“Meteoroid Prime: Federation Force” is a unique and worthwhile experience that is more a victim of Nintendo’s marketing than a game’s merit.

     The Metroid series has notably taken a backset in the mind of Nintendo, leaving fans of the series dismayed. That last entry of the series “Metroid: The Other M” was poorly received by fans for a lackluster plot and degradation of Samus’ character into a sniveling subordinate.

     To have the next entry in the Metroid Prime series, after such a hiatus, be a spinoff game with Samus not even playable understandably left fanbases and critics alike miffed.

     However, when looked at as its own game, “Metroid Prime: Federation Force” does not have its own legs to stand on.

     The plot itself is the weakest part of the game and is likely the main reason for initial aversion  for fans.

     The player assumes the role of a nameless, faceless Federation Force soldier in a generic mech suit. The Federation Force was always a background force in previous “Prime” titles to give Samus a plot incentive to explore alien planets. To give the player the role of a nameless soldier rather than Samus herself can be seen as patronizing.

     The story is minimal as it is just another faceless soldier telling the player why they are doing the mission in the form of text boxes on the menu screen before the level begins. Thankfully, these plot segments are easily skippable and do not hinder the entertainment of skipping the gameplay.

     The gameplay is the most solid part of the “Federation Force” experience. The player chooses a mission to play from the main menu and is promptly put into the level. The objectives of each mission are different, ranging from transporting items while traversing challenging obstacles to engaging in massive space pirate firefights.

     The environments of the game retain the classic “Metroid” atmosphere of isolation and hopelessness while never appearing too dark or bland.

     The levels are filled with hidden nooks and secret pathways that reward the player with weapon upgrades and abilities.

     Movement is responsible and tight, but aiming can be awkward. Aiming can be done by using the gyro sensor of the 3DS or, assuming one is playing on the new 3DS model, the c-stick nub. Gyro aiming can prove to be awkward to use in a first-person shooter game on a small handheld system and the c-stick can be difficult to properly grasp to aim. This issue isn’t game breaking, but it may take players an hour to get used to the controls. An auto-lock feature helps soften this problem, but doesn’t totally fix it.

     Multiplayer is where this game truly shines. While the game is definitely completable by one player, playing in a squad of four opens new, fun opportunities for strategic assaults in this satisfyingly challenging game. Achieving level completion times through teamwork unlocks cosmetics and a stronger powers to incentivize teamwork. Online connection is amazingly smooth with seldom lag.

     “Metroid Prime: Federation Force” is a rewarding, challenging and competent title that deserves its $40 asking price. The gameplay, aesthetic and music are all true to the “Metroid” standard. The biggest blow to this game is that it does not actually star the strong bounty hunter Samus Aran that fans have been longing to see again for many years.