Metroid Prime 2: Echoes is the kind of game that really knocks your socks off. It's a sequel to an extremely popular game, but it has tighter visuals, a more engaging story, a longer playtime, and many other improvements over the original. If you liked Metroid Prime, you're going to like this game— unless you don't.
Let's talk about that.
Like many "smash hit sequels," Echoes has a lot getting in its way. It would be a massive understatement to call Prime an iconic game in the franchise— its fully realized world, wonderful music, and colorful upgrades made it one of the most acclaimed Gamecube games of all time. And the thing is, if Echoes really tried to capture that lightning in a bottle for a second time, it would have failed. Nothing can possibly compare to seeing Tallon IV's rain rolling off of Samus' visor, or stepping out into Phendrana Drifts for the very first time. And, yeah, I'll take a bite out of this: I didn't like Echoes very much when I first got my hands on it. I got this feeling that it was trying to have its cake and eat it too, with its dull reimagining of the Chozo Ruins and a brand new coat of paint in "military shooter" browns and greys.
And then, something funny happened.
The game stopped pulling its punches. I was introduced to a structured storyline— something that Prime absolutely did not have— and began exploring the world for real. The dull and dusty hub area gave way to sprawling, looping caverns. I dug through the bellies of ancient machines, restoring connections that had been lost. I sank to the depths of a lush and beautiful swamp. I explored a flying cyberpunk cityscape, of all things. And unlike Prime, where these areas were given very little fanfare, Echoes gave ample context. These aren't just machines, they're the living history of a dying culture. This isn't any old flying city, this is the hub for an entire civilization, corrupted and turned against its creators. Prime has memorable visuals, sure, but Prime 2 has a memorable scale. You can feel the weight of this place that you're exploring, the hopelessness of the one-sided war that you've stumbled into. And it's fun! There are so many aspects that make it more enjoyable than the first game. The controls have been tuned up. Almost all of the upgrades have been retooled or updated in some way. It feels like a realization of what the developers loved about Prime— all of the things that worked, and all of the things that didn't work in charming ways. Once you're immersed in the experience that the game is offering, there's nothing else like it. All you have to do is take the game at face value, and give it the space to pick up speed before putting it back on your shelf.
To talk about the beams for a second, because it's a huge point of contention, I do think that they feel distinct compared to Prime 1. None of them are the "re-skins" that people make them out to be. Just having ammunition for the special beams is already a huge improvement; it means that Prime 2 gets to have a more aggressive playstyle, because all of the enemies need to be able to take damage from every beam, even if the damage output isn't that good. The Light Beam feels like a real upgrade to the Dark Beam, and the Annihilation Beam feels like a real upgrade to both of them. The color-coded enemies of Prime left a lot of room to be desired, especially when a room might have enemies for every color, but that complaint is completely gone with Prime 2. Managing the ammo is fun, and the penalty for running out isn't nearly as bad as it seems. Then, because the mechanics are more fleshed out, Prime 2 gets to have more complex enemy encounters and bosses. It ends up being about as challenging as the first game, but for different reasons. And I like Prime 2's difficulty curve a lot more than Prime 1.
What else is there to say? It's a great sequel, with a lot of innovation and inspiration. I loved the designs, the characters, the music, the world. If I had the choice to play any of these games again, I would play Prime 2 without a second thought.
In fact, I might even go play it right now.