what's up with Other M hate?

[joshb1983]

I just bought Other M when it was on sale at Best Buy. I held off because of all the negativity the game received. After spending a few hours with it, I really don't see where all of the hate comes from. It's a great game. Sure, it departs from Metroid traditions, but so did the Prime games. I wouldn't mind seeing another game similar to it on Wii U. Maybe I'm alone on this...

[AtomicBean]

I actually picked this game up recently too while it was cheap. Haven't started it yet though.

I will say that back when it was originally shown off, I was...a little skeptical about it. Gameplay just didn't seem like the Metroid we've grown to love over the years, so I passed on getting it at launch. I guess I'll see for myself soon enough how valid my initial concerns were and whether all the hate is really warranted or not...

[motherbra1n]

I just bought Other M when it was on sale at Best Buy. I held off because of all the negativity the game received. After spending a few hours with it, I really don't see where all of the hate comes from. It's a great game. Sure, it departs from Metroid traditions, but so did the Prime games. I wouldn't mind seeing another game similar to it on Wii U. Maybe I'm alone on this...

you're not alone on this, it's just that the haters shout the loudest.

There were a few cheesy cutscenes, some parts of the story weren't explained too well and almost everything simply doesn't hold up against the amazing prime trilogy but you know what, the boss fights were great, the story was overall enjoyable (despite being a bit generic), it was fun finding all the hidden collectibles and it showed a more vulnerable side to samus AS WELL AS the badass side which we are all used to.

Overall, Other m was a disappointing successor to the amazing prime trilogy (but the bar was set so high after that) BUT it was still a very good game in its own right and it is infinitely better than the overrated fusion which was forgettable, brought next to nothing new to the series, had a lame story and was just a rehash of super metroid but simply inferior to super metroid in every single way possible. The whole time I was playing it I was thinking of super metroid and how it was just like this game but so much better.

I think it's a little sad that you held off on buying it from all the negativity because the negative comments (whilst some are perfectly valid) were COMPLETELY blown out of proportion and the parts that everyone hated (samus's past with adam) only made up for a minor part of the game and I encourage any metroid fan that hasn't already done so to at least give the game a real chance rather than forming an opinion out of everyone elses and just hating the game because it has become to cool thing to hate.

[chris_the_wing]

I agree that it's far from being a bad game. Some fans feel they own the franchise & any deviation from the route they want it to take is seen as a personal attack on them. People need to take a step back & realize that it's just entertainment. I for one enjoyed the game, saw it's short comings, and appreciated what it did right.

On a side note, it reviewed MUCH better then Team Ninjas new game Ninja Gaiden 3.

[gtt]

terrible, terrible writing. very, very misogynistic portrayal of samus. terrible, terrible story.

oh, and the parts were you went into first person were just awful.

[chris_the_wing]

Not worth getting into it.

[Blue_Falcon]

Braindead dodging, terrible difficulty balance, crap dodging + certain enemy tactics lead to really frustrating moments, stupid first-person limitations, obligatory pixel hunts, broken dodging, lame bosses, trial-and-error bosses (looking at you Metroid Queen), no optional item upgrades, level design that basically amounts to a sequence of fancy corridors, can't use missiles in third-person, boring and clunky over-shoulder sequences, and really, really messed up dodging. Also, why the hell does the game end with a terribly done first-person QTE?! There was just so much wrong with that I don't even

[cortjezter]

just a warning. we have (ahem, HAD) an other m thread that got out of hand, due to the intense hating. it was locked, and may stay that way forever, pending any real new developments that would warrant opening it.

that said, this thread should stay strictly to the subject line; otherwise it will be locked or maybe even deleted.

honestly, i think the best answer to the subject line is just to read any, some, or all of that other-other m thread:

viewtopic.php?f=4&t=6951

[motherbra1n]

Braindead dodging, terrible difficulty balance, crap dodging + certain enemy tactics lead to really frustrating moments, stupid first-person limitations, obligatory pixel hunts, broken dodging, lame bosses, trial-and-error bosses (looking at you Metroid Queen), no optional item upgrades, level design that basically amounts to a sequence of fancy corridors, can't use missiles in third-person, boring and clunky over-shoulder sequences, and really, really messed up dodging. Also, why the hell does the game end with a terribly done first-person QTE?! There was just so much wrong with that I don't even

your post might have had the slightest bit of sense if you hadn't repeated the exact same 3 or 4 points a trillion times.
and seriously, no optional item upgrades? other than prime 1 and 2 which metroid games actually had that.

can you elaborate on the dodging because it almost seems like you're playing a completely different game to me.

[akel]

Most of the hate comes from Samus' portrayal. That didn't bother me. But even so, I still found the game to be bland and mediocre. The combat was simple and repetitive(no need to really position yourself/aim). And there's barely any real level design in terms of platforming. The character/suit designs were also really ugly, even in cut scenes. There's no memorable music. The story wasn't interesting at all. In fact, that's probably the most disappointing thing to me. I know people say metroid isn't about story, but I was hoping this would be able to change that.

[chris_the_wing]

Also, why the hell does the game end with a terribly done first-person QTE?! There was just so much wrong with that I don't even

Did you wait until after the credits for the real ending? I'm just curious because I really enjoyed the real ending.

[bunny-cow]

I actually enjoyed Other M. Was it perfect? LOL NO. I'll get to my nitpicks below. The gameplay was fine but controls and limitations (first person missles) hindered it. I liked dodging though it made everything too easy. Backtracking does not feel "Metroid-ish" and doesn't come naturally if that makes sense.

Apart from Samus "not feeling obligated to use her advance weapons until Adam tells her so" Metroid weapon-downgrade excuse, I don't really see the hate for the story and the misogynistic portrayal. And this is coming from a woman! Besides Adam and token black guy, I thought none of the rest of the supporting characters were developed, and any Samus/Adam interaction to me felt like a father/daughter thing where Samus just wants approval from parents she lost. I don't think the game is misogynistic in any sense because nothing is fully developed.

And the graphics in one area can be beautiful but then the next it can look like utter s#!t. The character models especially of Anthony and his comrades looks atrocious and I cringe when they're in in-game cutscenes because everything look like a PS1 FMV. TERRIBLE!

Oh, although the story is fine for what it is, I hate the Japanese-y way the story is conveyed. So much angsty melodramatic monologue and moments (that thumbs-down thing was corny) that really should have been simplified. Maybe this is one of the reasons this game feels misogynistic? I thought it was just utter JRPG crap.

Oh, and putting a mole on Samus all of a sudden proves what exactly? Gives her more personality? HA!

In summary: Good game. Terrible Japanese-y presentation.

[joshb1983]

Thanks for keeping it civil guys. I'd have to say my only complaint with it so far, is how dark it is. It's hard to play in a well lit room. Had the same problem with Epic Mickey...

[Jerome]

Since Best Buy had it new for $4.99, I went ahead and bought Other M last Christmas, despite being a staunch critic of the story. After playing through it, I have to admit the story (while poorly done), isn't enough to make the game bad on its own. The game does have some virtues, like fairly impressive production values and very dynamic-feeling character controls and animation, but there are just so many weird design decisions dragging it down.

- The control scheme is so short on buttons that many things had to be automated, making the game almost feel like it's playing itself at times. I don't know how many times I triggered an impressive-looking finishing move purely by accident, and the dodging move (which doesn't always work like it should) is necessary for avoiding most attacks. This removes any need for precise maneuvering, and makes it seem like you're watching somebody pull off impressive moves rather than feeling skilled yourself.

- The game's camera angles and controls make things feel very chaotic, especially during boss fights. There are reasons you don't see many shooters that play like melee brawlers. For starters, you have to run around in circles constantly, spamming shots and dodges, and the sense of control or precision goes out the window. The dodge move in particular makes rapid button-mashing mandatory to stay alive. I'm not a fan of button mashing, especially on a D-pad.

- The mandatory pixel hunts were an atrocious idea. For instance, I was stuck for over 20 minutes before I could start the Ridley fight, because I didn't know I had to focus on an arbitrary portion of a completely innocuous object, NOT BECAUSE ANYTHING WAS THERE, BUT BECAUSE SOMETHING WOULD HAPPEN IN FRONT OF IT WHEN I DID.

-The ability to only use missiles when your feet are cemented to the floor was a stupid idea. Why in the name of sanity they decided to forcibly lock you into this mode for the final boss fight, I'll never know.

- Many parts of the game have a strong element of trial-and-error, with basicallly the only way to pass an obstacle being to die numerous times before you figure out what's required. There are options that seem like they should work but don't, seemingly only because the developers wanted you to play portions in a very specific way. The final boss fight is a great example of this. I don't know how many times I died on that stupid thing because I didn't know what to do. What makes things worse is that you're not given proper feedback to know that what you're doing isn't working. Many games even decades ago did better in this regard, with feedback like the "chink" sound in the NES Mega Man games that told you your attacks weren't having any effect. In other M, you can blast at an enemy hundreds of times and not know if it's doing anything.

- Similar to the pixel hunts, there are many times when you are limited to slowly walking Samus along corridors, at times even being unable to do anything except move forward. This doesn't make sense. If you're going to take away all options, why can't it just be a cutscene?

- It just seems like the developers really wanted to show how brilliant they were, and wanted everyone to play the game in the the best way (AKA, the developer's way). I prefer to interact with a world based on logical rules of the world, not be tied to frustrating, arbitrary limitations because they better show off the "genius" of the designers.

There are more gripes I could list, but this post is already too long. In the end I resold the game, and (happily) made a few bucks on it, as well as getting 60 free Club Nintendo coins.

[TheLastBlade]

I've seen more smartly written stuff in the Gears of Wars series than Other M.

[Carbondog]

I really loved this game (minus two scenes) it had all the nostalgia that most long time Nintendo games carry with them. Its sad that every time I see it in stores its below $20. Metroid games are known for being short but there is a lot more value in this than $20!

[Mirr0rR3flection]

The way Samus is portrayed plus some gameplay issues. I commend you for buying it despite the negativity surrounding the game. More people (like you did) should judge the game for themselves instead of having others do it for them.

[CrispyGoomba]

The problems that I had with the game overall is the flaws. Especially when you had to reach certain points to be able to use a new gun type (Where the guy says I am now activating your ______). I didn't enjoy that at all.

Plus my other problem was the cut scenes that were so beautiful, and then they go to a half-ass cut scene, which ruined the moment. I know it's not all about the graphics, but dear god.

[chris_the_wing]

The problems that I had with the game overall is the flaws. Especially when you had to reach certain points to be able to use a new gun type (Where the guy says I am now activating your ______). I didn't enjoy that at all.

Plus my other problem was the cut scenes that were so beautiful, and then they go to a half-ass cut scene, which ruined the moment. I know it's not all about the graphics, but dear god.

The gun/item unlocking was handled in a strange way & I can see why people might not like it, but ultimately it wasn't any different to the flow of the game than if the item was sitting there as a pickup. The cut scenes were beautiful (some were kind of dumb), but when it was leaving the CGI and coming back to the game I felt it was smart to first switch to the in engine cut scenes so it would be less jarring when you got back to actually playing, that's how I feel anyway.

[varoennauraa]

It has enough slight quirks to pull it down from modern definition of 90+ game, but most of all, its memorable and personal game; its not for every body, but its also very meaningful experience for some. I'd like to see more games like this. I might not like all of them, but I respect that kind of game design, that reaches higher from being merely a product. I have gotten bored of mild games, that doesn't (even try to) move me, or even leave traces in my memory, which is waste of money and expensive time. This is love or hate game; I'm in very small minority who liked this game very much, but didn't fall in love with it while playing, although, I love the memories of the game more than the memory of the 60€ I paid for it.

Biggest flaw(in the lest subjective sense) is the shooting mechanics. The idea of dodging and counter attacks is FANTASTIC!!! But its too repetitive and FAR too easy. But the story kept me going to see the end and I effing hate to live in fear that we might not see the improved sequel, that has this fighting style perfected because of the whining, and whats even worse, I think that I will become a bitter troll, if Samus becomes a bald "bad ass" marine.

I like all Metroids as much as Zelda and sex. Right now I miss the Prime series the most, but the M felt like a real Metroid, well, to me the Prime series feel like real Metroids too, but M has even stronger handprint of Sakamoto, actually, perhaps the strongest handprint in any modern big game.

[chris_the_wing]

I think that I will become a bitter troll, if Samus becomes a bald "bad ass" marine.

I think the vocal minority are pissed because Samus wasn't this

[varoennauraa]

I think that I will become a bitter troll, if Samus becomes a bald "bad ass" marine.

I think the vocal minority are pissed because Samus wasn't this

Aah, yes, I guess the bald wouldn't kill me after all, but the third characteristic would:

[chris_the_wing]

Aah, yes, I guess the bald wouldn't kill me after all...

I was just trying to point out that some Metroid fans had imagined Ridley in the suit rather then Samus. Ridley is a great character & Metroid is clearly an homage to Alien, but it isn't a carbon copy of the movie Alien.

And I agree about the third characteristic of your typical space marine being loathsome.

[varoennauraa]

Aah, yes, I guess the bald wouldn't kill me after all...

I was just trying to point out that some Metroid fans had imagined Ripley in the suit rather then Samus. Ripley is a great character & Metroid is clearly an homage to Alien, but it isn't a carbon copy of the movie Alien.

(slight typo fix)
I completely agree. I love Alien at least as much as Metroid, but I wish that Sakamoto could continue to evolve Metroid+Samus towards his vision instead of fans wishes, but I have a terrible fear, that the Other M melt down could have made Sakamoto nervous and that he might make hasty decisions.

[gtt]

Aah, yes, I guess the bald wouldn't kill me after all...

I was just trying to point out that some Metroid fans had imagined Ripley in the suit rather then Samus. Ripley is a great character & Metroid is clearly an homage to Alien, but it isn't a carbon copy of the movie Alien.

(slight typo fix)
I completely agree. I love Alien at least as much as Metroid, but I wish that Sakamoto could continue to evolve Metroid+Samus towards his vision instead of fans wishes, but I have a terrible fear, that the Other M melt down could have made Sakamoto nervous and that he might make hasty decisions.

his vision is bad. and he should feel bad.