Verdict
Metroid Prime ’s core game pattern has n’t aged too well in the twelvemonth since its original release , but in this Remastered translation , its visuals and sense of atmosphere have never been better , making it an easy one to recommend for Metroid lover already familiar with the serial ' quirkiness .
Pros
Cons
Key Features
Introduction
As a agency of keeping fans satiated until Samus Aran ’s next mainline adventure turns up , Nintendo has brought back a classic of the GameCube era with Metroid Prime Remastered .
Almost six years have passed since Nintendo first announced thatMetroid Prime 4would be coming to theNintendo Switch . Given that the secret plan ’s predecessor came out all the direction back in 2007 , it ’s been a long wait for Metroid rooter as the fourth installation has been polish off with some well advertise growth Inferno , and there ’s still a openhanded head mark as to when the game might finally come along .
Even though it seldom buckle to public opinion , Nintendo seems to be cognisant of the frustrations of the fanbase as the surprise announcement of Metroid Prime Remastered feels like an opportunity to conciliate buff through the on-going wait .
Given that the first Metroid Prime came out almost twenty years ago , I was surprised during my playthrough of Remastered over how well the heart and soul of its parts have age . alas , in the face of innovation from exchangeable Metroidvania trend game over the years , there are parts of Metroid Prime Remastered that feel outrageously ancient . Here are my thoughts on Metroid Prime Remastered .
Graphics and performance
Of all its many facets , the one element of Metroid Prime Remastered that has easily stand the test of clock time is its art style . Everything from Samus ’ case to the foreign creatures that answer as the plot ’s opponent have been thoughtfully designed to the point where , even 20 - years later , they have n’t become derivative in the current ocean of first - somebody shooters .
The same can be said for Talon IV , the alien major planet where the majority of Metroid Prime is set . Even though it resist geological physics to have lava pit , snow-white mountains and sand - filled ruins in such close law of proximity to one another , each venue within Talon IV has its own singular style . Much like the different levels that you ’d expect to see in a Mario game , Metroid Prime is n’t harbour back by the distinctive trapping of most first - person gun for hire in that its levels are n’t afraid to lean into their colour pallet .
These point remain unfeigned of the original version of Metroid Prime , but it ’s all the update that the Remastered edition brings with it that easily makes this the effective version of the game by a country mile . For starters , the game ’s texture have been given a monolithic overhaul , to the point where it largely looks like an entirely new game .
For fan of the original title there are plenty of little pinch too , the best of which is that you get a proper glimpse of Samus ’ aspect in the reflectivity of her visor ( which did make me leap the first time I visualize it ) . It also needs to be said that I meet no retardation whatsoever during my playthrough – everything runs swimmingly in the performance department .
If the item that has gone into Metroid Prime Remastered is any denotation of what to expect from Metroid Prime 4 then I think we could be on the cusp of seeing one of the most visually arresting title for the Nintendo Switch .
Story and gameplay
As much as I adore the optic side of Metroid Prime Remastered , it ’s in the narration and gameplay where it becomes clear that this secret plan ( or rather the original it ’s based on ) is begin to show its years . To its mention , the core gunplay of Metroid Prime is still a lot of fun , and it ’s only made better by the improved control scheme that are available here .
At any point during the game , you may trade between the authoritative GameCube - geological era ascendance , the motion ascendence featured in the Metroid Prime Trilogy for Nintendo Wii , or ( as I did ) , you may opt for double - joystick controls that more closely mirror the manner of a modern first - person shooter .
Having the ability to count around the environment without limitations makes it far well-fixed to scope out collectibles and any unlockables that might be hide in the area . Speaking of which , the core progression system of rules at the heart of Metroid Prime is still very addictive , tasking you with reclaiming all of Samus ’ ability come after a annihilating fight . know that indue another 10 - 15 minutes in the game could nab you that next of import acclivity save you soak throughout .
What hold the plot back from greatness however is its confounding reliance on backtracking to push through the tarradiddle . The secret plan ’s final challenge is specially glaring as it simply affect returning to previously visited locales to observe collectible that you may have passed by without noticing , and the game does a horrendous job of explicate the job to the player .
There does seem to be a built - in timer within the secret plan ’s code to manoeuvre the actor in the right-hand direction if leave behind linger for too long , but I spent far too much time on countless waste goose Salmon Portland Chase just trying to figure out where I was presuppose to be going next .
The secret plan ’s map does n’t help thing either . The various sections of Tallon IV are link by elevator that are very difficult to keep track of , and the mapping does n’t declare oneself any throughline to signal which elevator you ask to be heading towards , which leads to a fortune of guessing and rot fourth dimension .
Compared to a game likeReturnal , which wears its Metroid - animate design on its sleeve , there ’s very minuscule backtracking to be discover and there ’s always a sense of pushing forward towards the biz ’s destruction destination . Even 2021’sMetroid Dreaddoes a good job at poke at the player in the right direction , despite its unmistakable Metroidvania roots .
To make matter worse , Metroid Prime protrude to fill its tightly packed levels with more formidable foes as the secret plan lead on , which just keep up the backtracking even further . These moments are devoid of any enjoyment and it ’s clear after just a few hours why this eccentric of game excogitation does n’t feature conspicuously in 2023 .
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Should you buy it?
Against the background of modern first person shooters , Metroid ’s alone artwork style and gunfight feel like a breath of fresh air , even after all these years .
Not all of Metroid Prime Remastered has age well , so if you need the best Metroid experience on Switch thenMetroid Dreadis a far better pick .
Final Thoughts
Even after all these years , the temptingness of Metroid Prime remains entire , largely due to its incredible atmosphere that only shine brighter thanks to the updated visuals and control schema of this Remastered edition .
If you ’re a Metroid fan who missed out on the secret plan when it first came out , then Metroid Prime Remastered offers up the best fashion to get it . For everyone else however , Prime ’s obtuse biz design and constant backtracking make the biz incredibly frustrating which , after recreate similar but unexampled titles likeMetroid Dreadonly serve as a reminder of how much game pattern has change since .
Trusted Score
How we test
We act every game we review through to the end , outdoors of certain exception where get 100 % completion , like Skyrim , is close to impossible to do . When we do n’t amply stop a game before reviewing it we will always alert the reviewer .
FAQs
Metroid Prime Remastered is single - thespian only , with no multiplayer modes .
Yes , you could jump between motion controls , definitive controls and three-fold - control stick controls at any point .
Full Specs
