Is Samus an unreliable narrator?

[Cosmonautical]

When you consider the retcon of Metroid/Zero Mission being presented as the "true story" about the first games' events on Zebes, and the somewhat unreasonable behavior and rationale of characters in Metroid: Other M, a pattern starts to become visible.

Label it poor storytelling on behalf of the developers if you like, but it would make sense for a human who witnessed the murder of her family and was raised by aliens to have a few issues. In this case, Other M and Fusion and Zero Mission have started to add up to depict Samus as irrationally justifying actions or behavior, especially in regards to Adam Malkovich. Perhaps she has parental issues in regards to him, or she's trying to cover up more private feelings.

[Saria Dragon of the Rain Wilds]

You're an unreliable narrator.

As for Samus, I'm chalking those games up to paranoid delusions while she's travelling through hyperspace.

[Cosmonautical]

You're a paranoid delusion.

[Marilink]

I'd call her an unreliable narrator, but I don't necessarily think that's a bad thing. She just views things very subjectively when she tells you what's going on. She's been raised with a certain mindset and she's sticking to it, even if it's different than what most people would think.

[Ace Mercury]

I don't think unreliable. Like, she puts a spin on things but it's not fundimentally unsound. There are plenty of things that you, the player, see through the screen that isn't projected by Samus.

I think it's just that Nintendo took the Zelda route and strung together a bunch of games which at first glance look like a cohesive set of narratives, but don't really fit together perfectly.

[X-3]

I guess so. Other M and Fusion are the only games she narrates, and many of the things she says can be disagreed with. Though, I'm not sure if that's exactly a unreliable narrator.

She also narrated Zero Mission, but there the narration is "this is my first mission" and "man I was totally screwed". I think only Daigrepher would contest this narration.

[Cosmonautical]

Originally Posted by Ace Mercury

I don't think unreliable. Like, she puts a spin on things but it's not fundamentally unsound. There are plenty of things that you, the player, see through the screen that isn't projected by Samus.

I think it's just that Nintendo took the Zelda route and strung together a bunch of games which at first glance look like a cohesive set of narratives, but don't really fit together perfectly.

Honestly? Yeah, spin is part of the deal here. But most of the story in Other M and other games is relayed as though it happened in the past. She seems to fill her reports with personal assumptions ceaselessly, to the point that she is building a line of reasoning to defend Adam's poor decisions and failures as a captain, and her inability to accept his judgement as inherently flawed. I question that, if in a cutscene Samus paused gaping at Ridley, whether or not it stretched on as long as the game seems to insinuate.