After A While: Metroid Other M, Part 2

"Less Talking, More Game" Is Confirmed!

After getting past the first boss, I was finally sent on my own with my only orders being to reactivate the Bottle Ship's electrical system. This thankfully opens up the game to the point where I'm not being dragged by the toes through dialog and flashbacks. And I have to say, I'm very pleased with the gameplay! While it's not anything like past Metroid titles, the fluid and fresh mechanics appeal to me much more than those in past titles.

The Bottle Ship Has An Appropriate Name

At a specific point during my journey to turn on more of the lights, I stumbled into something interesting I though I wouldn't see on a spaceship; an oasis filled with plant life and creatures. Of course, being in space brought up the question of how this is all possible. After working my way around this oasis, I found some sort of beacon and turned it off. This caused the fake backdrops of wildlife beyond the small oasis area to disappear and reveal the metallic walls and circuitry. To be honest, this is one of the best in-game reveals of anything that doesn't use a single line of dialog; there's no build-up or character commenting on the aspect. The game throws the player in an odd situation and through what they see they start to understand why said situation is odd. It's very odd to see this in what will most-likely be a very dialog-heavy game by the end of the day.

The Cinematic Direction

Unlike almost every other Metroid game, Other M is very guided. There are some opportunities for straying from the path, but otherwise the game wants the player to follow one route and stick to it. However, due to this the game can be a bit more cinematic with how it presents locales and it's starting to show in my most recent mission. The camera positions itself in such ways that make the locals noticeably different. This results in the game being more cinematic, which is a conflicting and interesting direction to take the series at the same time. On one hand Metroid has always been about being in control of a lonely experience, something that feels hindered due to the camera being so obviously manipulated. However, it also enhances the ability to show off the environments, which are arguably some of the most important parts of the Metroid series.