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Metroid: Samus Returns marks the resurgence of our favourite galactic Metroid-chasing bounty hunter, Samus Aran, in a form close to the franchise’s roots, but brilliantly reimagined and modernized as a remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus, for the Nintendo 3DS. Since the release of Metroid Prime: Corruption back in 2007, there hasn’t been another entry in the franchise close to reaching the same heights as the Prime trilogy. While Samus Returns isn’t another entry in the Prime series, it possesses the key pillars that made the series so captivating – fluid combat, intensive exploration, and the silent but ever-endearing protagonist, Samus Aran. I’m happy to report that it has never felt better to step back into her shoes to squash another Metroid threat.
The story of Metroid: Samus Returns is quite simple, as most of the narratives in the series are. The game begins with multiple still images accompanied by text quickly explaining the events of the very first Metroid game, where Samus was sent by the Galactic Federation to infiltrate the Space Pirate base on planet Zebes. Here, she stumbles upon a plan hatched by the Space Pirates to use parasitic organisms known as Metroids to aid in conquering the galaxy. She manages to defeat the Space Pirate threat and the Mother Brain Metroid. Later, the Galactic Federation decides to mount another expedition to the planet where the Metroids were known to originate from, SR-388. Shortly after deployment, the Federation loses contact with their squad, yet not before receiving a small sample of a data transmission confirming the persisting existence of more Metroid life forms underneath the planet’s surface. A decision is made to send Samus to exterminate the remaining Metroids, and end their threat to the galaxy once and for all.
These changes significantly improve the flow of combat and truly realize Samus’ silent but ultimate badassery.
Similar to the Prime series, Samus Returns puts heavy emphasis on exploration, having the player seek out upgrades to Samus’ arsenal, and find power-ups to increase ammo and energy tank capacity. Often during play, there will be a point where the player is unable to progress any further due to requiring an ability or weapon not yet located, so time will be spent backtracking and pouring over the map frequently to locate upgrades and explore undiscovered areas. The map is easy to follow and has clear indicators if there are power-ups waiting to be acquired, or areas that remain unexplored.
Exploration is made even easier with Samus’ newfound Aeon abilities – initially, she is given the ability to scan the immediate surrounding area to expose unexplored portions of the map, or walls and floors that can be destroyed to reveal hidden paths or unobtained items. I won’t go into much detail so you can find and acquire these powers yourself, but they are a welcome addition and are integral to successfully completing the game to 100% completion. Each ability is governed by Samus’ Aeon gauge, which can be replenished by absorbing light orbs dropped by dispatched enemies, or by picking up larger light orbs displayed on the map.
Combat has received a major overhaul compared to Samus Returns’ source material – Samus can now aim in 360 degrees of direction, while the player holds the L shoulder button which locks Samus into place. While moving, she can aim diagonally upwards, straight ahead, and downwards only. Punishing Metroids and other hostile lifeforms is now incredibly rewarding and stylish in execution thanks to the use of a parry attack, which is a brand-new dynamic added to the Metroid series. Just before an enemy attack, a bright flash is emitted as a signal to press the parry button. If the parry lands successfully, the enemy is bounced backward and becomes open to attack without any resistance. During certain battles, landing a successful parry actually changes the camera from being static to a dynamic action-style camera, where it essentially becomes three dimensional and zooms in on Samus pulling off some crazy attacks based on the player’s continued inputs. These changes significantly improve the flow of combat and truly realize Samus’ silent but ultimate badassery.
Metroid: Samus Returns is a long-awaited return to form for the Metroid franchise, and acts as an excellent remake of Metroid II: Return of Samus. It perfectly nails the atmosphere of the Prime series while echoing the platforming brilliance of its two-dimensional parent material, and adds innovative features that modernize the game beautifully. There is a minor amount of tedious backtracking should the player wish to obtain a rating with 100% completion, but this is a staple of the series and the games that came before it. For fans of Metroid who were put off by Metroid: Other M and the incredibly disappointing Metroid: Federation Force, you will finally feel at home with Metroid: Samus Returns after being away for a long, long time.
Final Review: 9/10
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