Talking Point: Metroid Prime 4 And The Burden Of Being &#...

What’s Happening

Okay so When legacy becomes a liability.

After nearly two decades of dormancy for the series and an infamously drawn-out development cycle, it feels slightly surreal to now have Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in the rearview. The game arrived under immense expectation, and it’s fair to say it ultimately proved more divisive than Nintendo and developer Retro Studios had hoped. (and honestly, same)

If Metacritic scores are anything to go by, Prime 4 reviewed well but stopped short of the near-universal acclaim enjoyed by the original Talking Point Features Opinion Metroid Talking Point: Metroid Prime 4 And The Burden Of Being ‘Good Enough’ When legacy becomes a liability by Nile Bowie 9 hours ago : 150 Image: Jim Norman / Nintendo Life After nearly two decades of dormancy for the series and an infamously drawn-out development cycle, it feels slightly surreal to now have Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in the rearview.

The Details

It’s been described as a game of ‘high highs and low lows,’ a characterisation that I feel broadly holds true. In hindsight, though, it’s a game I wish I could have experienced with less of the noise that surrounded it.

To Nintendo Life on YouTube 841k I was initially quite riveted ’s opening hours, but was taken aback after going online to find much of the gaming commentariat lambasting the title as an epic disappointment, if not an outright failure. As I pushed on with my playthrough, that narrative began to colour the experience itself, becoming almost as intrusive as Prime 4’s NPCs .

Why This Matters

Related Articles Poll So, Now The Dust Has Settled, How Did You Find Myles MacKenzie? Myles-age may vary Poll What Review Score Would You Give Metroid Prime 4: Beyond? Opinion Metroid Prime 4 Does This One Thing Better Than Any Other Nintendo Game Remappy days News Nintendo Suggests Metroid Prime 4’s Tortured Development Meant It Was “Divorced From The Changing Of Times” “We resolved to move forward with our original vision” 1 Old-Red 8 hours ago Im surprised the disappointment hasnt been more universal, especially from journalists reviewing the game.

Gaming fans have strong opinions about moves like this, and for good reason.

The Bottom Line

Opinion Metroid Prime 4 Does This One Thing Better Than Any Other Nintendo Game Remappy days News Nintendo Suggests Metroid Prime 4’s Tortured Development Meant It Was “Divorced From The Changing Of Times” “We resolved to move forward with our original vision” 1 Old-Red 8 hours ago Im surprised the disappointment hasnt been more universal, especially from journalists reviewing the game. Its such an incrediblebly average video game with nearly no creative thought or craft put into the story, gameplay or level design.

What do you think about all this?