Metroid Prime 4: Beyond | Review Thread

I watched his review and it's very fair. I'm still going to like this game at a minimum, I know that, because I just love Metroid and Metroidvanias. Even the ones other people consider mediocre have been some games I really like. But the concerns I've had about this one since the beginning of the development cycle seem to have come true. That Nintendo just lacked a grand vision for this one and essentially copied the same formula without evolving it at all and made it more linear.

I do think the desert is probably going to suck. But that concerns me less than the fact that multiple reviewers now have said that it's far less interconnected than previous MP games. Like in MP1 you'd come across an area and have a bunch of different doors and one door leads you to a puzzle room, that feels like you can't quite complete it yet. Another door leads you to another room that you don't think you can complete yet. And another door leads you to another room that has more doors. And you get that overwhelming feeling. "Did I miss something? Can I actually solve those puzzle rooms and I just didn't figure out how? Or do I continue onto the room with more doors?" And you're overwhelmed at how many places there are to check out and make a mental note of them.

MP4 apparently has removed all of that. And if true, that's a bummer. The reviewers I've seen all agree that it's basically you go a linear route, some power ups will be hidden too high up on a ledge or behind a wall you can't break, and you just remember to come back for them. And that's it. Not the above experience like MP1 had. And to me that overwhelming feeling of choice makes Metroidvanias so great.

So I do think I'll like this, but I'd bet right now that when I finish, it'll probably be the weakest of the MP games. Good, but not great on the MP scale.
 
Last edited:
DragoonKain said:
Like in MP1 you'd come across an area and have a bunch of different doors and one door leads you to a puzzle room, that feels like you can't quite complete it yet. Another door leads you to another room that you don't think you can complete yet. And another door leads you to another room that has more doors. And you get that overwhelming feeling. "Did I miss something? Can I actually solve those puzzle rooms and I just didn't figure out how? Or do I continue onto the room with more doors?" And you're overwhelmed at how many places there are to check out and make a mental note of them.

MP4 apparently has removed all of that. And if true, that's a bummer.
Click to expand...
Yeah, that'd be a major gripe for me. If I want to play a game structured like Zelda, I'll play Zelda.
 
Skill Up really tore into it. I've never been into Metroid in first person. The only Prime Metroid I've beaten is Prime Hunters cause I actually liked the handheld with stylus gameplay. Felt different than the norm.
Super Metroid is still the peak.
 
Last edited:
DeepEnigma said:
"It's barely noticeable" says the internet goofies.
Click to expand...

I'm up to that part and no it's not as bad as these 2 fuckers. Not by a long shot.


God-of-War-Kratos-Atreus-Mimir.jpg
 
RoboFu said:
I'm up to that part and no it's not as bad as these 2 fuckers. Not by a long shot.


God-of-War-Kratos-Atreus-Mimir.jpg
Click to expand...
Nah, Mimir was cool and very informative for lore. Helps that the voice actor is one of the GOATs.

Everyone hates pre-teen kids talking in games unless they're anime waifus screaming like toddlers, for some reason.

But cringe cosplay squee shit breaking that 4th wall will always be shit.
 
Last edited:
Gamer_By_Proxy said:
Skill Up really tore into it. I've never been into Metroid in first person. The only Prime Metroid I've beaten is Prime Hunters cause I actually liked the handheld with stylus gameplay. Felt different than the norm.
Super Metroid is still the peak.
Click to expand...
if you have a PC go play Primehack, it handles amazing and its the best way to play Prime Trilogy.
 
Lokaum D+ said:
i m just a returning player to the Metroid franchise and i couldn't agree more, all the sense of exploration/discovery/isolation i had with Prime and Dread the last weeks is lost here, i really wish the game gets better further but i ll keep my expectation at check.
Click to expand...
We got Routine as a consolation prize so if we want that Aliens vibe no handholding exploration we got something. Shame Metroid got slapped with the Disney stick after how amazing Dread was.

Just got my copy! Gonna get started soon and maybe post my thoughts after I beat it in probably 2-3 days. If it lasts that long.
 
DragoonKain said:
I watched his review and it's very fair. I'm still going to like this game at a minimum, I know that, because I just love Metroid and Metroidvanias. Even the ones other people consider mediocre have been some games I really like. But the concerns I've had about this one since the beginning of the development cycle seem to have come true. That Nintendo just lacked a grand vision for this one and essentially copied the same formula without evolving it at all and made it more linear.

I do think the desert is probably going to suck. But that concerns me less than the fact that multiple reviewers now have said that it's far less interconnected than previous MP games. Like in MP1 you'd come across an area and have a bunch of different doors and one door leads you to a puzzle room, that feels like you can't quite complete it yet. Another door leads you to another room that you don't think you can complete yet. And another door leads you to another room that has more doors. And you get that overwhelming feeling. "Did I miss something? Can I actually solve those puzzle rooms and I just didn't figure out how? Or do I continue onto the room with more doors?" And you're overwhelmed at how many places there are to check out and make a mental note of them.

MP4 apparently has removed all of that. And if true, that's a bummer. The reviewers I've seen all agree that it's basically you go a linear route, some power ups will be hidden too high up on a ledge or behind a wall you can't break, and you just remember to come back for them. And that's it. Not the above experience like MP1 had. And to me that overwhelming feeling of choice makes Metroidvanias so great.

So I do think I'll like this, but I'd bet right now that when I finish, it'll probably be the weakest of the MP games. Good, but not great on the MP scale.
Click to expand...
I quite liked Prime and Prime 3... never played 2. But I guess count me in the minority who never cared much for feeling lost and overwhelmed in my videogames. The satisfaction of figuring out where you're supposed to walk after 20 minutes or trial and error is not the same as solving a tricky puzzle or a beating a boss you've been stuck on... more just relief that you can finally get on with enjoying the game again.

I do think backtracking and branching paths tend to work a bit better in 2D games because maps can be much simpler, but even then it isn't my favourite gaming experience.

maybe it'll hurt my cred, but I feel I'll ultimately enjoy the more streamlined approach when I get around to it.
 
The Skull said:
I was ready to put my controller through the TV when these cunts wouldn't shut the fuck up.
Click to expand...
It's so damn annoying, not only all the talking but also the way they spoil every damn thing. Games have really degraded in that regard over time, zero trust that players can do anything.
 
Mozza said:
Most people buy an amibo for the figure itself, anything else is a bonus. And at $30 you would expect a little extra exclusive. I am guessing these guys would still be complaining if it unlocked fuck all..
Click to expand...

Come on. There is nothing wrong with a bonus for getting the Amiibo, but the...soundtrack? Literally removing the game music and putting it behind the Amiibo? It's not some perk like a skin or in game item or something, it's a fundamental part of the game's presentation itself. Maybe in Prime 5 things like sound effects or the options menu will be a little extra exclusive. It is wild people defend this model.
 
Last edited:
mèx said:
Half of the review is him complaining that the game plays like... Metroid Prime. What a waste of time it was.

the-office-comedy.gif
Click to expand...
He also complained that he missed a basic upgrade because he ignored content until the end of the game. Sounds more like user error to me but I'll find out when I play it.
 
Kacho said:
Surely you can admit locking features behind high margin plastic toys is stupid...
Click to expand...
I mean, wasn't that the Entire point of Amiibo though? To unlock shit that you otherwise wouldn't get in-game?

Yes, some games opt to let you unlock said features with other methods, But these aren't just plastic figures to collect. They have NFC Readers which reward the dumb fu...err super fans that actually bothered to buy them. Otherwise, whats the point??
 
Kacho said:
Surely you can admit locking features behind high margin plastic toys is stupid...
Click to expand...
Gambit2483 said:
I mean, wasn't that the Entire point of Amiibo though? To unlock shit that you otherwise wouldn't get in-game?

Yes, some games opt to let you unlock said features with other methods, But these aren't just plastic figures to collect. They have NFC Readers which reward the dumb fu...err super fans that actually bothered to buy them. Otherwise, whats the point??
Click to expand...

see-oprah.gif
 
Last edited:
Gambit2483 said:
I mean, wasn't that the Entire point of Amiibo though? To unlock shit that you otherwise wouldn't get in-game?
Click to expand...

But this is what is off putting about this specific instance. Music isn't something you wouldn't otherwise get in a game. It's a standard part of a games presentation. It's not some sort of little bonus or trinket.
 
I sympathize with Ralph of Skill Up not farming crystals and then at the end having to do it for a long time and also having to restart the final boss because he chose not to do a button prompt after beating it.

There is nothing and I repeat nothing that turns me off a game more than having something happen in game where you go "Wait a minute... this game isn't going to actually make me do ____ are they?! You can't be fucking serious..." and then it turns out yep they are going to. That kinda shit has made me quit many a game before and never go back. I have a zero tolerance policy for bullshit in games these days, my backlog is way too long. I'm grateful Ralph's and other reviews pointed these things out because if I didn't know ahead of time and was in the position he was in, I 100% would have quit the game and never went back out of principle.

Rare instance when watching a review will improve my gaming experience opposed to it either being a non factor or a detriment.
 
Gambit2483 said:
I mean, wasn't that the Entire point of Amiibo though? To unlock shit that you otherwise wouldn't get in-game?

Yes, some games opt to let you unlock said features with other methods, But these aren't just plastic figures to collect. They have NFC Readers which reward the dumb fu...err super fans that actually bothered to buy them. Otherwise, whats the point??
Click to expand...
The initial pitch was actually that you could use them to build up a character in one game and then transfer it to a different game. Basically so my Mario could be distinct from somebody else's and would actually function differently in each game based off what you did. Whether they just got lazy about it or realized the tech didn't support such a concept I don't know.
 
TexMex said:
But this is what is off putting about this specific instance. Music isn't something you wouldn't otherwise get in a game. It's a standard part of a games presentation. It's not some sort of little bonus or trinket.
Click to expand...
Bruh, amiibos Aren't new. This shit isn't new. Yes, they unlock content, whether it be skins, characters, items or even music. All I see is a bunch of grown ass men crying about a 10 year old product/concept just because.

And again, if the content behind the Amiibo was non-existent or paltry EVERYONE would be complaining that there's no point for them to exist.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
 
kunonabi said:
The initial pitch was actually that you could use them to build up a character in one game and then transfer it to a different game. Basically so my Mario could be distinct from somebody else's and would actually function differently in each game based off what you did. Whether they just got lazy about it or realized the tech didn't support such a concept I don't know.
Click to expand...
And that concept does not translate to every single game. Yes it works/worked for Smash, but not every game functions like Smash. And yet Amiibo still exists for a multitude of games outside of Smash.
 
Gambit2483 said:
Bruh, amiibos Aren't new. This shit isn't new. Yes, they unlock content, whether it be skins, characters, items or even music. All I see is a bunch of grown ass men crying about a 10 year old product/concept just because.

And again, if the content behind the Amiibo was non-existent or paltry EVERYONE would be complaining that there's no point for them to exist.

Damned if you do, damned if you don't.
Click to expand...

Don't walk it back. You were right the first time. It was optional, in game items that you wouldn't otherwise get. The soundtrack is not that. That is why people are annoyed now, when they have not been in the past. There is no way you cannot parse out the difference here unless you are a full on, blindly loyal Nintendo apologist.
 
TexMex said:
Don't walk it back. You were right the first time. It was optional, in game items that you wouldn't otherwise get. The soundtrack is not that. That is why people are annoyed now, when they have not been in the past. There is no way you cannot parse out the difference here unless you are a full on, blindly loyal Nintendo apologist.
Click to expand...
And AGAIN, If the Amiibos did NOT have significant content/features People would complain that they are "Overpriced Non-functional Paperweights".

I'm sure Nintendo will (eventually) offer another way to unlock it for the manbabies that still don't understand how amiibos have worked for 8+ years.
 
Last edited:
Gambit2483 said:
And AGAIN, If the Amiibos did NOT have significant content/features People would complain that they are "Overpriced Non-functional Paperweights".

I'm sure Nintendo will (eventually) offer another way to unlock it for the manbabies that still don't understand how amiibos have worked for 8+ years.
Click to expand...

Well, got my answer I guess. Good luck to you!
 
Gambit2483 said:
And AGAIN, If the Amiibos did NOT have significant content/features People would complain that they are "Overpriced Non-functional Paperweights".

I'm sure Nintendo will (eventually) offer another way to unlock it for the manbabies that still don't understand how amiibos have worked for 8+ years.
Click to expand...

Amiibos are mostly non-functional paperweights and that's fine. It's a toy. That completely meets people's expectations. Who's actually out there buying Amiibos for their in-game functionality.. I mean, really?

And why defend the practice of gating content behind Amiibos just because that's how they've worked for 8+ years? It was a bad practice then and it's a bad practice now. I don't think there's a lot of mental gymnastics required to understand the issue.
 
Gamer_By_Proxy said:
Skill Up really tore into it. I've never been into Metroid in first person. The only Prime Metroid I've beaten is Prime Hunters cause I actually liked the handheld with stylus gameplay. Felt different than the norm.
Super Metroid is still the peak.
Click to expand...

That desert section looks absolutely miserable.

The sort of area that looks like it was designed by someone making their very first video game. That fact that it made it's way into a premium franchise like Metroid is baffling.
 
Last edited:
Gambit2483 said:
And that concept does not translate to every single game. Yes it works/worked for Smash, but not every game functions like Smash. And yet Amiibo still exists for a multitude of games outside of Smash.
Click to expand...
The idea for example would be if you kitted out Link in Mario Kart 8 a particular way it would have an effect on his cycle in botw like bringing over your parts, etc. . It could translate from very different game types other than smash it would just take way more effort and budget then they probably wanted, especially with how the Wii U actually performed. Regardless, we're stuck with them being just really shitty unlock keys now.
 
Nintendo's biggest mistake was giving the responsibility of making a new Metroid to Retro Studios whose latest game was Tropical Freeze from 2014. This studio wasted 5 years making a mediocre game full of fillers that is inferior to its sibling MP1 with only half of the amount of development time. And the playtime is somehow similar, which is embarrassing. The artifact hunt in Metroid Prime 1 was added to pad out the play time. Instead of completely eliminating this kind of mission, Retro joyfully includes it in every single Prime games.

If Nintendo truly cares about Metroid series, they themselves should have decided to develop a new entry internally.
 
Last edited:
Kuwitzzer said:
Nintendo's biggest mistake was giving the responsibility of making a new Metroid to Retro Studios whose latest game was Tropical Freeze from 2014. This studio wasted 5 years making a mediocre game full of fillers that is inferior to its sibling MP1 with only half of the amount of development time. And the playtime is somehow similar, which is embarrassing. The artifact hunt in Metroid Prime 1 was added to pad out the play time. Instead of completely eliminating this kind of mission, Retro joyfully includes it in every single Prime games.

If Nintendo truly cares about Metroid series, they themselves should have decided to develop a new entry internally.
Click to expand...

While I won't argue that the end result doesn't seem great of course, giving it to Retro isn't the worst idea. Metroid Prime exists because of Retro. They've done this before, more than once, to great success. And Tropical Freeze is incredible. I don't defend the execution but they weren't a bad horse to bet on given their resume historically.
 
Life-hack! Set the speech volume in the game to a full ZERO, and you´re fine to play the game as not intended by Nintendo! Finally I could enjoy the game without the yapping
 
Man, Skill up really went in there huh? I think the last game I saw him rant about like this was Redfall.

One thing I honestly never liked in all the footage I saw is the desert area, I feel the entire point of Metroid is to land in a strange land with weird things you have to slowly come to terms with, and this makes the decision to go with a entire desert overworld area completely nonsensical.

Genuinely feels to me like they had a couple of dungeons done but then couldn't properly fit them together in time for the launch, so we get this half-baked overworld instead.
 
Danny Dudekisser said:
Once again, a reminder that the people are often more important than the studio. Especially if it's been a long time since that studio last shipped a game.
Click to expand...


Not often but always. Without its human talent, a studio is an empty office with a logo put on it. You replace good devs with mediocre devs and the result is a mediocre game. Shocking news.

That's why studio heads and HR should be extremely picky about who they hire for lead positions and whether or not the newcomers have the right skills and artistic vision for this particular project.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Similar threads

  • Poll
The Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Metacritic/Opencritic prediction score thread
2
96
772
Moses85 replied
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond The Launch Streams
25
304
Buggy Loop replied
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, overview trailer (Switch 2)
21 22 23 24 25
1K
2K
Gambit2483 replied
Nintendo Dream Magazine Shares Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Details
8
359
Pasta la Vista replied
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on December 4, 2025
News  7 8 9 10 11
522
4K
ADiTAR replied
Top Bottom