Metroid Prime: Federation Force Reviews
There is a core idea here that could’ve worked, but Metroid Prime: Federation Force is nothing short of a disaster due to horribly thought out implementation and shoddy execution.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a clever game, full of personality and with a great control scheme. But playing online without the voice chat is a real bore.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Metroid Prime: Federation Force feels nothing like a traditional Metroid title, however it's still a fun multiplayer experience that is sure to keep gamers blasting away.
Though not without its redundancies, flaws and general frustrations, Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a well varied first-person shooter with an enjoyable online mode. Perhaps it will never be the Metroid title fans really wanted, but it doesn’t intend to be either with its set up. Repetitive enemies, lack of exploration and solo mode aside, at its core there’s a fun to play title. But as always, we shoot first and ask questions later.
Normally, I try to shy away from recommending games based on your ability to play with others, but it’s a necessity when it comes to Metroid Prime: Federation Force. If you’re planning on tackling it solo, Federation Force is a much tougher pill to swallow, with its prohibitive level of difficulty. On the other hand, if you have a friend or two who are willing to take the plunge with you, Federation Force can make for a good time, especially if you’re all playing together in the same space.
It may not be the Metroid Prime sequel you were looking for, but if you keep an open mind and give it a shot, you're likely to be pleasantly surprised overall, especially if you have some friends to play co-op with.
With or without friends, Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a slog
Play Federation Force if you must, and you may even enjoy it- just know that while it's not too bad, it's not too good, either. And for a game carrying the Metroid label, that, perhaps more than anything else, is the worst crime that this game commits.
It may be a tough sell for the true devotees of the Metroid franchise, but Federation Force is a good game. Without the expectations of its title holding it back, I think it would have been a clear and easy win for Nintendo, and the fresh perspective on the setting, while divisive, still gives something new and entertaining.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force is a bit of a sad way to celebrate the franchise's 30th anniversary — in making this entry so multiplayer-focused, Nintendo has ironically created an alienating experience.
For the few things it does right, like some variation in the mission structure and a control scheme that makes sense (even in a hurty way), it's just not that good. For a series that has worked so hard to make a great solo experience, even—especially—in its first-person outings, it’s incredibly unbalanced with a difficulty spike I don’t think I’ve ever experienced before. And not in a challenging way, but in a “yup, I need multiple other people to cover me/back me up” way. Some of us enjoy playing FPS titles by ourselves sometimes, and I don’t want to feel relegated to a small handful of missions I might be able to work through on my own. Scaling the difficulty has been done since this genre began, so why it’s being bypassed now I have no clue.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force isn't really Metroid game, then. But if you can set aside your preconceptions of what Metroid game is, you'll find a more than competent first person shooter that’s fun to play - even if it is let down by some odd design decisions and a lack of checkpoints.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force plays it safe and drops the ball.
The game made me feel like an errand boy picking up the second-rate missions passed down from the infamous Samus Aran
An emphasis on bad puzzles and a lack of real communication turns Federation Force's focus away from where it should be: tough battles and strategic customization. It's not the game that most people were looking for, and it's certainly not flawless as a standalone title, but there's a lot it does well. Ambitious but ultimately underwhelming, the title unfortunately emphasizes the parts of itself which are the most problematic.
So Metroid Prime: Federation Force just feels weird to me. I'm glad that Nintendo is still paying attention to the franchise, but this off-shoot never really comes together like it should.
Federation Force is an arcade FPS, designed for portable environment, and for cooperative multiplayer. It's perfect to spend few hours of fun in the company of three other friends, but not so great for the Lone wolves.
Review in Italian | Read full review
Overall, Metroid Prime Federation fails to give a truly atmospheric experience due to its presentation being held back by the art style they chose. The gameplay more than makes up for the downsides and is definitely worth getting if you’re looking for a fun experience.
Metroid Prime: Federation Force is akin to games like LBX: Little Battlers' Experience or the Custom Robo games in that you get these powerful mechs to customize and traverse several different missions with, all the while able to bring friends to join in on the fun. It's chock full of Metroid lore, even if it's not the Metroid game you think you should have gotten after all this time. Had it been released under a different name, it'd be a perfectly serviceable mutliplayer mech adventure, but even with the Metroid name it's well worth picking up for a fun little weekend jaunt, especially if you're the type to return again and again to a game to best your previous scores and advance from there, you'll find an excellent entry in the Metroid series here.
Federation Force is a solid, polished addition to the Metroid franchise, though it admittedly is missing that “it” factor that makes the Metroid games with Samus Aran a great experience. Campaign co-op can be a blast thanks to fun mechanics and multiplayer hijinks while the Rocket League-style Blast Ball is an enjoyable diversion for sure. For players dead set on a new main-line Metroid title, though, the game might feel more like an appetizer instead of a main course.