Right now Nintendo is building the hype for Metroid: Samus Returns, but it's not been that long since our last game from the IP graced the 3DS. Metroid Prime: Federation Force was divisive (to put it mildly), and is now one year old. Amusingly, our editor Tom Whitehead and reviewer extraordinaire Conor McMahon only recently finished a rather long playthrough through online co-op. Conor tells the story, with a few little snippets from Tom, of how two bumbling Federation Force soldiers saved the universe. Expect a few spoilers, but we don't give away 'that' ending.
A Journey Into The Unknown
Conor: Back in 2015, an urgent call was sent throughout every star system, soaring across time and space in order to secure a spot during Nintendo's digital event at E3. The prestigious Galactic Federation needed brave and enthusiastic new recruits to enlist, and by all accounts it should have been a time of excitement and heroics. This new adventure would shed light on the noble Federation troops, and offer a fresh perspective on the Metroid universe as a whole. At a time when we barely expected to see a new Metroid title, it should have been extremely welcome news, but that wasn't exactly how things panned out. The fan outcry towards this weird spin-off title was immediate and severe, cutting the whole idea down before it ever really got a chance to take off. Many would go on to ignore the game entirely, even going so far as to prompt others to do the same.
For my part, I wasn't ready to grab my pitchfork just yet. While I understood the sense of frustration many others felt at the time, my own personal take on Federation Force was primarily one of cautious curiosity. Being a huge fan of the developer Next Level Games, I was willing to give the game a shot even if it wasn't anything close to what I had been expecting, Whether or not it 'deserved' the sacred mantle of a Prime title was an interesting and valid conversation, but it didn't really concern me as long as the game itself was something fun and worthwhile. The grumpy, pessimistic side of me screamed that this was the death of Metroid, that it had no place in the series and wasn't worth a second glance. Maybe I just happened to be in a good mood on release day, but I managed to tune those negative thoughts out and picked it up at a nearby store, grimacing slightly at the fact that I had to send someone way into the back to fetch one of three copies they had, total.
Initially, I was tempted to just check the game out in single-player, but it definitely felt as though this wasn't the intended experience and the missions would be way more fun with a full squadron of four people. With that in mind, in the weeks leading up to Federation Force's release, I sent out a few messages on social media to see if anyone I knew was planning on picking it up as well, instigating my own little recruitment drive for fellow troopers. Part of me expected to get absolutely nothing in response, but I was glad to see a few interested parties reply back, not least of which was our dear editor Tom, who helped me round up a group, arrange a time, and after an impressive little training sequence we were launched into our first mission together. It was the beginning of something both epic and surreal, and a journey that would be a year in the making.
Tom: The Metroid Prime Trilogy copy I have for Wii is, without a doubt, one of my most treasured gaming possessions. I didn't have a GameCube but fell in love with Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, and then went head over heels for the full trilogy when the compilation came out. They're extraordinary games, and I was one of those with goosebumps when Metroid Prime 4 was 'revealed' with a logo this year.
I bought Federation Force for two reasons. One was that I felt sorry for Next Level Games, a top notch developer that produces quality titles but was on a hiding to nothing with this one. I also got annoyed with people who point blank refused to give it a chance, and heard from a few people that reviewed it that said actually, it was decent. The other reason I bought it was because it was called Metroid Prime, and therefore I had to experience it.
When Conor put the call out I was relieved, because playing it solo had made me want to cave in my own skull due to the bullet-sponge enemies. Finally, I thought, I'd play it the right way.
Saving the Universe, one shambolic mission at a time...
Conor: Playing with four people in separate rooms, separate cities, separate countries - all without the use of voice chat to coordinate - made for a particularly chaotic first experience, and not in a fun, Overcooked kind of way. It felt a little like a space marine daycare, as objectives were left totally ignored while we silently squabbled over who would do what, attempting to relay orders through limited voice commands and allowing certain players to just do all the work for us. Each player was at the mercy of their team the entire time, so when someone just decides to wander off you have to cross your fingers and hope they know what they're doing, quick to return victorious. Of course that's if they decided to return at all, and not just take in the sights. I remember sharing a few grumbling messages with Tom as we watched the armoury get picked clean, with four characters all fighting over the best equipment like wolves, bickering over the bones of a recent hunt. What's more, just one accidental disconnect would affect the entire team, who would be left to carry on with a significant disadvantage. I was enjoying parts of Federation Force, but I was beginning to regret my decision not to fly solo.
That would be the first and last time I ever played Federation Force with a full squad, but with 90% of the game still left to explore Tom and I had a chat and decided to play a few more missions together as a duo, and see if we fared any better that way. This, over the course of an entire year, would become a strange kind of ritual for us, as we spent an hour or two each evening on a shamefully irregular basis tackling a handful of missions. Maybe the stars aligned, maybe the Galactic Federation have a statue of us erected somewhere, or maybe we just had nothing better to do. Whatever the reason, the whole experience just clicked right into place after the two of us formed Team Conor (great name, right?), and powered through the next few missions like seasoned veterans.
Tom: Part of the problem with the original full group was that the others had reviewed the game, so were actually trying to meet tough objectives for extra medals. Conor and I, meanwhile, were trying to figure out the fiddly controls and exploring it for the first time. In hindsight maybe we should have used Discord or something, but in the end two pairs were trying to do different things, and it just wasn't fun.
I was keen to continue as a duo because I wanted to beat the game, and as I said before had little fun playing it alone. Besides, rather than do the equivalent of herding cats in getting four friends together at once it was easier for Conor and I to randomly dive back in every month or two, stumble around remembering the controls for the first 10 minutes and clear a few missions in each session.
Conor: Needless to say, we went on to make our mark as true heroes, no matter what the Federation asked of us. The mission variety is surprisingly fantastic, which is definitely something that the game doesn't get enough credit for. Each level doesn't take more than a half hour to complete, generally speaking, which allows for a rapid-fire burst of ideas that kept us on our toes. Through sheer lazy genius, we developed our own 'unique' arsenal of problem solving techniques, generally consisting of 'blast first, ask questions never', and 'if we die, it's the game's fault'. We'd be tasked with carefully guiding a sphere along a narrow path, only to charge our weapons and try to blast it over like a puzzle-solving cannonball. This kind of thinking made the game weirdly entertaining, as we trundled through missions like space rejects rather than the Force's finest. In between rounds, Tom and I would poke fun at what just happened by texting each other, revelling in moments of sheer stupidity like when we tried rushing to the end of an escort mission only to both get stuck out in a sandstorm, armour torn to shreds and returning to the intended route, pride wounded.
Our messages would always jab at certain aspects of the game, moaning about some particularly dull or unfair missions for example, but we always came back to one simple fact - we were having a load of fun. Even when the game wasn't at its best, we were enjoying the co-op gameplay when it was boiled down to a duo, laughing at cheesy lines of dialogue, discussing any new mechanics that were introduced, and coping just fine without any form of direct communication. Just a few snippets of voice commands worked fine, and these were mostly just used for comedic effect anyway.They're so basic that they somehow get funnier the more you hear them, and rarely serve any other actual purpose. In fact one of the most importan-
PIRATE DATA
Log 8.TWCM.392.
Progress on the Doomseye is advancing rapidly. A new shipment of vital tubes has arrived and soon we will have a working superweapon of our own. It is time to bear the fruits of our research. A gigantic space craft the size of a moon, capable of firing a concentrated laser beam capable of destroying planets. A star of death! Why has no one thought of this before? Foolish humans... Furthering our successes, research has concluded on the latest cloaking technology, and we have begun making things invisible, because we can. Cloaked troopers, cloaked space craft, even the Doomseye in all its moon-sized glory could be cloaked! We are geniuses.
Unfortunately... the hunter clad in metal is no longer our most feared adversary. Pirates within the Bermuda system have filed multiple reports on a pair of bizarre, hulking golems far larger than any mere human. They are to be considered hostile, though we cannot be sure of their allegiances. Reports are conflicting, many claiming that the so-called 'Conor Team' attack everything in sight, including even each other at times. Their war cry is a string of monosyllabic commands, barked into the abyss like metallic lunatics. "Good game." "Charge!" "Thanks" "North!" It seems impossible for them to communicate in any other way, and they use these terms constantly, as if chanting. It is baffling, and clearly some form of impenetrable cipher they use to pass secret intelligence. Our top minds are working on it as I compile this log.
In order to combat this growing threat, we have executed protocol 893R, a sophisticated and dangerous technological pursuit that should aid us in the fight for dominance. That's right, our giant ray that will make everything giant. As is well-documented, the solution to any problem is to throw pirate troopers at it until it crumbles. Giant pirate troopers will prove to be doubly effective. If these golems are somehow associated with the accursed Galactic Federation, then we question their motives, as they seem to only work to meet their own agenda. Perhaps by throwing enough swarms of pirate troopers at them, over and over and over again, along with local wildlife, we may destroy their outer shells and see the masterminds within. Surely they are gods, to act with such authority and confidence. I trust in our abilities as the superior force, however. We are geniuses.
Server Wars: The Disconnects Strike Back
Conor: I've held off on digging into this topic until now, but it's high time we mention the buggy elephant in the room when it comes to Federation Force. The game's online servers are held together with tape and glue, and at certain points of our experience that description might even be a little generous. It wasn't uncommon for Tom and I to get booted out of a game mid-mission, forcing us to restart again from scratch.This is made even more annoying by the fact that it counts as a loss, so there's a chance you'll lose a precious mod chip in the process. There were times where we barely managed to get a single mission completed over the course of an hour due to multiple resets, which simply doesn't foster much goodwill towards a game reliant on its online stability. If you're looking for a tense, terrifying horror exerience on 3DS, just play through a difficult, overlong mission in Federation Force while constantly wondering if it will disconnect randomnly. It's very effective.
It's not as if the servers were being particularly taxed by heavy traffic either. At any given time that we played, maybe one or two other games were actively available to join, tops. These were often empty rooms set up by a single player, hoping to gather randomners to join the team. Of course Tom and I completely ignored these pleasant invitations and stuck to our nice, private, 'FRIENDS ONLY' room. It's not snobbish or elitist of us...It's just good teamwork, that's all.
A string of bad experiences with the online functionality would often send us away from Federation Force for months at a time, only to get that itch again at some point down the line. Texting out of the blue for another play session isn't a booty call, it's a Mech call, and one ongoing phenomena was trying to relearn all of the controls each time we stepped away for more than a few weeks. They're not bad by any means, in fact the motion controls actually work pretty well for some simple shooting, but it ended up being customary to take a minute or two at the top of each session just to get used to things again. But saving the universe in a giant, destructive mech suit is like riding a bike - you never really forget.
Tom: I always forgot the button for jumping, for some reason. I'm not sure why.
Those disconnects, good grief. I pictured an old gentleman riding a bike to power the servers, and occasionally he'd dose off and end a round. Amazingly, in one recent session I think we were the only people in the world (or our region, anyway) playing it online. I got to the online area before Conor (he always set up the room, as we were Team Conor) and it was empty, completely empty. I felt both amused and a bit sad at the same time.
The Final Push
Conor: After a year of playing on and off, a year of messages, jokes, taunting, and shooting everything, recently we finally finished Federation Force for the first time. It wasn't our intention to line our finale up with the 1 year anniversary of the game's release, but it feels pretty appropriate. Our last few sessions were some of the most fun I had thoughout the entire game, as the story ramps up and the missions become tougher, more challenging affairs. Normally we would play on a whim, but after properly getting into the swing of things we jumped online faster so we could play more within the space of a few days. Right up until the end credits I was being surprised by what each mission would entail, often going in expecting one thing and getting something else entirely. A climactic final attack on the Space Pirate superweapon is the perfect ending, as Samus makes her triumphant appearance and congratulates the Federation for their help. After putting in all that effort, enduring the hand cramps from playing on a tiny New 3DS and gnashing our teeth through repeated disconnections, it felt as though we'd really earned that congratulations. Tom even chose to sit through the end credits, bless him.
Tom: In one of our later sessions my older brother was also in the room, and he found my intense focus and pained expression quite humorous. I love my small New Nintendo 3DS, mainly because I have the Xenoblade Chronicles cover plates that everyone secretly wants, but it's horrendous for long sessions in this game. The later enemies and bosses are sponges - some of the late bosses are annoying for that reason, frankly - and the issues of cramp were very, very real. All of that said, I enjoyed playing through it with Conor a lot, in fact at times I'd have actual giggle fits - it was both absurd and wonderful.
And by the way, I always let the end credits roll, which is particularly painful when it's a Ubisoft title, I must say. Once I had a toilet break and got a coffee during the credits for Assassin's Creed III on Wii U; they were still running when I got back.
Conor: Over the course of 12 months we were able to experience the game on our own terms, enjoying it for what it is and making the most of some really fantastic co-op gameplay. My initial thoughts were correct; it was far superior when playing as part of a team, albeit a rather small team. Communication, combat and puzzle-solving is all much more manageable and engaging as a duo, especially if you've got a sense of humour and don't take the game too seriously. I'd be confident in recommending this as a worthwhile co-op title, but we were also able to witness firsthand the bitter reality of just how few people are actually still playing this game. In fact we'd often wonder if maybe we were the only ones in the middle of a session at any given moment. The reasons for this are up for debate, but after playing through the entire campaign I personally think that the actual game here is solid, but it isn't a Metroid title.
That being said, it wasn't ever really trying. Sure, it's set within the same universe, and it bears the same title, but it's definitely a spin-off experiment, jumping around a variety of different gameplay styles to suit the mission at hand. The problem there being that, at the time of its announcement, this spin-off was all that Metroid fans had to look forward to, and it strayed far from the mark of what they wanted. I believe that first impressions mean quite a lot in this industry, and with Federation Force it was all in the naming. It's not really possible to claim that it feels like a sandard Metroid title - in fact the titular lifeforms actually look a little strange in game - and so it's perhaps wrong to file it under the rest of the 'Prime' series. That title alone is sacred to many, so this lighthearted effort felt extremely out of place, if nothing else.
If you can get past the name and enjoy this game with a friend, I'd highly encourage you to go for it. Don't let the cartoony graphics fool you, joining the Force is no easy task, and your hands will be put to the test. Who knows, maybe your statue will grace the halls of the Galactic Federation right alongside the famous Conor Team. But don't count on it.
"Good game!"
Comments 67
Ungh, this game. It just does not appeal to me or any of my friends so I have no reason to get it.
Festeration Farce.
Federation Force will always be remembered as the Bomberman: Act Zero of Metroid games.
Shame that more people don't give it a chance because of the name and the way it looks. It's a fun game, not perfect, far from it, but fun. I have yet to finish it but enjoyed my time so far. I have been playing solo though, not sure if that makes it better or worse for me.
Best game.
Now that we're getting two more Metroid games, it feels good to judge Federation Force by its own merits.
...now, that is one sentence I never thought I'd write.
I enjoyed playing the campaign, felt like a nice portable bitesized metroid prime. I understand some of the negetivity although a lot of it was bad word of mouth. This game deserved better...
The only reason people hate this game is because it was branded as Metroid and wasn't what people expected. The vast majority of people who trash on Federation Force never actually played the game. It was a ton of fun in co-op.
Nintendo made a huge blunder releasing a Metroid-branded team shooter when people were starving for a traditional Metroid, plus the character models are god-awful, but underneath all that there's a solid, very entertaining game in Federation Force.
Having to play with multiple people has ensured I'll never get the game, sadly.
@AlexSora89 Federation Force has merits?
Still sounds incredibly unenjoyable. Glad I skipped this.
@Bolt_Strike
If you ignore the first two words of its title, then yes, yes it does.
Shortly after Samus Returns and Prime 4 were announced, I remembered I had bought and left Federation Force unplayed. I felt that I should give it a chance, so I played and beat it in less than a week. Then I regretted being so harsh on this game when it got announced.
Ok, it's not a Metroid-like game, but I really enjoyed it and appreciated the amount of work that Next Level Games must have put on it. It's fun, full of content, and I really enjoyed it playing solo. It didn't feel unplayable (like Zelda Triforce Heroes), and I think that maybe it's better that way so that you can explore without any hurries or pressure from your team. After beating the game, I played some missions online and it was fun too, but in a different manner.
And then there's Blast Ball. I still can't believe how mad and sick I got when I saw Blast Ball in the game reveal trailer. It almost felt like Nintendo was making fun of Metroid fans. Now I can't stop playing Blast Ball matches (sadly, against the AI only, because nobody plays it online).
I'm sure that this game would have had a way better reception in other circumstances. But we all were expecting no more Metroid, and when this got revealed, our feelings and desires betrayed us.
If someone hasn't played it yet, maybe it's your time to give it a try! It can be found pretty cheap these days.
Game was, and still is blast to play. One of my favorite games of 2016. No regrets, and I'd love a sequel on Switch. And no, this isn't sarcasm. It's legit how I feel.
I have no attachment to the Metroid series, but this spin off always looked, and still looks, like a mediocre game. In an industry with so many shooters and multiplayer games, I just don't see the appeal unless your only video game device is a 3DS.
There was nothing wrong with this game except for the title. It probably should have dropped the "Metroid prime" title and should have just been called Federation Force. The game itself was actually very well done for a 3D portable shooter. The coop was a lot of fun too. I feel like most of the "haters" out there probably haven't even played this game. Such a shame. But you're the ones missing out.
@90sRetroGaming Or better yet, they could implement it as a mode in a future Prime title, something akin to Splatoon's Salmon Run. Games like these, in my mind have questionable longevity if you don't have a group of like-minded friends to play with, but as a side dish to a robust single-player it seems perfect.
On the other hand you have games like Monster Hunter that can balance single-player and multi well, thanks to loads of content, so a standalone could work as well if properly expanded.
There's something so unappealing about the visual design of this game...It's just so offputting for me.
I bought this only a few weeks ago on sale. Quite liked it, until I realized that there are no bots, and that if you want to play through the game as it was meant to be played, you needed multiple 3DS and multiple copies of the game. Either that, or head online, which is sadly pretty barren at this point.
A shame that this was one of the last things Iwata had to deal with before his passing. That said, I honestly don't know what Nintendo was thinking when they gave the greenlight on this. If they had just turned it into a new IP, the backlash wouldn't have been nearly as severe. But after going nearly a decade since the last real Metroid game, only to say here's your Metroid, the reaction was entirely expected. What made it worse was the interviews of Metroid's producters saying that the next real Metroid game "hasn't even been started." Ouch.
Next Level Games makes great games, and I'm sure they had a quality title on their hands, but man, Nintendo blew it when showcasing it.
Since we finall got the Metroid games we wanted, I wonder if Nintendo will give this game another shot, like either a Nintendo Selects rerelease or even a quickie budget Switch eShop rerelease.
I think the main part of the backlash was it was the first Metroid since Other M.Now that we have a 2D Metroid coming next month then MP4 at some point, maybe folks will give it the time and day. After all, its going to be a fair wait for MP4 most likely....
You know, now that we know they are making new Metroid games, the reaction to this game seems kind of silly. I never even thought of getting it either.
Wind Waker got the same amount of hate because of it's artstyle when it was revealed now everybody embraces it.
It's a shame that the Metroid fanbase is filled with delusional and vocal fanboys who always have the same expectations for each new Metroid title that's not Super Metroid or Metroid Prime, instead of wanting the series to evolve they want it to stay the same which is why the series always struggles and Nintendo themselves don't know what to do with their ip.
Same goes for Star Fox.
I was mildly curious but at this point it seems like it'd be too hard to find people to play with online. Shame.
I took a lot of heat from a lot of people, but I fully stand by my Nintendo Life review of the game, word by word.
... and speaking of Metroid, I will be announcing something very soon. A culmination of over a year of my life will soon come to fruition.
If this would have came out after Samus Returns, I think it would've been Better received.
Such a great multiplayer game spoiled by pesky fans claiming "AM2R is the Metroid we wanted, if you buy FF you're not a Metroid fan like us".
Gaming wasn't supposed to divide people.
This has to be the red headed stepchild of all the Metroid games (Other M takes the black sheep mantle)
@JTMnM I prefer to think of Federation Force as the Federation Force of Metroid games, so not to insult the Bomberman series. ^_^
How timely. I just picked this up and am having a blast with it. It maybe Metroid only in name, but it is also a fun coop game.
A nice game, specially in multiplayer. Unfortunately the game was automatically rejected without giving it a chance. This game tried to expand the Metroid franchise in new directions.
Had people gave it a chance, and perhaps it would have grow to be Nintendo response to Halo and Call of Duty.
If I were Nintendo, I would release this game as is, only with HD graphics and perhaps slightly refined mech designs, on Switch as a free to play title. That will ensure that the coop potential is fully tapped, as everyone will have access to it. I bet that it would be a big success, and redeem itself. Otherwise this IP will probably remain sub-realized.
I would get this, but I have no friends who would play it with me and I absolutely detest unstable servers. Shame too, because FF doesn't look like a bad game.
@rushiosan
Gaming no, but Fanaticism.
As we all know, when there is something like this IP/franchise, there will be people who like it (be for characters, history, game mode), and we call them "Fans", well, this is obvious.
But, if some change in that franchise, what do you think?; exactly; here is where divisions appear!, because, simply, some people prefer that the franchise stays the same, don't accept it; others like those changes a lot; and others don't care; and well, here is where is hard to think that is the correct; franchise keep the same (obvious, with good evolution) or franchise with drastic changes, but effective for many?
well, this is personal opinion, but, for the companies, which produces more profits, is what rules.
Great game that would've fared better if Nintendo didn't put the series on hold for 6 years.
@Shiryu
Obviously you were meant to condemn the game without playing it for not being the Metroid you wanted
@shaneoh Indeed, and show as much disrespect as possible for one of my favourite developers, Next Level Games.
I feel that this game was unfairly judged early on. Honestly, if it had just been announced after Metroid: Samus Returns and Prime 4 were confirmed, I don't think it would have gotten such a negative reaction. If "Metroid" and "Prime" weren't in the title, I think that alone would have made the reception better. Unfortunately, "Federation Force sucks" still seems to be a popular mantra on the internet.
That said, it's unlikely that I'll ever play this game. I don't primarily play Metroid games for the shooter elements (which this game almost exclusively seems to be) but more for the exploration, isolation factor/environments, and puzzles. Plus it seems to be at its best when played with others; since I don't know anyone with the game IRL, I would be forced to rely on unstable servers with my "meh" internet.
Pew pew pew pew pew pew pew...
@dskatter I take it you don't know Bomberman: Act Zero. AZ applied the same restyling but in reverse. As with the mature visuals and tone the Metroid games established within its franchise turned chibified, the cute and cuddly bomber we all came to know and love was transformed into an edgy, post-apocalyptic Iron Man.
Played with my son. We both love it. Chibi characters was a poor choice and Nintendo seemed oblivious to how a fanbase might react that had so badly wanted a mainline Metroid game.
I had a moment of "what?" but then was willing to give it a chance. The treehouse play session was enough to assuage any doubts. I wonder if regularly playing through various Metroid games helped? Or just not jumping on internet frenzy bandwagons? I don't know.
Only complaint is that there is just no comfortable way for me to play on a 3DS because I have larger adult-sized hands.
@TheWhiteFalcon Or you could, you know, play it by yourself. I did, and I had a lot of fun with it!
The game is really great, it's just a case of the right game at the wrong time, and I think that if it had been announced and released sandwiched in between the two new announced Metroid games, people would give it the benefit of the doubt instead of complaining that it isn't the game they wanted.
This is one of the games I'll be getting soon. Even if it's to play alone. It really doesn't deserve the hate it's taking just because it isn't a "traditional" Metroid game.
It's been in my list since I got my New 2DS XL but I haven't found a chance to get it yet. I hope to remedy that soon.
The other part of the problem with this game was being on 3DS. It really needs dual analog... had this game been on say... Switch, with proper controls, HD graphics and where they wouldn't have needed the chibi art style, I think it would've been a lot more appealing
Sucks that this spin off game has been released on a Metroid drought. Game isn't even bad. Imo this game was as fun as Triforce Heroes to me.
@maruse May i ask why not ?
Why doesn't it "deserve the hate" ?
Are you expecting people to like it out of brand loyality even though it simply didn't fulfill "consumer demands" ?
I mean, defend and like it for all its worth. But this argument that is used over and over and over again simply doesn't make sense.
It gets "the hate" because people waited (and begged) over 7 years for a proper sequel, 13 years if you strictly go by 2D games only for it being something completely different and in an already unpopular format (Handheld multiplayer games).
So yeah, "the hate" people keep talking about is people expressing their dislike for a game / format not up to their expectations from a brand, that used to meet it.
Perfectly normal.
I really enjoyed both fed force and triforce heroes. They weren't metroid prime or Zelda botw, so they got unnessary hate. They are no different then capt toad or that star fox tower defense game. Fun little games to play with others. I am happy Nintendo gives us games like hyrule warriors to go with botw.
If Nintendo released Federation Force closer to Samus Returns, I don't think it would've gotten as much flack as it received.
Fans were waiting for a new Metroid game after how many years, and getting a spin-off title was going to ruffle many feathers.
@Einherjar Well, actually you answered it yourself. Because this is NOT a sequel, and it never wasn't meant to be one. It is a spin off made in the same universe, that's all.
If this game would've been released as Metroid Prime 4, then it would be different and all that hate and disappointment would be right. But it is not Metroid Prime 4, it is Metroid Prime: Federation Force.
You didn't get what you wanted and that's what makes you hate on the game, not the game itself. That's why it is totally underserved.
I never played the game, and I have no intention on changing that. I'm no metroid fan, so the games announcement didn't make me dislike the idea of it. What did was the fact that it was a handheld multiplayer game. With that said i'm not going to say it does, or doesn't deserve the hate. Well I guess the game itself is harmless, but I think Nintendo deserves the hate for it. Any action a person does has it's consequences, and that goes for a business to. It has been over 7 years since the last "proper" metroid title, and it is a spin-off. Nintendo was either completely oblivious to what the majority of fans wanted, or it decided to make the game knowing fan reaction would be toxic. Consumers are told to vote with thier wallets and they did.
@maruse Who said something about being a sequel ?
It doesn't change the fact that fans of the franchise waited over 7 years for life signs and were treated with a sub-par "spin-off".
As it has been said countless of times:
If it would have been released as a companion title to a main game, it would have fared way better...well, probably not sales wise...
"You didn't get what you wanted and that's what makes you hate on the game, not the game itself"
1: That's how basic "demand & supply" works. If there is demand, and said demand is tackled with a supplement not fulfilling demanded criteria, people won't like it.
2: The games format isn't popular at all. Pretty much the only game that broke free from that curse is Monster Hunter. Final Fantasy Explorers, Triforce Heroes etc. all sold rather poorly, even with their high-grade IP names.
So yeah, several people didn't like it because of exactly that:
Being a multiplayer focused game. Something the series tried before, with lukewarm success.
If being a Spin-Off was the case, MP Pinball woulnd't be held in such high regards.
So in short:
Yes, people didn't like it, because it had nothing to do with the series and it meant they still had to wait for a proper entry after 7 years already.
Yes, people didn't like it because the entry before it, OtherM, was already extremely disappointing and disconnected from the franchise.
Yes, people didn't like it even though they never played it, because of its format, since its a series that gathered its fans among single players.
Again, had it been an escort title alongside a game for the core audience, it would have fared better.
@Einherjar OK, fair enough. You've made your opinion perfectly clear (and I stress the "your"). That won't make me change mine. To each their own.
The game is really underrated. People just expected it to be Prime 4 or something major. As the name implied, it's a spin-off and not a main entry game.
some brilliant, very funny writing.
Ahhh Nintendolife. Opening this can of worms up again eh? Looking forward to the comments to come. Nothing more theatrical than an irate Metroid fan....
@maruse Civil arguments for the win
@Einherjar wow dude. Don't you think you're being a bit over dramatic?
since the 3DS is so lacking in shooters (I can't believe nobody's ever ported doom to this thing), I tried giving this another shot.
nope, still bad, borderline unplayable single-player with the damage sponges
@iammikegaines You know, i'd be able to give you an answer if i knew what you were referring to in particular.
But in general, no, i don't think "X doesn't deserve the hate is silly, because its not hate, its consumers saying they simply don't like it because its not something people would expect / want from this particular brand" is over dramatic.
Quite the opposite. I'd say calling every sign of dismay "hate" is unnecessary drama. But oh well. As @maruse said: "To each their own".
Poor Next level games! The game is already almost forgotten. I personally have only played 3 levels so far, and I liked those. I will continue it someday, but first I will play Samus returns, of course!
Metroid is a tricky IP, it's not exactly popular in Nintendo's home market of Japan. Other M and Federation Force were clearly made to appeal to that market but in doing so alienated and angered it's Western fan base.
I don't think the hate for Federation Force would have been as strong if Nintendo had learned their lesson from Other M. not sure if Nintendo wants to make games that appeal solely to the Western market.
@feelinsupersonic Aw shucks
I can understand why people were annoyed by it when it was announced but I was always open to trying this game so I got it cheap on sale. The first boss I fought overwhelmed me and seemed clearly designed for multiple players to fight so I never went back. Shame the game doesn't seem to scale up or down for the number of players including solo players, that might have solved some of the issues people have with it being mainly multiplayer.
I'd be open to trying it online, this writeup makes it sound more fun.
I ended up returning the game because the online was barren when I got it and my two 3ds friends did not want to buy it with me. I'm a huge metroid fan so I hope the price doesn't increase so I can buy it again someday but this time with a friend.
There was no excuse for the chibi look in Metroid Prime Federation Forces, since Hunters pulled off the Prime look on the original DS.
But don't get me wrong this game has a good co-op experience, but playing the game solo is a drag.
Federation Forces recieves to much hate that it doesn't deserve.
Another great reason to sell your 3DS
I really hate the art style. Why use chibi characters in a Metroid game? Yeah, appealing to japanese market but that was a really poor choice considering the last Metroid game came 6 years before FF and that game was called Other M.
I tried the downloadable Blast Ball: fun for few minutes. Then I tried the full version at my friends place (the only person I know to own and like that game) and still wasn't too impressed. Not the kind of game I would play anytime near in the future, especially since 2017 has been such a great year game for gaming: I'll be playing many of this years titles in 2018 too. And one of those (hopefully) great titles is going to be Metroid Samus Returns, even if AM2R turned out to be better in the end.
@YouSeemFRAZZLED
This is something I've wondered as well. Being a hardcore Metroid fan, I know enough lore to know that Samus being captured (in her power suit no less) is completely impossible and goes against lore. Within the power suit, she's powerful enough to decimate pirate forces with ease.
Also, the game shows her attacking the Federation which implies she is mind controlled. This, again, completely contradicts established lore as Samus' main ability is actually her strong mind. Her suit itself is a mental construct, and her Chozo blood and training was what enabled her to shake off Mother Brain's psionic powers to begin with. Mother Brain had all of Zebes under her control, but Samus is immune to Mother Brain's abilities. Lastly, even if we ignore Samus' ability to reject psionic influence, we know she has enough mental fortitude to resist Phazon Corruption for much longer than anyone else who was corrupted.
Given all of that, I think it's pretty obvious there's no way she could have been captured and mind controlled. The game basically just ignores Metroid canon.
Also agree 100% with @Einherjar. This game does have some fans and more power to them if they like it, but the fans of the game should respect why hardcore Metroid fans didn't care for it.
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