Well I'll be damned. I don't know what else to say other than, well...they did it. Nintendo and MercurySteam made the next mainline Metroid game, and it actually holds up to the standards of the rest of the series. It had been so long that I had legitimately lost faith in Nintendo's ability to actually make these kinds of games. For a decade or so, it felt like the torch had been passed to indie developers who had way more respect for the series' legacy. However, we managed to reach this point, and it's kinda fucking glorious.

The game looks superb. The environment is filled with tons of little details and areas are varied. There's cool items and pathways crammed into every nook and cranny. Music is the one thing I'd dock points on this game for. It all fits the areas atmospherically, but I don't think any of it is going to stick with me after I'm done playing.

Samus controls as smooth as butter, and as precisely as a sniper. The game has incredible flow to it, and the addition of being able to melee counter enemies helps keep up the pace (and keep you on your toes). And you'd best get used to how Samus controls, because the bosses in this game are all brutally difficult, but still fair and fun fights.

I'm so thankful this game surpassed my expectations.
See you next mission, Samus. I hope to god we don't have to wait two decades for the next one.