Excellent game that really does redefine the genre

You may have heard that phrase before: "redefines the genre." Unfortunately that sort of thing is not usually true when considered in detail, but this game does manage to do it, and it all has to do with the development of the game. The Metroid series (on NES, Game Boy, and SNES) have always been 2-D side scrolling games with an emphasis on exploration. After skipping the N64 altogether (though main character, Samus, did make an appearance on that console's Smash Brothers game), Nintendo farmed out the development to the talented Retro Studios who decided that the game must make the transition to 3-D. Many fans assumed that the only proper 3-D format for Metroid would be third person perspective, and many were dismayed upon learning that Retro was making the game a first person shooter. When it was finally released, all concerns were laid to rest. First person? Yes. Just a shooter? No. The emphasis on exploration and collecting hordes of power-ups that was the heart and soul of previous Metroids survived in this rendition. In fact, it's so different from other first person shooters in that respect that many people have coined the term "first person adventure" to describe it. Now about the game itself.

The graphics are very impressive. Texturing is excellent and there are some nice lighting and particle effects. The music is suitably moody and haunting, and the FX are great.
The controls are complex, but handled well in my opinion. In fact, the only complaints I've ever heard about the game have been in the control department. The controls aren't bad or loose (that can just kill even a good game), but some maneuvers are more difficult to pull off than others. For example, it's hard to strafe unless you're locked on to a target. Of course, there aren't too many times you'll even want to strafe without a lock-on, so that's not too much of an issue in my opinion.

The gameplay experience is great. The action is solid, and there are many puzzles to solve in order to beat certain bosses and gain certain items. There are tons of things to scan, and if you pay attention to all the logs you can download from enemy computers, the game tells a story, too.