E3 07 Hands-On Preview: Part of our E3 2007 Sweet Suite Tour
Nintendo set out to revolutionize the way that we play video games with the Wii and now the company is out to revolutionize the way that we play first-person shooter games with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. The Prime series has always been in little bit different in that it the company classified it as a “first-person adventure” game with shooting elements. Regardless of whether or not the series deserves its very own genre, Retro Studios successfully developed a pair of great 3D Metroid titles on the GameCube and is about to deliver a third that’s even better than the first two thanks to intuitively designed Wii remote controls.
While we covered Metroid Prime 3: Corruption extensively in the past, new to the E3 07 demo was the lock-on free aiming control mechanic. Using the Z button, it’s possible to lock the camera onto an enemy and strafe around it, but still be able to aim Samus’ crosshairs anywhere on the screen. A great example of how this comes into play is when you’re targeting a boss and circling around it; you can take out the boss’s annoying minions without breaking that original lock-on.
Another helpful tool shown off at E3 was Hyper Mode. This is where Samus injects her suit with an energy tank (think: space steroids) and becomes powerful enough to finish enemies off in about half the time. Although the devastating weapon effects of Hyper Mode are a big plus, like any steroid, it has its drawbacks. If Samus uses it for too long, she becomes entirely corrupt, as the game’s title suggests. And, while this doesn’t sound so bad compared to the shrinking effects of real roids, nobody wants a game over, either.
