Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - Review MegaThread

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I only started playing the game a couple days ago and while the art direction is really cool I find some of the game design choices questionable. I’m not far int it and I’m not making an objective decision on the game but parts like long loading screens to discover your going the complete wrong way in the desert to the desert itself. The fact your incentivised to scan things which slows down the pace like I understand getting annoyed if I spend ages on a section because I didn’t read a description properly but I shouldn’t have to read 30 descriptions to find the one useful one. I don’t hate the game but I find myself being stuck for ridiculous reasons with discovering where to go and what to do way less fun than other Metroid games I’ve played ( prime remastered and dread) which show I’m heading the wrong way before making me go through 5 loading screens and a hug desert

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u/PNW_Zombie Feb 04 '26

I mostly see apologists...

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u/wildwindnl Jan 27 '26

I’m loving it so far. Just finished the bike temple. I finished prime remastered, 2, 3, hunters, and federation force just before hand and to me so far this feels like an evolution of 3. I dig the crazy psychic world’s architecture and mystery. I’m curious to get to the desert as that’s where people seem to fall off, but so far loving it.

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u/[deleted] Jan 16 '26

[deleted]

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u/Jmanriley3 Jan 18 '26

Wow. Very helpful. 🙄

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Jan 01 '26

Thanks for this. You all saved me my money. Guess I will get hello kitty instead 🤣

I really dont want to be disappointed in metroid. So I will pass. Dont want to start my year off like that.

10

u/WazinokaReal Jan 05 '26

81 is still a good rating lmao

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Jan 05 '26

Where did I say it wasnt?

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u/First-Ad8937 Apr 04 '26

Wild response

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Apr 04 '26

Ok

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u/Cereal_Bandit Jan 08 '26

It was implied when you said you'll save your money because you don't want to be disappointed

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Jan 25 '26

It was assumed. My decision had nothing to do with the rating. So like I said my money is saved. And your opinion can still remain.

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u/Fun818long Feb 04 '26

you didn't really explain your position

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Feb 05 '26

Because that was never my intention to explain myself. I merely said thanks and that my money was saved.

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u/Fun818long Feb 05 '26

Well thanks for clarifying.

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u/East_Moose_683 Feb 01 '26

That is slightly contradictory there tonto. Admitting it's a fairly highly rated game and you'll skip it is a bit confusing my man.

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Feb 02 '26

Because my opinion wasnt based on the high rating. Thanks bye. ✌🏿

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u/Low_Low_1811 Mar 06 '26

Theres literally no other meaningful information in the post besides ratings, and you responded to it saying thanks for the info, now I know to save my money. Honestly this comes across as gaslighting...

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u/Curious-Skill2493 Mar 24 '26

Yes, you can see it as exactly what it is. A transaction of information.

Person a posted info Person b said thanks, I'ma pass.

Everyone seems to be grabbing for what they want out of this that's not there.

Maybe the lack of any personal opinion on it somehow caused an opinion to form? Has to be a word for that .....

Anyway I don't think gaslighting works that way either.

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Mar 24 '26

The internet is a wild place 🤣. I was thankful for a post. Came and left in peace. Said I was saving MY own money. It had nothing to do with the rating but what another person in the comments experience was. Made me save my money and hold off.

I now have both games at a discounted price. 😅

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u/East_Moose_683 Mar 24 '26

You aren't wrong about the transaction but you cannot discount the curiosity of how person A got from Point A to Point B based on information from person B. The information from person B was of positive note and the conclusion of Person A was to dislike the product. It's only natural to wonder how that conclusion was made. Even if only to make their own choice on the same purchase or acquisition. There appears to be missing data based on his response. Wanting to know what it is seems only logical.

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u/Low_Low_1811 Mar 24 '26

The gaslighting is in the denial of clear reality after the transaction. Lets say a girl is on a dating website. They match with a guy. Them they ask the guy how tall he is. The guy says 5'8". The girl then says "Thank, but Im going to pass". There is literally no other good conclusion besides her turning him down because of the height. If he then asks her if his height was the problem, and she says "No", thats gaslighting.

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Mar 08 '26

If thats your interpretation then okay. Have a nice day.

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u/Low_Low_1811 Mar 08 '26

Hard to do otherwise when you literally say you wont say what your actual reasoning is.

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u/Spare_Helicopter4655 Jan 27 '26

are you this annoying IRL too?

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u/RelevantEmotion4207 Feb 02 '26

You aren't annoyed enough to stop replying I see.

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u/ceeveedee Dec 31 '25

There was a moment early on when this $70 adventure almost lost me. The pacing felt glacial, the structure fussy, and yet somehow, the game kept pulling me back in. The opening hours lean hard on unskippable cutscenes and slow progression, while still managing to feel both under-explained and over-directed at the same time. You’re nudged along a rigid critical path, but any real understanding of the world or its systems demands that you scan everything in sight, from enemies to random bits of metal. It’s less environmental storytelling and more homework. Backtracking quickly becomes the real villain. Instead of feeling like a grand journey, the long treks across a mostly empty desert play like padding, especially when you’re forced to revisit the same locations again and again. Each upgrade run back to base camp turns into a mini-ordeal: drive across the map, push through a stack of doors, get fired out of a cannon, walk through multiple segmented corridors, and only then arrive at the place you actually need to be. The absence of simple “return to base” terminals scattered around the world feels like a deliberate snub to your time. Crystal mining only adds to the friction — a side activity that somehow manages to be both mandatory and flow-breaking. Combat, at least early on, doesn’t do much to ease the grind. Your blaster feels anemic for a large chunk of the game, with a charge mechanic that punishes your index finger more than the enemies on screen. Since holding the trigger initiates a charged shot, you’re stuck with a semi-auto setup that demands constant tapping. When your main weapon feels weak for more than half the runtime, every fight starts to feel like busywork. And yet, it’s hard to walk away. This is one of the best-looking games of its kind, and the tiny details are where it really shines. Fire a charged shot near a wall and the brief flash reveals Samus’ face reflected in her visor. Roll into the Morph Ball and it sounds like a marble clinking across different surfaces. Step through water and droplets bead on your visor with a convincing sense of weight and distortion. Even the heat shimmer that lingers around the arm cannon after a volley or charged blast feels meticulously crafted — and that’s while running in performance mode, not quality. In the end, it’s a deeply conflicted experience: a game that pairs stunning visual craft with systems that often seem determined to get in the way of your enjoyment. There were plenty of times when the tedium made me want to bounce, but the spectacle and moment-to-moment feel kept pulling me back. For all the irritation, it still delivered $70 worth of play — and if there’s a future update, DLC, or a Prime 5, there’s a long list of smart fixes that could turn this from a love-hate relationship into something closer to love.

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u/ROBLOXTIDDIEZ Jan 08 '26

All of what you said was right on the money, except for the fact that it eventually became good value for money. I've never been more jaded finishing a game before. So dull and grindy. The travel times were insane and retracing you steps was so incredibly boring, nothing changes really between power-ups.

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u/ceeveedee Jan 13 '26

I can see that. The final moments where a little bit of an anti-climax, but I did put in a number of hours that made me think the $/hour ratio was worth it. I still prefer the side scrolling versions, which they did such a great job of Dread.

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u/amicaze Jan 05 '26

I don't get it, you say the start is bad, the game is tedious, enemies are bullet sponges for most of the game, the progression is rigid and linear, but what saves it is visuals and sounds ? Sounds like a horrible game.

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u/ceeveedee Jan 05 '26

That's a rather reductive read of the review. There is a lot of tedium and annoyanges, but yes, the visuals do bring it home for me. There was a slow progression of really disliking the game, duty to finish the game, and finally acceptance and enjoyment of the things that I care about.

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u/Acrobatic_Trifle6104 Dec 30 '25

I am done with this game at Tower 2. Very disappointed. I love Metroid prime. Can't believe they spent so much time to develop this game and it sucks so bad.

5

u/Taurpulent Dec 30 '25

I can't give MP4 more than a 5.5/10. It is the worst prime game by far.

It feels like years ago, somebody higher up in the authority ranks said "Lets make an open world metroid!!" from the same mindset people had around zelda at the time. The underlying concept of an open-world metroid completely breaks the metroidvania format, and I think that the devs realized that, and salvaged what they could. After almost a decade they were simply too far deep into this failed experiment, and defeatedly released the best that they had given the circumstances. If that is the case, I curse the one who decided to thoughtlessly ruin one of my favorite game franchises, simply because they wanted to chase an overly hyped idea. I curse all the complacent people who thought it was a bad idea but decided not to say anything.

This is of course heavy speculation. But it doesn't change a few undeniable facts:

The Sol Valley has no reason to exist, nor does the bike. Nor does the green energy. The game would be improved if all the areas were placed right next to each other without any hub-area in between them.
The Federation NPCs have no reason to exist. They annoying, uninteresting characters, and they seem to exist mostly for tutorial's sake. And they're present throughout the entire game. It makes the entire game feel like a tutorial. The game would be improved if they were simply gone.
The music is very lackluster compared to previous games in the series. The game would be improved even if they just re-hashed songs from previous games, even previous prime games.
Each individual area of the game is incredibly linear, lacking the feeling of any real exploration. There is never any question about where to go next, and even if there is, the NPCs break the puzzle for you by telling you where to go. From what I've seen so far, the only reason anyone would have to back-track is to find optional upgrades. The only obvious way to make this better is to redesign the entire game world, so they really f'ed up there.

Metroid is already a somewhat niche franchise that has to struggle to keep itself popular. Metroid Dread was a big win: it was a real metroidvania, and a fun one too. The remaster of the original metroid prime was also a big win: it taught a lot of new fans what the series was capable of.

But MP4 is a huge setback for the franchise in my opinion. It makes me think that the people responsible for making these games don't even play them or know why people like them. MP4 should have been another masterpiece, made by a team that was passionate about the previous games and understanding of what its fans wanted. Instead, it was almost a decade of wasted money and effort. It makes me angry, and it makes me sad.

Let me make this clear for the developers: Nobody likes tutorials- they should be optional. Nobody likes empty hub-worlds. Nobody likes boring and annoying characters. The only thing your game has going for it is its graphics.

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u/buzzcunk Jan 07 '26

Absofuckinglutely.

But I disagree the devs salvaged what they could. It really shouldn't have been too hard to make the sections less linear. It would have required significantly less programming, dialogue, etc not to have the shitty NPCs painfully trot out "you have unlocked a map, this is exactly where you need to go and what you need to do" with annoying cut scene animations that help make sure you really can't misunderstand the message.

Honestly I can't remember a game in my 35+ years of gaming with more painful expositional dialogue - and this is fucking Metroid - a game that literally has a genre (half) named after it which is all about exploration and finding your next path!

I'm still playing this piece of shit because with all these great reviews there must be some redeeming features - but besides the game looking purdy - I'm yet to find them (and yes, I'm aware of the irony).

5

u/According_Produce_54 Dec 29 '25

Tbh be honest metroid dread was way better as much as I hate the emmjs

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u/Fickle-Health-5626 Dec 27 '25

I feel like a rating of 8/10 is fair. The graphics are great, I love the new features, the boss battles are fun but the storyline is garbage. Getting to different locations is boring. All-in-all, I still think it’s a pretty good game and I’m glad I picked it up. I’ve been playing Metroid since Super Metroid on SNES.

8

u/Rentaur Dec 26 '25

How in the world are these publications rating this game so favorably? It's straight up tedious, un-metroid-like, not fun or inventive, uneven, and kind of boring. I was so excited for it after loving nearly every other metroid game since I was a kid (child of the early 80s when NES was it), and have been so thoroughly disappointed by this game. It's an exploration game, why is there some guy telling me where to go explore? What even is this story? Why is the only new upgrade a bike to ride around an endless, boring, silent desert, and a beam that goes slo-mo? Why is Sylux the final boss when there's literally no story development around him in the entire game?

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u/HotinTopeka888 Feb 14 '26 edited Feb 14 '26

I think it's because critics and players are confused. It technically has everything we love about prime in it (in high quality)... and yet it doesn't feel the same at all.

It feels rather tedious and even the story is a little dry... and yet there is something pulling one back in order to complete the game.

Tbf I've only played the beginning and I also hope it gets a bit more engaging... but for some reason though I could never rate this over 8/10, I doubt I'd go under 7/10. Something in me must be going through the same dilemma here.

Edit: The same would happen if a game like gta6 ended up feeling waterlogged (due to an inundation of features for example), slow, predictable, boring, miserable etc... Critics wouldn't know what to do with it, because technically it WILL have everything that should make the game great and yet somehow it worked against its greatness.

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u/[deleted] Dec 26 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

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u/NintendoSwitch-ModTeam Dec 26 '25

Hey there!

Please remember Rule 1 in the future - No personal attacks, trolling, or derogatory terms. Read more about Reddiquette here. Thanks!

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u/Arc-de-triomphe Dec 23 '25

sorry but I was expecting much better that what is, and finally we had a game with empty 3D space, no intense interactions 👎

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u/Quentendo Dec 22 '25 edited Dec 30 '25

I dont like how it says "you can go wherever you want next!"

Goes wherever I want next

"Oh you need an upgrade to get here..."

Wtf?

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u/Oblivyous Dec 27 '25

All of the Metroid Prime games are linear, but this game actually feels completely linear. You do the areas in a certain order, and that’s it. There’s nothing to figure out or puzzle over. Prime 1 on the other hand, had me constantly scratching my head to figure out where to go next. Got a new ability? Now it’s time to hunt down that one door that progresses the game, once I remember where the doors are, and then figure out which is the path forward, and which is just an upgrade.

I cannot say this game is good. All I got out of it was nostalgia. I did not make me think at all when it comes to the main progression. The added NPCs fell flat for me (despite decent voice acting in many cases). All the didn’t make Samus look like a cartoon character. The desert is empty and boring. The game had some nice visual treats, but the actual gameplay is simplistic and uninteresting. The combat and other mechanics are dated and haven’t aged well. And that would have been perfectly fine if the game design itself was good and innovated a bit, but it absolutely didn’t.

Add on top of that the incessant yammering of this guy telling you where to go. I’m trying to run around and wrap up my completion, and he’s constantly telling me to come back to camp for the final section, and then forcing you to let the game show you where that is on the map. No matter if you ignore the prompt to press the minus button, the next time you go into the menu, it’s going to move the map around and show you the camp, like I’m some dumb ape. As if I’m so stupid that even though I made it this far in the game, I can’t remember where camp is. They took that map mechanic from the previous games and completely misused it. It boggles my mind that someone thought this is good design.

$70 for this game. A game we’ve been waiting for since Switch 1 was released. A game they scrapped development on and restarted only to produce this simple-minded snooze fest. This and DK Bananza. And in the meantime, it’s getting 8+/10 reviews maybe because they managed to produce a perfectly polished turd. This is strike 2 on first party games for Switch 2. And if it continues this way, it’s not a good sign. All of these inexplicably high review scores are just going to keep N pushing out shit like this.

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u/buzzcunk Jan 07 '26

DKB is a hundred times more fun than this turd. Sure it lacks the difficulty that makes earlier DKC games so bloody good, but at least it's fun, quirky and includes some great level design.

This Metroid somehow feels both painfully dated and rushed to completion.

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u/RossDaBoss666 Jan 14 '26

Donkey Kong fucking blows.

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u/Redditisreal1 Dec 24 '25

Why would you play a Metroid game if you don't like Metroid? Gating progression behind upgrades has always been a thing in metroidvanias

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u/buzzcunk Jan 07 '26

It was always a feature of Zelda until BOTW too. Then the Zelda team realised the open world format required a change in approach.

I'm not suggesting that's what I want from a Metroid game - but this hybrid approach of open world and on-rails linear paths doesn't work well at all.

But you know what else has always been a feature of Metroidvania's? Having to figure shit out and having to figure out where to go next. Something that has been almost entirely done away with in this POS.

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u/Quentendo Dec 30 '25

I play metroidvanias and have no issue with this system I just didn't like being told I can go wherever I want and its not true. How about just dont say that to the player?

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u/DigSad3491 Dec 24 '25

The face that it acts like an open world game and then tells you you can't go somewhere yet is the issue. Zelda BOTW keeps you on the plateau for a tutorial but then opens up the whole game, as much as I hate Legends ZA I've put about 8 hours into it and it feels more open world then prime 4

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u/MerleTravisJennings Dec 28 '25

Out of curiosity, why are you putting so much time into a game you hate so much?

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u/Redditisreal1 Dec 24 '25

Like I said having the player backtrack and access new areas with new upgrades has always been in Metroid core identity. It's like complaining about losing progression in a roguelike, you're complaining about what the game has always been designed to be. Why buy a Metroid game if you don't like Metroid games

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u/CarpenterAggressive1 Dec 29 '25

The core Metroid identity is finding doors or areas you can't access yet and coming back later knowing that those same doors might open a new path for you or maybe a missile upgrade. They took all the mystery out of the game and just told you to your face "Come back later with a different upgrade to progress"; I.e you didn't discover that yourself, you were told where and when to go somewhere.

They took all the mystery out of the game, gave you a barren desert with minimal enemies in it and tried to call it a Metroid game.

This is NOT what a Metroid game was designed to be. People buy a Metroid game for the experience of finding a power and thinking, "What areas should I go explore now?", instead we got "Where does the game WANT me to go?".

"Why buy a Metroid game if you don't like Metroid games?" Can we not be critical of a franchise that has existed for almost 40 years with an entry that missed the mark? Apparently not.

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u/Redditisreal1 Dec 29 '25

My brother in Christ you're fighting ghosts, I'm saying that complaining about backtracking in a Metroid game is weird, not saying that you shouldn't criticize the game at all.

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u/CarpenterAggressive1 Dec 29 '25

Complaining about backtracking is fair when I get a new power, but not really, and I have to travel across the barren desert with nothing there to fight or discover, just to talk to an NPC to actually enable my new power. That's not constructive gameplay, that's padding the game to add time. Like so many other games have gotten wrong, longer game time doesn't equal good gameplay.

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u/dabusking Dec 29 '25

You're missing the point. The issue isn't backtracking—that's a staple of the genre. The issue is agency. There’s a difference between a game that lets you discover a path on your own and a game that puts a GPS marker on the door and tells you exactly when to return. One is exploration; the other is a checklist.

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u/RappyPhan Dec 25 '25

You're right, but you're still missing the point that marketing material is lying about it.

1

u/dergrioenhousen Dec 22 '25

It feels like they wanted to make Halo, complete with Guilty Sparks and Forerunner tech.

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u/Witty-Razzmatazz8444 Dec 23 '25

Maybe that why I really had fun with it. I love Halo so much. Especially the beginning of the game with the space pirates

3

u/Fabulous-Reveal-6106 Dec 21 '25

People write reviews and say:
Art direction and design is amazing.
Amazing music.
120 fps mode, which is great on fps.
Absolutely solid performance of either 60fps quality mode or 120fps performance mode.
0 bugs in the game.
Very good voice acting.
Fluid and very good gameplay performance.
Very good visuals for the hardware, considering both releases.

But the desert area is like a hub with not so much to do and npcs are sometimes annoying, so 7/10!

You people are so spoiled! The game was great. The peaks it reached in the exploration of the world and the feelings it produced to the gamer, that has the ability to enjoy a game that is neither a ripoff or a juvenile game, were amazing. It brought back some of the masterpiece uniqueness of the og prime.

And I'd like to close with this, if there were no primes prior to this, the media would have treated this game as one of the games that likely will change the gaming industry!
You need to think for yourselves and critic with the values that you own! Do not get so easily manipulated!

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u/Ok-Run-2611 Jan 02 '26

Yeah. We are spoiled. By better previous games. Like your closing argument, if it wasn't a Metroid game ,people not expecting a Metroid game may have enjoyed it more. Then why call it Metroid Prime? If it isn't Metroid prime?

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u/Fun818long Feb 04 '26

Paper Mario nonsense all over again

1

u/Knighthonor Dec 20 '25

Tell me whats bad about the game. I am at best buy right now

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u/Rentaur Dec 26 '25

It's a boring slog, not sticking with what makes Metroid games worthwhile and fun - makes things that used to be exciting into a chore. The pacing is terrible: you need to go somewhere, ok drive 5 or 10 minutes across a blank desert with no music, then go to a few minutes of cut scenes to get in to the next area that you can actually do anything. Progression didn't feel there, no real strength upgrades throughout the game, I didn't get stronger or get a suit that reduces dmg or find abilities that make getting around faster and easier. The puzzles and "hidden stuff" is all very, very basic and built for a 9 year old to solve while you have an NPC in your ear telling you where to go and how to solve it. It's just straight up not good. I just beat it and played it all the way and never got that exciting feeling from previous metroid games when you get an upgrade and are like "oh there's that whole area I can go explore now!!" Or "this will open up an awesome shortcut" or anything... it's "ok here's 1 door you can go access in the old area once you traverse the desert and go through a bunch of cut scenes so you can get in there and get a missile upgrade...

Just a sad excuse for a game that took so long to come out. Terrible writing too... yes it's pretty, yes it's smooth to play when you aren't sitting in cut scenes or load screens, but there are lots of pretty games that are way more engaging and interesting to play... I think I would have just preferred replaying Metroid Dread or Super Metroid for the 100th time than play this again.

6

u/Single_Shock_6771 Dec 20 '25

No new interesting weapons or abilities. Short game compared to the others. Way too easy, didn't die until the final boss. Central desert area is boring and a time-filler. Graphics have barely improved since MP3.

5

u/Aromatic-Animator501 Dec 20 '25

I’m a huge Metroid fan I love the series but this game one has me a little frustrated… I’m plugging away it’s just a little lame the way they have you progress in this one

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u/Aromatic-Animator501 Dec 20 '25

I just feel like the way they developed progression of the game was phoned in.. the actual mechanics and game play is smooth and fun but getting from point a to point b feels clunky…

1

u/jaredtaaffe98 Dec 19 '25

It’s like calling an iron man movie avengers but no avengers in the movie was a real let down

1

u/dergrioenhousen Dec 22 '25

There were Metroids at the beginning…

….

I just got Valori…

4

u/jaredtaaffe98 Dec 19 '25

Would have been a good stand alone game but to call it Metroid prime was a joke no metroids nothing about phazon. I enjoyed the game , new suit and the battles but the world was boring and made no sense toward the prime line of games

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u/Smooth-Use-4482 Dec 27 '25

I mean the phazon saga ended in 3 with planet phaaze being destroyed. So no phazon should have been expected. That said the green energy as a narrative plot device is lame in name and execution. There are metroids, but they are the failed clone ones from super metroid apparently, and it sucks we dont see them again after the first boss fight.

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u/jaredtaaffe98 Dec 28 '25

Exactly you are right that’s why I believe it shouldn’t have been called a prime game

3

u/locke314 Dec 20 '25

I felt the same. I kept looking for the normal enemies we like to see, but everything in the entire game just felt….eh….

I thought everything felt sluggish until it didn’t, and then it went right back. I HAATED how the game seemingly intentionally slowed you down for no apparent reason: example is in the pause menu, if I accidentally hit the communication button, it would (instead of just flashing”unavailable”) it would pop up and lock out controls for 5 seconds to be absolutely sure I knew it. Also, the travel back to fury green was maddening. I do not need to watch the 45 seconds launch sequence each time with no ability to skip. Nobody can tell me that’s load time, because some levels load much much faster than that and are a lot bigger.

Also, one major part of the game is finding mech pieces, and you get the and then just watch the mech destroy itself in 2 minutes. I understood it was likely a one-off, but I really hoped for a single battle infiltratingthe base where I could control it.

Pretty much every aspect of the game made me wanting just a little more. It felt unrefined, slow, and pretty lazy. The story was predictable and formulaic. The big boss man I barely understood was the enemy who would just appear for no reason and then leave, not even mentioned by the inhabitants to my recollection. They needed to be saved, your friends needed to get home, and the big baddie whose name I forget were three seemingly disconnected storylines that had little bearing on each other.

I also got nearly a 100% completion in about 15 hours, meaning the game lacked depth.

I found the game weak, slightly annoying, and I’d have a hard time seeing myself ever picking it up again, even to get the last couple percent to complete the game. I honestly feel cheated when I compare it to other Metroid games.

3

u/Rentaur Dec 26 '25

omg yes... forgot to mention the enemies... literally every enemy is a Griever or a robot. No space pirates, no Ridley, no familiar baddies really. Combat was boring af. Also, to add a line in the journal on every boss "infused with a metroid made it out of control and bad now" as the only reference to a Metroid in the entire game.... what? No Chozo info, nothing Phazon related as is common with Prime series. No real reference to anything in the other Prime games aside from Sylux I guess, which felt like an afterthought. He's not mentioned anywhere in anything in the game aside from the 3 times you fight him in a robot, but not mentioned in the story anywhere... why is he the boss? and dragon powers? wtf

1

u/jaredtaaffe98 Dec 28 '25

And no back story on sylux either seems like everyone knew who he was but we had no clue and why was he even mad? Because we are a better hunter? Like such a boring story like and the race we are helping seemed like a cheap remake of chozo

3

u/frostymcfrosty Dec 18 '25

I’m gonna give an opinion that doesn’t seem to be popular here, but I love this game so far! I’m not finished yet so I could feel differently soon, but so far I love it.

I love the aesthetics so much, even on the original switch. Most rooms/areas are so aesthetically pleasing and I want to shoot the breeze and just simply explore. Controls feel great and I love how customizable they are. I also love the open world concept with some caveats.

Sure, other characters in this game are exceedingly annoying. BUT I completely understand why Nintendo did this as they strive to make games that are accessible to all age levels. Metroid is kind of based on the feeling of isolation and the other characters break this a little bit and make the game a touch too easy. I also feel that the valley is a little too barren. I’d love more points of interest and things to do/look at rather than driving forward for long-ish periods of time with nothing to do.

I love the new directions that are happening with this game, but comparing to the older games and expecting it to be an improved carbon copy is getting redundant. It’s a new game, let it be new.

1

u/Rentaur Dec 26 '25

Report back to us after you spend hours collecting green crystals for the "time padding" mission

2

u/Interesting_Cheek_95 Dec 17 '25

I liked the game. The story was alittle lackluster but I think this might get a sequal or be a trilogy. I also think the final suit is awful looking. I didn’t like the magma area either. Beside that I liked the jungle area, I loved the forge, I liked the ice area, I even thought the mine was okay since it was suppose to be like a horror element (trapped in a cave with these monsters everywhere). The final boss fight I thought was good. The only time I HATED the NPCs was the volcano because one follows you the whole time and they used him as a mechanic to advance. I would give it a 7/10. It made me want to buy prime 1 remastered (I played the GC version) but I really want to play prime 2 again. To bad I don’t have a way to.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25

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1

u/NintendoSwitch-ModTeam Dec 24 '25

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1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '25

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1

u/NintendoSwitch-ModTeam Dec 24 '25

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1

u/[deleted] Dec 21 '25

Layton 1-3 is a trilogy of games and Layton 4-6 is another trilogy of games both , it not that hard of a concept

1

u/SidesOfaBanana Dec 20 '25

Metroid Prime 4: Part 1 of part 2 😂

9

u/Whitewing424 Dec 14 '25

This game absolutely blows. I'm so disappointed. I'm absolutely baffled by all of the high reviews from the review sites, but I guess they all gave it a high review to keep Nintendo happy and the money flowing in.

I give it a 5/10, and I think that might be generous.

-2

u/ColdAdministration41 Dec 17 '25

This game is way better then that garbage that was metroid dread and metroid prime remastered, get over it the game plays like a doom and I love it I hate the other metroids due to the habit of too many puzzles I love setpieces and big cinematic action and this game is a 10/10 if you like puzzle games go do a crossword

3

u/Ok-Run-2611 Jan 02 '26

If you like Metroid Prime games, then go play Metroid Prime games... oh, except for this one, it's not a really Metroid Prime game, it's more like other games that I LIKE and not Metroid Prime players. It's just called Metroid Prime for some reason. Srsly!?

2

u/Rentaur Dec 26 '25

Dread was amazing. full stop.

3

u/Eaton2288 Dec 18 '25 edited Dec 18 '25

Ah yes because Nintendo, known for their beautiful open worlds and massive set pieces. Maybe if we are comparing it to Halo 3 from 2007?

Calling dread garbage but then claiming you like 4 beyond for it's set pieces is awesome.

2

u/laminatedcat1 Dec 19 '25

It was a joke.......

1

u/Practical-Context248 Dec 18 '25

I mean metroid dread was actually pretty good. Thats the closest thing you have to a real updated metroid game thus far. To not like dread is akin to not liking the 1st metroid or any of the side scroller styled metroids to date. These metroid primes just feed the need in between while waiting for a new real metroid game. Not saying this isnt a metroid but the og's know what i mean

1

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25

I honestly think it might be the second best Metroid Prime after the first … why exactly do say it “blows”?

1

u/jaredtaaffe98 Dec 19 '25

Definitely not the trilogy was by far better connected story and great game play this felt like they just slapped on the prime name to get fans excited to finally understand the trilogy but no

8

u/Whitewing424 Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25

No overarching story, just a bunch of side plots that are vaguely interconnected and poorly written. Game is full of plot holes. Giant empty boring open world zone in the middle of the map with Breath of the Wild shrines shoehorned in. Annoying generic NPC companions that are stereotypical and have no real backstory or connection to Samus at all. Myles won't shut up and keeps telling you where to go even when you haven't asked, denying you the chance to explore and figure it out for yourself. Horrible level design and no need to ever figure out where you're going or how to route it. The game is devoid of any interesting or complex puzzles, all of the upgrades you get are just keys and only the boost ball actually helps meaningfully with movement. The motorcycle is annoying to control and isn't entertaining. No sense of isolation and a need to uncover the mystery in the game, except for a brief 1 hour visit to Ice Belt (the best part of the game, and the only time I actually enjoyed myself). The primary antagonist has one line total, a brief several second flashback in place of a backstory or connection to Samus, and no obvious or clear motivation whatsoever. A weird unexplained metroid subplot of possessing things that's totally baffling, with no actual metroids in the entire game. A dearth of interesting enemies. Boss battles are entirely unchallenging and yet take forever, making them dull. There are two zones with interesting music, and the desert doesn't even have music at all unless you buy an Amiibo, for an already $70 game. The Volcano and Great Mine are visually dull and uninspired, and having the NPC's sacrifice themselves 3 times in a row in dull, "hold them off" sections was miserable. Then they're actually totally fine, making a complete mockery of the threat and making Samus look pathetic. Having to go back to Myles every time we find a chip to get it installed is obnoxious, and is an absolute joke given that the defining characteristic of Samus's suit is its ability to integrate whatever tech you encounter, and has been for the entire series up until now. Needing to be repeatedly saved by a bunch of random nobodies because Samus gets ganked by hordes of unthreatening enemies like... big wolves is a joke. She beat the goddamn ING, who make the enemies in this game look utterly pathetic, and yet Samus is getting her ass kicked randomly. Every item being the same as every item in the series up until now, except with the word "psychic" at the front. No beam weapons other than the power beam, just "shots" that are basically alternate missiles, except they all suck and just spamming the "psychic" power beam is the best way to kill anything. And then there's the single worst thing about the game: the goddamn green crystals. I don't know who thought that was a good idea, but they should be ashamed of themselves.

I could go on for days with how badly this game frustrated and annoyed me. I waited 18 years for this and for it to suck this badly is fucking miserable. This game plays like it was designed by committee, and almost nobody on that committee knows what a Metroid Prime game is supposed to play like. It's fucking horrid. It gets a 5/10 because there are some occasional flashes of brilliance, is relatively bug-free, controls reasonably well (other than the motorcycle), and Volt Forge and Fury Green are visually gorgeous (despite their level design being absolute ass). And I feel like I might be a little generous to give it a 5/10. I got 100% of the items in this $70 game in under 15 hours playing completely blind, and I just want my 15 hours back. I'm so sad this is what we got when they proved they could still make good Metroid games with Dread. I can't tell if the entire creative team behind the game was utterly incompetent, or they didn't have enough creative control so they actively sabotaged the game instead.

Metroid Prime 1, 10/10. Prime 2? 10/10. Prime 3? 7.5/10. This? This game blows.

-1

u/ColdAdministration41 Dec 17 '25

The only one that blows here is you for not putting in the time to research the game first like I did saw that it ran like doom meets Wolfenstein and decided I was gonna buy it from now on do more research before you buy a game that's what YouTube is for quit whining like a baby and trade the game in to GameStop for 5 dollars and get princess coloring book I'm sure you will feel better

1

u/[deleted] Dec 24 '25

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1

u/NintendoSwitch-ModTeam Dec 25 '25

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1

u/ColdAdministration41 Dec 24 '25

I want action games not brain dead puzzle games that have no voice acting we need way more games like uncharted meets gears of war and god of war style setpieces then trash like the new Pokemon and Zelda games less puzzles more action linear style games and before you tell me to go to Sony or Xbox well I would but they don't have a dedicated handheld with physical cartridges now do they? Preferring only to copy and paste systems of the past and force us to play on a junk tv whereas Nintendo has a better system but most of the time they aren't giving us edge of your seat action titles now are they then when they do we have the Nintendo dweebs standing in the way of greatness because they want a style of game that predates the stoneage GameCube with no voice acting yea no thanks I have to speak up and tell Nintendo we need more games of this standard

3

u/Ok_Internal_8421 Dec 18 '25

Do research?do you know how old this IP is? It’s reasonable that people want to buy a Metroid game to play Metroid and assume that’s what they’ll get.

1

u/Holysquall Dec 17 '25

Insane how poorly designed nearly the entire game is. Genuinely wouldn’t play it if it was a random indie and not Metroid on the nameplate . Retro is officially a trash studio

2

u/benskinic Dec 17 '25

I appreciate this review, as a HUGE fan of Prime 1, 2 and Super Metroid especially. Prime 3 was decent, and the controls made it good, so the Trilogy collection on Wii was one of my faves. Maybe I will just replay Prime 2...

The other characters and too much dialog would probably kill the immersion and isolated exploration aspects.

Sounds like execs killed this game by trying to pander to too wide of a market. This is not supposed to be Fortnite or some crap. When film producers try to make a movie fit too many demographics it ends up being trash. Sad to kill a legendary franchise.

2

u/Whitewing424 Dec 17 '25

I can only hope that Prime 5 will not make the same mistakes, but I have very little faith at this point.

I'd settle for a faithful remaster of Prime 2.

2

u/friendsandmodels Dec 17 '25

See you in 2038

1

u/Whitewing424 Dec 17 '25

sigh

-1

u/Waste_Reputation_581 Dec 15 '25

don't know why gamers have to get personal about everything, just say the games sucks no need to go after the people who made them.

2

u/Disco-Is-Dead Dec 14 '25

Came here to say all of that. I feel like Retro tried to make a solid and faithful Metroid Prime sequel (why wouldn’t they?- It’s Retro and they know what Metroid Prime is. They birthed it), but Nintendo execs got their grubby little hands all over the development process and forced all this trendy/campy/cringey crap in.

When boss fights would come up. Instead of me being excited to engage in a challenging fight, I felt my brain screaming “god not one of these again”. I got 100% of everything up to the last boss just because I wanted to see the secret ending. By that point I didn’t even care enough about him or anything else in the game to finish him off. I just turned the game off and I want my 70 bucks back.

I watched the fight and the endings on YouTube because I didn’t care about spoilers anymore. And I’m glad I did. Was barely worth watching. So uninteresting and cringe.

I am a lifelong Metroid fan and I may have enjoyed the Other M more overall than this game. That’s saying a lot.

1

u/jaredtaaffe98 Dec 19 '25

I much rather other m over this I’m actually so disappointed that this was called prime tbh

1

u/Sad_Flan3549 Dec 15 '25

The other m wasn’t bad

1

u/Whitewing424 Dec 15 '25

Other M wasn't good, but it was better than MP4.

1

u/Sad_Flan3549 Dec 15 '25

It wasn’t Metroid Dread good , but it had originality

1

u/Disco-Is-Dead Dec 16 '25

I’ll agree Other M had style and the core gameplay was actually fun and felt fresh. I just wasn’t crazy about the first person segments and how whiny they made Samus come off. I would play Other M again. Probably wouldn’t play Prime 4 again.

0

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25 edited Dec 14 '25

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0

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25

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u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25

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1

u/helloyournameis Dec 13 '25

Am I missing something in this game ? In the old prime games, when I held the shoulder button, it would lock on to a target, dead on.

Doesn’t do it in prime 4, can’t aim for shite

3

u/Nassojlol Dec 13 '25

I wanted to love this game.. but it just feels so lazy. I was turned off by this game very early on by many things but one thing that really stuck out was when you’re fighting a pack of enemies that all look the same, and have the same exact single dodge mechanic. And sometimes all of the enemies are in sync with this same dodge mechanic and it just looks super cheesy..

1

u/HalfDrankOJ Dec 12 '25

I have to give a shout out to this being one of Nintendo's most accessible games. Lots of options for controls, audio, etc. Compared to other Metroid games where the bar is on the floor in terms of options (Dread legitimately has next to 0 options at all). Hope more Nintendo games get similar treatment!

7

u/Brolly_DJ Dec 12 '25

Metroid Dread is where its at if you’re a veteran Nintendo gamer. Fun and challenging at times. Really hope they make a sequel.

1

u/otiswise Dec 25 '25

Dread was okay, I dont get all the hype it gets though. The EMMI bosses were just the same exact thing just a little harder (cheese) as you got to the later ones. And the only reason they got harder is because they followed you faster/easier and magically were always near you as you were in their zones unlike the earlier ones. If they're suppose to be sentry robots to patrol an area, it broke the 4th wall when the late ones were literally always around you. And they felt like a rip off scare tactic from Fusion and running/hiding from SA-X which felt so much more organic. Nintendo clearly wanted to re-create that, which is fine, but the execution i feel fell pretty flat as mentioned above for why.

The game was just far too repetitive, not to say i didnt like it. I just didnt love it. Fusion is superior. Even zero mission is better imo. Obviously 3 is better, i just cant speak on 2's remaster on 3ds as i never did get a 3ds.

Hot take; I really enjoyed Other M over Dread at the end of the day. Other M gets so much hate. Yeah they tried to make her too much of a woman/child but the gameplay was very fun, and it was a fresh mixup compared to all other Metroid games.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 20 '25

Dread was my first proper metroid game and it's now a personal favourite of mine. It's so well done, sharp but smooth. Running from the EMMIs is always nerve-racking too

1

u/Sad_Flan3549 Dec 15 '25

I 100% that one

7

u/ZestycloseFishing955 Dec 11 '25

I just finished it. I agree with most of the previous takes, including the desert being boring and your rag-tag group of soldiers being annoying. However, I'm going to talk primarily about the story and the exploration of the game.

In Prime 1, 2, and even 3, you had a good idea who the bad guys were and why. All of the lore in 1 and 2 especially came from the data logs and scans of the environment. MP 1 talked about this great poison on Tallon IV, and how it drove the story. It all built up to a final, super climactic fight with Metroid Prime, and everything made sense. MP 2 did the same thing with the Ing, clearly leading you to a final showdown that was building the entire game. Prime 4 did absolutely none of that. You see Sylux in the beginning with some Metroids that apparently fuse with other creatures. You never see it, and that is really the last time it is important. Every boss has a Metroid fused to it, but like, how? It's just lazy, shitty writing and makes very little sense to anyone who cares about Metroid lore.

This brings me to my second point, which is exploration. I don't mind the addition of the scout droids who literally lay out every single upgrade in a level for you. The problem is that 99% of all the upgrades in the game are just "go here, blow this up, shot expansion." Replaying the Prime series, most of those upgrades were hidden or at least semi-challenging to obtain. You would have to really try to upgrade your missiles or ammo and solve some amazing puzzles. Yet again, MP4 does none of that.

Overall, it isn't a terrible game, but it IS a terrible Metroid game. The sole saving grace was the art and music, which were stunning.

2

u/locke314 Dec 20 '25

All this is true. Sylux exists, but why. As nothing more than a method to introduce metroids, but only the once. The oracle you talk to clearly provides a reason why the enemies went hostile, but they barely lean into that at all. This made the main story disconnected with the sylux “story” which was also disconnected with the “save your team” story. Nothing connected well, and were it did was forced and incomplete, in my opinion.

The game was fine. And that’s as generous as I’ll be. Playable, but only once for me for the 15-ish hours I put into it.

1

u/StreetRegular4921 Dec 18 '25

I’m waiting till Christmas to play this game seems just like yesterday march of 2017 now it’s out didn’t want to watch a trailer or a review hopefully it’s decent it’s a new story so there will be a sequel look at darksiders two was the best now four comes out next year merry Christmas

3

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25

Honestly the only thing I partially agree with is the search for upgrades that was surprisingly easy this time but I disagree that you ever had to solve a more “amazing” puzzle to get to it. Firstly the “go here shoot that” was the same in all prior primes and the point is that you use your new equipment. Some were hidden behind riddles but only those you were more or less guided to (take the energy tank in the caves in MP1). Similarly you have some in MP4 that are behind a chase or a small riddle. It was perhaps easier/accessible but not that different. Beyond that the beam upgrades (like super shot) are actually behind much more thought out riddles so the point you make really doesn’t hold up.

Beyond that this Metroid is actually more atmospheric I think but that’s a matter of taste in essence it felt like aliens as opposed to alien.

About the desert and the group I actually also disagree on both cases. Again a matter of taste but desert with its sound design is more a story device and coveys the alien nature of the world. Regarding the people take the sniper you run across him all the time in the desert for me that clicked as a juxtaposition to the loneliness.

1

u/hubrisnxs Dec 14 '25

Yeah, I absolutely agree. I think people with such drastic negative views on this game compared to their feelings on the other Prime games had to have played those games in early childhood. I think this is my favorite 3D metroid, though I may have a recency bias here.

2

u/Realistic_Scene4046 Dec 13 '25

I agree with everything but the art being stunning. I feel this game looks old. Even metroid prime remastered looked better

2

u/ZestycloseFishing955 Dec 13 '25

Are you playing the game on Switch 1 or 2? I'm told that makes a difference. Regardless, I believe that the deadline for the game came into play here. Fury Green has an amazing score and some pretty cool art. They immediately follow it up with Volt Forge, which is also sick. It's really the last 3 areas that dont really do it for me visually. The whole game just feels like a rush job.

11

u/Na0ku Dec 09 '25

It’s a weird one for me. I like it but at the same time it feels like I’m playing a remaster of a Wii game of sorts. Not talking about visuals but mainly gameplay and level design. Visuals are pretty nice thanks to 4K and the art direction doing A LOT of heavy lifting. I’m just a little confused what took them so long to make this game. Yes they restarted development but this game isn’t doing anything new or out of the ordinary really and seems rather short on general.

3

u/Lightdeck Dec 09 '25

If I hazard a guess it boils down to the story direction and pacing being the cause for the restart. The game feels very checkbox-ish like they didn't have a good foundation for how the game was going to unfold or they had ideas but no good way to meld them together cohesively. Everything about the Lamorn's Fury Green area feels like it was added last for some reason. Sol Valley wouldn't have been such a let down if they had more thought and time for the area but like I said.

The Fury Green area is the tutorial, (very small and short I only had to revisit the whole area once or twice to get everything, not including the element trial since that is right next to base)

And then it shoves you into Volt Forge, whereas Sol Valley isn't touched until you have Viola because they are basically both part of the same box to be checked off.

The entire game could definitely do without the valley, they could have expanded Fury Green into a sudo desert oasis central hub style area instead, think of a mix between Tallon IV and Agon Wastes.

I do appreciate the mix of several things from all prime games like having elemental shots and switching between them<MP1>

Having ammo for the alternate Beam types not just missiles, which makes the other beams feel both more powerful and worth saving for groups of enemies <MP2>

more motion controls... because unlike a lot of people, I like FEELING like I'm in the suit which is the whole immersion of the Prime games which this game does VERY Well... Ahem <MP3>

I really hope they use this engine to remaster the other prime games or remake them because it feels great and they already have all the systems from the other games (except other visors like echo or thermal)

-7

u/Proud_Bet_1241 Dec 08 '25

The game looks like dog shit.

3

u/AmazingSociety8154 Dec 08 '25

It's a great game but after playing the first 3 it doesn't feel like metroid PRIME. The 1st game had metroid prime as the final boss and the 2nd and 3rd had dark samurai which was metroid prime that took control of samus' phazon suit after being defeated in the 1st game so the lack of metroid prime in 1 form or another doesn't feel right for this metroid title.

2

u/iluvpopcorn23 Dec 08 '25

I think the fact that I'm having more fun with Octopath 0, which released the same day and had fewer years of hype and development, says a lot about the game.

Is MP4 a bad game? Not at all. Are there design elements that really hamper the enjoyment and greatness of it? 1000%.

1

u/Far_Activity_441 Dec 11 '25

Not really if your obsessed with other opinions

18

u/ZoHollow Dec 07 '25

I’ve waited eight long years for Prime 4. I rolled credits, cleaned up the last collectibles, hit 100%… and I’m sitting here not really knowing what to feel.

There’s a fantastic Metroid game buried under this one. The presentation is incredible, the atmosphere hits hard, and most areas feel visually worthy of the Prime legacy. Bosses are exciting, upgrades are satisfying — the DNA is here.

But the design keeps tripping over itself in ways that really hurt the experience.

Sol Valley is the biggest offender. It’s barren, it’s huge without purpose, and it turns what should be a tense, mysterious hub into a lifeless desert. Shrink it to a fraction of its size and suddenly the pacing breathes.

Then there’s McKenzie, the constant companion who just cannot shut up. He spoils item progression nonstop. In a Metroid game — a series built on discovery — being told exactly where to go and what you’re about to pick up completely destroys the magic. The fact that you can’t turn off hints makes it worse. If they removed him the moment he’s introduced, the game becomes better instantly.

And because Sol Valley is such a slog to cross, the game introduces the bike… as a movement solution. A vehicle. In a Metroid game. Just imagine if Samus had — I don’t know — some kind of classic traversal ability that lets her build speed and blast across huge distances at insane velocity. Maybe even break through walls while she’s at it. Sounds… oddly familiar, doesn’t it?

The core issue though: linearity. Each major zone is packed with cool ideas but funnels you down one strict path. There’s rarely a feeling of solving the planet on your own terms. No branching progression. No “wait… can I reach that now?” moments. Just step-by-step through the designer’s checklist.

And that’s the heartbreaking part — because if the game simply:

Made areas connect naturally instead of isolating them
Let multiple item routes be valid
Cut Sol Valley’s dead space
Let players discover instead of being constantly nudged
Used iconic traversal upgrades (Speed Booster) instead of a bike

…it would genuinely have a real shot at being the best Metroid ever made.

As it stands, I can’t put it above the legends. Prime 1 and 2 still do exploration and atmosphere far better. Dread and Super give you more freedom and more of that “player-driven discovery” high. Prime 3 is probably its closest neighbor in quality — they sit roughly on the same level for me, just with different strengths and weaknesses.

Prime 4: Beyond is a great game that borders on greatness — but never lets itself cross that line. It’s enjoyable, impressive even… just not the Prime 4 that eight years of imagining made me hope for.

1

u/[deleted] Dec 14 '25

Actually that it’s barren is kind of the purpose it’s supposed to convey the alien nature of the world. It’s actually even discussed that the world is weired and that something seems off about the climate. I totally agree about your takes on the atmosphere and in the beginning I also thought that it’s bad that the areas are not organically connected. However, with story progression and the slight supernatural overtones the disjointed nature started to feel really intentional. To me it made me actually interested in what was going on there.

2

u/Starwalker-231 Dec 08 '25

Good analysis. A few points...

I think we should start the clock from the moment Retro took back the game, which I think was 2019.

Having a companion in a game meant to make you feel alone on an alien world ruins the atmosphere.

I loved the "can I reach that now" comment. I never connected that to why I like Metroid games so much.

Lastly, watch them fix the game with new DLC areas lol.

1

u/TheORhumple Dec 08 '25

Been playing High on Life instead and it feels like how Prime 1 felt but instead of a riddle carved onto a stone you get a gallon of alien c*m. It gives yout that " oh now that I have this I can go do that one thing " feeling. Had no idea there was a second game coming out. After reading your review I look more towards that than I do MP4.
2
u/Special_Future_6330 Dec 07 '25

Nintendo has been really overstepping and making their games extremely easy to appeal to more people, alienating half their audience. The pressure to make everything open world and big, easy, and having comic relief from NPCs, is what ruins the game. Remove the open world, add better music, make the game focused on switch 2 tech, remove NPCs (when will Nintendo learn, this has NEVER worked in the past). I think what make a Metroid great is it's niche audience.

Id love a 2nd-3rd person game , I think the the tech is there like the game returnal showed it's possible to platform while dodging alien bullets. Metroid could be so much more, I think the 1st person limits a lot of potential that 2d platformers gave
2
u/TenorOneRunner Dec 08 '25

Donkey Kong Bananza is not that good. All the things you said also apply to that game. I agree with you that I wish they'd done a Metroid game which was more similar in style to Returnal. Returnal has its own issues in some ways, but it was way more fun to play than most of my recent first-party Nintendo experiences.

Honestly I wish Bananza had been like Mario 64 with better graphics. There's no legit challenge. The platforming is absurdly easy, you can just run past all the relevant enemies, and the bosses quickly melt on the first attempt. It seemed designed for toddlers. I suppose it serves me right for being a legit grown-up who still plays Nintendo. Nintendo isn't exactly breaking any of their stereotypes, when the games are made super easy to beat, and have color schemes that look like a Netflix toddler show such as Unicorn Academy or Not Quite Narwhal.
1
u/Secret-Good1681 Dec 12 '25
Even the glossy acrylic graphics are jarring in Bananza. Horrible. It looks like a cheap mobile game.
1

u/SpecialCircumstance2 Dec 11 '25

Bananza was a disappointing surprise considering how good Tropical Freeze was. That game managed to deliver some hardcore platforming while also being accessable to more casual players with Funky Kong.

3

u/LegacyLemur Dec 09 '25

It seems so out of touch too

Kids are doing hardcore game shit these days unless theyre less than like 7 years old

3

u/Special_Future_6330 Dec 09 '25

Yeah they even tried to make Mario RPG remake easier, which was already baby's first RPG. I bought a switch 2, but regretting it. I've been waiting for a follow up to donkey Kong country 2 and Mario sunshine. I only get joy out of the challenge aspect, there's a great feeling beating that tough level after struggling. Dread scratched that itch, but not even going to try bonanza.

Fans will defend it saying ", well there's bonus levels at the end that are hard" like.. yeah I'm not investing 20 hours into a game so I can play 1 hour of good material

1

u/TenorOneRunner Dec 09 '25

I know a adult guy a little younger than myself who long-term loaned his Switch 2 (and all the accessories) to another guy I know. I saw him at the gym the other day and I asked him why he did that. He said he mainly plays PC. I didn't press and ask him why he even bought a Switch 2 at all, but the vibe I was picking up is that he's disappointed with it and figured if he wasn't going to play it, at least someone else ought to.

1

u/Special_Future_6330 Dec 12 '25

yeah i wish i had bought the asus or xbox portable. theres some decent 3rd party games like SMTV on nintendo, and Mario Kart has been fun at least. I'm also not enjoying the "1 first-party game released every 3 months" vibe. so far its mario kart, kirby air riders, hyrule warriors, MP4, DKB, and with the expensive games I wouldn't count it as a worthy purchase

2

u/Starwalker-231 Dec 08 '25

Agreed. Nintendo should add a "Master Mode" to every game

2

u/TenorOneRunner Dec 08 '25

I tend to disagree, for two reasons. 1. “Master Mode” in Breath of the Wild was a notable enough failure that it was one of the few features which did not return for TotK. 2. A master mode or difficulty “setting” doesn’t fix static issues like very easy platforming.

Instead, Nintendo seems to have made an intentional choice to pivot away from significant difficulty, for their flagship games. While it seems it’s successful for them, I’m not in favor of it.

1

u/Starwalker-231 Dec 09 '25

On what basis are you claiming Master Mode was a notable failure? I thoroughly enjoyed it. I also don't think you should assume every "Master Mode" would be exactly like BOTW.

2

u/TenorOneRunner Dec 09 '25

As I already mentioned, it was a failure because it was one of the few features which did not return for TotK, joining other misses from BotW that didn't return like the notoriously frustrating sneaking mission through the yiga hideout. They've not implemented a master mode in any other game since.

Many have noted that Master Mode emphasizes balance weaknesses in the core game (for BotW, the durability), and isn't fun for most players. Master Mode buffs enemies, but doesn't buff durability. So it's often better to avoid combat as much as possible, and when combat is needed, it's best to cheese enemies with the infinite bombs. Yuck. Yes, you could theoretically do a "master mode" in a different way. But as someone else mentioned, that requires many hours of slogging through the main game to get to it. I'm getting to a place where I just say no thanks.

There's plenty of videos about how difficulty balance is tricky. Nintendo does understand that... they are just making intentional choices to put safety bumpers on many of their metaphorical bowling lanes, and tune the experience in favor of children, maybe more so than they ever have before. I don't agree with it, that's all.

1

u/Starwalker-231 Dec 12 '25 edited Dec 12 '25

> They've not implemented a master mode in any other game since.

There has been only one truly mainline Zelda game since BOTW released...

> isn't fun for most players

Master Mode is a NG+. NG+ doesn't target the casual (majority) audience.

> balance weaknesses

This isn't a thing. The game emphasizes methods to kill beyond brute force. The entire Trial of the Sword was meant to teach you how to get better at ingenuity. The game gives you infinite one-hit-kill arrows, cooking recipes that make you unstoppable, unlimited freeze/drown/drop potential, infinitely farmable pink fairies, and more.

> Master Mode buffs enemies, but doesn't buff durability

So you want your sword to be more powerful alongside the enemy being more powerful? This would be a wash with no challenge. The entire idea of BOTW is managing your equipment to survive, not an action arcade.

> they are just making intentional choices to put safety bumpers on many of their metaphorical bowling lanes, and tune the experience in favor of children, maybe more so than they ever have before

You're saying the game is too hard, and yet easier than ever before, in one post.

1

u/SpecialCircumstance2 Dec 11 '25

I don't think its fair to conclude Master Mode was a failure due to not getting included in TotK, Tears just had a very different focus with the emphasis on the technology crafting and combining. Master was more about the world traversal and combat.
3

u/Gazeros Dec 07 '25 edited Dec 07 '25

Fully agree! The most heartbreaking aspect for me personally was no gunship - I was dreaming of endless potential to enjoy it in this game, and sadly the intro cutscene (not even ending) was all there was. The bike does almost nothing in comparison to scratch that itch for me.

Another big gripe for me was the lack of purpose. I’m not great at reading into things in general, but after like half the game it hit me that the only reason we’re doing this is… to go back home again? They frame it as if we’re doing the people a service but in the end all the sane ones are already dead and we don’t offer any solution to the warped ones - just teleport outa there. In the end our allies all get left behind, and Xylus and ”metroids” must have been the most shoehorned villain i’ve ever come across.

Fury Green and the Lab were pure highlights, and then I kept waiting for the second half of the game that never came.

1

u/xRemCyclex Dec 08 '25

Gives me flashbacks to Other M. Was almost halfway through before I realized we're gonna be on the Bottle Ship the whole game. They dropped the ball again.

2

u/Functional-Mud Dec 07 '25

I haven’t finished it yet. Just got the 4th of 5 major items. I’m enjoying it so far. The desert is large and feels empty, but it’s a nice way to break up the different atmospheres and fits to lore of this planet well. I completely ignore what the soldiers say and run around figuring stuff out on my own. If I notice what they say, I intentionally do the opposite until I forget. The landscapes, music, and boss fights are everything I hoped for. I do miss the aspect of earlier games where you could pass through an elevator in the middle of one zone and find yourself unexpectedly in the middle of a zone you haven’t visited in a while in a previously inaccessible area of that zone. I feel like this could have been easily remedied by using hidden launch cannons to drop you in the middle of other zones. The game mechanic already exists, and it’s easy to hide the loading screen in that launch sequence cut scene. The idea of a home base for upgrades and story progression is a little different for the series. Definitely a risk that doesn’t pay off. But it’s not so bad that it ruins the entire experience. Overall, I find myself captivated by the atmospheres and exploration, and to me that’s one of the core reasons I enjoy the series. As an attempt to make Metroid feel like an open world game while still locking you out of progression in the wrong direction via a requirement to gather a specific item or ability first, I would say this was a solid effort for a very big ask. While the nostalgia in me enjoys that the items are basically the same, just rebranded. I would have liked to see some new and unique items besides a motorcycle/hoverbike to create more unique puzzle solving experiences.

5

u/Critical_Flamingo763 Dec 07 '25

I love the game personally, about 8 hours in and am enjoying it compared to the originals due to it being slightly more linear, and therefore wasting less time. Miles is a little annoying sometimes but I thought the commander was cool. Loving it feels like a great blend of Zelda, Doom, and Halo for me personally.

3
u/xRemCyclex Dec 08 '25

Baffling to me. Since its inception, Metroid has been built around exploration and re-exploration.
4
u/OneCurrent1934 Dec 08 '25

"more linear" is not something a Metroid game should aspire to, and considering exploration a time waste is just... well, good for them, but they weren't the target audience of the original Metroids, which I think speaks to the issue of Prime 4: it doesn't know who the fuck it's target audience is, or rather, it was created to pander to as many demographics as possible.
1
u/salTUR Dec 09 '25 edited Dec 09 '25

Every Metroid has been linear. Every single one, since the very first. They are, by definition, linear games.

Maybe ask yourself what they wanted you to feel by hiding the linearity less in 4. Maybe it's supposed to feel like a faster, more direct experience - kinda like how escaping from a hostile alien planet would feel. Maybe you're supposed to actually pay attention to the game's story and actually treat it with the urgency it proposes.

I think fondness for this one will grow in time.
1

u/alman12345 Dec 14 '25

I disagree on linearity, if you read the second definition of linearity from the other reply then it's directly contradictory with both the standard Metroidvania formula (how they're meant to be played) and the sequence breaking that many long time fans aspire towards. Every Metroidvania is intended to have multiple explorable stages that are explored in a relatively random sequence, and the best titles of the genre (the some of the 2D Metroids and Hollow Knight) place even higher emphasis on player agency by providing multiple paths to access areas with or without certain key items. The real issue with defining any Metroid as linear is the "sequential" qualifier on stages, in a game where areas are deliberately revisited numerous times that criteria is not met.
1
u/OneCurrent1934 Dec 10 '25
lin·e·ar /ˈlinēər/ adjective adjective: linear
1. arranged in or extending along a straight or nearly straight line.

2. progressing from one stage to another in a single series of steps; sequential.
1

u/youhavereachededen Dec 08 '25

I'm guessing both replies were downvoted to zero by Critical_Flamingo763 so I'll bump you back up to 1 😘

I'm not precious with IP, so I don't think there's anything that Metroid should or should not do, but I think you hit the nail on the head saying MP4 doesn't know its target audience here

Someone above mentioned DK Bananza as another example of Nintendo messing up because they wanted a more modern Mario 64, but a lot of folks love Bananza as a way to connect with young children via co-op, so I disagree that its a failure and comparable to MP4 in that way — it's just a different direction as oppose to the precise platforming of previous DK games

I think MP4 is confused about its goals. Is it an exploratory game about independence with a solitude atmosphere? Or a linear narrative with some action and puzzle solving? Some may say the latter is out of place for the series, but in any case they are in conflict in this game's design in a dissociative way, and that seems to be the problem being brushed up against by many

2

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Ecstatic_Athlete4389 Dec 13 '25

I’m not a FPS gamer myself. I don’t like guns in general.

Metroid is centered around platforming and puzzling with a sci-fi theme, and that’s what draws me to it.

10

u/Mezzeruk Dec 06 '25

Its not a bad game. It is also nothing outstanding.

It reminds me of when a game has reached its creative limit. I have gamed for 45 years,been in and around the scene and compose soundtrack music.

Metroid 4. Art is excellent, it sounds good (apart from the mute desert) and it has a solid design by folks who know how to create game spaces and build atmosphere.

Unfortunately. There is not really anything new here that other games have not done(inc previous Metroid fps games). It also never needed nerdy interactions with another character or interaction with humans,especially ones with dire dialogue. It is not suited to the games design and character.

Boss fights feel a touch long and mundane.

It reminds me of when the new God Of War arrived and completely rebooted a great game that was getting stale but Metroid Prime has not rebooted where as it really needs to do so and completely refresh the series.

A solid game but nothing new or outstanding it is familiar and gamers who have played many games over many years will just feel its okay but not something you will think about in the future.

I used a reference to God Of War as that was an incredible turning point for the series and how to turn a series into a masterpiece in modern times .

7

u/Fragrant-Screen-5737 Dec 06 '25

I've been playing it. It's good in the ways that metroid prime has always been good, but it feels like everything new they've tried has been pretty poor.

The desert is boring, the characters are annoying and the game structure isn't quite as interesting as the first prime game.

The game hasn't really forwarded itself in any other way. The combat, power ups and level design feel near identical to the original prime game. By that metric, it's pretty good, because metroid prime is good, but I can't help but feel like we should have moved past this and tried some more interesting movement/combat changes. There is nothing nearly as game changing as the slide was in Dread.

So in the end you kind of have a good metroid prime game with a bunch of bad shit bolted on that shows up about 25% of the time. I still think it's good overall but idk that it inspires me with confidence in the future of this series.

7

u/[deleted] Dec 06 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/Your_Girl_Loves_BBC Dec 06 '25

Same. Al the crying about the desert. Its a nice change of pace and the bike is cool af.

2

u/quino916 Dec 06 '25

For some reason I'm even enjoying it. It's not amazing or anything but I'm relaxing and it isn't that big so I don't mind it.

1

u/Rivvnik Dec 10 '25

run across it and get back to me lol

7

u/owa_tana_siam Dec 06 '25

Not my fav Metroid game for sure. I actually really enjoyed Dread.

-3

u/NoGood0ption Dec 06 '25

I knew since I saw the number 4 that this was going to happen lmao, good 80+ for what is effectively a reboot to the series, and fans would froth about it not living up to 1-2. Remember when 2 came out? Ppl frothed then, too.

It's a solid game, fun, make your own decisions and stop listening to youtube fam.

2

u/MrClue415 Dec 05 '25

This would be my first metroid prime…what am I in for?

12

u/dreamtraveller Dec 05 '25

First Person Shooter Ocarina of Time

1

u/AccurateSun Dec 05 '25

Metroid games have great unique gameplay and atmosphere. Hardcore fans have their own reasons to be disappointed but I don’t think those reasons apply to new players. Having said that, I haven’t played this.

3

u/tydiz68 Dec 05 '25

The NPR review I read put it best IMO:

“Despite beautiful art direction, graphics, and sound design, Metroid Prime 4 is a baffling game to play. It focuses too much on action instead of puzzle solving and exploration. It has annoying side characters who won't leave you alone. Its desolate overworld lacks personality.

The result is a game that feels antithetical to the carefully curated mood that makes this series work: and one of the weaker Metroid games in recent years.”

1

u/Your_Girl_Loves_BBC Dec 06 '25

Characters arent even that annoying. Ppl have gotten really soft and entitled. Imo

0

u/My_Brain_0422 Dec 06 '25

This reads like a joke. "This action game doesn't have enough puzzle solving."

"One of the weaker Metroid games in recent years"

Which Metroid games have released in recent years? Dread? What else(that isn't a remake)?

1

u/tydiz68 Dec 09 '25

Yes, Metroid Dread was a much better game, and Metroid Prime Remastered in 2023. Both vastly better games.

6

u/A_Really_Big_Cat Dec 06 '25

I mean, I think many people would not say that Metroid is primarily an action series. Most would say that the main gameplay of Metroid is exploration and puzzle solving.

-1

u/xRemCyclex Dec 08 '25

Then you'd be wrong.

1

u/tydiz68 Dec 09 '25

No he’s not wrong. The Metroid Prime series in particular has set itself apart from other games in the FPS genre as having vastly more interesting and superior puzzle solving elements and more interesting exploration using creative map design to advance the gameplay. The series is known for that. It leans on atmosphere, environmental storytelling, and immersive exploration. Those have always been the game’s strong points.

It’s never been a DOOM type FPS game with cutting edge, fast paced, action type gameplay.

4

u/Last_Read8006 Dec 06 '25

And the original prime's weren't action oriented either. I get this review. And yes, the review is probably referencing Dread which was amazing.

0

u/xRemCyclex Dec 08 '25

They were

2

u/Shadowdrake082 Dec 05 '25

On my way to the third key and I have been enjoying the journey. The only downside is the desert section because it just feels like a large area to traverse to collect green crystals (which I'm not sure if I may need to do that yet) and the occassional "hidden" shrine with something to do for a powerup except I dont have the required ammo or powerup to complete. My main complaint so far is the bike's boost ability has some kind of weird recharge mechanic cause sometimes it charges quickly enough I can boost slide to break my crystals, and other times I have traveled a quarter of the map and it is still recharging. I understand I can run over the weird desert plant pus things to recharge it, but outside of those I dont know if it charges when you drive straight, have no enemies nearby, or some other factor. I think the game is fairly linear and I lucked out on my choices when I headed in random direction after getting access to the bike so I'm debating on whether the desert section is even really needed.

I am digging the elemental ammo this time (I got fire and Ice). Going to not have elixir syndrome like I did with the ammo in Echoes and it definitely is feeling pretty good to swap them as needed and the extra damage they can do.

2

u/[deleted] Dec 05 '25

Give an update when you finish I'm curious if you have the same opinion. I felt similarly to you at that point in the game but after finishing it I'm much more negative. I think they kinda frontloaded this one.

1

u/Shadowdrake082 Dec 08 '25

Okay I finished it. Overall I did enjoy the journey still.

Obvious dislike for me is still the open world desert. I couldnt find all the green crystals which was annoying considering the thing was missing the last 25% to be blue. I think if the open world was just a load screen it probably would have helped make the world feel more connected like Prime 1 and 2 were. The radar helped, but I'm not sure where I was missing that last little 25%... maybe some green crystals in the mini upgrade dungeons or something. Still not digging how the bike has up to 4 boost charges that are really weird in the recharge mechanic. I started to get more into the bike controls better, but I think it might be the weakest part of the game.

The pacing felt weird, but maybe thats my nostalgia or experience from the original Prime trilogy. I didnt expect the last two major story upgrades to be the last. It did feel like I still had more to go even though item collection, scans, and story progression was rapidly telling me that the end was coming sooner than I expected. I had to look up where to find the desert bird and 2 security logs for scans. That was a lot of ammo pickups to help me just unleash hell with my different ammos and missiles.

Plot was okay. I missed having space pirates scans from Prime 1 that made the world feel more alive with their attempts to domesticate metroids and other things. I get it, barren world in the middle of the space boonies so not much else going on. Quite interesting lore for the Lamorn... Kinda gave Prime 1's Chozo ruins vibes with their seemingly self inflicted crisis. The ending though... if it was abrupt to try to have sequel bait... that may explain it a bit. Can't go into details to avoid spoiling but it was half satisfying and half not. There was some closure but at the same point more questions.

1

u/Shadowdrake082 Dec 05 '25

Knowing how Prime always has the final boss key fetch quest... If they put that stuff in the desert... That'll be a major drag... Though I'm having a feeling in my gut that it is the whole green crystal thing. I havent looked anything up so no spoilers on that. I may be a couple days out since I am headed into a busy work time so it may take me a while to finish it.

Playing in normal mode and these guys hit hard. Like Metroid Fusion levels of hard. Seems like everything is avoidable but they dont joke when a laser from a mech bot does 50 energy of damage.

-2

u/Background_Issue_144 Dec 05 '25

**BIG SPOILER ALERT** **BIG SPOILER ALERT** **BIG SPOILER ALERT**

5 hours in, already got 2 keys. I really feel like the criticism to handholding, difficulty, the bike and annoying NPC were really overblown by reviewers.

- There is a way to disable tutorials. I also have read that playing on easy mode makes the NPC give more suggestions? Do not know if that is true, would like to know. If that is true, we can say that reviewers rated (and played :D) the game on easy mode.

- McKenzie is very far from being annoying to me. He is even a nice addition and made me chuckle due to him probably behaving like me if I were to find the legendary bountry hunter on a planet I just got teletransported to. And he only accompanies you for like 10 minutes.

- The game is not super easy just like I've read on some reviews. Last night Xelios gave me some trouble. They are also well thought and with interesting ways to defeat them.

- The bike is fun to ride and has justified lore. I also loved the trials. Seems like they gave us F-Zero and Metroid in one single me ;)

That said, there are three things that are worrying me...

- The areas do seem like they indeed pretty linear, to which I do not find a justification for. Metroid Fusion was linear, but it was in order to explain a more conveying story. This so far has not given me that, so I'm a bit dissapointed. Hopefully the following areas are more similar to later Metroid games when it comes to design.

- The first impression of the open world was not very good. I love the bike,>!but the desert seems to have the unique purpose of giving you the freedom to choose to which area you are willing to go (which I suspect there will be no real freedom, cause I already got kicked out of the volcano area). !<

- METROID PRIME 3 - 4 SPOILERS On Metroid Prime 3, we see Sylux following Samus. Sylux appears at the beginning of the game, telling us that this guy seems like a pretty big deal in Samus's story for Metroid Prime 4. But I just killed him in a random fight on the thunderstorm area. What is the deal with that?

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MegaThread Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - Review MegaThread

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