I hold the Metroid series above all others--even the Half Life and Zelda games--I mean I just adored it as a child. Then I remember when the first Prime game was on the verge of release and a lot of people freaking out, mainly because Samus was being "shoehorned" from 2D into the 3D, first-person shooter genre. This wasnt what Metroid was about! It wasnt about shooting! I admit I was one of those people. So I approached Prime 1 with extreme hesitation, and thankfully found it to be an incredibly fun game that maintaining the Metroid vibe. I was releived! The Prime series played out very well (despite the fact that Prime 2 was a degregation to the franchise) and it was an excellent pradigm shift in the telling of Samus adventures.
I played Other M for the first time at this years E3 and I walked away confused, and slightly curious about Samus past. Now Metroid Other M has been released. I've now played the game for about 3 hours and I've got to say--I'm on the fence. Part of me dislikes the reveal of Samus's past and character, and part of my enjoys the reveal. The mystery of Samus was always so much more compelling to me than the truth--at least I think so.
The thing that striked me unexpectantly when I first started playing Other M was Samus voice. I know a LOT of people dislike it, but I actually think it's totally applicable and fitting. It's certainly not Oscar worthy by any means, but I think it's very fitting for her character.
See I've always felt that the Metroid experience was one of adventure in solitude, with a dash of meloncholly and creepiness therein. Samus's voice--for the first time being heard--seems actually correct tonally to my ear. She's not happy. She's also not a screaming, raging beyotch who wants you to "suck it down". She's a strong, lonely woman who seems to be searching for herself in these abandoned, otherworldly caverns. Or perhaps she's trying to run away from something and space is the furthest away from something (or someone).
The gameplay is really hit and miss at this point. I really dislike being rooted to the ground when going in first-person mode, but I mostly enjoy the other forms of combat. I dislike the scanning but I enjoy the exploration. I dislike the automatic notifications of hidden items in the environment but I love being in that world.
I'm totally conflicted--and I'm absolutely sure that nostaligia has something to do with it--but I'll continue on to see how things pan out. Chin out, chest out...