REVIEW: Metroid Prime Remastered reintroduces a classic

In a hypothetical scenario where I ask someone “what are the ten games i need to play before i die” and this person does not quote Metroid Prime on the list, it is possible that I would engage in a violent and intense exchange of punches with her.

Originally released in 2002, Metroid Prime is perhaps one of the most essential works of electronic entertainment media as a whole – masterfully adapting the genius gameplay of the legendary Super Metroid for a 3D environment. And now, 21 years after its launch, it gets a remastered version for the Nintendo Switch. Does the quality and importance remain? Well, find out in our review: 

Metroid Prime: the First Person Adventure.

In the early moments of Metroid Prime, it is common that, due to the first-person perspective, many think that the title will be a FPS in the classic mold – a Call of Duty of life or something. The reality, however, is far from that.

Even with the perspective that refers to first-person shooters, and also with several moments in which the action and confrontations dictate the rhythm, the reality is that Metroid Prime is a much more contemplative and exploratory game – the protagonist Samus, instead of being a relentless warrior, seems to me much more like a scientist exploring an inhospitable environment than an Amazon with a mission.

While playing the remastered version of Nintendo Switch, with much more detailed environments and incredible lighting work, this impression only increased. What else can I think of to describe Metroid Prime is to draw comparisons with two TV series from the 1960s: Star Trek e UltraQ.

Both series (one western and one eastern) involve the sense of discovery and contemplation about the universe and its diverse creatures. In an episodic rhythm, they introduce us to a new species or new environment and, from this introduction, they explain cultures and the like.

Samus exploring the planet Talon IV has exactly the same feeling for the player, mainly due to the ingenious use of the different viewfinders – at the beginning of the game, we only have in our arsenal the combat one, the common vision, and the scanning one, and this second one is what dictates everything. the pace of the journey of discovery on the planet.

Each creature or different structure found must be scanned by the player both to reach 100% of the game and to discover its operation or even important tips to progress. Finding a magnetic trail at the beginning of the game, for example, and scanning it causes the important information of somehow attaching itself magnetically to appear, and mental notes are being made with the desire of “I want to find out what secret this place is keeping. ”

It's perhaps one of the best sensations I've ever felt playing a video game – an extremely pleasant sense of reward and respect for the environment in which the adventure takes place, and which takes on even more satisfying tones in this remastered version of the game. Nintendo Switch with its extremely detailed environments and the possibility of playing the title in a portable way, bringing the player closer to the adventure.

Intense combat completes the experience

But even with the setting so important in the game, it is undeniable that the combat is also an integral part – and it does not disappoint at all. In the remastered version, we have full control over the camera movement, unlike the release version. GameCube, and with that interactions with the environment become more dynamic and intense.

Combat, then, becomes an exchange of quick energy blasts that, the further the player advances in the adventure, gains more possibilities – a fire enemy, for example, can suffer more damage with the ice blast, and so on. against. The dynamic of changing the bounty hunter's cannon to the most effective option in each encounter adds a very interesting way to tie fights to the exploratory tone of the game, and makes trial and error also become part of the experience. 

And in the middle of it all, we still have an absurd immersion from the first-person view that goes beyond just showing the bounty hunter's cannon, but that joins the entire game interface to show that the player's view is, in true, inside the helmet of Samus – with electrical enemies generating static, for example, limiting visibility, or steam from hot areas of the planet making the image slightly blurry.

These are details that create a whole world of immersion that games still try to replicate, not always successfully. To think that this game is from 2002 and playing a version with more beautiful graphics and minor quality changes, makes it still seem to be something current and superior to many titles that we have being released this year, for example, is absurd. 

Metroid Prime remains one of the giants of video games

Returning to the introduction of this text, in which I imagine the hypothetical scenario in which someone does not put Metroid Prime among the top 10 games I should play before I die, I can't see any reason (besides, obviously, lack of access to the platforms it's available on) why enthusiasts of this medium shouldn't give this game a chance.

In general, everything we play today is inspired or originated by some specific games, released between 20 and 40 years ago and which established the entire structure that titles follow, with the necessary modifications and improvements necessary to bring the experience expected by the developers. .

Metroid Prime, in turn, is a mix between two of these fundamental titles, Super Metroid e Doom, making it something that is already a variation on these game design fundamentals, but which improves and adapts so ingeniously that it becomes a brick for the construction of future houses, so to speak – and the coolest thing is that he's perfectly fine even now, 20 years later. 

So we have available an improved version of one of the best and most important games ever made. Whether you're new to video games or a seasoned veteran, it's a must-try. Metroid Prime – I claim, it is one of the best decisions you can make in your life as a culture enthusiast.

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Text proofread by: Pedro Bomfim