Metroid Prime 4 review: Amazing visuals, disgusting characters

Almost a decade after it was first teased, Metroid Prime 4: Past is lastly coming to Nintendo Change and Change 2. Samus Aran’s newest sci-fi journey is a visible delight that includes a number of well-designed ranges that present hours of satisfying exploration and puzzle fixing. Sadly, annoying NPCs, a giant boring desert, and a hamburger villain make this a messy and oh so messy entry into Metroid exclusivity.

Metroid Prime 4 begins with a large-scale galactic battle that would not be misplaced in a Good day OR Star Wars sport. A military of Area Pirates, led by Metroid the villain Sylux, is attacking a Galactic Federation facility, and Samus arrives to save lots of the day. However shortly after they present up, Samus, Sylux, and several other Federation troops are teleported to the distant alien planet of Viewros, the place the Presidency 4 develops. Right here, Samus is remoted on a mysterious alien world and-

*sci-fi sounding notification beep* Hey, good job studying the second paragraph of this assessment. If you happen to’re undecided what to do subsequent, you may strive scrolling all the way down to the following paragraph of textual content! This could get you going! You might be doing quite a bit!

Effectively, okay, Samus is not actually remoted and alone in Viewros. As a substitute, a courageous squad of Galactic Federation troops can also be on the planet. Very early on, you run into considered one of them, Myles, who’s written like he fell out of an MCU film. The opposite troopers you meet are additionally completely different flavors of annoyance, with every falling into an over-the-top sci-fi soldier trope, from the rookie child to the chilly, silent sniper. There may be even a robotic that’s sort and humorous! The entire gang is right here. And everybody breaks the vibes consistently.

None of those laughs will shut up! As you uncover every of them as you discover the sport’s varied ranges and biomes, they find yourself working alongside you for an extended time frame and provide recommendation that appears to suggest that they assume Samus is a buffoon. Issues like “Scan that pc” or “Place a bomb there”. Nevertheless, all of them additionally deal with Samus like she’s Area Jesus and the best, meanest individual ever.

The worst of those offenders is Myles, who will summon Samus whereas she’s out exploring the open desert that connects 4′ timbers completely different ranges and aspect areas and pressure you to do that or that. Just a few instances, I used to be out looking for secrets and techniques and Myles stepped in, marking a spot on my map that I may go to subsequent. Thank goodness you are right here, Myles, or I may need loved a couple of minutes of quiet exploration and discovery!

When her federation teammates aren’t cringing, and it is Samus alone on a wierd planet attempting to resolve puzzles and advance, Presidency 4 it is a a lot better sport.

The extent design is superb, with every of the completely different biomes you discover and return to feeling giant and complex with out being complicated or a chore to work by way of. I’ve already talked about how a lot I like Volt Forgethe primary actual degree you go to Presidency 4however the different areas are additionally improbable. The legally mandated ice degree, Ice Belt, is an typically claustrophobic and creepy journey by way of an deserted lab that was performing some bizarre alien assessments. Ditch the ice caves and snow of most ice ranges for sterile labs and windy alcoves which might be all appropriately desolate and bleak.

And naturally, inside all of those ranges there are numerous alien enemies to combat, which is not an issue as a result of fight in Metroid Prime 4 it is improbable, even when it is just about the identical gunplay discovered previously premier titles. Lock, soar, and lob rockets, vitality blasts, and elemental-themed pictures at a various number of creatures and robots. Some enemies have completely different weaknesses, comparable to ice blasts, which enable you clear hordes extra successfully. It is not new, however it nonetheless feels good, and working at 120 FPS, it seems unbelievable.

That is most likely the largest praise I pays him Metroid Prime 4: Past. It is a visually beautiful, aesthetically cohesive motion first-person shooter that works like a dream. I by no means encountered an FPS drop that was noticeable or crashed into an space that appeared ugly. Each centimeter of Presidency 4 affords sharp and stylized sci-fi visuals that seem on a big 4K TV. It is not what I count on from a first-party Nintendo sport, however I am not complaining about it. I loved it a lot and it makes me hope for future Nintendo video games on Change 2.

*sci-fi sounding notification beep* Hey author, do not forget to say the desert and the bike! These are options in Metroid Prime 4, the sport you performed, and value together with in your assessment. Use the keyboard to write down about them within the subsequent paragraph.

Sure, the desert. That is essentially the most stunning half Presidency 4. The huge Sol Valley desert acts as a wierd, principally empty central space that ties the completely different ranges collectively. To assist Samus traverse this huge house, Presidency 4 provides the participant a cool bike. And that IS cool and feels good to drive. Hitting a dune whereas dashing and flying by way of the sand is sick shit. However the open desert simply turns into a boring technique to decelerate the sport.

Discover a new improve that may allow you to discover extra of a previous degree? Chilly. You must drive as much as that degree. Wish to go get some upgrades now that you’ve a brand new Morph Ball talent? Effectively, guess what, you need to cross the desert once more. Worse, to get out and in of the desert, Samus is compelled to undergo at the very least two completely different loading zones that make her really feel barely related to the remainder of the sport.

• Again quote:

  “Hey, that is the final quote, Samus! It’s best to learn this.”

• The developer

  Retro Studios

• Recreation kind:

  First-person sci-fi journey shooter

• Appreciated:

  Beautiful seems, nice design and stable efficiency

• Dislikes:

  Annoying teammates, boring desert, Sylux, and the tip

• Platforms:

  Change, Change 2 (playable)

• Performed:

  Completed the principle story and about 30% of the aspect content material in 11 hours

• Publication date

  December 4, 2025

Desert additionally appears to suggest Presidency 4 it is an limitless journey, however it’s not. Identical to the previous Metroid video games, you accumulate power-ups and unlock extra of the sport world in a largely predetermined means. And that will be greater than effective if the wilderness did not appear to create this concept that you just had extra freedom than you even have. It is simply an enormous waste of house that should not have been included in Prhyme 4 in any respect.

And whereas exploring the desert, Myles will hold yelling at you to do that or test that or open your map to go right here, and it simply will get so tedious and annoying. Worse, to achieve the endgame, you need to accumulate a ton of inexperienced crystals that spawn within the desert. I used to be not sufficient once I reached the final moments of the Prime Minister 4, so I needed to spend about half-hour driving by way of the desert accumulating gems whereas Myles repeated the identical recommendation about harvesting the rattling issues. The phrase torture popped into my head a number of instances all through this.

*notification beep with sci-fi noise* Oh no! Remember Sylux! It is a villain that has been a part of Metroid for years now, however takes on a much bigger function than ever on this newest sequel. It’s best to talk about it and its look in Prime 4 within the subsequent paragraph.

Pricey god, depart me alone, Myles. However sure, Sylux is on this sport. And that is… about all I’ve to say about it. I am not attempting to keep away from spoilers; I’ve nothing else so as to add. His presence is so minimal that at the beginning I believed he was only a enjoyable film included to start with. However no, you technically (kind) see it a number of extra instances earlier than the tip.

What are his motivations? Why do you do every little thing you do on this sport, which may be very little? Why ought to somebody who, like me, hasn’t performed the video games it is appeared in earlier than care about any of this? The sport truly solutions considered one of these questions should you handle to get 100% and unlock the additional secret ending. To everybody else, kick rocks.

Metroid Prime 4: Past it is a good sport made worse by some actually dangerous decisions. It options annoying characters that destroy the remoted, brooding environment this newest sequel tries so arduous to create, and it forces Samus to run by way of a boring wasteland time and again for no good purpose apart from to pressure you to do some additional busywork to broaden it. Prime Minister 4′Run time is about 11 hours for most individuals.