But now, Nintendo has shifted focus to arguably one of the most critically well-received games within their lineup in one of the most commercially underappreciated series they hold. Metroid Prime Remastered seems like a triumph for Nintendo and fans. For Nintendo, it’s a triumph in bringing back a classic game that not enough people have experienced. For fans, it’s the beginning of a long overdue acknowledgement that, finally, Metroid Prime has been given the treatment it deserves.
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As expected, the plot of Metroid Prime remains untouched within this remaster. The best series takes place between the events of the second and third games. Samus has crash-landed on Tallon IV while investigating an energy disturbance that she’s traced back to the area Pirates. While attempting to escape the planet, she uncovers another plot involving them and the titular Metroids. She attempts to eradicate them once again while escaping from Tallon IV.
I’ll obtain the obvious taken care of here, then. Metroid Prime Remastered is, certainly, the easiest method to experience Metroid Prime. It seems like one of the better examples of a remaster in games – artistically like the game it’s according to but with multiple new touches that help it feel modern, maybe even feel exactly like you remembered it. But a lot has changed visually. On top of this, the controls happen to be reworked to offer modem dual-stick options too, though if you prefer the original control scheme, that’s here too, plus a slew of sensitivity options.
Those who've yet to experience Metroid Prime could be left to wonder what’s stand out about this. At the time, and even today, Metroid Prime was always an innovative take on the first-person shooter genre. It combines strong aspects of action, exploration and puzzle solving to offer an authentic Metroid experience, however in 3D.
But what does that mean, exactly? Until Prime hit, the Metroid games were completely two-dimensional. Metroid Prime expanded that concept monstrously, offering a sizable interconnected world to understand more about with multiple paths through it. It’s an enjoyable world to understand more about and extremely satisfying to discover new pathways through. Every time you get a new power-up, you are able to explore new areas and begin thinking about areas you’ve passed that were previously locked that you can now explore.
It’s a gameplay loop rooted deeply in backtracking, but that’s the charm of Metroid, but for the greater degree of Prime, it’s mostly satisfying.
Perfectly leveraging the jump to first person if this first debuted, Samus also gains use of visors on her helmet that may change how she interacts with the world. The scan visor is the main one you’ll be utilising, worldbuilding by giving you tidbits of information whilst providing help players who might be stuck. The thermal and x-ray visors she finds also provide her with different ways to interact with puzzles and track enemies. It’s a great system, though some players may still find an problem with just how much stopping and scanning you might have to complete.
Though it’s not every about exploration either. Samus is equipped with various arm cannons to help her deal with the hostile fauna of Tallon IV and the Space Pirates overrunning it. The combat in Metroid Prime still feels snappy, owing greatly to a functional lock-on system. The enemy variety available here is similarly fantastic; the boss battles are specifically sights to behold. A lot of them are memorable setpieces that really test out your mettle and are probably the most epic moments of Metroid Prime.
While the term “remaster” might insinuate an easy up-res, Metroid Prime Remastered is not and so much more. Practically every visual element continues to be remodelled or recreated in higher resolution with increased detail than the original as playable on the Gamecube and Wii. It’s an amazing, high-effort remaster that absolutely nails a dark tone and atmosphere that the game is going for.
And the atmosphere is really where Metroid Prime shines. The game’s atmosphere is completely dripping; Tallon IV is really a beautifully realised alien world filled with diverse biomes decorated with otherworldly landscapes. Though, Metroid Prime Remastered goes beyond just improving the world’s visuals. The lighting has been completely reworked to offer a greater ambience compared to the initial release.
I can’t overstate how these lighting improvements try to create a superior experience. They’re simple adjustments which make a huge difference. Just switching on the hologram system, simply to begin to see the glow of this hologram fill the area with light, is a level of focus on detail and fidelity that we don’t see on the Switch. Everything all comes together to make the world feel alive and real.
The stellar atmosphere is similarly amplified with a fantastic soundtrack. The original score by series composer Kenji Yamamoto does a fantastic job of making a unique sense of isolation and tension. New players can anticipate hearing the epic and cinematic soundtrack the first time they visit locations like Magmoor Caverns and Phendrana Drifts. At the same time, returning fans will be reminded of the strength from the soundtrack.
I’ve played Metroid Prime many times, sometimes even with enhancements that just the modding community and dedicated fans could provide it. But although the Switch is objectively less powerful than the usual PC, Metroid Prime Remastered’s visual improvements a lot more than makeup for it. Make no mistakes; this is undoubtedly among the best-looking and smoothest-running games I’ve ever played on the Switch.
But despite how much Metroid Prime gets right, several aspects still don’t sit right beside me. While I’ve alluded that backtracking is a core design element of the series, Prime throws a quest at you towards the end from the game that requires you to definitely achieve this in large amounts. It’s completed in such a manner that, while more straightforward on repeat playthroughs, it brings the story’s pacing to some halt right at the end.
All in most, though, this can be a minor blemish with an otherwise lustrous package.
