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[Mael]

Once is not enough for you but you're too stubborn to play it again. Not my problem. There are only 3 dimensions, there are also only a finite number of ways to approach viewing angles in 3D space. I never said it was the first to use this camera system, I'm saying that I think it's execution in said camera system is of great elegance and is one of the best auto-camera systems I've seen. I also love how they implemented object transparency. Their interpretation of this existing camera system is what makes it great in my eyes. THAT's what I'm praising.

I don't have a death wish either, I actually tried to replay it just after finishing it, I stopped because I found it so bad (the fact that the replay basically got rid of anything that would be even of a slight interest didn't help).
I'm certainly not paying more than what I did pay for that and that's pretty much final.
From what I've played, the camera system is no different from plenty of games I've played, transparency or not.
I'm not saying you're wrong in praising that aspect, after all I'm entitled to hate this game and you're entitled to like it, I'm finding it odd that you could praise this aspect and give such a big importance when it seems so mundane and there's really, to me, so much more aspects that could be praised.

No sarcasm here and yes, it is the only redeeming quality.

Ah! This explain so much then.
I didn't get that it was that way.
I guess that was what you found to be the high point of the game, I wouldn't agree on that being the redeeming quality though.

 

[BARKSTAR]

I'm still surprised a lot of people are still trying to defend and praise Other M. As a Metroid game it was pretty dam awful. Even taking it outwith the Metroid Universe the game still had some clumsy level design and awful control implementation.

For me it was one of Nintendo's biggest disappointments in recent years.

 

[robor]

Ah! This explain so much then.
I didn't get that it was that way.
I guess that was what you found to be the high point of the game, I wouldn't agree on that being the redeeming quality though.

Oh! Well there ya go. Yes it was very much so for me. Clarity at last ha!

 

[brianmcdoogle]

I know this comment of mine is going to run contrary to many things, but let me get it out:

I really dislike Metroid and Castlevania games. I don't like wandering around and constant backtracking in games. I have tried to play the original Metroid, Metroid Prime 1 and 3, and Castlevania SOTN, the first Castlevania game on the GBA, and never finished any of them. I most cases, I stop playing a few hours into the games.

That said,I liked Metroid Other M because I found that I wasn't backtracking as much, and the map allowed me to look up where to go if I got lost and didn't want to explore. Shadow Complex was good at this as well. Yes, the story is garbage and the gameplay itself is simplistic, but out of every Metroid game I have played, it is the one I played the most. Only reasons why I stopped playing it is because of the stupid story and it being way too dark on my television to the point where I can barely see what is going on in some rooms despite cranking up brightness and contrast on my tv.

Anyway, baring all of this in mind, is there another Metroid game I might enjoy? Or maybe a game in similar style?

 

[shadyspace]

I know this comment of mine is going to run contrary to many things, but let me get it out:

I really dislike Metroid and Castlevania games. I don't like wandering around and constant backtracking in games. I have tried to play the original Metroid, Metroid Prime 1 and 3, and Castlevania SOTN, the first Castlevania game on the GBA, and never finished any of them. I most cases, I stop playing a few hours into the games.

That said,I liked Metroid Other M because I found that I wasn't backtracking as much, and the map allowed me to look up where to go if I got lost and didn't want to explore. Shadow Complex was good at this as well. Yes, the story is garbage and the gameplay itself is simplistic, but out of every Metroid game I have played, it is the one I played the most. Only reasons why I stopped playing it is because of the stupid story and it being way too dark on my television to the point where I can barely see what is going on in some rooms despite cranking up brightness and contrast on my tv.

Anyway, baring all of this in mind, is there another Metroid game I might enjoy? Or maybe a game in similar style?

Metroid Fusion is tailor made for you. Clearly defined mission objectives lead you from one area to the next but there's still exploration aspects within those areas if you want to look for upgrades, etc. And the story is not complete dogshit like Other M.

 

[jarosh]

And the story is not complete dogshit like Other M.

well, it's mostly the game itself that's not complete dogshit, the level design, gameplay and controls. that sort of thing. but yes, metroid fusion, right answer.

 

[robor]

And if you love Fusion, play Return of Samus. This is where Fusion and Echoes design tradition was born from.

 

[KevinCow]

Also try Zero Mission if you enjoy Fusion. It's kind of a mid-ground between the classic Metroid structure and the linear Fusion structure. There are the statues you can hop in that tell you where you're supposed to go next, but you're still free to explore if you want to.

And if you love Fusion, play Return of Samus. This is where Fusion and Echoes design tradition was born from.

Don't listen to this. If you hate getting lost and backtracking, you will hate Metroid 2. No map, and every room looks the same. It's even worse than the original in that second aspect, since they couldn't even change the color schemes to differentiate the rooms.

 

[brianmcdoogle]

I will have to track down a copy, but I will play through Metroid Fusion.

Also, I know I'm not saying anything original, but I really hate the sexualization/sluttiness that has always followed Samus. Ever since the beginning, they did stuff in poor taste like the bikini, but I feel like it keeps getting worse and worse.

From what I got from the story of M:OM (from what little I paid attention to it), I do like the idea of Samus having a chip on her shoulder because she's attractive, a girl, and short.

 

[Electivirus]

Picked up Other M a couple of days ago and have been playing it extensively since. I'm rather enjoying myself, despite a couple of niggles here and there. The pixel hunts are pretty annoying, and first person mode doesn't work as well as it should. Still, the gameplay is pretty fun, and I find the faster pace a pretty refreshing change from the series' usual slow and steady pace.

The infamous UPGRADE AUTHORIZATION is kinda stupid as well, though in effect, it's no different from the usual "gain powers as you go along" deal that Metroid games are so well-known for. In any case, I do wish they'd have come up with a different justification for it...

The game as a whole is giving me huge Fusion vibes, too. From the increased story focus, to the forced linearity (which I don't particularly mind), to the setting, to the atmosphere... it's all quite familiar, though certainly not in a bad way. The voice acting is decent enough; Samus' monotone is somewhat grating, but everyone else sounds good/great.

So, from what I've played so far, it's firmly in the "good, but not great" category for me.

Side Note: Samus' SUPER DUPER NINJA KILLS are friggin' awesome. And I also love the increased missile usage compared to the Prime series. I never found them THAT useful there...

Side Note #2: Holy shit this game is pretty.

 

[Boney]

What part are you?

I agree it's a visual stunner for the most part, but in a few places visual quality drops a lot, like lasagna lava and stuff. It's a good paralel for the game itself as well.

Was talking this with somebody else the other day, be sure to remember that regular beams deal more damage than trying to wait for charge shots and that they're good at stunning enemies as well. There's always a quick way to deal lethal strike to all enemies, so figuring them out is part of the fun.

 

[JaseMath]

With all the 25th anniversary hoopla on GAF, I beat this over the weekend and overall, thought the game was pretty bad and I wished I wouldn't have ever played it. In fact, right after I beat it, I played Prime and Super Metroid to revisit great Metroid. Some thoughts...

• I don't mind some character exploration, but Other M is completely sexist and forgets the lineage of the Metroid series and it's main character.

• First-person mode felt unbelievably forced into the game and made many parts of the game (particularly boss battles) more frustrating than they needed to be.

• The were a few times (particularly when the game forces you into first-person) where I didn't know what I was supposed to do. Also, I'm really disappointed that I had to look for an FAQ

Spoiler

for the Queen Metroid because I had no clue what do when it swallowed me. In retrospect, power bombs seemed obvious, but having tried them literally in the previous fight with the metroids to no avail...

• Visually, it was a mixed bag. Environments felt bland and uninspired. Samus' model looked great, though - I really liked it.

• The game didn't have a lot of "music", but I dug some of the ambient music bed. I also really liked the main title theme.

EDIT: I really tried to go in with an open mind, but I will never play this game again.

 

[daffy]

Other M is not sexist.

 

[Tyeforce]

I love this game. I honestly do not understand all the hate it gets. I found it to be a fantastic game, one of the best I've ever played. I don't play too many darkish, more serious games like this, so it was kinda new ground for me. I tried getting into Metroid with the Prime games, but I just can't because I hate first person. Other M, though, was awesome for me. I love how it's kinda like Zelda, with a mostly third person perspective with occasional stationary first person perspective (and I thought the use of the Wii Remote was genius). I loved the story, too. I'll admit that

Spoiler

the ending was a bit anticlimactic

, but other than that it was great.

 

[Alexios]

The main issues it has are the linearity, some of the story bits (no, it's not really sexist at all), and how easy (yet mostly fun still) it was with the all too easy to abuse dodge (they really should limit it somehow, maybe make B the dodge button and a d-pad press during that performing it to that direction, with a slight cool down on top so that you can't repeatedly use it as you do in the last boss). Everything else was either great or so insignificant it's barely worth mentioning (like the first person spot the detail parts, which lasted what, 30 seconds through the whole damn game or something similar to that). A sequel in the same style that fixes a few things would be sweet.

 

[Brainiac 8]

Here we go again.

Other M is not as bad as people make it out to be. Samus as a character has never been fleshed out, and her personality was only ever a product of each players imagination.

While I didn't like some of the things Sakamoto did, the game, and yes, even most of the story I enjoyed a whole heck of a lot. Adam and Anthony were great characters, and the gameplay I loved to death.

Not perfect, and no, not as good as Super Metroid or the Prime Trilogy, but it was still a solid Metroid game and did much to flesh out Samus as a character as well as her universe.

 

[The Technomancer]

The main issues it has are the linearity, some of the story bits (no, it's not really sexist at all), and how easy (yet mostly fun still) it was with the all too easy to abuse dodge (they really should limit it somehow, maybe make B the dodge button and a d-pad press during that performing it to that direction, with a slight cool down on top so that you can't repeatedly use it as you do in the last boss). Everything else was either great or so insignificant it's barely worth mentioning (like the first person spot the detail parts, which lasted what, 30 seconds through the whole damn game or something similar to that). A sequel in the same style that fixes a few things would be sweet.

Agree with this. The story needed a much better translation and the game needed to be less linear but I loved the control scheme and I had no problem at all switching between perspectives.

 

[mantidor]

The translation being bad is a poor excuse, the story is terrible even if it was a silent movie to be honest. Plots go nowhere, characters are generic and formulaic, the acting is overdone, it really has no saving graces, at all. And that sucks a lot, because is one of the main focuses of the game.

 

[Ellis Kim]

The translation being bad is a poor excuse, the story is terrible even if it was a silent movie to be honest. Plots go nowhere, characters are generic and formulaic, the acting is overdone, it really has no saving graces, at all. And that sucks a lot, because is one of the main focuses of the game.

I'd like you to point to where the "acting was overdone." The acting was not "overdone." It delivered exactly what the director wanted. All of your animosity lands squarely on Sadamoto's shoulders, and no one else's.

 

[SecretMoblin]

Agree with this. The story needed a much better translation and the game needed to be less linear but I loved the control scheme and I had no problem at all switching between perspectives.

I disagree about the control scheme (I would have preferred to use the 'chuck), but I also didn't have any problem switching perspectives, firing a missile, and returning to the battle normally. It was a bit perplexing when I read so many reviews that said pretty much the same thing.

And I don't care about the story in (most) video games, so it honestly didn't bother me. In Metroid Fusion those elevator scenes were genuinely annoying, though.

 

[Rehynn]

The hate for this game just shows how much today's gamers are preoccupied with presentation and story. Basically the non-interactive elements.

Gameplay-wise, Other M is a very interesting and, dare I say, brave experiment. One that, I believe, is mostly a success.

A game has to entertain without cutscenes. It has to have a solid and fun mechanical foundation, so all other aspects are merely the icing (or the crap) on the cake.
I've believed this for a long time, and it's probably why I ended up really enjoying Other M.

Also, the game is not sexist.

 

[mantidor]

I'd like you to point to where the "acting was overdone." The acting was not "overdone." It delivered exactly what the director wanted. All of your animosity lands squarely on Sadamoto's shoulders, and no one else's.

Well if we are getting really literal then change acting for "animation" or "facial expressions", I think you know what I mean, and it was terrible, really. I remember seeing the interviews with the guy of Drockets and Sakamoto and I didn't know if I had to laugh or cry at how much effort they put into that part of conveying Samus feelings and all that stuff, because they failed badly. I'm not entirely sure if its because of Drockets' ability in animation or Sakamoto's insane ideas about storytelling and how to portray emotions though, as you said I'm inclined to put all the blame on Sakamoto.

The hate for this game just shows how much today's gamers are preoccupied with presentation and story. Basically the non-interactive elements.

Gameplay-wise, Other M is a very interesting and, dare I say, brave experiment. One that, I believe, is mostly a success.

A game has to entertain without cutscenes. It has to have a solid and fun mechanical foundation, so all other aspects are merely the icing (or the crap) on the cake.
I've believed this for a long time, and it's probably why I ended up really enjoying Other M.

Also, the game is not sexist.

The game is entirely focused on the cutscenes and the story, this is not something players made up, the game is designed that way, Sakamoto has said so in interviews and everything. Trying to ignore the story is really hard, the game literally doesn't let you to avoid it.

I agree games should entertain without the story, but the creators of the game were focusing on that, is impossible to discuss the game trying to ignore that part, even the way you get upgrades is tied to the story.

You must really hate 99% of video game "acting" or "animation" then.

Of course I do, fortunately most of the time is unobtrusive enough.

 

[Rehynn]

Well if we are getting really literal then change acting for "animation" or "facial expressions", I think you know what I mean, and it was terrible, really. I remember seeing the interviews with the guy of Drockets and Sakamoto and I didn't know if I had to laugh or cry at how much effort they put into that part of conveying Samus feelings and all that stuff, because they failed badly. I'm not entirely sure if its because of Drockets' ability in animation or Sakamoto's insane ideas about storytelling and how to portray emotions though, as you said I'm inclined to put all the blame on Sakamoto.

You must really hate 99% of video game "acting" or "animation" then.

 

[MarshMellow96]

Two things will exist after the apocalypse: the cockroaches and this fucking thread.

I hope the last two people on Earth have polarizing opinions on this game.

 

[Version 3.0]

Two things will exist after the apocalypse: the cockroaches and this fucking thread.

I hope the last two people on Earth have polarizing opinions on this game.

I'd like to formally volunteer to be the hater (though honestly, Mael obviously deserves it). I'll eat cockroaches and die slowly of radiation poisoning if I can just die LAST and feel vindicated in some small way.

 

[Mafro]

The hate for this game just shows how much today's gamers are preoccupied with presentation and story. Basically the non-interactive elements.

Exactly.

 

[Boney]

The main issues it has are the linearity, some of the story bits (no, it's not really sexist at all), and how easy (yet mostly fun still) it was with the all too easy to abuse dodge (they really should limit it somehow, maybe make B the dodge button and a d-pad press during that performing it to that direction, with a slight cool down on top so that you can't repeatedly use it as you do in the last boss). Everything else was either great or so insignificant it's barely worth mentioning (like the first person spot the detail parts, which lasted what, 30 seconds through the whole damn game or something similar to that). A sequel in the same style that fixes a few things would be sweet.

This is probably one of my favourite things about the game that only shows itself in hard mode. The ease of dodge is in opposite to how efficient you can dispatch enemies.

I see plenty of videos on youtube of people just charging their shot and waiting to dodge to deliver a charge blast. Whereas you should be constantly firing normal shots and waiting 'till the last possible second to hold the button and charge. This allows for 2 different levels of play to exist simultaneously without intruding on each other.

Gracefully getting to the lethal strike in less than a few seconds is so rewarding.

 

[Version 3.0]

Exactly.

Not quite "exactly". As horrible as the story and presentation are, I hate this game primarily for game-related reasons. But they did force the story down our throats, and I do consider the lack of interactivity caused by (long) unskippable cutscenes to be a problem.

 

[Sayah]

The translation being bad is a poor excuse, the story is terrible even if it was a silent movie to be honest. Plots go nowhere, characters are generic and formulaic, the acting is overdone, it really has no saving graces, at all. And that sucks a lot, because is one of the main focuses of the game.

Disagree 100%. The story is very well told with interesting twists along the way. All these alleged Metroid fans had their own preconception of what Samus was like and when she didn't fit that preconception in Other M, everyone got mad. The most important thing about Other M's portrayal of Samus is that it makes her more human while at the same time maintains her badassery. People just like to exaggerate everything.

 

[Sennorin]

Great game and more fun than Prime 3.

And yes, the game isn´t sexist.

 

[Sayah]

The hate for this game just shows how much today's gamers are preoccupied with presentation and story. Basically the non-interactive elements.

Gameplay-wise, Other M is a very interesting and, dare I say, brave experiment. One that, I believe, is mostly a success.

A game has to entertain without cutscenes. It has to have a solid and fun mechanical foundation, so all other aspects are merely the icing (or the crap) on the cake.
I've believed this for a long time, and it's probably why I ended up really enjoying Other M.

Also, the game is not sexist.

Gameplay is always very fundamental of course but I would also say story telling is very important as well. Sometimes, a compelling story can make up for not so compelling gameplay and motivate people to continue playing. The only reason I finished FFXIII (for example) despite the boring, repetitive gameplay was because I wanted to know what happened at the end.

 

[thecouncil]

yeah, samus was more badass in this game than all of the other games combined. it was helped greatly by her speed in this game. sense dodging and finishing moves felt great. grabbing enemies around the neck and shooting an energy blast down its throat is pretty badass... but then everyone complained because she got scared of ridley. despite the fact that her moment of fear was followed by a badass fight where you destroyed him.

 

[MadOdorMachine]

I'm still dumbfounded they didn't use the nun-chuck for this one. It seemed like a no brainer and would have solved a lot of issues with the missiles. Imo, the story also nearly ruined the entire franchise. I think it was a lot better when people could put their own imagination into the character. The sense of wonder is what was so appealing about Samus.

That being said, I still really enjoyed the combat in the game. The camera transitions were extremely fluid too. It was also really nice to be able to see Samus. I'm probably in the minority here, but I hope we get a sequel to this that fixes all the problems it had.

 

[etiolate]

Two things will exist after the apocalypse: the cockroaches and this fucking thread.

I hope the last two people on Earth have polarizing opinions on this game.

Well I know the Other M fan will be the first to willingly eat the cockroaches and pretend to be delighted by it.

 

[Sayah]

yeah, samus was more badass in this game than all of the other games combined. it was helped greatly by her speed in this game. sense dodging and finishing moves felt great. grabbing enemies around the neck and shooting an energy blast down its throat is pretty badass... but then everyone complained because she got scared of ridley. despite the fact that her moment of fear was followed by a badass fight where you destroyed him.

The gameplay was definitely great. When they initially announced the lack of nunchuck support, I got a little disappointed but after playing the game, the controls just felt very fluid. The speed and the fast-paced action really added to make everything more enjoyable. The boss battles were also pretty fun.

As far as the Ridley cutscene, I didn't mind it. It's like her arch nemesis who she thought she had gotten rid of. Her fear only shows her humanity.

 

[Mafro]

Not quite "exactly". As horrible as the story and presentation are, I hate this game primarily for game-related reasons. But they did force the story down our throats, and I do consider the lack of interactivity caused by (long) unskippable cutscenes to be a problem.

Download a save of a completed game so you can skip the cutscenes. Problem solved.

 

[grandjedi6]

Tried to put this game back in today. Still horrible.

 

[Littlegator]

I went into this game not giving the slightest amount of fucks about story, and came out well satisfied with more than solid gameplay and a definitely worthwhile entry in the series.

 

[etiolate]

What's amazing is that Super Metroid managed to show more human nature and believable humanity in Samus through the element of friendly creatures, and later allowing her to save them.

What's even more amazing is that underneath the horribly offensive story in Other M, there's nothing but an ordinary, flawed action game with poor control choices and dumbed down combat. It's like the shitty story saves the rest of the game from facing the firing line.

 

[Deleted member 30609]

Tried to put this game back in today. Still horrible.

To say the least.

 

[TheAtomicPile]

Great game and more fun than Prime 3.

And yes, the game isn´t sexist.

Shhhhh. Quiet.

GAF isn't ready to face the truth yet. Give them time.

 

[Sennorin]

Shhhhh. Quiet.

GAF isn't ready to face the truth yet. Give them time.

Gaf in 5-10 years will be fun. "Omg, why did nobody tell me how great this game was?!"

 

[mantidor]

Disagree 100%. The story is very well told with interesting twists along the way. All these alleged Metroid fans had their own preconception of what Samus was like and when she didn't fit that preconception in Other M, everyone got mad. The most important thing about Other M's portrayal of Samus is that it makes her more human while at the same time maintains her badassery. People just like to exaggerate everything.

spoilers all over so better tag it.

Spoiler

Even ignoring the lacking portrayal of Samus, the story was all over the place, the plots of the infiltrator and whatever her name was (see I even forgot her actual name, Melinda I think? whatever, the girl in white coat) were terrible, the first one was left without conclusion and no explanation, even if you can deduce what happened that is just bad storytelling, the other one was a tired anime cliche of A.I. getting "feelings". And the supposedly big emotional moment of the game with Adam sacrificing himself was for nothing, why would he need to go alone in sector 0 if it was going to be decoupled and launched into self destruction anyway? The story is just badly written, its just a sum of mediocre plots that give you no gratification at the end.

 

[vitacola]

spoilers all over so better tag it.

Spoiler

And the supposedly big emotional moment of the game with Adam sacrificing himself was for nothing, why would he need to go alone in sector 0 if it was going to be decoupled and launched into self destruction anyway?

Because of Metroid Fusion?

 

[RagnarokX]

spoilers all over so better tag it.

Spoiler

Even ignoring the lacking portrayal of Samus, the story was all over the place, the plots of the infiltrator and whatever her name was (see I even forgot her actual name, Melinda I think? whatever, the girl in white coat) were terrible, the first one was left without conclusion and no explanation, even if you can deduce what happened that is just bad storytelling, the other one was a tired anime cliche of A.I. getting "feelings". And the supposedly big emotional moment of the game with Adam sacrificing himself was for nothing, why would he need to go alone in sector 0 if it was going to be decoupled and launched into self destruction anyway? The story is just badly written, its just a sum of mediocre plots that give you no gratification at the end.

Spoiler

The only way to get Sector 0 to detatch and blow up was to go in there and start shooting up the place. You may think this a dumb feature, but this is the universe where you open doors by shooting them with a specific weapon. Of course, the Galactic Federation learned from this experience and by Fusion they had installed an escape timer in their secret metroid breeding lab.

 

[drspeedy]

Because of Metroid Fusion?

HAHAHA- too right.

I a) loved Fusion as much as Super and b) think MP3>MP1>MP2- so story, linearity and dialog obviously don't bother me for a Metroid game in the least. But Other M was a sad anime plot with predictable twists and overall lacked the polish it deserved.

Given another 6 months to make some needed tweaks in the dialog/pacing, this could have been epic. I loved the controls, I loved the agility, I loved the power ups and the eerie "Dead Space vibe"... which is why i hope OtherM2 is made and is as amazing as this game could have been.

I don't think the game was sexist per se, but do I think Samus was a blubbering wuss for far too long over the course of the game. The last 'quest', now THAT was a Metroid game.

 

[Version 3.0]

Download a save of a completed game so you can skip the cutscenes. Problem solved.

I have no intention of replaying the game, but I was under the impression that you couldn't skip the cutscenes on subsequent playthroughs. I recall some bitching about speedrun times being inflated by cutscenes. Not true?

 

[KarmaCow]

I have no intention of replaying the game, but I was under the impression that you couldn't skip the cutscenes on subsequent playthroughs. I recall some bitching about speedrun times being inflated by cutscenes. Not true?

You can skip them but the cutscene time is always added to the total regardless of whether you watched them or not. Which is funny because I think Fusion didn't include them in the total time.

 

[etiolate]

You can skip them but the cutscene time is always added to the total regardless of whether you watched them or not. Which is funny because I think Fusion didn't include them in the total time.

that is hilarious

 

[mantidor]

You can skip them but the cutscene time is always added to the total regardless of whether you watched them or not. Which is funny because I think Fusion didn't include them in the total time.

Are you freaking serious? that says a lot about this game.