Topic: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

I can't see myself replaying this ever lol... my only regret was that it was a pre-order so I can't try returning it cause i genuinely can't see how this was worth my $80 for 14 hours of 1 time playthrough.

I could do multiple playthroughs of the prime trilogy and love it all the way through, this game has so much padding/dumb design decisions with its hub world I'd have to get payed to 100% hard difficulty.

The boss fights themselves (minus the one in the last area and final boss) were pretty well designed and fun, but there's 0 strategy to any of the enemy encounters when they're all the same since they carry over the same weaknesses and fighting patterns. Its so boring seeing the same enemy with a different texture over and over and over and pretending there was absolutely nothing else they could've filled that room with after the previous room already had them..

Thinking back on ice belt, the whole snow wolf bit which was seen in the trailer was just that.. a bit for the trailer and once you get past that section of just being circled for 5 minutes they just fill that area with the same enemies that appear in the lab (which are also borderline the only enemies bar like 1 room as an exception). I never seen those wolves again during the 100% attempt, like why did they take so long and swap development teams for this.. there's absolutely no reason not to just put them back in that room on revisits instead of turning the area into a population of 2 unique species.

Even when you go backtrack these areas to get new upgrades, you think you get some cool new discovery or something and the feeling of being super powerful obliterating everything... here not really cause the elementary weapons do not feel like they do anything (besides stun on ice) and still take way too many shots to kill on normal difficulty. The flare pool area late game does change a bit and its honestly the most well designed area for that reason but every other area there is absolutely nothing to experience when going back to them while the desert offers absolutely nothing besides collecting waaaaay too many crystals...

I will be genuinely dumbfounded if they don't patch the crystal requirements cause i spent 3 whole hours of my playthrough just driving through that place and picking up crystals... and i completed the game in 14 hours with a 97% completion (died during the 1 really stupidly annoying boss fight and didn't realize even with the checkpoint system you have to re-scan it.. final boss also took several attempts and i just didn't care enough to remember scanning it each time)

I really wish you at least felt a sense of progressive power...prime 1 the weapons were far stronger, prime 2 you were juggling between light and dark for their opposite's ammo and the two worlds created a type chart of sorts for them, corruption just made your default keep getting stronger and stronger so you went from smaller enemies taking a few hits to actually one shotting them which felt amazing while the hyper mode still gave her an insane power boost and had tons of uses... here I felt completely baited being told 'electricity is super effective against machines' cause it still took me carpel tunnel to kill them with it.. why is the parasite queen in prime 1 seemingly squishier than some of these robots..

Just to rant about that last area's boss;

@eldersnake
I said the exact same thing. Ice Belt is so atmospheric. You can almost feel the cold when playing. And it kinda reminded me of Aliens. It was constant tension. Just always had this feeling of something lurking around the corner. Flare Pool is really cool too in that regard. I won't spoil it, but you'll feel the tension as you explore and see things that make you go, "Uh oh... that's foreshadowing and it scares the heck out of me."

I agree with your assessment BTW. And I think it's exactly what Metroid Prime needed. Cause we saw the sales of Prime Remastered. Couldn't even crack 1.75 million. So as harsh as this sounds, it doesnt really matter what purists want anymore. This series needs new players to survive. And if that turns some away, well... so be it. The influx of new fans who will actually appreciate it without preconceived notions will far outnumber the ones who storm off. I desperately want to see more Prime games, and that's not going to happen with the current crop of fans, a certain segment of whom are premadonna purists. There's just not enough of them. So catering specifically to their every demand will essentially stagnate the series through their veto of anything new, and rejection of any attempts to drive the series beyond what it did decades ago. It will just result in another dead franchise, and then fans will fly off the handle about that anyways. So no matter what they're gonna have to deal with some very loud, very vocal, very unhappy people, only this way fans who love the game like me (and all the new fans) get the benefit of looking forward to another and the continuation of the series.

I found the radio to be a much more natural integration of the "?" destinations of prior games. Several times I found myself saying, "thank you Myles, I was just wondering where I should explore next". And crossing Sol Valley is so quick. 60-120 seconds to get to any zone on the map. And riding Vi-O-La is fun. Crystals are just something to engage your brain with as you cross to your destination. Honestly, it's far more enjoyable than flying to different worlds in Samus's ship, which took even longer and had no real interaction barring some Wiimotion gimmicks (they were cool at first but, eh...).

All things said and done, I'm far more glued to this game than I was with Prime 1 and 3. I still don't know if I like it more than Prime 2, but honestly it doesn't really matter where I end up ranking it. At the end of the day, what matters is I'm having a blast playing it.

@JaxonH Heh, you know 'Aliens' is exactly what came to my mind as well, and as an absolute sucker for that movie/universe, it's no wonder I vibe with Ice Belt.

I should note my Prime experience is really only Prime Remastered and a bit of Prime 2; I never played 3 at all, so while I've played plenty of the 2D Metroids, I don't have a lot of other Prime games to compare with other than Remastered (I was really hoping we'd have remasters of 2 and 3 by now, but alas..). I don't know which one I prefer yet between 1 Remastered and this game. But the first one was a 10/10 game for me.

I just got the bike and started the second "dungeon" and I really like it so far. I especially like the music. Driving around the barren desert with that background music gives me very strong 2001: A Space Odyssey vibes.

I don't mind Miles so far and his quippy dialogue. It's not like the other Metroid games have super deep and complex writing.

What is a little bit annoying is the hand holding, either by Miles calling you and suggesting what to do next, or by tutorial messages even after the tutorial area is over.

I don't mind that they exist, I keep forgetting you can place a charged Morph ball bomb and then move it with your psy powers, so I appreciate the reminder. But they should wait longer to trigger them.

@countzero I forget that as well..also that with your psychic powers, you can create platforms if there's a purple mist in the air.

Those comments about lack of music are everywhere but maybe its about definition of music. Ambient sound may not to many mean actual music. I've watched a few videos now where the Switch 1 game has been emulated and rendered at 4K 60fps and by some miracle much of the detail of the Switch 2 version seems to be there. I guess the detail was in the textures despite not being able to see them in the Switch 1 version because of such a low resolution. This small section of the screen shows a lot of texture detail to me but I guess may not be quite as good as Switch 2 but when you see the Switch 1 version running at 4K it does look amazing clarity. I guess really a comparison with a Switch 2 screengrab is necessary however the Switch 2 version renders at 1440p not 4K, only the HUD is 4K.

I'm in the Ice Belt, and I'm still incredibly high on this fantastic game. I'm struggling to see the gripes that critics shared, resulting in lower reviews...there's no way this is a 6/10 game. Even if this game tanks over the remaining sections, the first 3 areas fantastic...I just don't see it going backwards in quality. I've been gaming for a long time, and played Prime when it released, and this game is just wonderful. I went in without an expectation for what I want it to do, but with an open mind to enjoy the game for what it is.

The desert has been quite enjoyable, and while I'm not crystal hunting, I'm trying to collect any that I see as I go to a different area. The game gives you tips on what to do, but you can do whatever you want, and I've found it to be helpful (got a little stuck trying to get into Ice Belt, I missed something to get in...the radio chatter was actually quite helpful). The NPCs are great and I have zero issue with them. In fact, I think they are a great addition. There's a galactic war going on and being with the soldiers is a welcome addition. While the world is not interconnected like Prime 1 (and I do miss finding secrets connecting sections) - I do not mind the more linear level designs, because they are interesting, the music is fantastic, and the lore found through scans really contributes to the world building.
So far, I'm having so much fun, and that's all that really matters in the end.

@eldersnake
You gotta play Prime 2 and 3 when they eventually release. I regard every entry in the series a 10. Doesn't mean any of them are perfect, but they all provide that 10/10 experience.

@Lazz
Ya know, all the previous games had end game fetch quests. Comparing Prime 4 to prior entries pound for pound, the end game fetch quests in this is superior to those of previous releases.

For one, you can work on it naturally as you play the game. Could not say that about Prime 1 or 2 (can't remember that of Prime 3). For two, even if you avoided every crystal all game and put it off until the end, even then it's a more enjoyable experience cruising around on Viola to get them than backtracking every previous area in the game that's otherwise already been extensively exhausted. And tbh, it doesn't take as long. Going to hunt all those keys could take 1-2 hours.

So just comparing Prime 4 vs Prime Trilogy in that respect, I don't find it unprecedented whatsoever. And I feel ppl need to be consistent. If you think Prime 4 is "mid" because of that, fine, but you have to then say Prime is mid. You have to then say Echoes is mid. Be consistent.

Same with Galactic Fed troops. Pound for pound, Prime 4 does the same thing as Prime 3, but better. The soldiers are more interesting, quality voice acting and distinct personalities, humor... And then there's the hub- people forget, Prime 3 had a hub... just like Prime 4. And it took several minutes to transition to a different area... just like Prime 4. In fact, it took longer as I recall. If you hate that and think it makes Prime 4 "mid", that's fine, but you then have to concede Prime 3 is mid too. Be consistent, ya know?

Imagine if Prime 2 released today and was held to the same standards as Prime 4. Just imagine the outrage over the Dark Aether world draining your energy... massive backlash! Standing in light bubbles for 5 min to slowly farm health? Backlash. Limited, scarce ammo for Dark, Light and Annihilator beams? Backlash. Difficulty spike with Boost Guardian? Backlash. End game key fetch quest? Backlash.

You think it would be sitting at a 90+ if it released today? If so, then Prime 4 should too. If you don't, that's fine because at least you're being consistent. I can respect that. Personally, I absolutely think it deserves its score and those downsides just didn't bother me. Similar to Prime 4, they don't bother me.

@JaxonH
I'd have to go with Volt Forge as my favorite track so far.

Prime 2 and 3 would've been torn apart in this atmosphere lol

The game has some flaws, but it's pretty clear now every new Nintendo game is going to get this kind of cartoonishly negative reception until the online zeitgeist shifts.

People are allowed to be sour and unpleasant about everything if that's how they enjoy the hobby (and it increasingly seems like this is precisely how a large number of people 'enjoy' their free time), but I'm going to continue enjoying these experiences the same way any reasonably well-adjusted person does.

How is the difficulty compared to the original Prime? I hope they will re-release 2 and 3 in the near future because I never played these two.

@BonzoBanana I can understand people not liking ambient music, but not thinking it's music at all? If that was the case, the internet would be full of people saying that they had put a Tangerine Dream album on and only heard complete silence. Naah, come on, those people are just grifters who never played the game.

Anyway yes, the Switch and Switch 2 versions of the game seem almost identical in terms of the graphical textures and have very similar file sizes. It's just down to the rendering power of the console that they're running on and even the Switch Lite does a decent enough job of it.

@JaxonH You clearly remember the Prime Games better than I do - but I replayed Prime via Remastered when it launched, and I'm with you here. Consistency is key. Take VGC for example - they gave a 3/5 to Drag x Drive, Silksong, Welcome Tour, and Echoes of Wisdom/ Splatoon 3/ Prime 4... while Starfield and Redfall each scored higher. Prime Remastered also scored 5/5 there. Bringing this up because for me personally, I find a handful or reviewers I line up with, check out what they may score a game, and really take aggregate sites with a grain of salt. And you're telling me Prime 4 is in the same category as DxD & Welcome Tour? No chance. Hell, my 2 favorite games this year, Prime 4 & Silksong each scored 3/5 there...waiting to finish Prime 4 before I decide on my personal game of the year.

@Don For me, on the 3rd major area, it's a bit easier. When I replayed Prime Remastered, I didn't die much, and I'm having a similar experience now. It seems like enemies hit a bit harder, but health is pretty abundant. My son didn't grow up with Prime, hasn't beaten the Remastered version yet, and is having a bit harder time with it. It's not too difficult, but there will be sections that are challenging (take my thoughts with a grain of salt, I still have a lot more to play).

@Lazz
Thanks for the info. I managed to finish Prime 1 remaster so hopefully will be able to complete 4 and not get stuck due to difficult bosses. My copy was delivered today so will check it out for the first time later tonight after work.

@Don
Difficulty is just right I'd say. There was a spot in Volt Forge I died twice on, and the boss in Ice Belt I died once on, and the boss in Flare Pool I died twice on. Another time I would have died but grabbed my Samus amiibo to refill my life and add an extra energy tank shield, which came in clutch.

But every time I died, it restarted me from a checkpoint right there at the boss. And that has made it not frustrating at all. In Prime 2 I'd die and have to re-trek across the world for 10 min before even attempting a boss again.

@Matt_Barber
I'd say the textures are much higher resolution in the NSW2 version. Having played both quite extensively, the single biggest differentiator is texture resolution. That said, it still looks really impressive on NSW1.

@Lazz
Precisely. It's wild how overblown the responses have been. All the Prime games are a 10 in my book. None are flawless (no game is) but if only perfect games were 10's I'd have none at all. Critically though, all I can say is, scoring this game the same as Drag x Drive is absolutely insane. And reveals the bias like a sore thumb. Assuming you accept the aggregates of prior Prime entries as being relatively accurate, there's no reason this game should be anything less than a 90, which is what Prime 3 scored. And this game is objectively superior to Corruption in every regard.

I'm no content creator, but I have so much to say about this game I had to make a video, because it's just too much to condense into a forum post, despite my best efforts 😉

@Ralizah
I'd been waiting to hear your thoughts. Glad you're enjoying it.

@Don Nice! I've found the bosses to be pretty fun so far. It's helpful to remember the abilities you have acquired, and to try them out. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the game!

Man... I was stumped on the Flare Pool boss right at the end. I just couldn't figure out how to finish him off. The solution was brilliant. That's A+ expert game design there, reminiscent of Quadraxis. Integrating your abilities into boss fights in a puzzle-like way that makes you pause the game and think.

@SuperEndriu

I know, its a bit to early for me. But its the impression I have so far. And its something I heard several times. I just knew it the moment they showed the map with the 5 biomes and the desert: Its just 5 very lineair levels. Not what I want from a Metroid.

Hopefully Metroid goes the same way as Zelda: After the super lineair (but still fun) Skyward sword we got the awesome open-world Breath of the wild. Now I don't say Metroid should be open-world (it could be amazing in my opinion though), but I never want to see such a lineair first-person Metroid aver again.

@Henmii
Looking back at maps in Prime, I wouldn't say they're that much more linear. But they are more linear, that I agree with.

And I do tend to lean toward having less linear maps, but because of how Prime 4 is designed it still gives that same feeling, since you still backtrack and return to explore newly accessible areas. For that reason it doesn't really bother me.

But I can understand where you're coming from.