I remember being impressed with its art style-GameCube games still look good on the most part-so there was every reason to expect a Switch version to hold up well. And the game was impressive-I remember it vividly-there was something powerful in its all-encompassing atmosphere, and how via a hundred artful details and design choices it made you feel part of Samus Aran’s adventure as if you were right there inside her head, making decisions, taking risks, and discovering a new world. On its original release back in 2003, Metroid Prime was hailed as a masterpiece. Somehow you can imagine these bosses appearing in a 2D metroidvania They feature the same emphasis on map-reading and exploration and almost identical platforming and action, down to the pacing of the encounters with enemies and the giant bosses. Screenshots suggest a trio of pretty-standard first person shooters, but these games are-true to the design of the wider Metroid series as a whole- metroidvanias through and through, though rendered in a first-person 3D style. And yet, Retro Studios has somehow managed it - even with no prior knowledge and a lack of history with the franchise, Metroid Prime Remastered is one of the best Switch games you can buy right now.If you’ve never played a game in the Metroid Prime series, it’s likely that your preconceived ideas are wrong. It's rare that a game with 2002 feels, or even looks, as good as Metroid Prime Remastered in 2023. ![]() There are 3D models of characters and enemies you can rotate and examine, too, and the soundtrack can be listened to at your leisure, too. While Metroid Prime Remastered is well worth playing all on its own, developer Retro Studios could have skipped any extra features.Īnd yet, the team has added a bundle of unlockable goodies including concept art from the development of the 2002 original and the 2023 update. Some will scoff ("Ha! It's a 2002 game!" etc etc), but the new visuals add a stronger sense of place to our heroine's surroundings. Sure, caverns and ruins look sharper than before, but Metroid Prime Remastered is a game all about the details the raindrops on Samus' visor, the steam from vents, the shine of her armour. That may seem like faint praise given the console's more modest power compared to its rivals, but everything looks gorgeous - and it runs at 60 FPS, too. Put simply, Metroid Prime Remastered is one of the best-looking games on the Switch. The big draw of this Remaster, though, is the visuals - and for good reason. Metroid Prime has always been described by friends as a "cosy game" with which to jump in and start all over again, and I can see why - sure, once you've finished it, you can't quite repeat the magic of discovery, but I can see myself replaying it annually just because everything feels right. Since it was my first time exploring Tallon IV, every new upgrade to Samus' suit felt like a lightbulb moment - "oh, I can go there now!" I'd say to myself, desperate to see what's around the next, previously inaccessible corner.Įvery time I considered switching the game off for the night, another digital carrot on a stick dared me to venture deeper into this alien world, and by the time the credits rolled I was ready to do it all over again. ![]() It's this pacing that makes Metroid Prime Remastered such a joy to play, even in 2023. Instead, Metroid Prime Remastered feels like, well, a Metroid game - there's plenty of backtracking, and unlocking new paths, but it's paced so well that no matter how many times you wander through the same areas you'll constantly find fresh paths and secrets to find. The game is played primarily in the first-person, with Samus' iconic arm cannon prepped and visible, but to call it a shooter feels like a disservice. When is a shooter not a shooter? That's the question I've been asking myself throughout my playthrough of Metroid Prime Remastered.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |