The quintessential video game.
Original Score Before Backloggd Rounding: 10/10 (Perfect)
Metroid Prime, and in particular this Remastered edition, is in my humble opinion (which might not mean much) the perfect video game. And I say this as someone who has always been of the belief that nothing can ever be truly perfect, that nothing could possibly deserve a full 10/10, or 5 stars. Every time I had an issue with this game, I realised it was my own skill as a player preventing me from progressing, and when I fought Meta Ridley, I realised what an experience I had just had, as the music swelled and I dodged and dived around the battlefield, using my trusty arm cannon to lay in shots whenever I could. Admittedly yes, there are some aspects even today that might be considered archaic by some, but I don't believe that entirely. The way I see it, we as humans have begun to use our brains less and less, leading to us losing our ability to deduce puzzles and riddles on our own time. This has been a trend in recent years, as we turn to technology, guides and others to give us all the answers, and our brains aren’t performing on the same level that would have been expected of them in the past. I too would have usually fallen into this camp, but Metroid Prime is so well designed, so well structured, that I rarely ever got lost or had to resort to a guide. Such an experience as this one, so expertly crafted and polished, and aged like a fine wine is hard to even quantify with words, though I will do my best.
The music is incredible. It takes the beloved ambient, isolating music of beloved titles such as Super Metroid and dials it up to 11. The environmental storytelling is utterly fantastic, packed with all the right information and occasionally something surprising. The gameplay mechanics are well thought out and utilised. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, and it went from the best looking title on GameCube, nay, arguably the best looking game of the sixth generation of consoles, period, to the best looking game on Nintendo Switch. It is a true love letter to the original 2D Metroids, fully realised in 3D, and a game where I can honestly say that I have no real complaints about it. No nitpicks, nothing I would change or do differently, nothing. Even the endgame quest can be done throughout the course of the main story, and isn’t that strenuous even if you somehow missed some of those objectives along the way. The new controller options elevate the experience even further, meaning that you can play the game your way, no worries. You want traditional twin stick shooter controls? You go right ahead. You want classic tank controls or Wiimote style pointer controls? Sure, they’re there: Samus's first 3D adventure might very well be her best, though Metroid Prime 2: Echoes offers a different approach and design philosophy to it’s world and gameplay in the first place.
Overall, it's just hard to find the words to describe this game in any greater detail. Retro Studio's first ever outing shines more brightly here than it did even on the GameCube or Wii, and that is a feat in and out of itself. If this is a sign to come for what Metroid Prime 4 will eventually look like, I think I can safely say we're all in for a treat, and I look forward to seeing what comes next for this amazing franchise, whatever form it may take.
Original Score Before Backloggd Rounding: 10/10 (Perfect)
Metroid Prime, and in particular this Remastered edition, is in my humble opinion (which might not mean much) the perfect video game. And I say this as someone who has always been of the belief that nothing can ever be truly perfect, that nothing could possibly deserve a full 10/10, or 5 stars. Every time I had an issue with this game, I realised it was my own skill as a player preventing me from progressing, and when I fought Meta Ridley, I realised what an experience I had just had, as the music swelled and I dodged and dived around the battlefield, using my trusty arm cannon to lay in shots whenever I could. Admittedly yes, there are some aspects even today that might be considered archaic by some, but I don't believe that entirely. The way I see it, we as humans have begun to use our brains less and less, leading to us losing our ability to deduce puzzles and riddles on our own time. This has been a trend in recent years, as we turn to technology, guides and others to give us all the answers, and our brains aren’t performing on the same level that would have been expected of them in the past. I too would have usually fallen into this camp, but Metroid Prime is so well designed, so well structured, that I rarely ever got lost or had to resort to a guide. Such an experience as this one, so expertly crafted and polished, and aged like a fine wine is hard to even quantify with words, though I will do my best.
The music is incredible. It takes the beloved ambient, isolating music of beloved titles such as Super Metroid and dials it up to 11. The environmental storytelling is utterly fantastic, packed with all the right information and occasionally something surprising. The gameplay mechanics are well thought out and utilised. The visuals are absolutely gorgeous, and it went from the best looking title on GameCube, nay, arguably the best looking game of the sixth generation of consoles, period, to the best looking game on Nintendo Switch. It is a true love letter to the original 2D Metroids, fully realised in 3D, and a game where I can honestly say that I have no real complaints about it. No nitpicks, nothing I would change or do differently, nothing. Even the endgame quest can be done throughout the course of the main story, and isn’t that strenuous even if you somehow missed some of those objectives along the way. The new controller options elevate the experience even further, meaning that you can play the game your way, no worries. You want traditional twin stick shooter controls? You go right ahead. You want classic tank controls or Wiimote style pointer controls? Sure, they’re there: Samus's first 3D adventure might very well be her best, though Metroid Prime 2: Echoes offers a different approach and design philosophy to it’s world and gameplay in the first place.
Overall, it's just hard to find the words to describe this game in any greater detail. Retro Studio's first ever outing shines more brightly here than it did even on the GameCube or Wii, and that is a feat in and out of itself. If this is a sign to come for what Metroid Prime 4 will eventually look like, I think I can safely say we're all in for a treat, and I look forward to seeing what comes next for this amazing franchise, whatever form it may take.