2023-07-01
A huge dragon that plays an important role in the story here as well as in almost all Metroid games.
Before I start, for those of you who haven't played before and have no idea what this is about, let me say that this is a first-person adventure game - as Nintendo calls it, in which the player takes control of Samus Aran . The game takes place during the original Metroid and Metroid II: Return of Samus. Samus is a bounty hunter who hunts some space pirates (Space Pirates) and investigates with the right weapons and tools the experiments they do on the planet Tallon IV. At the same time, she comes face to face with a powerful enemy, who wants to make her life hell. This enemy is called Ridley. A huge dragon that plays an important role in the story here as well as in almost all Metroid games.
Samus, will get a bunch of weapons and gadgets to be able to explore the places she visits and that will help her cope with strange alien enemies who only want her harm. Metroid Prime is also a gem in terms of its backtracking, since you will visit each area several times to continue the story or solve puzzles. The whole game develops in a "mute" way as the protagonist learns things or finds information by scanning with the special visor on her helmet, various objects, monsters or the environment itself to find out what is happening.
The new version that is already released on the Nintendo Switch is a remastered and not a remake. It doesn't change anything in the story or have terrible interventions visually. It is exactly as you remember it, but much more visually beautiful and easier to use. Two development teams, Retro Studios and Iron Galaxy Studios, worked to complete the remaster. I might as well believe it if someone told me the game I played was running on a PC, PlayStation 5, or the new Xbox, as it's done some jaw-droppingly amazing work.
It was impossible for me to believe that what I was seeing was "running" through a console released in 2017, which is already considered by many to be a weak console (in terms of the technical part). I really take my hat off to both teams that worked on this remaster and I can't imagine what Metroid Prime 4 will look like since it's being made entirely on Switch.
The atmosphere of the game remains at the same amazing levels, while all weapon effects - and more - have been changed for the better. From the beams of Samus' weapons, to her charge beam, her powers when she takes her ball form, the weather, the rain, the grass, the sky, the lighting, the textures, the reflections of Samus, how they fall on its the drops from the sky. Everything has changed and looks more beautiful than ever. The whole visual ensemble is amazing.
Samus's design has been changed slightly to look a little more realistic, and so have the designs of the monsters and big iconic bosses I encountered during my journey. Remember the lava area that Samus first goes to before visiting the snows? There I got a big shock about the overall quality and texture of the remastered graphics. It looked really amazing and very alive as if I was really in such a place. And this was also the fault of the music that ties the whole game together harmoniously.
I should say at this point that I played more in docked mode, which runs like water and is pegged at 60FPS and may drop the resolution slightly compared to handheld mode. On handheld it also runs at 60FPS and the resolution is slightly better without crazy differences though. However, I prefer to play on my 50 inch TV rather than the small inches. This is a matter of personal taste. Wherever you choose to play the experience is the same. I also want to mention that aliasing has been almost completely eliminated as well.
A new addition to the remastered version is the "dual stick", which brings a modern layout to the controller, with Samus being controlled with the two analog sticks and the shooting part being done with the ZR of the joy cons. However if you want to play with the old handling then there is no problem as you can select it through the menus. There is also the option of motion controls just like the Nintendo Wii version. There is a fourth way to play, which combines motion controls with the GameCube layout. I personally preferred to play in the new and more modern way.
Another new addition you'll find isn't in-game, but out in the main menus. There, there's a brand new gallery that shows you various concept art from both the remastered and original versions, while also letting you listen to the entire soundtrack. It should be noted somewhere here that I did not expect Nintendo to price Metroid Prime Remastered at 40 euros.
When I saw the first trailer I said to myself that it will definitely be released at 60 euros like the Zelda remasters. Really good for her because she released a very good remaster, of a legendary title, at a more "budget" price. I should also mention that there is also a Casual difficulty level in case you have difficulty on normal and you can choose it from the beginning. Additionally, a retail version of the game will be released on March 3rd if you don't want to get it digitally.
