Wow did I actually write this? It sucks balls!

The setting for the game is far from being sparse. First of all, the Alimbic Cluster is one of the biggest settings in the Metroid Series so far since it consists of areas linked only by space travel. The setting is only surpassed in size by that of Metroid Prime 3 Corruption. Now from a story stand point, the settings are layered. The game has the Celestial Archives, which is not only a station that holds the combined knowledge of the Alimbics but was also "badly damaged by an unknown object" (MPH Manual). Automatically the game gains a mystery, as the thing that damaged the Archives was never pointed out though it is highly plausible it was Gorea that did the damage. The Archives is where the telepathic thread was sent out via the Helm Room location, which is basically where the whole mission started. You then have the wonder of how the Alimbics were able to create a complex of knowledge floating in the cosmos above Alinos, just like with the Chozo's Sky Town in the Elysia heavens. The Celestial Archives is also where it is discovered that the Alimbics had spacecrafts, and where it also becomes apparent that the Alimbic ships are missing. Yet another mystery brought along by the Archives alone. Not to mention, the Archives were probably a very active place since they had a later section called the "New Arrival Registration". This area has an equal story to it if not a thicker story than most Metroid settings I have played through.

If Metroid Prime Hunters is shallow, I would not want to know the term for the other Metroid games. Metroid Prime Hunters automatically laid the foundations for a multitude of Metroid and Metroid-related games with the inclusion of six new bounty hunters. Once again, Corruption seems like the only Metroid game that rivals that character amount. But Corruption, unlike Hunters, kills off the hunters it introduced. This ends the chance for any sequals to be made with them in later Metroid games. That leaves Corruption to have prequals for its hunters, while Metroid Prime Hunters has the possibility of prequals and sequals with its new hunters. If I did my math right, that comes out to be 12 possible story arcs.

Metroid Prime Hunters gives some light to these possibilities. Take Kanden for example. Kanden is said to have been "bioengineered with genetic material from the galaxy's most dangerous predatory insects" (Stinglarva scan). This brings about the possibility that Kanden may be able to go through evolutionary cycles depending on what insects he was bioengineered with. In my mind, that is solid ground for a sequal dealing with Kanden. Then there's Kanden's origin and creators for a prequal story. The game also provides a description to Kanden with him having a "disruptive electromagnetic field [that] appears to surround the hunter Kanden. Analysis suggests voltage potential comparable to that found in lightning storms" (Kanden scan).

Metroid Prime Hunters has plenty of depth, it just doesn't make it obvious.



That's really funny.  Because with a little tweaking, as you did to describe the story mission in Hunters....I can make the whole Metroid series look bland.

Metroid Zero Mission, Metroid, Metroid II
Collect this (the upgrades). Fight Metroids.

Super Metroid, Metroid Prime, Metroid Prime 3 Corruption
Collect this (infant Metroid, artifacts and energy cells respectively). Fight Space Pirates.

Metroid Prime 2 Echoes
Collect this (temple keys). Fight the Ing.

Metroid Fusion
Collect this (upgrades). Fight the X.

Dang, I would have never known the Metroid Series could be that bland.


There were secrets to the story mode. Like for instance, how easy it is to defeat Trace in the first encounter (escaping Arcterra for the first time) with the Shock Coil. Not to mention, that the missiles are effective against the Volt Driver Guardians in the Data Shrine 02. One can missile jump then do a midair jump to reach the Judicator. One can perform a double bomb jump to get to the top of Ice Hive from the ledge that has the panel for the vault door to completely skip the Barbed War Wasp swarm battle. One can get the Imperialist while escaping Arcterra for the first time (having the Magmaul before defeating Slench 2) and use the portal at Fault Line to skip the Guardian trio battle at Arcterra Gateway. For the game's length, there are plenty of secrets.

And if the regular enemies in Metroid Prime Hunters get the "repetitive" complaint, then where is it for the 2-D Metroid titles. The enemies in the 2-D titles are basically recolorings of early enemies.


It dwells on each one of the hunters enough to establish backgrounds and to provide grounds for sequals and prequals. I am not even going to go into detail that there is ground for each hunter to have their own series. I do not see how the storyline is not that strong, seeing how it is similar to Metroid Prime's with a little extra put in. Not to mention, a great amount of mysteries contained in the single player.