tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post3954121310245411549..comments2024-03-28T02:36:05.166-07:00Comments on Experience Points: Risk/Reward in Metroid: Other MJorge Alborhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04857765716032886965noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-29407816840970537752012-08-07T10:08:46.893-07:002012-08-07T10:08:46.893-07:00You raise a good point: most video game stories ar...You raise a good point: most video game stories are (at best) nothing special. I single out Metroid: Other M as particularly bad because I see it as actively doing damage to a previously established character. It takes place along the same continuum as Metroid, Metroid 2, and Super Metroid, but throws away much of what makes Samus admirable:<br /><br />(The following points are probably spoilers, so be warned if you care about the story and haven't finished the game)<br /><br />- Instead of an independent, deadly bounty hunter who is willing to get the job done using all the tools at her disposal, she mindlessly takes orders from a superior officer to the point where she refuses to use life-saving technology until explicitly giving permission.<br /><br />- Samus is traditionally a character of few words, but in Other M she rambles to the point of inanity. Most of the cutscenes are her repeating and describing what just happened on screen without any further insight, which is just lazy writing. Also, referring to the mystery enemy as the "Deleter" seems overly nonsensical. Why use a cheesy, made-up term that no one would ever use when you have words like traitor, saboteur, spy, assassin, etc.? It's jargon for the sake of jargon and it's coming from a character who was traditionally a "no-nonsense" kind of person.<br /><br />- During the Ridley fight, Samus (the consummate professional, the galaxy's savior, the one-woman army) is frozen with fear. The game literally describes her "panic-stricken." It's a weird, sad choice seeing as how Samus has seen plenty of other crazy things and never been fazed by them. Instead of taking action, she is portrayed as a helpless child.<br /><br />There are other examples, but the point is that every time Other M has the chance to flesh out the story and characters, it chooses a convoluted route that does a disservice to Samus. Gears of War is no storytelling masterpiece, but the games at least try to do well by their big dumb lugs (the Cole Train's story is actually kind of poignant). The bigger point is that they start off crude and crass and basically stay that way throughout the series, whereas it feels like Metroid Other M is an active step backwards. The Gears dudes crass in the game and in the cutscenes, whereas Samus is meek and indecisive in the cutscenes and a bad-ass in the game.<br /><br />That being said, I haven't read all the Metroid expanded universe stuff, so maybe the "strong, silent type" Samus is the exception rather than the rule? If so, that's a bummer.Scott Justerhttp://www.experiencepoints.net/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3967694277763110629.post-44366925868501886852012-08-07T01:50:09.366-07:002012-08-07T01:50:09.366-07:00It makes me feel unconfortable how you insist on t...It makes me feel unconfortable how you insist on the poor and dumb story in Metroid M while it's a default that is present in about 99% of games published nowadays. What is easily forgiven for Gears of wars for instance and might almost become some kind of welcomed bad taste humor, becomes a serious problem for Metroid other M?Samsoul75noreply@blogger.com