There’s an old internet adage often incorrectly attributed to Nintendo guru Shigeru Miyamoto that goes, “A delayed game is eventually good, but a rushed game is forever bad.” Although it’s not a genuine quote, the oft-used meme aligns with what fans perceive to be the Mario creator’s sensibilities — do it right, even if it takes a while. This philosophy seems to underpin the development saga of Metroid Prime 4, a game whose journey has been anything but straightforward.
Initially announced in 2017, alongside the launch of the Nintendo Switch, Metroid Prime 4 was poised to be one of the console’s most anticipated titles. However, two years later, Nintendo confirmed that the game’s development was not meeting their standards, leading to a complete restart under the guidance of Retro Studios, the creators of the original Prime trilogy. Now, after six years, the game is nearing completion and is set to launch on December 4 for both the Switch and its successor, Switch 2. The question remains: can it meet the high expectations set by its prolonged development?
The Legacy of Metroid Prime
First released for the GameCube in 2002, Metroid Prime reimagined the series as a fully 3D first-person shooter with a heavy emphasis on exploration. The Prime series, which now has as many entries as the mainline games, are interquels set between the original 1986 NES game and 1991’s Metroid II for Game Boy. They follow the legendary bounty hunter Samus Aran on her missions to aid the Galactic Federation in their conflict with the Space Pirates.
Metroid Prime 4 picks up after the trilogy and its handheld spin-offs, with the new game’s main antagonist being Sylux. The demo starts with Samus arriving at a Galactic Federation station to combat an invasion of pirates led by Sylux. This introductory portion serves as a tutorial for her combat abilities and Morph Ball rolling, setting the stage for the new gameplay mechanics.
Old Samus, New Twists
At a recent preview event in New York City, Rolling Stone had the opportunity to experience the early areas of Metroid Prime 4. The demo provided a glimpse into the gameplay, which is both familiar and new. As in previous titles, Samus loses her high-end abilities early on, requiring players to explore and find upgrades. In Prime 4, these upgrades are primarily based on new psychic powers.
The first-person perspective allows players to use a scanning visor to highlight pertinent information and clues. This is augmented by a Psychic Visor and Psychic Glove, enabling Samus to see invisible trails and manipulate objects with telekinesis. While these mechanics offer new puzzle-solving opportunities, they don’t feel revolutionary, highlighting a broader issue with the demo.
Less Than Prime
Since Metroid Prime 4 was announced, the gaming landscape has evolved significantly. Open-world games like Red Dead Redemption 2 and action-RPGs have redefined exploration. In contrast, Prime 4 feels simplistic, with the demo’s areas being extremely linear. Unlike the sprawling, maze-like worlds of earlier Metroid games, the paths in Fury Green are narrow, with obvious solutions to puzzles.
This simplification is reminiscent of Metroid Prime 3, which streamlined complexity to accommodate the Wii’s motion controls. While Metroid Dread in 2021 returned to the series’ roots with challenging exploration, Prime 4 seems to play it safe, potentially to its detriment.
The Role of NPCs and Visuals
Another notable aspect of the demo is the introduction of NPCs, such as Mackenzie, a Galactic Federation technician. His interactions with Samus, though humorous, raise concerns about the game’s narrative direction. Past experiences, like the poorly received Metroid: Other M, have shown that poorly written NPCs can detract from the series’ appeal.
Visually, Metroid Prime 4 offers impressive vistas and lighting effects, but some graphical elements, like waterfalls, lack complexity. The game runs smoothly, even reaching 120 frames per second in performance mode, but it doesn’t represent a significant leap forward, reflecting its design for the aging Nintendo Switch.
Looking Ahead
Nitpicking aside, it’s a small miracle that Metroid Prime 4 exists at all. Following a rare instance of publicly known developmental challenges for Nintendo, the game could have been canceled. Metroid has never been a top-seller for Nintendo, but it remains a beloved franchise among hardcore fans. As the full version of Metroid Prime 4 approaches release, fans are hopeful that it will prove worth the wait.
