I only regret not playing sooner, the metroidvania formula as an FPS is so fun. The atmosphere and music is simply incredible. Definitely in Top 3 Metroids. Minor gripes: backtracking for artifacts, lack of map QOL features, lack of (good) fast travel.
It's Metroid Prime but a lot prettier and on a handheld, nothing more to add here.
I definitely gotta play more metroidvanias going forward. Metroid Prime is very good but I did have a lot of small grievances with it, the backtracking and the boss fights being the worst of it. When I say backtracking I'm not referring to revisiting areas, I'm talking about having to traverse the same pathways over and over again to get to and from a specific area. My problem with the boss fights comes from how long they take and how they aren't involved enough to remain interesting for the whole duration. None of my complaints are major enough to ruin the game or anything but they're enough for me to dock it a few points.
Every remaster should be like this. An amazing translation of the Metroid formula to 3D made even better with a complete graphical overhaul and modernized controls. Easily the most impressive Switch game visually and it's a remaster of a GameCube game.
Okay so I reviewed this only a bit in because it kind of made me realize I didn't really enjoy my first playthrough of this game as much as I thought I did. But I think it was unfair to leave it off at Phendrana Drifts. I liked the start of the game a lot so like Phendrana Drifts had to have just been a fluke and I was misremembering because of how much I despise that level. But no the entire game is just that afterwards.
This game fails fundamentally as a Metroid game, it doesn't look like one, it doesn't feel like one, and it doesn't play like one. Metroid Primes big powerups, the ones that really open up the world aren't even movement powerups, they are just beams that all need to be switched too it's really annoying, and when they are they are really boring and slow like the spider ball.
A metroidvania is meant to be a platformer action exploration game. Platforming is a huge part of it, so movement upgrades are the ones that stick out to you, not bloated weapon systems. Primes weapon systems are honestly more annoying than any of the 2D games because you switch in it so much more often. Every single door in this game wants you to use a different beam, go through an ice door, now there's a plasma door. Facing off against a wave Space Pirate, gotta switch to ice beam to open the door. This beam system also goes against one of the most fun things about the 2D Metroids, once you unlock all those beams they all become one extremely powerful beam that usually one shots everything and goes through walls. And when they don't the screw attack does it for you!
I genuinely think that Metroid Primes biggest issue is the fact it wanted to be a first person shooter. It forces combat on you, and it makes the weapons the big upgrades with all of them having side upgrades to them. I find FPS combat, incredibly boring, and the enemies in this game go from very quick to kill to complete damage sponges as soon as space pirates are introduced, and they keep adding to them, metroids also start showing up a lot and some of them are very tanky and split into 2 more of the same metroid to fight but you need to switch beams for both of them. It gets annoying the fun really just ends at Phedrana Drifts.
It sucks Prime would be an amazing exploration game if it didn't do this annoying stuff. It has such a great atmosphere, and if it was just like a peaceful, sometimes you have to shoot a couple of enemies around you kind of exploration game like the 2D ones it would have been really good.
But instead it has to stop you every 5 rooms to fight all the Space Pirates and unlock the doors, god its so annoying.
Im kind of sad that replaying this game only annoyed me, I want to like this game, I adore Metroid, it's my favorite series by Nintendo. Super Metroid is still one of my top 5 games no question. So it sucks that this game, thats is considered one of the absolute greatest in the franchise, in the genre in general, is just a boring FPS disguised as an exploration game.
This game fails fundamentally as a Metroid game, it doesn't look like one, it doesn't feel like one, and it doesn't play like one. Metroid Primes big powerups, the ones that really open up the world aren't even movement powerups, they are just beams that all need to be switched too it's really annoying, and when they are they are really boring and slow like the spider ball.
A metroidvania is meant to be a platformer action exploration game. Platforming is a huge part of it, so movement upgrades are the ones that stick out to you, not bloated weapon systems. Primes weapon systems are honestly more annoying than any of the 2D games because you switch in it so much more often. Every single door in this game wants you to use a different beam, go through an ice door, now there's a plasma door. Facing off against a wave Space Pirate, gotta switch to ice beam to open the door. This beam system also goes against one of the most fun things about the 2D Metroids, once you unlock all those beams they all become one extremely powerful beam that usually one shots everything and goes through walls. And when they don't the screw attack does it for you!
I genuinely think that Metroid Primes biggest issue is the fact it wanted to be a first person shooter. It forces combat on you, and it makes the weapons the big upgrades with all of them having side upgrades to them. I find FPS combat, incredibly boring, and the enemies in this game go from very quick to kill to complete damage sponges as soon as space pirates are introduced, and they keep adding to them, metroids also start showing up a lot and some of them are very tanky and split into 2 more of the same metroid to fight but you need to switch beams for both of them. It gets annoying the fun really just ends at Phedrana Drifts.
It sucks Prime would be an amazing exploration game if it didn't do this annoying stuff. It has such a great atmosphere, and if it was just like a peaceful, sometimes you have to shoot a couple of enemies around you kind of exploration game like the 2D ones it would have been really good.
But instead it has to stop you every 5 rooms to fight all the Space Pirates and unlock the doors, god its so annoying.
Im kind of sad that replaying this game only annoyed me, I want to like this game, I adore Metroid, it's my favorite series by Nintendo. Super Metroid is still one of my top 5 games no question. So it sucks that this game, thats is considered one of the absolute greatest in the franchise, in the genre in general, is just a boring FPS disguised as an exploration game.
This game is peak Metroid. It's got all the great things about the 2D games but now in 3D remastered beautifully
on the switch.
It's open ended and has tons of fun items, enemies, upgrades, and locations to explore. The game has spectacular atmosphere and drives home the feeling of being alone on an unknown planet.
My main problems are it's a little too long and I've got a little bit of a problem with these types of games in general. I love exploring and getting upgrades but I absolutely hate getting lost and I did get lost a couple of times while playing. Also I feel like the combat is a little undercooked. It's just an endurance war between you and the enemy most of the time.
Overall a great game I've just got a couple personal problems with it.
on the switch.
It's open ended and has tons of fun items, enemies, upgrades, and locations to explore. The game has spectacular atmosphere and drives home the feeling of being alone on an unknown planet.
My main problems are it's a little too long and I've got a little bit of a problem with these types of games in general. I love exploring and getting upgrades but I absolutely hate getting lost and I did get lost a couple of times while playing. Also I feel like the combat is a little undercooked. It's just an endurance war between you and the enemy most of the time.
Overall a great game I've just got a couple personal problems with it.
Metroid Prime is the vital “mood” game. The atmosphere is what sells it, shootin’ shit is just a plus.
Straight out of the gate, boom, detailed planet in the distance whilst in the middle of space. It hooks you in with its stellar visuals and killer soundtracks, and keeps you sucked in with its atmospheric world building.
Curling up into a ball and rolling or bouncing around might be the absolute most fun thing in any game ever. Because, sure, it’s not the only game to ever have a playable ball, but it is the only one that looks, sounds, and feels like this while also racking up alien K/Ds. Bouncing off of morph ball bombs through the air, using the spider power up to roll around ceilings and walls, twisted columns, it’s so surreal.
Metroid coined the term “metroidvania,” and Metroid Prime 15 years later certainly shows why. Yep, there certainly is a whole lot of backtracking here. It’s not terrible since the goal is just collecting artifacts and the maps are extremely detailed. Colored
doors guide your way to understand the best path to advance from elevator to elevator.
Where Metroid Prime fails, though, is its endgame. Petrasyls may be my least favorite game enemy of all time. They are not fair and challenging, they are not a scary design, they are not cool to look at. They take way too many shots, and latch onto your face constantly for no other reason than to slow you down. So, when they start coming my way by the dozens after the Phazon Suit is acquired, I want to die. Especially when the final boss throws 2-4 of them at once, so you’re just scrambling to try and get them off of you.
There’s not a whole lot bosses here, since the focus is the vibe, but when you do come across a boss, it is very fun. I just kind of wish they’d had been more balanced out throughout the whole game, rather than really spread out.
Metroid Prime Remastered takes the cake of an already amazing game, and adds some icing to really boost its replay-ability. This is one of the best looking games on the Switch, the source material was already there. Thanks Reggie, you did it this time. 8/10
Straight out of the gate, boom, detailed planet in the distance whilst in the middle of space. It hooks you in with its stellar visuals and killer soundtracks, and keeps you sucked in with its atmospheric world building.
Curling up into a ball and rolling or bouncing around might be the absolute most fun thing in any game ever. Because, sure, it’s not the only game to ever have a playable ball, but it is the only one that looks, sounds, and feels like this while also racking up alien K/Ds. Bouncing off of morph ball bombs through the air, using the spider power up to roll around ceilings and walls, twisted columns, it’s so surreal.
Metroid coined the term “metroidvania,” and Metroid Prime 15 years later certainly shows why. Yep, there certainly is a whole lot of backtracking here. It’s not terrible since the goal is just collecting artifacts and the maps are extremely detailed. Colored
doors guide your way to understand the best path to advance from elevator to elevator.
Where Metroid Prime fails, though, is its endgame. Petrasyls may be my least favorite game enemy of all time. They are not fair and challenging, they are not a scary design, they are not cool to look at. They take way too many shots, and latch onto your face constantly for no other reason than to slow you down. So, when they start coming my way by the dozens after the Phazon Suit is acquired, I want to die. Especially when the final boss throws 2-4 of them at once, so you’re just scrambling to try and get them off of you.
There’s not a whole lot bosses here, since the focus is the vibe, but when you do come across a boss, it is very fun. I just kind of wish they’d had been more balanced out throughout the whole game, rather than really spread out.
Metroid Prime Remastered takes the cake of an already amazing game, and adds some icing to really boost its replay-ability. This is one of the best looking games on the Switch, the source material was already there. Thanks Reggie, you did it this time. 8/10
Gorgeous game