Metroid: Other M Review

Metroid: Other M is the long-awaited Metroid game that was said to return the series to its roots. 

While Metroid Prime, Hunters, 2, and 3 were first-person action-adventure puzzle games, Other M features a third person camera that adapts the series' original side scrolling style, while also providing depth to the stages. Marketed as a Super Metroid follow-up, the game was developed by none-other than Team Ninja—a studio known for action games such as Ninja Gaiden—and is also set to be the first Metroid title to feature full voice acting for lead character Samus.

Due to the developer's reputation, and the legacy of the Metroid series itself, Other M has big shoes to fill, but unfortunately it doesn't hit the same heights Nintendo would like one to believe.

But that doesn't necessarily mean it is a bad game, but rather, one that simply had missed opportunities and a story that stumbles when attempting to deal with serious themes. 

Time to take a step inside Samus' past:

Metroid: Other M, or MoM for short, is the first game in the Metroid series to put major focus on its story. Rather than spouting text at players in an intro sequence, or setting the game up with an introductory stage that incorporates environmental storytelling, Other M doubles down on the cinematic cutscenes. These movies are in fact fully animated, fully voice acted, and they take place at different moments in Samus' life. Instead of focusing only on the here-and-now, Other M is the first title in the series to dive into Samsu' backstory, and finally reveal the events that created the Bounty Hunter we know today. This is the story Metroid Fusion first hinted at, now fully realized in game form.

And it all begins with The Baby. 

As soon as the game begins, players will find themselves watching a retelling of Super Metroid's ending. The Baby Metroid is holding onto Samus in an attempt to recover her energy, and Mother Brain is getting ready to attack. Sadly the Baby Metroid is the one to take the brunt of Mother Brain's energy beam, and it doesn't survive. The now stunned Samus looks on at the monster with rage in her heart, as she charges a shot of her own—finally putting an end to the nightmare. 

This single event will have a lasting effect on Samus going forward.  

After waking up in a Galactic Federation infirmary, the still traumatized (due to the loss of "her baby") Samus is instructed to complete a training exercise for testing, and to file her report on planet Zebes. This serves as the game's initial tutorial before jumping ahead to the present day.

Weeks later Samus is once again floating through space in her ship when she comes across a distress signal, dubbed "Baby's Cry." The signal is coming from a bottle ship, and simply due to the signal's name Samus can't help but investigate. It feels almost as if the call was destined for her, and that maybe her lost Metroid is still out there. Once arriving however, Samus soon finds herself face to face with some old friends instead—the Galactic Federation 07th Platoon and their commander Adam Malkovich. 

Metroid: Other M's main focus is in fact on Samus and her relationship with Adam. 

Throughout the game players are given glimpses of Samus' past, and that includes her initial encounters with her old commander. Back to a time before she had became the ace bounty hunter fans know and love, and when she was still young and naive. However, the story does have issues differentiating the past from there here-and-now, and that does lead to some inconsistencies with Samus' character.

The biggest issue with the story regarding Samus, is the fact they attempt to deal with her PTSD caused by the loss of the Baby Metroid. While using PTSD as a plot device isn't an issue, the game simply does a poor job of portraying it.

Other M places this single event as her breaking point, with all of her past experiences now taking a toll on her. The loss of her family, the events of the original Metroid, her clash with Metroid Prime, Dark Samus, and the issues caused by Phazon, the eradication of all Metroids (minus one) in Metroid II, and of course the ending of Super Metroid which lead to the beginning of Other M. (Not to mention whatever else Nintendo decides to put her through in future titles set prior to Other M.) It has all weighed Samus down, and she cannot hide it any longer. This comes off as the game portraying her as a weak and vulnerable character, and not the battle hardened bounty hunter fans have come to know and love. It is simply poorly handled, and it ultimately holds the story back. 

The Gameplay:

Metroid: Other M's gameplay is a mix between the classic Metroid side scrollers with a bit of Metroid Prime sprinkled in. 

Although the game mostly takes place in 3rd person with a fixed camera angle, by pointing the Wii remote at the screen you can switch into a first person view. This allows players to scan the area around Samus for clues, aim at vital points during boss fights, and fire missiles; however, unlike in Metroid Prime, it is completely impossible to move while in this state. It is purely for specific situations, and is used sparingly throughout the entire game.

When in a 3rd person point of view, the game plays very much like the classic 2D Metroid titles. It features linear stages with branching paths to explore, light platforming, and of course enemies to take down. 

Although the entire area around you can in fact be explored, the game is played using only the D-Pad which only allows for four-directional movement. This "locks" Samus in place when moving, and feels more like playing a 2.5D rather than a true 3D title. Samus will also follow set paths when moving down hallways, with her automatically turning with the stage's geometry in mind—further reinforcing the feeling of playing a sidescroller. And honestly, it feels great.

The game goes through great lengths to ensure everything feels "just right" for a Metroid title. The general movement and jumping controls will feel very familiar to long time players, and it transitions from a 2D world into a 3D environment quite well. While Team Ninja fans might've expected the company to double down on the action aspects of Other M, they actually focused on keeping the series core identity, and the title is better for it. It might be weird to say, but Other M is undoubtedly a Metroid game.

Due to the fact that Other M is a 3D game which only uses the Wii Remote, button options are quite limited, so the development team had to get creative.

As previously mentioned, scanning and using missiles is reserved for the first person mode (which requires pointing the Wii Remote at the screen), and the game does feature an auto lock-on system when experiencing normal combat. Simply shoot and Samus will do the aiming for you, and double tapping on the D-Pad will allow her to dodge. Additionally finishing movies can also be performed on enemies as well when conditions are met, but these are mostly reserved for boss fights. While one might think a controller with only a handful of buttons would hold Other M back, but in reality it actually works perfectly. 

However, due to the auto-lock on and "easier" combat system in general, the game does make one major change to spice things up.

Unlike in past games in the series, Samus no longer will receive health items and ammo packs while fighting enemies. Instead she can now restore both energy and ammo on her own, but with a catch—players must hold the Wii Remote upright and stand still.

This is one of the few cases where Other M makes use of the Wii's motion controls, and it leaves Samus completely open to attack. While self recovery is key to surviving (especially on Hard Mode where Samus only has one Energy Tank of health), players must look for opportune moments to actually make use of this feature. One wrong move, or simply getting blindsided is enough to put an end to Samus, and it'll be back to the nearest checkpoint. This is especially challenging when it comes to boss fights, but as one becomes more familiar with the game, spotting an opening does get a lot easier. 

It is an interesting change to say the least, but many may just prefer the old setup of items dropping from enemies instead.

Yes Commander Adam (Upgrades): 

Two of the main draws of Metroid have been the exploration, and the cool upgrades Samus obtains along the way. From different types of Beams, to completely new abilities like the Space Jump, it is simply fun to obtain new toys and see what you can do with them. This is typically how Metroid games are divided, as their interconnected maps do in fact have roadblocks that can only be overcome by having the right ability or item. The same can be said for Other M as well, but the way upgrades are unlocked is completely changed

Being a part of a military operation under Adam once again, Samus must obey his commands. This includes deactivating all of her existing abilities, and basically reverting to a standard soldier. From this point Samus is only allowed to use her previously obtained abilities when Adam gives her the go-ahead, which comes from key moments in the story.

No looking for new abilities, just the next story point which will ultimately lead to Adam authorizing something new. Technically this isn't any different from how games in the series usually progress, but the way it is presented takes away the sense of discovery. In addition to the game's more linear structure (a lot more reminiscent of Metroid Fusion rather than Super Metroid), this simple change feels like a much bigger loss, and not all long time fans will be okay with this.

Should you play it?

Metroid: Other M is a very interesting title to say the least. On the surface it flawlessly blends classic 2D Metroid gameplay with a 3D world, and it feels great to play. The simplified combat system works to the game's advantage, and the world was genuinely fun to explore despite its linear nature. Once you dive a bit deeper however, one will discover a multitude of smaller design changes that ultimately take away from the core experience.

From the story which fails to accurately portray someone suffering from PTSD, to the removal of a standard upgrade system, and a questionable healing system, the title unfortunately is held back from being what could've been one of the best entries in the series.

That being said, the game is still fun, and those not put off by the design changes should still give it a chance. This is one of the few Metroid titles I've gone back to complete on both Normal and Hard difficulties, and I do not regret it.

VERDICT: Maybe
Reviewed on Nintendo Wii