Metroid Prime 4 Dev Retro Studios Hires Halo Character Modeller As New Lead Artist

I'd say we're in good hands

I never liked the Halo games, but a change in art style can be a good thing.

Interesting. Maybe they'll be going for a more realistic art style this go around?

Nice!! I prefer to have real news about Metroid Prime 4 soon. I am bored of reading about retro studios hiring

The Metroid series is so far Nintendo's most realistic looking game, so I wouldn't be surprised if they make the game even more realistic with the help of the Halo artist.

I wonder if we'll ever get to see what the original design for this would have looked like?

Who was the dev tied to it before Nintendo stuck Retro back on dev duties?

@Savino agree. Think we have a loonnnnnngg wait ahead for this game. Would snap up a prime trilogy collection tomorrow if released.

The first 3 Halo games and Reach were a lot of fun and I really liked them! But they lost me with Halo 4.

In terms of art style, I agree that it's a perfect fit for Metroid. There's been crossover fanart for years already.

This game will launch with the new switch and is being built around the more powerful architecture.

@Mr_Pepperami as long as it didnt have the god awful motion control of the wii. I went back to this a few months ago and still couldn't get on with it at all.

@Morph I believe it was Bandai Namco, if memory serves.

This is awesome news! Of all the non-Nintendo series I enjoy, Halo is up there as one of my favourites. And say what you like about 4 and 5, but those games looked amazing. This is an awesome move on Retro's part hiring this dude.

@graysoncharles did they put them into 1 and 2 on the trilogy collection on wii? I had the first two on GameCube and the third on Wii but never got the trilogy. I remember the motion controls working fine on the Wii but would have been just as happy without them.

@graysoncharles the trilogy didnt need motion controls to be great at all. Prime is still one of the best Nintendo games ever made and it has never needed motion controls to warrant that status.

@Mr_Pepperami yes they did buddy and didnt even give the option to revert to a classic controller. Probably to keep them all in line with prime 3 I'm guessing.

Hey look, Prime Studios is doing Prime things.

Shocker.

Am I the only one not jazzed about this news? The Metroid Prime games shouldn’t look “realistic”. The unique environments and character designs are what makes those games timelessly gorgeous. Halo is comparably soulless and unremarkable. I don’t see the fit.

Just a quick question. Retro Studios is in essence the Rare of Nintendo these days as in they make the heaving hitting solid games for them right? So before they were put on to Metroid Prime 4 they were working on a game but if I recall we still don't know what that game was right? So in theory they could still be finishing that game up or have it done waiting to launch?

Makes sense. I can't be the only one remembering playing Metroid Prime 2 and thinking, Jesus why does this remind me of halo so hard?

So is Ridely gonna be a giant Sangheli holding a giant plasma sword and shooting glassing beams out of his mouth?

Great. I completed every Halo title minus 2 and 5. Great games and good models.

@Toshiro_Baloney I dunno about this, halos got some iconic enemy designs. Like in a post-halo world they come across as generic, but back in 2002 there was a surprising amount of variety there. And the environments and set pieces in Halo are about the exact thing that made it ground breaking. I dunno about this one. It doesn't really make sense. I can maybe give you halo 4 and definitely 5, but not the OG trilogy or even reach.

Also, after the first one, I really, really think prime 2 and 3 looked remarkably similar to halo 2 and 3 envirnmentally. 2 much moreso. Like, it's clear from parts of prime 2, that the devs were at least familiar with halo.

@BarefootBowser Mind you if they develop the way Nintendo wants them to they would have to get the play mechanic up and running first before adding the graphics to get Nintendo's approval, much in the way Splatoon was built. So I would imagine the artstyle would be a secondary concern.

@Ralizah That will be up to the Art Director. Character modellers, just like everyone else on the art team do what they are told to do.

Interesting.

I hope we see what progress they've made with this game next year, im itching to see some gameplay xD

@BarefootBowser Yeah I think they know they've got to go big next year with the two powerslabs on the way...win win for us if it all comes to fruition though!

Everyone is assuming it’s going to look more like Halo. The art direction and character models could still look Prime.

cant wait for prime 4 its going to look realy sick on the switch.

@Kidfunkadelic83 thanks for letting me know mate. Hopefully if they do ever release the trilogy on switch they give you a choice of classic control or motion implemented.

@BarefootBowser I know diddly when it comes to game design, but it would seem plausible to me that the structure and mechanics of the game could have seen decent progress by now and this dude has been brought on board to hone the visual designs that could then be dropped into the existing code.

Still, I'm not expecting this game any time soon.

@Mr_Pepperami I can understand how motion controls appeal to some but I just couldnt get to grips with them and found it too twitchy for my liking.

Wasn't 343's art team primarily put together, at least at the studio opening, from former Metroid Prime artists?

I remember reading something like that. And it kinda showed in the early HALO4 art as well, was my feeling.

In that case, this seems fitting.

@m8e3point1415
If he is brought in primarily to oversee the quality and coherence of in-game assets, and keep the vision on track concerning the final look of the game as a whole, then it might not be an issue that he arrives at this time.

Technical art direction in the heat of a production is a rather different beast from development art, look-tests, and character/environment design, so if if he's taking over from someone that was fully capable in those earlier stages, we have nothing to fear.

John Halo always seemed to me like a less-interesting version of Samus, so this should be a neat experience for the modeler.

2021 and hoping...

Launch title for the Switch 2.

Just wondering why the article didn't include the actual Samus model that's in the linked site's portfolio..🤔
"Samus" by Kyle Hefley: https://www.artstation.com/artwork/o0nVk
Looks dope to me!

@Flugen theres a chance it could come out at the end of 2020.

@Toshiro_Baloney
You're not the only one, I'm right there with you on this. I really hope this doesn't indicate that the game (or worse yet, the franchise) is headed in an overly realistic direction. Realistic art styles always feel so generic. They aren't memorable or interesting because they aren't visually unique and don't stand out from the sea of similar-looking games.

Sure, you could do a lot with the rest of the game's design to counter that (ex: suit design, creature design, world design, etc.), but then you're left with an interesting world and bland-looking characters. I think some level of realism would work. A detailed world with an unrealistic artstyle can absolutely work— as is the case with Mario Odyssey.

But in my opinion, part of why Nintendo games stand out, the reason their games and characters are memorable is because none of them adhere to the same realism that nearly every other major company seems to think is the only style.

Oh snap! Is the crossover everyone wanted, but not the one we were all expecting!
(and technically still the one we wont be getting)

Queue in Halo's theme song but with the chorus singing Metroid Prime 1 theme

Someone needs to make that remix a reality!

@Toshiro_Baloney hmm, I never saw Halo as uninspired and bland. I never had an Xbox but when I would play at a friends house I remember some of the landscapes being very bright and vibrant.

Just have to wait and see how this translates to MP 4 and it's look. I guess it's natural to assume that because this guy worked on Halo, he'll bring that same general idea over to Metroid. But maybe he understands while there are some similarities in aesthetics with Samus and Master Chief, Metroid Prime is a whole different thing than Halo and will look to use his skills to play up to those strengths. Not necessarily reinvent the wheel

I'm sure the final product will look great! I wonder if they will add some sort of online multiplayer 🤤

What ever Nintendo system it comes to I’m there:)

Nice video here

It's going to be a long time before this comes out, will it even be for the current Switch at this point?

@NImH I'm liking the body suit renders, but the ones in which Samus is wearing the armor just look wrong. Shoulder parts look like he pasted Donkey Konga bongos on top of the character, and the legs make it look like they're prosthetics/cybernetics, instead of her actual legs in a suit of armor.

launch title for next console

Ooooh this is going to be VERY interesting. I know people crapped on Halo 4 and 5, and even though the art style definitely wasn't "Halo" it was still really cool looking.

@Toshiro_Baloney I disagree. Out of most sci-fi franchises, the Halo games have fantastic art direction. It's actually quite similar to Prime, especially when the series delves into more alien environments.

@Toshiro_Baloney Have you even played a Halo game? The lansdscapes and vistas in these games are some of the most memorable i've seen in video games over the years. The major difference between the two is that Metroid has a bit more color(which is understandable since it's a Nintendo franchise). Even some of the enemies like the grunts and jackals have similar design aethsetics with the space pirates f.e.

I still have mine pre-ordered on Amazon when they still had a discount program. Not cancelling anytime soon. I waited this long, I can wait some more. haha

High hopes is a dangerous thing, but how can you not for Metroid Prime 4? It's gonna be the greatest game ever, right?

I'm not a fan of his human models (non-shielded characters).

Waiting for Breath of the Wild during the Wii U days has made me lose most of the excitement I had for new games in development. Every announcement that upped the excitement was later met with disappointment and delay until the game basically released on a new platform. I'm not holding my breath for MP4 or BoTW2 but will be excited when an actual release date (not year) is announced. Until then I'll just enjoy what we actually have available to play. That said I was really disappointed that Nintendo did not release a Zelda game exclusive to the Wii U and will be just as disappointed if they do the same to this version of the Switch.

Gonna be awesome....people worried about some overly realistic something.....considering it's on the switch lol....I don't think that's going to be a problem. Also, being asked to be a developer for a Metroid game has a certain honor to it, they're going to want to be true to form.... I think we're in good hands here.

To me, the character designs in Halo 4 and especially Halo 5 were iffy at best, and outright laughable at worst. I'm glad Halo Infinite is returning to Halo 3's character designs.

But Metroid Prime isn't Halo, so it's hard to tell how this hiring will impact Prime 4's art direction, if at all. At the very least. Nintendo's heavy involvement + strict guidelines likely means Samus herself isn't getting some massive character redesign like Master Chief did in Halo 4.

That sounds like a good fit, I just wish it had happened sooner. If they just hired this guy, that game's probably not gonna be out until Nintendo's next gen console.

@Zorox88
Probably sooner than people think, MP4 will fill a gap between BOTW2 and possibly the next 3D Mario or maybe the spot after it. Switch will have a lifespan that’s at least as long the 3DS and Nintendo will be extremely cautious to make a Switch 2 because of the Wii U, at best they will release a slightly stronger Switch that will see wider dev support than the New 3DS got.
Don’t trust anyone saying that they have to do this or that because of what Sony and MS are doing, these are the same people that didn’t understand the Wii and thought Wii U was the right move.
@Moto-Roto
Don’t worry about BOTW2 Nintendo has every reason to get that game out for their highly successful console. They’ll building off the last game and aren’t in the creative rout that caused all the delays of the previous Zeldas, the chemistry engine they created can easily inspire them for several games.

That's interesting... when I read about a former Halo employee being accepted in Retro Studios, I didn't think it'd be the one who worked on Halo 4 and 5 — two games with a "divisive" art style. While I can't say that I admired the aesthetics of both of those games, the character modeling isn't anything to scoff at, and I've never realized that Kyle Hefley worked on Sleeping Dogs until I came across this article.

It'd also be interesting to see where this goes. Thankfully, I'm just glad that another employee has been accepted, and the fact that we have at least some sort of news on Metroid Prime 4's development.

@Jacob1092 @Morph The team at Namco was made up largely of people who had been working on Star Wars 1313 before Disney shut down Lucasarts. While I'm happy to have Retro back in charge, I really wish the previous arrangement had worked out. Seems like a developer with a lot of potential that just can't get anything to fruision.

I guess this keeps us safely away from the chibi style.

@brunojenso Was the series at risk of going chibi or something?

@Kidfunkadelic83 On the contrary. Wii motion controls were absolutely great.

@ehhh_puuutooo @echoplex Nintendo merged their handheld and home console divisions with the Switch. It isn't going anywhere for a loooong time. We may get a Switch+ by 2021, but definitely not the Super Switch or whatever the next gen is gonna be. For that, I predict something closer to 2024. Look to the Wii's life span for reference.

@LuxExterior Federation Force

Oh fantastic!.

Nintendo in general needs an Art Director talent influx. I do not think they released a single game on Switch that is not the same cartoon art direction.

@Cosats and your opinion is as valid as mine. I struggled with motion control and still do.

@brunojenso Ah right. Forgot that even existed. Now I have to forget it all over again.

@Syndrome @Chunkboi79 @swagbag713 I'd like to point out that Kyle only started working on Halo's artstyle with 343i when they took over the franchise from Bungie. The artstyle that 343i changed to was hated by the vast majority of the community, so much so, that the new Halo coming out will be reverting back to Bungie's artstyle.

So I find it to be incredible timing that 343i are going back to the old artstyle and Kyle has found a new job. It smells of "creative differences" to me.

@Richnj I'll be honest being someone that hasn't played the original Halo's outside of some childhood matches I can't argue with what the community has to say about the art style.

After looking into what you mentioned I looked through reddit posts at some comparisons of the two different art styles. I personally from a completely neutral point of view like the way 343i took halo and made it their own. It looks more sleek than the prior entries and some aspects look more realistic (which I get isn't the point of halo). However, looking at some of the spartan armor in halo 5 I look at it and go "hey I could see samus in a suit like that." I will say though I can see how people would be resistant to the change. Since Samus hasn't had a console grade game in awhile it's not like we have any preconceived impressions on how Samus should look in HD in a brand new Metroid.

Will be a great launch title

I hope we see something of Metroid Prime 4 by next year E3. In the meantime where's my Metroid Prime Trilogy HD Nintendo?

Looks promising! I can't wait to see the concept art for Samus down the line when this game is (finally) finished.

Halo and Metroid are very different games in a lot of ways, but are just similar enough where I can imagine them being set in the same universe.

I think this is pretty cool. Crossover when?

@graysoncharles Prime was great without motion controls.

@Crockin I see what you did there 🤣

@SpacedDuck
I totally forgot about that aspect of the situation! I wonder if they were working on a port or a project that has now been scrapped.

343 has a wonderful design team so adding some of their talents into Retro is never a bad thing! Though it does bring back the old Halo/Metroid connection that people loved in the mid-00s for some reason.

(old guard Halo fan played Combat Evolved on the PC in 2001 and even finished the fight in 2008 when I got my 360 and I liked 343's designs. Not their writing or how they tried to modernize Halo's gameplay. But I liked their designs)

I hope Retro is able to show something soon. And I know these games take a long time and a lot of resources, but ...... I'm getting antsy haha.

@Thwomp_Stomper no thanks. That's what federation force tried. Metroid is not an online multiplayer shooter. (I actually enjoyed federation force but wish it was a proper metroid game)

@Geobros - teaser trailer coming soon!*

*E3 2022

@Lordd_G Haha!!! It looks like this.

@Moistnado I guess I feel differently. If done right it could be fun. Federation Force was a spin-off of sorts. But with primes mechanics I can see it being an enjoyable addition. Either way it will still be a great game!

Always good to include known talent. I hope they bridge the gap in art styles between prime and super/zero/other m. I feel that was one of the aims of samus returns.

Well, it looks like we know the art style the game is targeting, if it wasn't already obvious in hindsight
But seriously, this is excellent news. The Spartan models in Halo 5 are among the best seen on Xbox One.