Metroid: Samus Returns Review

Genre: Action-Platforming Adventure

Players: 1
Playtime: 12 hours (Includes beating the game and finding 100% of collectibles.  Also tried a bit of Fusion mode difficulty)

It's been a long time since a new Metroid game, especially one in the 2D side-scrolling action realm that once created and defined the genre of Metroidvania games.  So the title of this re-imagined remake, Metroid: Samus Returns, is doubly apt marking the triumphant return of the beloved bounty hunter.  Based off the 1991 GameBoy sequel that is Metroid II: Return of Samus, this 3DS revival makes many notable changes to modernize the game and improve upon the limitations it once faced.  With that in mind, was this an entry worth revisiting or does it hold back our esteemed hunter from sticking the landing?  Let's charge our blasters and lock our sights onto the positive and negative readings that lay in waiting for this galactic review.

Art Direction / Animation

While more and more games seem to be doing away with 3D on the 3DS, Samus Returns is a happy exception, boasting some simply stunning 3D visuals.  The extra depth and breath of these environments does a tremendous job of immersing the player into a strange and alien world.  Seeing large lurking aliens in the background and the vastness of the subterranean caverns really drives home the feeling of being just a small figure in a much larger ecosystem.  And with the mission to annihilate an entire Metroid species, the task at hand feels all the more larger for it.

On top of these beautiful and varied vistas, this game features some incredibly detailed and fluid animation.  With the ability to now aim with 360-degree precision, it's amazing to note how Samus will naturally fit the pose in any given orientation.  Also new to the series is the ability to perform melee counterattacks, which when performed at the right moments for boss fights, will transition the action into stunningly choreographed and satisfying bouts of payback.  Even the small moments of cinematics in the game add just enough to storytelling without overstepping their bounds in the action.  While still the silent protagonist, Samus shows a wealth of more character and personality thanks to these animations.  Players can identify with her frustration as she delivers the final blow to robotic boss that long overstays its welcome.  They can feel her remorse as she takes aim at an innocent Metroid.  And gathering Aeon abilities feels all the more epic with the cool roll-and-spin landing.  It hits all the right notes to help create a kick-butt, solo hero with the right degree of natural human curiosity and empathy that is Samus Aran.

Hold L to take aim; The laser turns red when you align sights with an enemy, and yes, you'll always look epic doing so.

Exploration

A large focus in Metroidvania games has always been the large sprawling worlds in which players must weave their way through, slowly picking them apart and figuring out how to traverse past their numerous obstacles.  While this game features a more linear structure than most Metroid games, it fortunately still supplies quite the meaty and expansive world to be explored.  Divided into eight separate areas, each zone can feel like quite the maze to navigate as you charge down the many paths offered.  Thankfully, the second screen of the 3DS offers the perfect means of keeping a grasp of your position with the map functionality and not getting lost.  And with the first five areas of the game each hiding numerous abilities to be unlocked, it can be quite a fun puzzle working your way around these zones and slowly increasing your means of traversal.  The world design is also cleverly crafted in a way where secrets are now more cleverly hidden, as every environment is naturally covered in nooks and crannies.  Finding every collectible is both a joy and challenge to be had.

Action / Enemy Variety

While Metroid: Other M can be faulted for many aspects, Samus Returns thankfully takes the right cues in carrying over the great mix of more melee focused in-your-face action.  With this change, all enemies small and large now prove to be more aggressive and challenging forces to be reckoned with.  So it requires quick reflexes and careful attention to enemy patterns.  And landing those counterattacks can feel so satisfying once you master the timing.  Of course, this would mean nothing if you spent the whole game fighting the same enemies over and over again, of which you will see many familiar foes throughout.  Fortunately though, each area introduces enough new enemies and varying tactics to keep things fresh.  From explosive beetles to robotic Aeon-draining spiders, you are constantly having to learn and adapt to various situations at hand.

The melee-attack keeps the action fast, furious, and always in your face.

End-Game Pacing / Linearity

As mentioned above, the first five areas or so of the game feature phenomenal pacing, with multiple abilities to discover and lots of variety to be found.  Unfortunately, the latter portions of the game slow down the pace in which you get less new abilities and are driven down on a more linear path.  At this point in the game, you've become quite the powerful force, so the real danger at this point is more or less your own recklessness.  If it was only for one area, it wouldn't be as bad, but this seems to drag on longer than desired.  It's a shame there weren't at least a few more abilities to be worked in for these last few areas to reinvigorate players.

Though each of the previous areas also offer a large degree of exploration to be had, there are numerous power-ups that can't be obtained until returning with later abilities.  Such is typical of the Metroidvania games.  However, due to the linear nature in which these areas are sectioned off, there is less of a natural tendency or reason to return to these previous areas, especially once you are the already powerful adversary.  A few more missiles really isn't going to help that much.  Unless you are the completionist type, there is little motivation to backtrack for something so out of the way.  There are teleporters that can assist in making such less of a trek, but what's out of sight is out of mind in this case.  The linear setup of this world proved adverse in offering a more inter-connected world with natural reason to revisit areas.

Boss Variety

Samus Returns offers some fantastic bouts between various evolution of Metroids, as is the central plot of this game.  And though the game tries to offer some deviation with certain elemental attacks, varying environments, and of course their different forms, it still ends up becoming a repeated affair.  You can tell the creators tried to offer some new variety with the addition of the robotic drilling horror that is Diggernaut, who plays a repeated role throughout the adventure.  Still, it would have been nice to have a few more different bosses to break up the repetition a bit more.  There were certainly enough abilities to work from as templates for more bosses.

Concept art of Alpha Metroid, a familiar face to be seen in the game for sure.

Difficulty Modes

I'm typically an advocate for choice, so it's disappointing that the game only offers Normal mode at the start of the game, with Hard and Fusion modes only unlock-able after beating the game (Fusion through Amiibo only).  Worst though is that these "harder" difficulties only cause the enemies to do more damage.  Aside from that, there is little to no difference.  With this little effort for the difficulty modes, it gives little motivation to play through them.

Unmentioned Move

A minor complaint here, but there are several sections throughout this expedition that require a certain move to circumnavigate through.  The problem is, the game never makes you aware that such a move is possible, even once you find the ability.  For those who want to try and figure out this mysterious move themselves, I'll keep it vague on the details.  Let's just say that power bombs can do more than blow stuff up.  You'll be thankful for this hint later and realize how poorly thought this move is given its odd conditions / combination of abilities needed to work.  Fortunately, it's only required for a few power-ups in the grand scheme of things.

I may have been somewhat bummed initially when I heard this game was for the 3DS instead of my new beloved Switch, but the fantastic use of 3D implemented in this game and great use of the second screen for the map shows this system still has a lot of love left to give.  Despite a few nitpicks, Samus Returns is a fantastic return to form for the Metroid series.  It takes one of Metroid's most overlooked entries and gives it fresh new life with bold decisions such as a greater focus on action and superb polished looks.  High hopes now lay in wait for the much anticipated Metroid Prime 4, but players can enjoy speed running through this game many a time until then.  Welcome back Samus.  You've been missed, but thankfully not forgotten.

If you have any questions or thoughts about this game, please feel free to comment and discuss below.  Thanks.  And happy gaming!