THE Metroidvania genre evokes a very specific kind of gameplay: you’re
let loose inside a massive, labyrinthine world that’s crammed full of secrets,
and as you collect various power-ups and upgrades, you gain the abilities
necessary to unlock previously inaccessible areas of the map.
More often than not, the gameplay also involves some 2D platforming
challenges, as well as enemies that require a fair amount of skill to
overcome.
The best Metroidvania games invoke a sense of exploration and
discovery that’s rarely found in other titles, and while the genre as a whole
might be relatively niche, it’s extremely popular among gamers who love its
combination of adventure, geographic puzzles and skill challenges.
With all that said, it shouldn’t surprise you to learn that when
Nintendo released a new title for the Metroid series – one of the progenitors
of the genre and an excellent series that has been lying dormant for the past
few years – the fans were ecstatic. As they should have been, because the aptly
titled Metroid: Samus Returns is an excellent reminder of how Metroidvanias
can be so damn awesome.
Aran again
Samus Returns is a modern 3DS remake of the second Metroid game, the
Gameboy’s Return of Samus. Explaining the plot of Metroid may prove largely
unnecessary, as the game subscribes to a very minimalist storytelling method
that only sets the scene enough so you can focus on enjoying the gameplay.
But, for what it’s worth, here’s the context for the game: you play as
Samus Aran, an intergalactic bounty hunter who wears an overpowered suit of
alien armour, wields a massive arm cannon, and typically solves issues of alien
infestation by obliterating the entire planet they are on. (This, incidentally,
is why she is one of my favourite characters of all time.
In Samus Returns, the titular character is sent to the planet SR388 to
personally exterminate every single member of the dangerous energy-sucking
Metroid species, which given Aran’s insanely destructive track record, is
possibly something she just does over a weekend.
Love the world
Gameplay-wise, Samus Returns is essentially a very basic return to the
original forms of Metroidvania games. The game looks like a side- scrolling
platformer, and the joy comes primarily from exploring the world map, which is
a huge maze of cleverly interconnected subsections. Although you start off with
a very basic set of abilities, every piece of equipment you discover in the
course of your travels lets you access more areas – the Morph Ball lets you
shrink to enter tight tunnels, for example, and the Grappling Hook puts distant
ledges within reach.
One of the things that I love about Metroid games is that Samus herself
is a bit of a cipher – the real character that you bond with throughout the
game is actually the world itself. The levels are so well designed that every
area has a unique look and feel, and you’ll quickly learn the features of each
location like the personality of your favourite TV character.
Whether it’s that power-up sitting tantalisingly out of reach at a
distant ledge, or this seemingly uncrossable corridor with disappearing floor
tiles, or the weird door blocked by overgrown plants that’s begging to be revisited
with a fire weapon, you’ll soon see SR388 as a person that’s relentlessly
teasing you with secrets waiting to be discovered.
New dimension
While strongly rooted in the classic gameplay design, Samus Returns
does have a few modern flourishes. For starters, the game is rendered
gorgeously in 2.5D, and unlike others of its kind, Samus Returns really
utilises its point-five-dee. The world makes full use of its background
elements, and if you play close attention to the crumbling ruins of the Chozo
civilisation and the strange ecosystems in the distance, you’ll be rewarded
with a better appreciation of the ambient alien aesthetics that makes SR388
feel like a living planet.
The other touch of modernity is that Samus Returns is significantly
more cinematic. Not “cinematic” in the sense of Metroid: Other M, thank the
Chozo gods – that title was an atrocity to good storytelling – but in the sense
that Samus Returns really likes to show off its action scenes.
Cutscenes (done stylishly without dialogue) sometimes appear to
punctuate tense dramatic moments, displaying Samus’s action movie hero cred
before quickly dropping you back into the action, and that’s always great.
The only odd bit of “modernisation” in Samus Returns is the new
counter attack mechanic, which allows Samus to obliterate enemies if she times
a melee uppercut just right. It’s not bad, mind you – it does make Samus feel
like more of a badass – but the mechanic does add a reflex-based element into a
game that usually leans towards patient puzzle-solving and adventure, and that
feels slightly out of place.
Difficulty spikes
Strangely though, despite how much I love Samus Returns, I’m not really
sure if I can recommend this to series newcomers.
The reason is, essentially, that the difficulty curve will sometimes
become a difficulty spike. Through the chest. The parts where you poke around
the corners of SR388 are fairly stress-free, as the game provides ample health
recovery and checkpoints so you can focus on exploring. The numerous
mini-bosses, while initially challenging, soon become a little repetitive and
fairly easy.
And then, out of nowhere, you’ll be thrown into the big boss fights
where you’re forced to counter arcane attack patterns and master the kind of
split-second dexterity that you had hitherto never needed. Even Dark Souls
bosses look at Samus Returns’ boss fights and go, “Whoah, maybe dial it back a
bit!”
You’ll need both crazy mad skills, and the patience to not go crazy mad
on the umpteenth retry. Or, if you’re like my gamer mum, have a small child
with better reflexes on retainer.
If you’re a newcomer to Metroid, I’d actually recommend that you first
try Super Metroid, which is available as a 3DS and Wii U Virtual Console game.
It’s one of the best games in the series (and incidentally my first Metroid
game) and has, I feel, a more balanced difficulty curve.
Of course, if you’re already a fan of
Metroidvanias, then absolutely get Samus Returns. And if you’re already a fan
of Samus Aran, then try getting the Legacy Edition and all the new Metroid
Amiibos, which, of course, unlock (arguably unfair) bonuses for your
playthrough.
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