups to reach the areas i couldn't. Metroid Prime is one of those rare games where i didn't feel cheated having to backtrack.

[DevilishDude]

I agree, its like i chore for me to play it, i feel like selling it so i can afford the next game after zelda or w/e

[bamf226]

If you don't like the game, don't feel bad.  There isn't a game out there that will make everyone like it.  Ok, maybe Zelda: WW based on pre-sale numbers alone.  Personally, I'm not too hip on Eternal Darkness, yet everyone I know raves about it.  I'm still working my way through it, hoping I find what everyone else is seeing, but so far nada.  

I find MP very intriguing.  I was like some of the others in this thread in that the scanning was too much.  However, once I got down to the planet, it became very important to get a feel for the world.  As I wandered around the planet, I found that the scanning made the game much more enjoyable.  Not only did it expand on the story, but provided the fine details to help my immersion in the world.  I actually felt like I was on a strange planet.  I scanned everything I could to find out more about this new world.

[GoldShadow1]

This is an interesting thread.  I have to admit, I agree with some of the statements made.  At times it seems like MP lacks motivation.  For me, however, it's not so much the storyline (generally I don't really care about a game's storyline) but the level design.  Super Metroid had you *begging* for that Grappling Hook or Speed Boost.  I didn't really feel this with MP.  Generally, MP gave me items pretty soon after I started needing it.  Some items were a complete surprise, and only necessary after I already picked it up, like the x-ray visor or the wave beam.  It was a great game, but the items weren't as satisfying as in Super Metroid.  I also wish there were more creative items besides beams and morph ball stuff.  Maybe some close range weapons (like Samus's flamethrower from SSB/M) would be nice.

As for the scanning... well, I loved it at first, but it got tedious after a while.  They all seem to be the same - either some mystical prophecy of the Chozo, or technical data from a Space Pirate experiment.  Scanning the creatures is fun, though.

I was thinking, what would be an interesting compromise between the log book storyline and cut scenes / dialog would be audio/video data that you can download.  It could have, for example, a surveillance video of a recent attack by Chozo ghosts or something, and then have it black out at the last minute.  Or it could have a surreal telepathic vision of a Chozo prophecy.  It'd still retain the feeling of being alone on a mission, but I think it'd help strengthen the plot quite a bit.

I would really like a transporter system implemented - I never really loved backtracking across the entire game in Metroid games, especially when you find that that secret you've been dying to uncover is a missile add-on or something.

One other complaint I heard (from the Metroid Database) was the lack of the Screw Attack or a real Space Jump.  But personally, I never really liked these in Super Metroid anyway.  The unlimited Space Jump was just crazy - suddenly you could fly, and go just about anywhere - it made all the other special jumps obsolete, and it wasn't even that fun to use (constantly tapping the jump button at the right time..).  I much prefer the Space Jump in MP, which is very fun to use and has a great feel to it, which is especially surprising in 3D.  It would be cool to see the return of the Speed Boost, though..