Metroid Prime 2: Echoes
Wow, has it really been two years since the original Metroid Prime came out? Seems like it was just yesterday that the gaming community was blessed with one of the greatest games ever made. Lucky for us, the sequel to that game has finally been released, and boy what a great game it is. How well does it stack up to the original? Well, keep on reading to find out.

Graphics:

The graphics in Echoes are definitely some of the best to grace the Nintendo Gamecube. Everything glistens with shiny beauty, which can be seen especially well when the light shines on Samus as she goes down elevators. As for the environment itself, the planet of Aether is definitely more expansive than Tallon IV. Creatures and enemies look great, and you can’t help but marvel at their beauty even as they bombard you with attack after attack. However, when it boils down to the graphics alone, Echoes doesn’t exceed the prowess of the original. At best, both games are graphically equal.

Sound and Music:

Echoes definitely reuses a lot of sounds from Metroid Prime. It doesn’t really matter though, seeing as how it would be kinda pointless to make new sounds for stuff that is the same as the original. However, the music department is where it really matters here. I’m definitely a fan of the main theme from Echoes, which is also the song they use in the credits. However, the main theme/credit song from the original Metroid Prime was, in my opinion, better. As for music during the game, just about everything is new, with the exception of save stations, upgrade music, etc. Boss battle music is intense, and it definitely helps get the adrenaline and blood pumping as you fight them. However, unlike Prime, not many songs from previous Metroid games make a return. While certain ones do, there just isn’t as many that return for your listening pleasure.

Storyline:

The storyline in Echoes is a lot more in depth than Metroid Prime’s was. While the storyline is still told through the scans you get, Echoes has a much more deep and twisting plot. Echoes itself takes place directly after Metroid Prime. After hearing that a squad of troopers went missing on the planet of Aether, the Galactic Federation hires the infamous Samus Aran to check out just what the crap happened down there. When she gets down there, she finds all the troopers dead at the hands of a mysterious race known as the Ing. Not long after you land on Aether, you’ll encounter your soon to be rival Dark Samus. As the story progresses, a race of creatures known as the Luminoth tell you what exactly happened to Aether. After hearing their plight, you agree to help them regain the light of Aether and destroy the evil Ing. Along the way you’ll continue to encounter Dark Samus, along with the usual gaggle of Space Pirates and Metroids. As you continue along your path, you’ll learn much more about the Luminoth’s history, their previous battles against the Ing, what the Space Pirates are doing on Aether, and the true identity of your nemesis Dark Samus. To spare you the spoilers, I’ll just leave it at that.

Gameplay:

The gameplay in Echoes doesn’t vary much from that seen in the original Metroid Prime. The basic style is still there, with the addition of a Dark Aether being the only real difference. The Dark World is much different than the light, and you’ll take damage while there unless you’re under specified light crystals. Eventually you’ll get the upgrade that protects you completely from it, but it doesn’t come until you’re near the end of the game. Other additions that make Echoes different are the ammo system, increased amounts of morph ball puzzles, and the return of the screw attack. The ammo system is only used for the light and dark beams, as your primary weapon contains infinite amounts of energy. The increased amount of morph ball puzzles is a welcome addition, and in my opinion the morph ball bosses are some of the hardest. Finally, the addition of the screw attack is something new. After jumping your normal amount of two times, you will be able to go into third person and jump five more times using the screw attack. Unfortunately, this welcome addition is yet another upgrade you don’t get until the majority of the game is over. Well, that’s about it for gameplay. Oh wait….I forget about a little something called MULTIPLAYER! While not helping or detracting from the overall gameplay experience, the addition of multiplayer is definitely something that just about everyone can enjoy. The multiplayer mode plays out like a normal FPS, with a Metroid twist. You can turn into a morph ball to evade attacks, hack your enemy’s suit, and gain all sorts of power ups. Two different multiplayer modes are included, and a variety of different levels are available. Multiplayer is definitely something everyone can enjoy, whether or not they like the single player game. 

Controls:

There isn’t much to say about the controls. They’re exactly the same as they were in Metroid Prime, including the controls for the multiplayer mode. Retro Studios was smart and didn’t change something that already worked perfectly. If you’ve played Prime, you’ll be able to step right into Echoes without any trouble. If you never played the original, I’d say it’ll take you about thirty minutes to get the hang of everything.

Replayability:

Metroid Prime 2: Echoes definitely has a lot to offer. The single player mode offers a quest that will be a bare minimum of 20-25 hours long, and that’s not including any time you take to retrieve upgrades and hidden items. As for unlockables, you’ll gain art galleries as you scan more and more things throughout the game, and you’ll gain multiplayer music selections and levels as you reach certain points in the single player. Just like any other Metroid game, there are always the energy tanks, missile upgrades, and other weapon upgrades to hunt down and search for. I would suggest at least finding some of them, because the ending where Samus removes her suit requires at least a 75% completion rate. If you get everything, you’ll unlock the special 100% ending that hints at Metroid Prime 3. Last but not least, the game is given that extra push in the replay area by including multiplayer. While its nothing special or revolutionary, its addition will add even more hours onto the amount of time you spend playing Echoes.

Overall, Metroid Prime 2: Echoes definitely lives up to the original. However, when it comes down to making a decision on which game is better, I’d have to go with the original Metroid Prime. The main reason is that Echoes didn’t really offer anything new. Dark Aether was definitely different, but everyone knew what to generally expect from the gameplay department. As for the original, nobody knew what to expect. Metroid Prime blew everyone away, creating its own First Person Adventure genre in the process. It’s that little extra oomph that prevents Echoes from surpassing the original. However, don’t be swayed by the fact that its not as good as the original, because Echoes will definitely own your soul.
Graphics: 9.8/10
Sound and Music: 9.6/10
Storyline: 9.8/10
Gameplay: 9.9/10
Controls: 9.7/10
Replayability: 9.6/10
9.6
Out of 10