Longstanding Metroid Fans: Was Metroid 4 Beyond Worth The Wait?
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Paltheos
Member
Not particularly. After I finished MP4, I replayed MP Remastered as I had some business outside on Friday, and I was reminded of how much I prefer that game. Lighter focus on combat with vastly superior environmental design. Metroid Prime lets you get lost (obviously) but it also uses verticality in its designs... at all and has a bunch of rooms with several exits, not all of which are immediately accessible from any entrance. It asks more of the player, etc. I think the romanticism around the puzzles in MP1 is a little overstated - there's nothing more complicated than the spider pillar in the mines you have to rearrange to reach all the exits, but the game is more visually creative in the outcomes of otherwise very simple inputs from the player.
Anyway, my thoughts on MP4 are largely summarized in the OT (link here). I've had a few more days to think about it. Clunky as Super is, I don't think I could rank MP4 above it. Same as Samus Returns, maybe. I'm thinking #11 on my power rankings. There's just so much junk between the good stuff in MP4, and the overall design isn't as interesting. It doubles down on the worst parts of MP3, which is something a lot of people were afraid of, and adds in some more crap that doesn't contribute to what many fans wanted.
Anyway, my thoughts on MP4 are largely summarized in the OT (link here). I've had a few more days to think about it. Clunky as Super is, I don't think I could rank MP4 above it. Same as Samus Returns, maybe. I'm thinking #11 on my power rankings. There's just so much junk between the good stuff in MP4, and the overall design isn't as interesting. It doubles down on the worst parts of MP3, which is something a lot of people were afraid of, and adds in some more crap that doesn't contribute to what many fans wanted.
Northeastmonk
Gold Member
I liked Super and Prime 1 the most. It's fun for a bit and then there's nothing really there. Lots of sand with little to do and see, boring backtracking just for upgrades, and it just doesn't stand out. Some parts they managed to pull off like some encounters and areas to explore. It's just getting to those moments feels empty. By the time I backtracked, got the upgrade and then got to my destination. I wanted to play another game.
Hero_Select
Member
Not really no but I enjoyed my time with it enough to 100% it. 8/10 is a correct score for it but it's below expectations for a Prime game.
Now reading some of the sentiments here you'll be lead to believe that it's a terrible horrible game and that's not the case at all.
Now reading some of the sentiments here you'll be lead to believe that it's a terrible horrible game and that's not the case at all.
Comandr
Member
No. Game has a massive identity crisis, trying to find its BoTW moment and this ain't it.
Having to revisit old areas that were on the opposite side of the world felt tedious and annoying. The world doesn't feel cohesive like a traditional metroidvania where you will be jaunting through these areas multiple times naturally. No, these are effectively Zelda dungeons you're traipsing through again and again.
Upgrades are all just normal series staples with PSYCHIC slapped on the title. Same fire, ice, and electric shots from prime 1 but worse in every way.
Samus never finds her footing enough to feel truly strong, even bosses and some enemies will kick the tar out of her if you let them. Bosses feel super spongey, causing me to audibly say "thank god" at the end of several fights for how long and tedious they felt.
Losing the final fight twice because four team mates went down at the same time and then were killed before I could pick everyone up seriously made me nearly quit.
TL;DR: it sucked and my disappointment is immeasurable. After completing the game my primary feeling was just frustration. Brings little truly new to the table to push the genre forward, instead seems content chasing trends and treading old ground.
Having to revisit old areas that were on the opposite side of the world felt tedious and annoying. The world doesn't feel cohesive like a traditional metroidvania where you will be jaunting through these areas multiple times naturally. No, these are effectively Zelda dungeons you're traipsing through again and again.
Upgrades are all just normal series staples with PSYCHIC slapped on the title. Same fire, ice, and electric shots from prime 1 but worse in every way.
Samus never finds her footing enough to feel truly strong, even bosses and some enemies will kick the tar out of her if you let them. Bosses feel super spongey, causing me to audibly say "thank god" at the end of several fights for how long and tedious they felt.
Losing the final fight twice because four team mates went down at the same time and then were killed before I could pick everyone up seriously made me nearly quit.
TL;DR: it sucked and my disappointment is immeasurable. After completing the game my primary feeling was just frustration. Brings little truly new to the table to push the genre forward, instead seems content chasing trends and treading old ground.
Team Andromeda
Member
Out Run 2 was
FoxMcChief
Gold Member
I'm more than thrilled with it. One of the best exclusives this year.
Pretty much this
One of my top 3 this year and a great game. Not as good as Prime 1, but close to Prime 2 imo
It has some amazing highs and music, but also some misses.
No.
They made a Metroid game that isn't a Metroidvania.
90% of what's in the game is great, but they absolutely fucked the level design up and that brings the whole experience way down.
I'm still excited for the next one, it seems like they went too ambitious with this and had to really scale back and get something out the door. Hopefully they go back to what made the original one of the goats.
They made a Metroid game that isn't a Metroidvania.
90% of what's in the game is great, but they absolutely fucked the level design up and that brings the whole experience way down.
I'm still excited for the next one, it seems like they went too ambitious with this and had to really scale back and get something out the door. Hopefully they go back to what made the original one of the goats.
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Chuck Berry
Gold Member
Translation:
*Hey guys! It's me Adam! You might remember me from other purposeful shit stirring threads that have nothing to do with my personal game interests. Yup! This is another one of those!*
adamsapple
Or is it just one of Phil's balls in my throat?
Translation:
*Hey guys! It's me Adam! You might remember me from other purposeful shit stirring threads that have nothing to do with my personal game interests. Yup! This is another one of those!*
Kamina
Golden Boy
I think people expected something amazing after all that time, so it burns when the product doesn't live up to that.
However, for what it's worth, the game is good overall. not great, not amazing, just good.
I enjoyed my time, but i get why people are sour. MP Remastered is just a much better game overall and people wanted that itch to be scratched.
Let's hope MP2 Remastered is coming soon.
However, for what it's worth, the game is good overall. not great, not amazing, just good.
I enjoyed my time, but i get why people are sour. MP Remastered is just a much better game overall and people wanted that itch to be scratched.
Let's hope MP2 Remastered is coming soon.
Chuck Berry
Gold Member
I read you like a fucking Marvel Spiderman comic book my man
Midway-AGNC-
Member
People saying the game "wasn't worth the wait because of 18 years in the making" are being childish, honestly. What were they actually expecting? A game that would revolutionize the industry and reinvent its concepts? Anyone who expected that deluded themselves and built unrealistic, fantasy-level expectations. The trailers always made it clear that the game would stay faithful to the core proposal of the previous entries in the series and wouldn't deviate much from that. That's also consistent with how Nintendo has been handling most of its franchises in general: playing it safe, avoiding big risks, and sticking to what already works.
From what I'm reading from people who actually played the game, and not from those who bought into this exaggerated narrative built around the development time, it seems like a solid game. It's just not the second coming of Christ that some people imagined it would be simply because it took so long to release. And that says far more about unrealistic expectations than it does about the game's actual quality.
From what I'm reading from people who actually played the game, and not from those who bought into this exaggerated narrative built around the development time, it seems like a solid game. It's just not the second coming of Christ that some people imagined it would be simply because it took so long to release. And that says far more about unrealistic expectations than it does about the game's actual quality.
Dacvak
No one shall be brought before our LORD David Bowie without the true and secret knowledge of the Photoshop. For in that time, so shall He appear.
I'm really happy for anyone having a good time with the game, and I'm even jealous. I LOVED the first third of the game, and vocally sang its praises here on GAF. Then the second third was a bit tepid, with both good and bad parts.
The final third is just plain bad, and wraps up with such a truly stupid and grating ending that saying it left a sour taste in my mouth would be a disservice to lemons.
The final third is just plain bad, and wraps up with such a truly stupid and grating ending that saying it left a sour taste in my mouth would be a disservice to lemons.
MagiusNecros
Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
Interconnected world above ground and underground with intricate puzzles that excite your brain and not being told what to do. 8 years dev time for what you get is pretty insulting.
Could have been Metroid's Elden Ring moment but no we got Halo 6 instead with a nonexistent story.
And to come off with that after MP 1-3 is underwhelming. No excuse for it.
Days like these...
Have a Blessed Day
A burger isn't a burger without pickles so what are you saying?
Boy bawang
Member
No and I hope that Nintendo will seriously think about what they wanna do with this series, and with retro. I still believe that the current retro can make great games, as while I can't prove it, I'm pretty sure that most of the bad decisions came old and out of touch Japanese geezers at Nintendo Japan.
Still, Nintendo needs to start to seriously question their whole approach to modern development; keeping their identity does not prevent from learning and taking inspiration from what others are doing. In a post Dark Souls world, having Metroid of all games be a succession of corridor levels linked by an uninspired desert feels like pure incompetence.
And in general, except for Donkey Kong which was awesome, they've been really disappointing since the switch 2 released. It's a shame because it's the best machine on the market in my opinion, and the best realization of the hybrid concept.
Between a boring Mario Kart, the remake of a GC game nobody asked for, handi-basket simulator and now the very disappointing Metroid prime 4, we end up in this weird situation where third parties are delivering much better quality games than Nintendo on their own console. Not to mention the technical laziness of Nintendo, incapable of using the features of their own machine (imagine using fsr1 when DLSS is available).
Still, Nintendo needs to start to seriously question their whole approach to modern development; keeping their identity does not prevent from learning and taking inspiration from what others are doing. In a post Dark Souls world, having Metroid of all games be a succession of corridor levels linked by an uninspired desert feels like pure incompetence.
And in general, except for Donkey Kong which was awesome, they've been really disappointing since the switch 2 released. It's a shame because it's the best machine on the market in my opinion, and the best realization of the hybrid concept.
Between a boring Mario Kart, the remake of a GC game nobody asked for, handi-basket simulator and now the very disappointing Metroid prime 4, we end up in this weird situation where third parties are delivering much better quality games than Nintendo on their own console. Not to mention the technical laziness of Nintendo, incapable of using the features of their own machine (imagine using fsr1 when DLSS is available).
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Midway-AGNC-
Member
This is exactly the problem. Nintendo isn't really aiming for that level of ambition anymore, relying instead on safe bets and guaranteed returns. And that's likely how things will remain until some kind of financial setback forces a change. Unfortunately, this has become the way Nintendo operates today.
MagiusNecros
Gilgamesh Fan Annoyance
It's a gross Disneyification of their IPs overall. I can only hope Xeno series stays relatively untouched. Given how anime Xeno series is I think it'll be safe...but you never know.
Of recent games I enjoyed Bananza the most.
Trilobit
Absolutely Cozy
Chuck Berry
Gold Member
I feel that. Don't know if it'll ultimately land on the top 5, but considering that it's the most divisive AAA I've witnessed in at least a decade, I'm enjoying it way, WAY more than I expected.
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DragoonKain
Neighbours from Hell
Not to me. I think it's the weakest of the Metroid Primes. Pales pretty vastly in comparison to MP1. I think it's a solid game but Nintendo can do a lot better and we should expect better from them given their track record of making great games. I was expecting this to be my GOTY in 2025, but it simply hasn't been.
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Ristifer
Member
I haven't played it yet, but I must say that I'm pretty disappointed that Nintendo would release MP1 again, but not even get the other two done in the long ass time they had in between games. Having a full trilogy of remastered MP games right before the fourth came out seems like it would've been a no brainer. Especially for Nintendo, when they could've charged you up the ass for it.
Muffdraul
Member
Been a fan since I played Super Metroid in 1995. I loved that game, I loved Metroid Prime, I loved MP2. I generally enjoy most of the other games to some degree.
I was always going to play MP4 whenever it came out, but I wasn't pining for it or waiting with bated breath. Ultimately, I had fun with it, I enjoyed it, but I see it as one of the weaker Metroid games. My biggest complaint is that I'm sorry to see the maps get so simplified and dumbed down, continuing the trend of keeping the different zones separate and disconnected from each other. Other than that, it was good. I don't give two shits about the presence of the NPC characters, they turned out to be WAY less intrusive than I was led to believe. 80 MC seems fair to me, if not a hair higher than it should be.
I was always going to play MP4 whenever it came out, but I wasn't pining for it or waiting with bated breath. Ultimately, I had fun with it, I enjoyed it, but I see it as one of the weaker Metroid games. My biggest complaint is that I'm sorry to see the maps get so simplified and dumbed down, continuing the trend of keeping the different zones separate and disconnected from each other. Other than that, it was good. I don't give two shits about the presence of the NPC characters, they turned out to be WAY less intrusive than I was led to believe. 80 MC seems fair to me, if not a hair higher than it should be.
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Days like these...
Have a Blessed Day
You could be talking to the Aliens that live on the dark side of the moon. My point still stands.Why do I get the feeling I'm talking to an American?
Dacvak
No one shall be brought before our LORD David Bowie without the true and secret knowledge of the Photoshop. For in that time, so shall He appear.
Anecdotally, but there's a common thread in here of people who enjoy the game, but haven't completed it.
I might be projecting, though. I thoroughly enjoyed the game for the first half or so, but I hated the last part of the game so much that it's all I can think about.
I don't want to ruin the game for people like Spice or Fox, cause it's awesome if they're enjoying it.
As a diehard Metroid fan, I should really try and be more positive, because, more than anything, I want more Metroid games. But at this point, I hope Retro just works on a Prime 2 and 3 remake. I have no faith in their current directors.
I might be projecting, though. I thoroughly enjoyed the game for the first half or so, but I hated the last part of the game so much that it's all I can think about.
I don't want to ruin the game for people like Spice or Fox, cause it's awesome if they're enjoying it.
As a diehard Metroid fan, I should really try and be more positive, because, more than anything, I want more Metroid games. But at this point, I hope Retro just works on a Prime 2 and 3 remake. I have no faith in their current directors.
Matsuchezz
Member
I haven't finished the game, but i was eager to play it. Since i found Prime on the cube really good, it's kind of more of the same, but done wrong. feels like an old game plays like one, controls are no good with the lock on, they need to get rid of that mechanic, the level design is bland, the rooms are empty, lacks detail. the desert is rubbish, an insipid game with null story, zero emotion, bad enemies, only the boss are fun, a bad game through and through. i will probably finish it over the weekend. i am at the mine.
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