To
Evan Norris
published 5 hours ago / 638 views
It's been a long road for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Believe it or not, Nintendo first revealed the game at E3 in 2017, eight years ago. Then, in early 2019, Shinya Takahashi, Nintendo's senior managing director, announced that “the current development process has not reached the standards we strive for for the sequel.” Metroid Prime series” and, in fact, resumed the project led by Retro Studios and producer Kensuke Tanabe. Now, six years later, the question remains: were Retro and Tanabe ultimately able to overcome this difficult development history and create something worthy of the original? Basic trilogy, one of the best video game sagas of all time?
Outside starts with an explosion. Bounty hunter Samus Aran, heroine Metroid franchise, arrives in his sleek gunship over a Galactic Federation outpost shortly after receiving a distress signal. Once there, she gracefully shoots down a couple of space pirate ships before landing and engaging the marauders head-on. However, things go awry when Sylux, a fellow hunter and Samus' enemy, shoots at a strange alien artifact, triggering a teleportation field that sends everyone and everything nearby to the mysterious planet Viuros in an uncharted corner of the galaxy. Now Samus must follow the instructions left by an advanced civilization and collect the remote teleport keys needed to open the way home.
History in Outside it's good, but not great. The fall of Lamorne, an advanced society that occupied Vyuros in the distant past, is a key emotional core; and this part of the story certainly works. There are moments of genuine pathos in the game, thanks to the records, hopes and desperate dreams of an ancient race left behind. Samus' role as Lamorn's prophesied champion is less effective, in part because the “Chosen One” storyline has already been used so many times, including in Metroid.
Another plot component that caused quite a bit of controversy in the gaming community was the group of Galactic Federation soldiers stranded on Vyuros with Samus. These characters are good if they are archetypal. There's a gruff sergeant, a lone sniper, etc. And honestly, there are some nice moments, like when that same sniper shares his family history with Samus around a campfire, or when a young private gets a positive hit on a legendary bounty hunter (who wouldn't?). The problem is that bringing in a few well-armed, professionally trained soldiers goes against the grain of the game, reducing the tension.
Here's a better example. At the beginning of the game, in a densely forested area called the Fury of the Green, there is a sequence where Samus follows the Shiny Bug through a hole. She eventually comes across the lifeless corpse of a beetle, which was dropped onto a sharp protruding spike by a flying creature. It's a sad, unsettling scene that reminds Samus that she is moving through an alien place, where death comes quickly and where her place in the food chain is not yet determined. She then opens the door and is confronted by Miles McKenzie, a bespectacled technician who jokes to himself while relaxing on top of an abandoned Federation ship. This is an abrupt transition.
This is also the first time that Outside I can't decide what kind of game it wants to be. Perhaps due to the rocky development history, this latest entry in Metroid The franchise often pulls in different, opposite directions. It's a linear action game, a throwback metroidvania, and even an open world action-adventure – in some cases all at the same time. That the game maintains its structural integrity is a testament to the dexterity of Retro Studio and Nintendo's management.
Indeed, at times the game takes off. This occurs primarily when it completely embraces the action. Judging by the every second battles and skirmishes, Outside perhaps the best of all Basic subseries. This is partly due to the responsive and fluid gyro and mouse controls that allow freedom of movement and precise aiming, and partly due to the multiple types of elemental and psychic weapons, each with their own upgrade paths. It also comes with swarming smart enemies that can overwhelm Samus if she doesn't use her arsenal wisely.
There are also boss battles, which, again, are arguably the best of the sub-series. They require quick wits and quick reactions, keeping a close eye on your opponent's clues and weaknesses, and using the right type of weapon at the right time to take advantage of weaknesses. Each of them is a mystery in itself. This is definitely the highlight of the campaign.
A couple of boss battles even use Samus' new motorcycle, the Vi-O-La, in interesting and unexpected ways. This bike, like the Federation soldiers, raised some eyebrows upon its introduction, but I'm happy to say it's a worthy addition to the series. I actually wish it was used more, or at least more thoughtfully. In its current form, it exists primarily to more efficiently move Samus across the vast desert that separates each of the planet's biomes.
This desert, like so much else in Outsidenot quite sure what he wants to be. It's not populated or dangerous enough to be Breath of the Wildis a wilderness area (though there are enemies and power-ups scattered throughout) and is too large and amorphous to be a central world. This is a kind of half measure.
But the most annoying problem Outside it's not a big, mostly desolate desert, or a platoon of chatty NPCs, although those things make things worse. This is level design, the bread and butter of Metroidvanias. Everything is too streamlined, linear and, dare I say, scripted. There always seems to be a logical next step or a set path. There is not much opportunity to get lost, scared or even upset – which is not usually a positive thing, but can happen in small doses in a foreign, inhospitable environment. Yes, there is still a sense of discovery, but it often feels like you are making discoveries on a schedule.
This is, of course, not a mortal sin. It doesn't Outside bad game. But this prevents him from greatness.
Again, there are many things that help him get closer to greatness again. Artistically and technically the game is exceptional. Retro Studios has once again created a beautiful sci-fi world filled with impressive environmental diversity, impressive alien architecture and an impressive sense of scale and antiquity. The developer also included all those important little details: Samus's face reflected in her visor in a split second, the frost coating her cannon arm when she charges an ice shot, etc.
The art direction does a lot of the heavy lifting, but Outside technologically does not lag behind. While a few unsightly textures betray its origins as a Switch game, its crisp graphics, 4K resolution, and stable 60fps ensure smooth play whether at rest or in motion. Indeed, when you consider the fluid and flexible controls, “smooth” might be the perfect word to describe this latest Samus Aran adventure.
The perfect word to describe the soundtrack? Unusual. Written by Kenji Yamamoto and Minako Hamano, it's totally worthy Metroid Name. It's otherworldly, epic and at times even breathtaking. One of the best singles accompanies the boss battles with Xelios. It has that distorted, creeping sound profile like many Metroid songs, but combined with a heavy metal guitar riff. This is simply amazing. General, Outside boasts some of the best music of the year, and that's saying something.
In terms of value, Outside fully justifies itself. If you're aiming for 100% completion (and you should be), you can expect to spend about 17 hours on Viewros. After beating the game, you will unlock a difficult mode, which will be a nice bonus for dedicated fans.
After eight years of waiting Metroid Prime 4: Beyond finally here. Although it is inferior to the three games in the original Basic trilogy, as well as recent entries such as Metroid Horrorit remains a solid adventure game that flirts with greatness at times. The instant action is exciting, and the boss battles are some of the best ever. Metroid Canon's art direction and music are exceptionally good, and the technical specifications are impressive. With more challenging and interesting levels, and fewer distractions and half-measures, it could be a Game of the Year contender. I hope Retro succeeds in the next one.
This review is based on a retail copy of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond for NS2.
More articles
