Closing Comments
Metroid Prime 2 Echoes proves that Retro Studios' first game was not a fluke. This long-anticipated sequel to what I consider to be one of the greatest games ever made arrives as one hell of a great new installment to an already-outstanding franchise.
Echoes isn't exactly a groundbreaking product. The feeling of originality, of freshness, that overwhelmed me as I played through Prime is not present in this sequel, and that's mainly because Prime 2 doesn't stray from the winning formula. It strictly adheres to it, in fact. That's a little disappointing. But at the same time the end experience is every bit as amazing as the first, which means that if you loved the original game then you're going to love this one too. And if you hated it, well, you're probably not going to have a sudden change of heart now.
 
Prime 2 succeeds because it successfully recreates the Metroid experience in 3D. It succeeds for all the same reasons that the first did, and no new ones. The wide-openness of the huge, gorgeous world. The gargantuan number of hidden upgrades that promise access to areas unreachable. The intense boss fights. The intuitive first-person platforming elements and the challenging third-person environmental puzzles. And most of all, the exploration factor. Just getting to know the world is immensely enjoyable and extremely rewarding. Did I mention that the game is artistically and technically head and shoulders above most games on the market, competing systems included?
 
I have a couple of minor quibbles with the Echoes. The Dark World is less compelling than the Light World. The lock-on system is not without problems. A dual-analog control setup is long overdue, at least as a secondary option for those who might prefer it. And at least one boss fight was made unfairly more difficult due to the lack of a nearby save point.
 
But everything said and done, this is still one of the best games to come out in the last couple years and in many ways it stands side-by-side with Metroid Prime. Some gamers may actually prefer it.
 
And what it boils down to is this: if you're okay with Echoes being an extension of the first game and not a revolution, you're going to flip out over this sequel.
 
Our highest recommendation.
 
-- Matt Casamassina
 
 
10.0 Presentation
Retro knows what it's doing. Slick menus and cut-scenes, huge amounts of logbook data that can be viewed, and unlockable art, too.
 
9.0 Graphics
Gorgeous. One of the prettiest GameCube titles, to be sure. Huge worlds filled with detail. Unequaled art direction. Near-perfect framerate. Textures tend to blur up close. One or two framerate dips.
 
9.5 Sound
Moody music by composer Kenji Yamamoto and a wide assortment of thumping sound effects, too. But more voice work is missed.
 
9.5 Gameplay
Superb. Nearly flawless. An extension of Metroid Prime in every way. Extremely satisfying platforming and puzzles. Some minor lock-on issues and a Dark World that is not as compelling as the Light.
 
10.0 Lasting Appeal
A bare minimum of 20 hours to complete the single-player quest and likely double that for completionists who want it all. Then there's the archaic, but still enjoyable multiplayer mode.
 
9.5 OVERALL:
(out of 10 / not an average)