Metroid Prime: Federation Force Review

Metroid Prime: Federation Force

A varied campaign and objectives can’t save this shooter from mediocre gunplay.

ByJose Otero

Updated:

May 2, 2017 5:43 pm

Posted:

Aug 19, 2016 4:00 am

As far ideas for spin-off games go, Metroid Prime: Federation Force found an interesting angle that fits into Nintendo’s sci-fi adventure series in its squad of mech-pilot marines that deploy on missions to fight the scum of the universe. I can’t say I didn’t have a few good, fun co-op action moments during campaign mode, and Federation Force’s varied missions and settings kept me interested. But no matter what the objective, my squad’s momentum was hindered by a boring primary weapon and the scarcity of special ammo needed to shoot the cool guns. And playing alone – well, I don’t recommend it.It’s true that Federation Force’s bobble-headed soldiers look absolutely weird, but elsewhere the art style is used effectively to create some diverse spaces for up to four players to run around in. The three visually distinct planets of Excelcion, Bion, and Talvania have sharply contrasting fire, ice, and industrial looks that are packed with lots of neat architecture which captures the feel of environments we’ve seen in console Metroid Prime games. Plus, with 3D enabled, the added depth perception made me feel like I was right behind the visor of one of those mechs.

And that’s a good feeling to have when there are 22 varied missions to plow through. Some of my favorite ones made us set up specific roles for my team. Take Blender, a mission where you have to transport carts full of power cells during a hazardous storm. Each squadmate had to take on an assignment, whether it was pushing the slow-moving cart or laying down cover fire so allies could seek shelter before being ripped apart by the oncoming tempest. Other missions switch things up further, like Infestation, where you face a dangerous enemy that can sneak up on your team from almost any direction. It ratchets up the tension and makes careful movement and communication important. A majority of the missions work best in co-op, and the best ones offer enough space for squadmates to go off in different directions and find secrets or retrieve pieces to solve a puzzle.

Metroid Prime’s controls work well enough on a 3DS.

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Federation Force’s default control scheme adapts Metroid Prime’s controls to work well enough on a 3DS, but not without a few issues. First, you have to get comfortable with motion controls if you want to take precise shots, and that’s not a bus-friendly feature. There’s an alternate setup for New 3DS owners to use the c-stick to control a free look, but even the fully adjustable sensitivity settings don’t make up for the fact that the tiny nub just isn’t up to snuff for this type of precise shooting.

When I tried to go in alone I found myself severely underpowered.

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Despite these control woes, Federation Force’s handful of bosses are tough foes to fight, even for a full four-person squad. Bosses like the Sawken, an enormous eel that hurls ice rocks whenever it jumps out of an icy underground lake, require good teamwork in order to pile on damage at the right moments. Fights like this are good in co-op and are clearly balanced for that mode of play, because when I tried to go in alone I found myself severely underpowered to the point where it simply wasn’t any fun. Solo players can pick up to three floating drones as backup, but naturally these assistants aren’t as capable as real squadmates at your side.

The weak primary beam cannon your mech uses compounds this issue. Outside of its powerful-but-slow charge shot, it’s not very fun to use. It’s not as terrible in co-op since you have four times the damage output, but it makes going it alone during the second half of the 13-hour campaign frustrating. Tough elite enemies soak up an insane amount of shots, and when you have other objectives to shoot down during a firefight it just becomes a slog.

Federation Force could’ve saved itself, and almost does.

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Federation Force could’ve saved itself from a lot of this problem, and almost does. Some cool alternate-fire modes range from Proximity Mines that tear up encroaching enemies to the stunning Shock Shot that blasts them with a ball of electricity. There are 11 in all, with special modifications that you unlock over time which boost variables like damage values or the duration of an ability. You can even make interesting permutations, such as adding stun properties to a decoy to zap incoming enemies or add 30% extra damage to missiles.

They’re fun way to tweak weapons or your mechs carry limits, but Federation Force shoots itself in the foot by not giving you enough ammo to use them often enough to spice up the moment-to-moment gameplay. Once you use up your starting shots you might not find more ammo in the entire level. The scarcity of special ammo needed to fuel these sub weapons feels like an unfair tease, especially when you’re playing alone.

Verdict

Metroid Prime: Federation Force has some neat ideas, but they’re soured by an impotent and boring primary weapon that sucks the enjoyment out of shooting and a bewildering lack of special ammunition that might’ve brought variety to the action. Due to a painfully imbalanced single-player experience co-op with friends is really the only viable way to play it, and even then it’s not really recommended.