Metroid Prime 3: Corruption review

The best in the series - barely

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Despite the vastly improved controls and strikingly layered visuals (easily Wii's best), much of Metroid Prime 3 feels the same. Bosses are unimaginative, mindless drones that repeat tired attack patterns over and over again. Enemies have next to no AI at all, usually running full speed ahead into your sci-fi arsenal. These same enemies also tend to completely respawn when you leave the area, forcing you to fight them infinitely. Incessant scanning is necessary to know the whole plot and solve most of the puzzles. One or two poorly designed puzzles stop the entire game for many, many players (Google "Bryyo help" and see what happens). Basically, the same cons of the other two games, offset slightly by the aforementioned controls and graphics.

Other additions, like the voucher-sharing point system, had us scratching our heads. Sure it's nice to unlock music, art and other bonuses, but this is the online mode? Just last year we had Metroid Prime Hunters on DS, a full-fledged fragfest that played spectacularly. This series isn't supposed to be about one-on-one versus battles, but Prime 2 had them and Hunters had them on Wi-Fi. It seems like a misstep to exclude the feature from the online-enabled Wii.

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GenreAdventure
DescriptionMetroid Prime 3 falls into the same category as Twilight Princess - the ultimate achievement of the series, yet in desperate need of an evolution.
Franchise nameMetroid
UK franchise nameMetroid Prime
Platform"Wii"
US censor rating"Teen"
UK censor rating"Rating Pending"
Alternative names"Metroid Prime III: Corruption"
Release date1 January 1970 (US), 1 January 1970 (UK)
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Brett Elston

A fomer Executive Editor at GamesRadar, Brett also contributed content to many other Future gaming publications including Nintendo Power, PC Gamer and Official Xbox Magazine. Brett has worked at Capcom in several senior roles, is an experienced podcaster, and now works as a Senior Manager of Content Communications at PlayStation SIE.