Going into E3, Metroid Prime 3: Corruption was one of those question mark games. I thought it’d be good, but wondered if the Wii remote and analog attachment would be a good substitute for the PC’s mouse and keyboard control style. 

Five seconds into the demo and I was just about convinced. When the model in charge saw that I was turning the remote very lightly, she took it from my hand and switched to expert mode. The demo had two settings: normal and expert, the latter of which offered a greater level of sensitivity to the player. I could turn the remote a very slight amount to change the location of my crosshairs, as well as the camera view. 

I walked around in the game, trying to familiarize myself with the new control style, and within two minutes I began to get the hang of it. Samus’s turning radius is excellent and depends solely on how fast you move the remote (just like a mouse). Aiming is seamless and extremely accurate. Slowly the game became more natural, and by the end of the demo I didn’t want to go back to using a standard game controller to play this title. The whole experience was a blast. 

Prime Immersion 

The Wii remote does more than replace the mouse and keyboard control scheme. It also provides a new level of immersion you’ve never experienced in a game before. 

During the demo I came across a locked door. I scanned it (using the same technique as Metroid Prime 1 and 2) and discovered a lever underneath. The lever needed to be pulled, turned, and pushed in. 

So what do I do? I grabbed onto the lever and pulled the Wii remote backwards, I twisted my hand left, and pushed my hand forward. The game reacted accordingly. I was stunned. For the first time ever, I wasn’t merely pushing a button to open a door, I actually had to get inside the game and perform the action as if I were Samus herself. Simply amazing. 

Shortly afterward I encountered a barrier to the hole I needed to enter. In this scenario I had to throw my left hand forward to launch a grappling hook, then pull back on the thumbstick to rip off the barrier. Again, it was the player who had to perform this action, and no single button would suffice. 

Only Metroid Prime 3’s developers know where the game is headed next. But if they are listening, I’d like to take a moment to thank them for the experience, and ask them for more. This game is going to change the way we play first-person shooters, and should inspire developers of other genres to make their games more immersive as well. 

Prime Content 

Innovation is the driving force of this title, but that doesn’t mean the developers have forgotten about the series’ roots. All the classic elements return. Players will be able to lock-on to enemies, scan the environment for clues, and roll into a ball to traverse narrow locations. The demo provided a taste of each of those aspects – when I rolled into a lava pit, Samus was toast. 

Prime Visuals 

Metroid Prime 3 was one of the most visually impressive Wii titles, featuring some of the most realistic interior designs ever seen in a console FPS. Explosions were big, bright, and beautiful. Lava and fire look amazing. Special effects are taken to the extreme, the animation is highly fluid, and the frame rate was flawless.