Tuesday 23 Sep 2008

From the Metroid Prime: Hunters manual; “This Story Mode places you in the action as you battle enemies and solve puzzles as the main character, Samus Aran. Visit various planets and space stations within the Alimbic Cluster and gather all the OCTOLITHS to acquire the ultimate power within.”

While the above accurately describes just what you’ll be getting up to in Metroid Prime: Hunters, it doesn’t tell you about the excellent presentation, graphics quality, ambient music or the wealth of multiplayer options present in the game. It also doesn’t tell us about the monotonous back-tracking, awkward control method or the confusing progression schemes contained within Hunters - issues that need addressing in order to completely understand the title.

As soon as you load up the game, you’re presented with super-slick presentation. Not only are you treated to some great (if a little low-quality) CG videos, but the menu system is well designed and consistent with the visual style of the Metroid Prime universe. Cut-scenes are also shown as you travel from one location to another, while each boss is preceded by a little CG scene to introduce you to your future foe. These all make the game feel a little more epic than you are at first led to believe and really adds ambience to your romp through the galaxy.

When you’re dropped into the game proper, as you observe the environments around you in the primary first-person view, there’s a good chance that you’ll be impressed by the visual quality present in Hunters. For a DS game (for a DS game…), it looks great and, minus a bit of resolution and a tiny bit of detail, Hunters is basically a perfect rendition of a GameCube Metroid Prime game - it’s certainly better than anything achievable (or achieved) on the Nintendo 64 or the original PlayStation, which is no mean feat.

The DS does provide some limitations to the scope of the game’s environments, though, despite individual areas showing some bursts of intricate detail, leading to more dynamic, free-form movement. Those limits, in terms of the DS’s available memory and rendering capabilities, are most keenly obvious in the physical layout of the game’s levels. For every detailed set-piece area of the game, there are many more straight, ninety-degree corridors leading to other set-piece areas, also acting as the game’s loading areas. Walk down a corridor and the door ahead takes just a little too long to open, as the previous area is rushed out of the system and the new level is loaded up. This leads to an emerging, monotonous pattern that is never improved upon; corridor, room, corridor, room, loading corridor, corridor, room - with the ‘room’ in that sequence usually an opportunity for a battle with enemies, so you always know what’s coming.

This pattern results in confusion that will test your ability to navigate 3D, virtual environments, as you stop to ask yourself whether or not you’ve been there before. Hunters would have benefited greatly from some recognisable landmarks throughout the levels, especially in the more labyrinthine parts of the game, to help you remember your previous route. Even despite the limited areas, Hunters is not immune to some slow-down in the larger rooms while battling rival hunters.

How exactly do you battle these rival hunters, as well as other enemies in your path? With an awkward control scheme, depending on a readily accessible DS thumb-nub (DS Lite owners, beware). Playing Metroid Prime: Hunters, to begin with, can be frustrating as you experiment with both control types, using a combination of the stylus, diagonals and shoulder buttons, or using the face buttons in lieu of the stylus to control your view. The stylus method is preferable, allowing you to look around freely, while using the face buttons for the same purpose feels too rigid. If they had incorporated a lock-on/targeting system, as is present in the GameCube Metroid games, a lot of the instances of frantic aiming would have been alleviated. Two hours into the game, you’ll begin to get used to the interface, while a little further in, you’ll be completely comfortable, although there will still be times when you’re made aware of the set-up as your hand cramps or you find the DS slipping from your grasp.

You’ll notice your improving proficiency by tackling previous challenges with increased skill - jumping up a spiral of platforms early in the game may prove a challenge, but navigating that same series of jumps later in the game will be much easier with your newfound expertise. It does appear as though Hunters hasn’t shrugged off its platformer heritage, however, as evidenced by these jumping portions of the game, when the developers could have attempted a new game mechanic, unique to the first-person view, rather than test your control patience with sections that aren’t suited to the control scheme or the platform. Hunters often requires the player to complete intricate sequences of moves that are simply too delicate - a few pixels too far and you have to basically start again as a moving elevator throws you off course.

You’ll be revisiting areas of the game? Yep, and more than should be necessary. Backtracking is a pet-peeve amongst gamers and Metroid Prime: Hunters makes you re-explore previously explored planets and space stations after acquiring new abilities, mostly new weapon types that act as not-so-well-hidden colour-coded keys to open new doors for further adventuring. A normal FPS this is not, as Hunters is equal parts action shooter and explore ‘em up, although there is a distinct feeling that it doesn’t know which it wants to be, with just not enough pure exploration and just not enough shooting to keep you entertained.

One last nail is the fact that your progress in Hunters really should be saveable at any time, instead of relying on the checkpoint system that, while doing a fine job of saving bursts of progress, doesn’t save all of your progress if you were to stop playing at that point. Saving is a manual process, performed at your ship, either traversing all the way back to your landing area or being lucky enough to find a teleporter to take you straight there.

One of Hunters’ saving graces is its great multiplayer component, allowing four players to play off of one DS cart. A multitude of arenas and several game modes will keep you entertained either through a local wireless connection or online over Nintendo’s WiFi Connection. Another pleasant aspect of Hunters is the ambient music that rises and falls as necessitated by the action on screen, while the sound effects do their job well and clue you in at key moments, such as when a door is unlocked or a boss has finally bitten the dust.

Metroid Prime: Hunters is not a terrible game by any definition. If you’re willing to learn and get used to the control scheme and you don’t mind backtracking, maybe even keeping notes of previously explored areas, then the single player offering is very solid, with more than enough environments and story stings to keep you occupied. The multiplayer aspect adds a disproportionate amount of value to the single player campaign, that is sure to keep you and four or more friends amused for hours. The game is graphically amazing at times (with some bland areas here and there) and is probably one of the best looking games on the DS to date. Hunters could be recommended simply because of the times you will lose yourself in the adventure and exploration, but don’t expect your gaming sessions to be frustration-free.

Pros: Graphically great; appropriate, well delivered audio; great multiplayer component; slick presentation.

Cons: Awkward control scheme; backtracking issues; monotonous level layout; outdated Nintendo-esque conventions.

Rating:
Contributor:	Oliver

Purchase: