3.5/5 ★ – jkrgamer's review of Metroid Prime 2: Echoes.

It has the hallmarks of what makes a prime game excellent: great visuals, music, and atmosphere. But it also possesses the staples of the genre I can't stand: wandering aimlessly, certain mechanics not being explained properly, and uneven pacing. I think the intro to this game is really really strong, I was getting upgrades pretty frequently, there was a good amount of action, and the law of the two mirrored worlds, while perhaps done before, managed to be really interesting! I also really like how The general chapters of the game fit into very specific areas, so you don't have to focus on the giant overall map... except when you don't. Because there are also multiple times where it doesn't tell you that you need to backtrack to a previous area. That got a little infuriating, as did the final key quest, because the hints were not quite descriptive enough, and it wasn't helped by the not great user interface. I hate to say that I had to consult a walk-through a couple times, because it felt like I put several unnecessary hours into the game already. Also, I really wish they put save points near bosses, because you don't always know when you will stumble into one, and I ended up losing a heck of a ton of progress due to trying to learn the boss and dying in the process. Despite my activity though, these games still hold up today. It's tremendously satisfying to explore an alien planet, be observant of its various types of doors and puzzles, and make your way through. Nice to know that Metroid still rules in 2025. Also, the light suit is SO cool.