Metroid Prime 2: Echoes once again puts you in the role of bounty hunter Samus Aran as she intercepts a distress signal sent from a mysterious planet called 'Aether'. A dimensional rift has desecrated this once-peaceful planet, splitting it in two: a normal 'light dimension' and an inauspicious 'dark dimension'. The inhabitants of the planet, the 'Luminoth', are on the verge of defeat in a war with creatures from the dark dimension known as the 'Ing'. However, they are not the only ones currently dwelling on Aether. During the first few moments of the game Samus learns the fate of a deceased troop of Federation troopers who recently landed there to try and aid the Luminoth in their battle against the Ing. You soon discover after that your old enemies, the Space Pirates, are also on Aether (up to no good as usual), as well as a mysterious “dark version” of Samus herself. With all these different characters coming together it's soon apparent that more depth has been given to the storyline than in Metroid Prime, as Samus attempts to help the Luminoth defeat the Ing and restore the planet to it's proper state.
Much like the original game, Echoes does not waste time with long opening cut scenes or a lengthy tutorial. Instead, you are launched straight into the game. Here you get the first chance to experience the new scanning system which has improved emphatically. One of Metroid Prime's few faults was that the scanning visor was too similar to the regular battle visor and that finding scannable objects could be a little awkward in places. In Echoes, anything that can be scanned is now completely highlighted in colour. This is a subtle, yet noteworthy improvement as scanning is made easier and the visor is genuinely seperate to the battle one now. Scanning is a very important part of Echoes. Not only is it your main source of environmental interaction (activating lifts, switches, etc) but it allows you to uncover information by reading computer panel logs or by scanning the corpses of soldiers lying around for information as to how they met their demise. Scanning can also provide vital information on enemies. Scanning bosses instantly to find some information on their weakspot is very much recommended.
Just as its predecessor did, Echoes gives the player the freedom to decide how much they wish to pursue the storyline by making texts optional reading (only things that show as red in your scan visor are essential for progression). That said, Echoes is a more cinematic experience than the original as there are far more cut scenes filled with excellent and dramatic camerawork. Thankfully the cut scenes still aren't overly frequent and rarely interrupt the game without reason.
Many of those who weren’t fond of the original Metroid Prime often complained about the control scheme. Unlike conventional console first-person and third-person action games, it did not feature a dual-analog stick control setup. Instead, movement and turning is controlled by the main analog stick. The 'L' trigger can be used to lock your view which does allow strafing, but more importantly performs a lock-on to enemies. Many often question why Retro Studios opted to go with this control scheme and also why the game features a lock-on targeting system on top of that. The answer to this is that the game has a much greater emphasis on exploration and platforming than combat. Because of this the developers believed that to truly recreate that classic Metroid feel they would have to translate the series into 3D in the first person perspective, with the emphasis taken away from the running and gunning aspect you would find in a proper first person shooter. The 'R' trigger allows free look aiming ala Goldeneye when held, 'A' fires your selected weapon, 'B' performs a jump and 'X' turns you into the Morph Ball.
When using the Morph Ball, a huge trademark of the series, the game is viewed in the third-person. Using the Morph Ball you can squeeze through tiny gaps hidden throughout the game which, with clever navigation of puzzles and careful use of bombs, can lead to huge areas totally inaccessible via any other means. The C-stick is actually used to switch weapons. Due to the nature of Echoes, cycling through weapons just wouldn't work, as instant access is essential throughout the game be it exploring the world or fighting bosses where having the correct weapon and the ability to change it quickly and frequently is core to Metroid's design.
Echoes sticks with the staple Metroid philosophy of having you upgrade Samus’ suit with new weapons and abilities throughout. Samus starts the game with most of her suit capabilities, but then has them stolen in an attack by the Ing and must regain them throughout the course of the game by defeating Ing bosses possessing that capability. For example, to get back your Boost Ball (which gives you a speed boost in Morph Ball mode), you will have to defeat an Ing warrior who has that ability and you must defeat it while it itself turns into a ball-like shape and shoots all over the room in an attempt to damage you. It's then up to you to decide the best strategy to counter this. Boss fights are definitely one of the strongest parts of the game. While Metroid Prime had some stunning boss battles, Echoes really sets a new standard. I'll refrain from going into details as I wouldn't want to spoil these for anyone, but let's just say that nearly every one is a pure delight. Early bosses require little more than just shooting them until they die, but it's not long before you encounter huge screen fillers that go through multiple stages of attacks requiring the use of many weapons, visors and abilities just to defeat.
Metroid's style of gameplay is fantastic because it makes progression through the game extremely satisfying. Aside from developing the storyline as you advance, you gain new capabilities which not only increase your combat abilities, but are more importantly used to access new areas previously unreachable. Just obtaining one new visor or a single new weapon can open up many locked doors or blocked paths.
The biggest change to Echoes from past Metroid games is the addition of 'Light' and 'Dark' worlds aswell as light/dark beams. The concept of a light and dark dimension and Samus’ ability to transport between the two through portals placed throughout the maps provide some interesting new gameplay aspects. When entering the dark dimension, the atmosphere is harmful to Samus’ armor and she will steadily lose energy by standing in it. Fortunately, the Luminoth who have traveled there have set up light beacons that provide you with a shelter of light. While standing in these light beacons, not only does Samus not take damage, but she gradually regains health. These Dark Worlds serve two purposes. The main purpose is usually to solve a puzzle or get to an area unreachable in the Light World. For example, bridges in the Light World can be moved by activating certain switches in the Dark World. By moving these, areas in the Light World can be made reachable. The secondary purpose is basically to cut down a little on backtracking.
While in Metroid Prime you sometimes had to pass through the same area multiple times to get to one thing, the Dark World basically offers the player a visually different area to navigate through. While the main shapes and designs of the level are the same, the change in visuals, the minor structural changes and the alteration in how these areas are played with the light beacon theme make playing through these same areas a suitably different experience.
The light and dark theme continues with the new weapons. Samus now gains a light beam and a dark beam, and, for a surprising first for the Metroid series, these weapons actually have limited ammunition. By defeating enemies with the light beam, you can regain energy for the dark beam, and vice versa. This addition adds a comfortable layer of strategy and thought to the game so you cant just go out blazing with the notably stronger beams all the time. Other new gear to be acquired include a dark visor, which gifts you with the ability to spot enemies who are flicking between dimensions aswell as those through walls; the Screw Jump attack with allows you to jump over large open areas, and the Echoes visor, which basically uses sonar technology by producing visuals from sound waves which looks absolutely stunning.
The difficulty of Echoes is definitely higher than that of Metroid Prime. Enemy AI is improved, with Space Pirates moving more and shooting with increased accuracy. Bosses especially can prove quite a challenge with some taking around 20 minutes to defeat. The game length stands at over 20 hours including time not logged due to death. On completion of the game there are alternative ending cinematics to see which are dependant on your percentage of collection. Artwork Galleries are also opened up when set scanning percentages are met. On completion of the game for the first time rewards you with a 'Hard Mode' that is genuinely hard this time around and gives the game a much different feel. It will actually have you hiding in certain rooms, waiting for a moment to spring for a door to avoid getting destroyed. The bosses feel as though they doubled in difficulty, mainly because shots that are fired at you are now altered to strike in front of you so simply trying to side-jump left or right isn't always enough as the boss will fire to the point where you would be side-jumping. So all in all, Echoes's hard mode seems a lot more effective than Metroid Prime's did.
Echoes is also playable as a multiplayer game with up to four friends. There are two modes: the standard Deathmatch where the winner is the person with the most kills, and the Bounty Hunter mode where you win by collecting the most coins within a time limit. Coins can be found throughout the arenas but are more importantly dropped by a player when they're taking damage, so a balance between attacking your enemies and collecting coins must be attained. Echoes multiplayer is a simple minded and addictive element that breathes life into an already lively title. The multiplayer mode keeps with the lock-on targeting system for gameplay, but you can evade an enemy lock by going into morph ball mode.
The easy lock on targeting may not impress many avid first person fans but Echoes isn't trying to be a FPS and is instead trying to produce something a little different. There are a number of unlockable special weapons as well as gun turrets, morph ball cannons, spider ball environments, and grapple hooks to make clever use of the game mechanics and players will need to use these elements to succeed. Locking on to other players and spinning in a radius of love while you blast each other with missiles and beams is a sensation unlike any game. There is also a substantial number of arenas as well as unlockable maps and music tracks (which are remixed versions of past Metroid tunes). It’s far from a fully integrated multiplayer game found in something like Halo 2 or Splinter Cell and isn't going to get any awards for being groundbreaking. Without the inclusion of AI bots, playing with any less than 3 players can be rather boring, but it is a surprisingly enjoyable and uniquely fun addition. Certainly decent enough to be seen as an asset to the game rather than a pointless add-on. A word of warning though - all of the game's weapons and abilities can be found in the multiplayer game so you may want to finish the single player campaign first to prevent unwanted spoilers.
With the original Metroid Prime, the gameplay formula found in past Metroid games made an excellent translation into 3D, retaining everything that made the series one of Nintendo’s most respected. Echoes once again tosses players into a massive world that is constructed in such a way that what at first seems overwhelming and confusing soon becomes a polished world that is streamed together with detail and care. As you spend hours upon hours exploring, you soon come to appreciate all the polish put into making Metroid Prime 2:Echoes the amazing game that it is. Graphically the game is much improved, sharper and cleaner, with a better draw distance. The artists have really gone to town on the aesthetics and the environments are soaked in intricate detail, be it wall decoration, plant life, insects, or even the sky which is constantly changing colour unannounced. Temples and bridges are weathered and crawling with vine, and some of the designs (such as the pulsing lights on the walls or the strange alien geometric patterns) are superb, really drawing the player into the world around them. Simple tunnels are superbly decorated with plantlife and vegetation, open areas are full of large statues and gigantic alien structures. No two rooms are alike in design which only furthers the sense of immersion that makes you forget you're playing it a game.
Rarely have I felt so immersed in a world as organic and "alive" as in Echoes. It is simply a joy just wandering around watching the plants reacting to my presence or just admiring how smooth and rounded everything is compared to the square, box shaped environments found in other first person games. Even the mighty Half Life 2 can be boxy by and large. Not so Echoes. Rarely do you get a straight edge, everything offset at different angles which really make a difference and help set it above the rest in terms of art design. Textures are now much sharper and varied than before, the HUD is more subtle and less obtrusive and character models are pretty much flawless in both design and creation.
Compared to its predecessor, Echoes isn’t as colourful. The planet players are tossed onto, Aether, isn’t as varied in terms of areas as Talon IV had been. While Talon IV featured a sandy ruin, a volcanic underground and even a beautiful snowy wasteland, in Metroid Prime 2 everything is much darker and mechanical, lacking the variety in locales that the original featured. But over time one realizes that the world of Metroid Prime 2 is more polished than its predecessor and different in a way that it keeps everything feeling fresh. They've really gone all-out on building up the atmosphere. Aether's a dirty, dusty, lonely ball of rock, and the game really lets you feel that. You really get the sense that the planet is out to get you. It looks fantastic, but it's not "pretty" in the way that Tallon IV was. Then there's the Dark World which really is a horrible place to be in, but for all the right reasons. Quite simply, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is, for me, the best looking game on any console at the moment. Some games may be pushing more technically impressive effects, but the art design used and the way it has been realized by Retro is simply unmatched.
Another area where this game is head-and-shoulders above all others is its audio. As in the original, the music here is mostly top notch, providing a wonderful ambience and also adding a dramatic touch to intense sequences. Some music from Metroid Prime, such as the battle music, returns, as does a couple of remixedSuper Metroid tunes, which is definitely a positive thing as it keeps some continuity with the previous games. The new music is suitably fitting also with the organic 'Torvus Bog' area sounding similar to the 'Tallon Overworld' of Metroid Prime and the pounding theme of the 'Temple Grounds' being worryingly catchy and can often get stuck in the head. Sound effects are also excellent. Weaponry sounds are powerful and appropriate, and shrieks from the planet’s local inhabitants are perfectly startling as there is nothing quite like the terrifying sound of a Metroid catching sight of you. Unfortunately, there isn’t any voice acting in the game, which isn't really suprising as Metroid has always been about the silence and solitude of Samus exploring an alien world. Although, when you first speak to the Luminoth he does begin to speak in a foreign tongue, but it's only a short phrase rather than actual speech. But I do think that the addition of voice acting in an alien language you couldn't understand would have been welcome and would a furthered the immersion of the alien world. Like most big name Gamecube games now, the game supports Dolby Pro Logic II, so everything can be heard in rich surround sound if you’re suitably equipped.
Echoes does have some minor faults. Scanning still has to be done alot. In a game based on exploration and puzzle solving it really can't be helped. Alot of things can be ignored, but there's an equal amount of things that need to be scanned to solve puzzles or gain clues for use later on. It has been made easier by the improved visor, but for those who didn't like it in Metroid Prime, you won't like it here. There are a couple of boss fights with distant save points which can lead to a long journey if you die. Thankfully, there tends to be very little to collect from the previous save point to the boss so the journey is a pretty straightforward one. Like with scanning, people who didn't like the backtracking of Metroid Prime won't like it here either. While long journeys are reduced and the Dark World disguises it somewhat, there's still alot of travelling to do so if back tracking is a pet hate then Echoes could annoy here. Respawning enemies also make a return. Personally I don't see these as a problem as most can simply be avoided on route to the next door and only a few rooms in the game require you to defeat all the enemies before the doors unlock. Besides, if I had to make a choice between forever-empty areas or respawning enemies I know what I would choose.
Unlike a few other big releases this year, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes hasn't disappointed in the slightest. I utterly adored Metroid Prime to pieces, but Echoes even shows Prime a thing or two. It has taken everything which made Metroid Prime so stunning in the first place and molded, defined and enhanced it into something that is even more stunning. The few faults Metroid Prime had like the scanning visor and lengthy backtracking have been improved upon. The story is deeper, the cutscenes are better and more frequent and the game on the whole is a much stronger challenge which is more than welcome. The bosses are utterly stunning and are possibly the best ever in a game. The game's world design is even more impressive than that of the previous game with very few rooms actually being devoid of at least one puzzle to solve or item to collect. Graphically it's jaw dropping, the soundtrack has moments of brilliance and it all lasts for a satisfying 20-30 hours to achieve that elusive 100% collection rate and ending. With all the other big releases this year, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes has sadly been somewhat forgotten by many. But pop this into your GameCube and you'll soon remember why Metroid Prime is regarded as one of this generations' best titles. Which of the two games you end up preferring mainly depends on your own personal taste in how much you like the game world and the music in comparison with each other, but the fact Echoes improves on much of the forementioned is testament as to why this game should not be missed by anyone.
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