Updated Preview: The wait for this one has been torture… err… I mean “alternative interrogation technique.”
It has been a few months since Gaming Target’s first preview of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Curious readers can find that article here. At that time the game was slated for release during the Wii’s launch window. Since then, Nintendo has pushed back the release date to August 20, 2007. The reason for this delay is no doubt to give developer Retro Studios more time to fine-tune the Wii-bound sequel. There were notable control issues during the first playable demos that Retro is undoubtedly addressing. Likewise, there is still a large question as to what, if any, Internet capabilities the game will possess. Fortunately we have not been totally left in the dark for this delay has allowed us to gleam more information about the anticipated sci-fi action title.
More of Corruption’s storyline has been made public. The main story will take place six months after the events of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes. The plot begins when a virus cripples the Galactic Federation’s network computer, Aurora Unit. The Federation suspects the Space Pirates to be responsible. They call on upon various bounty hunters including Metroid heroine Samus Aran to find those culpable. The hunters soon discover that Samus’ nemesis, Dark Samus (created at the end of Metroid Prime), is behind the attack and plans to spread the infamous phazon substance throughout the galaxy.
As previously mentioned, various other hunters will make appearances in the game. These include at least one who appeared in the Nintendo DS’ Metroid Prime: Hunters. These hunters will act as both Samus’ helpers and competition. The one most detailed thus far is named Rundus. He possesses the ability to control ice similarly to the X-Men’s Ice Man. Other hunters such as a large robotic entity and a rock creature have also been revealed in demos and trailers.
In addition to being a main plot element, the phazon substance factors heavily into Corruption’s gameplay. At one point in the game, Samus becomes “corrupted” by the material. This allows the player to go into “hyper” mode. While in this phazon-induced mode, Samus gains unique abilities and can deal out more damage. There is a degree of skill involved in using this mode. The longer Samus spends in it, a corruption meter slowly builds up. If it reaches maximum Samus becomes totally corrupted and dies. However, the bar goes down as Samus utilizes her phazon-enhanced abilities. If the bar goes all the way down and the player runs out of phazon, Samus drops out of hyper-mode. It follows then that skillful players can stay in this mode for a good while through careful balance.
Unlike the previous Prime titles, Samus will not lose most of her abilities at the game’s beginning. Additionally, Retro has re-instated the “stacking” weapon system of Super Metroid. This means that instead of switching between beams, each new beam includes all the properties of the previous ones. The game will instead focus on alternating between the beam, grappling hook and missiles.
Metroid Prime 3 will be the first in the series to feature full voice acting. A recent demo shows a Federation captain addressing Samus in full audio. There is no evidence thus far to suggest whether or not Samus herself will speak. If Nintendo and the Metroid series’ histories are any indication she may be a silent hero like Mario and Link.
The control scheme is reportedly working better than ever. While the controls of previous first-person shooters (FPS) on the Wii have been hit or miss, Nintendo hopes that Metroid Prime 3 will change that perception (and no doubt attract more third party developers).
In a May 2007 speech, Nintendo of America President Reggie Fils-Aime claimed:
“… Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Of course, you know the franchise, but you've never played it this way before. Some of the people in the Treehouse say that this will reinvent the control scheme for a first-person shooter. That this is the closest you can get to a PC control in a platform game and that it breaks through the lens of how you play.”
The most recent demos show that Corruption’s graphics are much improved over those of Echoes. However they are still not quite the leaps and bounds over the Gamecube that some gamers would expect. Nevertheless, this may very well be the quality of the video itself. Retro Studios has stated that the game will feature much larger environments than previous Prime titles and run at a solid 60 FPS.
