@JaxonH
Sorry I didn't respond sooner, was playing more of the game. I don't know exactly how far I am but I've played over 7 hours according to the time on my in-game save file (according to my Switch 2 I have 10 hours in it). I'm at the Ice Belt, which is my favorite area so far and I'm beginning to enjoy the game a bit more than I was. To be entirely fair to this game, I think part of the problem is given how much I love Metroid (my second favorite series behind only Resident Evil), and the work Retro has done for Nintendo over the years, I had my expectations for this one tuned up to 11 when I should've realized given the circumstances, it was never going to reach the insane highs I wanted it to, even after an 18-year wait and 8 after the announcement. It is what it is.
As for the dialog, it's the typical writing and humor that has become really trendy since it was used in the MCU that is plaguing a lot of games these days and it doesn't work for me, not in anything but especially Metroid. I'm not against having dialog in the series. I didn't think MP 3's was anything to write home about but it didn't bother me. I thought it was handled extremely well in Dread. In this game, the first impression wasn't great and it hasn't gotten much better. Factor in the boring open world, a bit of a lack of variety in enemy types and it does weaken the game some. Fortunately, the good so far has lifted things to the point where it's been a more positive than negative experience even if my comments haven't made it seem that way. I'll try to post more the further I get but despite my criticisms the game has got me hooked so that's not a bad thing.
Also just want to say on the very positive side, the soundtrack for this game is absolutely outstanding. I've played pretty much every major release this year and by far my favorite music, and sound in general, is in Metroid Prime 4. I'd say even to people who don't plan to play the game, get on the Nintendo Music app and listen to the tunes that have been put on there.
Ice Belt really surprised me. I thought Volt Forge was peak, but man, once you restore power in Ice Belt it transforms in a way that really impressed me. I also loved that wind section on the chains. Reminded me of the Tomb Raider reboot crossing sections with strong wind that would blow you so hard you'd go right off the edge if you weren't careful.
I can't stop playing, but I'm also scared to finish it cause I know it'll be over then. I agree that Sol Valley gameplay isn't as fun as the bespoke areas, but I do still enjoy it. Riding Viola around is fun, and it breaks up the stress of exploration in between areas. But I can see how it may not sit as well with others.
I'm going down a rabbit hole of logbook lore entries in Ice Belt. Learning about the Grievers and how they were created, and the attempts to cure them... it's fascinating. I wish those diary lore entries were voiced like in Tomb Raider. It's not a big deal but I do think it would elevate it that much more.
Psalms 22:16 (1,000 yrs before Christ)
They pierced My hands and feet
Isaiah 53:5 (700 yrs before Christ)
He was pierced for our transgressions
@VoidofLight
If you do end up liking MP 4 enough to try other entries, definitely give Metroid Prime 1 a go. Imo, it easily ranks among the 15 best video games ever created, still holds up to this day and the remaster is exactly how a re-release should be done. Even without a Switch 2 patch, it plays phenomenally and looks terrific.
@LightSpirit
Don't let such people run you out. That's what they want to see happen. They want to ruin your fun and steal your enjoyment.
Just ignore it- giving them attention and saying it gets to you just emboldens them. The only way threads don't get overrun by such people is if reasonable members stick around and have normal conversations. Like @Gamer83 who had some legit criticisms I disagree with but he's genuine, and doesn't exaggerate with an agenda to dogpile or hate bash, and can still acknowledge he's having a great time. Those are the ones who keep the thread grounded in real discussion.
Respond to those kinds of members and let the ones with an agenda talk amongst themselves. We need people like you here, otherwise the thread gets conquered by those who want to see the game fail and just spend every post trashing it.
@cwong15
Ya I really am convinced this is THE game to start with as a newcomer. And once you play Metroid Prime 4 and understand how the game expects you to approach things and solve problems, you'll be better equipped to go experience earlier entries.
Psalms 22:16 (1,000 yrs before Christ)
They pierced My hands and feet
Isaiah 53:5 (700 yrs before Christ)
He was pierced for our transgressions
@JaxonH
I wouldn't want them to overdue it with spoken lines but if they did want to do something like have Samus read lore entries out loud that would be cool. Also don't think some type of interaction with other characters would be bad. Just keep it minimal. Worked well in Dread.
@Gamer83
Hmm... I hadn't considered Samus herself reading the entries, but ya know, I'm not entirely against that. Could be a smart way of allowing Samus to speak and acclimate long-time fans to the idea of her talking again, without it going down the Other M path.
I did really like how it was handled in Dread though. She spoke one line, but because she never speaks it made it feel all the more special. Especially in the Chozo tongue. I personally really enjoy spoken dialog, but like you I agree it should be kept to a minimum in Metroid games. There's a balance to be struck. Other M was too far on one end of the spectrum, whereas games like Dread maybe were a little light (not for Samus, but for dialog from other characters- Adam at the terminals was essentially all we got).
I feel Prime 4 strikes a pretty good balance actually, but I do wish Samus would have been given a line or two. Something like Dread- even a single line, would have gone a long ways (and while I havent finished the game, I've read enough reviews to know it doesnt happen).
Music is banging btw. I heard you can unlock an OST selection for Viola in-game (the amiibo grants access right away), the problem is, by the time you unlock it you probably wont have much need for it. I strongly recommend getting the Viola amiibo, or an amiibo card, or using your phone, to unlock those additional tracks early. Cause like you said, the music is superb. And when you're jamming out to bangers like the Volt Forge theme in Sol Valley, even if you hate it, you'll still probably have a reasonably good time because of the music. Cruising around crunching crystals and finding secrets is just background activity for a jam session.
Psalms 22:16 (1,000 yrs before Christ)
They pierced My hands and feet
Isaiah 53:5 (700 yrs before Christ)
He was pierced for our transgressions
I'd complain about the Amiibo too if it wasn't trivially easy to clone one with an Android phone and a programmable NFC card.
I didn't actually know you could do that but it does reduce the overall experience surely if you have to do something like that instead of just playing the game and enjoying it. Looking at this thread there are quite a few people that have not really enjoyed the game that much and giving it fairly low scores. It does seem a good technical showcase for the console at least in beautiful artwork of the graphics. I guess maybe games like Cyberpunk using DLSS are more impressive but then that definitely doesn't play at 120 fps or even 60fps I think its 30fps and 40fps. It definitely feels like this isn't an essential purchase on Switch 2 or Switch 1 just another good title to consider.
Just to be clear, there is ambient music in the desert. It's just that having the Amiibo allows you to change it to one of the themes from the other areas. Nintendo have been doing this sort of thing for a decade now, with some far more egregious feature blocking, e.g. fast travel in Skyward Sword.
Like I said though, it's very easy to work around, so not worth complaining about much. If only there was such an easy fix for having an empty desert that seemly just exists to pad out the game in the first place.
@JaxonH
I actually picked up the Samus Amiibo a couple days before the game launched because I thought it looked cool, didn't even know what it unlocked, was nice to find out it gave me some tunes to listen to while in Sol Valley. It's still not a fun part of the game but great music does at least alleviate some of the annoyance.
@JaxonH Oh man do I appreciate the checkpoints. This was nice in Dread where you had a checkpoint just before the boss if you die (which I did, often many times), so it was something I was more used to since Dread is my most recently played Metroid. It's nice to not have to do a super big trek back just because a battle went sideways or something.
Metroid Prime 4 Beyond looks cool from what I’ve seen online about it. It comes out on December 4, 2025. I hope to get it for Christmas. It’s on my list.
Atomic77
Nintendo Switch OLED Pokémon Scarlet and Violet Edition Gamer
Great game so far. As others have said, boy, it sure does look nice!
I'm taking my sweet time with it. Only just got to the second save station with Mr Myles in tow.
I'd complain about the Amiibo too if it wasn't trivially easy to clone one with an Android phone and a programmable NFC card.
I didn't actually know you could do that but it does reduce the overall experience surely if you have to do something like that instead of just playing the game and enjoying it. Looking at this thread there are quite a few people that have not really enjoyed the game that much and giving it fairly low scores. It does seem a good technical showcase for the console at least in beautiful artwork of the graphics. I guess maybe games like Cyberpunk using DLSS are more impressive but then that definitely doesn't play at 120 fps or even 60fps I think its 30fps and 40fps. It definitely feels like this isn't an essential purchase on Switch 2 or Switch 1 just another good title to consider.
Just to be clear, there is ambient music in the desert. It's just that having the Amiibo allows you to change it to one of the themes from the other areas. Nintendo have been doing this sort of thing for a decade now, with some far more egregious feature blocking, e.g. fast travel in Skyward Sword.
Like I said though, it's very easy to work around, so not worth complaining about much. If only there was such an easy fix for having an empty desert that seemly just exists to pad out the game in the first place.
I don't have the game myself but have been reading as many reviews as possible to gauge whether it was worth buying the game. However multiple reviewers have definitely stated no music in the desert without amiibo so perhaps you already have a amiibo linked to your system and the other is you get about a good 3 hours of gameplay I think before it all starts going wrong. It's like the game was incredibly short and the motorbike sections became the extra padding to add more hours to it. A bit like how Halo extended the hours of gameplay with repetition too. My overall impression is its not a bad game but its not a great game either. It seems a technical showcase for the original Switch though. Super impressive on that older format but sadly gameplay nots so great. I've seen comments that Metroid Prime remastered on Switch is a far better game and that has a metacritic score of 94 compared to 80 for this game.
It feels like the pricing isn't justified to me, its not that good a game and considering how many games I have yet to start on various formats I feel I will put this on the backburner for a while hoping Nintendo patch the game to make it a better overall experience like they are doing with Mario Kart World. I don't have a Switch 2 I'm only considering buying for the Switch version but did intend to buy the Switch 2 cartridge so I have it ready for when I buy a Switch 2. I shall probably buy it secondhand in a few months, post Christmas when people need to start paying for Christmas and sell stuff they aren't too bothered about.
@BonzoBanana I have played the game and there is music in the desert without needing to use an Amiibo. Like I said, it's ambient and quite different to the rest of the soundtrack, but it's definitely there. The Amiibo unlocks a radio that allows you to change the music and listen to other tracks, that's all.
If you still don't believe me, maybe watch this video here, which also clears up a few other misconceptions about the area.
Any "reviewer" who tells you that it doesn't isn't to be trusted and quite possibly hasn't even played the game properly. I've not seen any professional reviewers who claim that, but I wouldn't put it past some YouTubers to lie about it for engagement.
@JaxonH
MP4 is the best entry point for new players? I didn't have any problem starting from MP1 though. I'm kind of worried no one asks for tips or anything for Prime 4. It makes me think the game is so easy you never get stuck?
I'm starting to not really know what I feel about Prime 4 now. I just got done with the entire Volcano area tonight, and I feel like I'm starting to lose favor with the game after the Ice Belt. I think this is where the actual backtracking part of the game comes into play- and I'm starting to realize how the areas don't really feel the greatest to go back through after you play through them once or so. Even though there's a lot of sealed off rooms or areas that you can't get to unless you have specific equipment to do so- the levels are more structured like dungeons from the Zelda series. A lot of long and extremely linear halls that make it feel like I'm not going through a maze, but rather just putting my brain on autopilot while I try to get to the small fraction of new content I originally missed out upon. It also doesn't help that there's no fast travel to these locations (which I wouldn't mind if the world was designed in a way that felt engaging). Instead you have to traverse over the endless expanses of nothingness in order to get to each and every location- weaving back and forth and to and from. After a while it becomes more of a chore, and it makes me really wish that the devs would have made it to where the locations were placed closer together.. or to where they got rid of the backtracking and made more new areas to explore for the first time.
I also don't think I really like how the NPC quest in the volcano was handled. There was a point where I became more frustrated because of how they were attempting yet another escort mission like the first one in Fury Greens- but this time they threw some of the hardest hitting enemies into the mix. It got to a point where I kept dying over and over again on the bridge leading into the control room with the turret- all because the Ai for the Sergeant was awful and he kept standing in the middle of the turret's firing range. I eventually got past it, but it still didn't change the fact that the Ai for the NPCs ended up handing me some extremely unnecessary deaths.
I think the final gripe I have so far is that the way they handle telling the story sucks a lot of the fun out of it for me. The game sells you on this mystery revolving around the planet and what happened to the people who once used to reside over it- only for it to tell you flat out in the form of statues. Maybe I'm used to Hollow Knight and how it uses the environment to tell it's story rather than outright stating it to you. Maybe Metroid Prime tends to spell out their stories a bit more- or the lore a bit more. However- this just feels like it isn't as engaging to me. It feels like I'm not really having to think all that much about what happened on this planet because the game flat out tells you through statues right outside of the larger story locations. The volcano has a whole statue that explains to the player that the green rain comes from inside of the factory- and why they did what they did.. rather than just letting you piece it together through looking at everything within the volcano. The Forge has a statue that explains more plot elements to you as well.
"It is fate. Many have tried, yet none have ever managed to escape it's flow."
@Cia I think Prime 4 is the best entry for people who've never played the games before- but that's because it's ultimately frictionless. There's some moments where the game doesn't tell you where to go and has you figure things out- but for the most part you always have someone whispering in your ear and pointing you within a certain direction. It does an effective job at teaching the basics of the mechanics for the series though.
"It is fate. Many have tried, yet none have ever managed to escape it's flow."
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