Metroid Prime 4 Review
Release Date: 4/12/2025
Platforms: NS 2.
Platform played on: NS 2.
Hours Played: 25.
Score: 7/10
Metroid Prime 4 finally arrives after almost two decades of waiting, restarts and an infamously messy development cycle. So was it worth those 18 years? Honestly, not really. You can feel the development hell baked into the final product. It absolutely scratches that familiar Metroid Prime itch if you are already a fan, but it never quite reaches the level you would expect after such a long absence.
The biggest new idea this time is the massive open-world desert that connects the traditional Metroid Prime-style dungeons. It sounds promising on paper, but in reality, it is easily the weakest part of the game. You cruise through this huge sandy space using Vi-O-La, your bike, and very quickly realise the whole area could have been a third of the size without losing anything of value. Most of it is just empty dunes with a couple of tiny optional puzzle spots, a few annoying enemies that bother you every now and then, and the real headache: the green crystals. These crystals are scattered absolutely everywhere, and you need them to obtain a key item required to finish the story. If you do not slowly gather them throughout the playthrough, you are hit with a multi-hour grind near the end of the game where you do little except drive in circles scooping up crystals. Even if you try your best to pick them up naturally as you go, it is still very likely you will be forced to do an extra collection session at some point.
Once you get out of the desert and into the proper legacy dungeons, things improve a lot. These areas feel much closer to what you expect from Metroid Prime. They are large, detailed, full of secrets and have a good variety of puzzles and collectibles. Each of the five main dungeons has its own biome and identity, and they are easily the most enjoyable parts of the game. Backtracking can be irritating since the game does not offer fast travel and does not always provide convenient shortcuts, but the moment-to-moment exploration is fun and satisfying.
The story takes a different direction compared to the older Prime games. Instead of the usual lonely, tense atmosphere, this entry introduces multiple NPCs who speak to Samus throughout the roughly ten-hour campaign. This does soften that dark, isolated vibe the series is known for. Some dungeon sections still give you quieter moments alone, but it never reaches the intensity or eeriness of previous titles. And with NPCs talking directly to Samus, her being a completely silent protagonist feels awkward at times because it almost looks like she is ignoring everyone.
Combat sticks to the classic lock on system, but that familiarity becomes a weakness. In 2025, it feels old-fashioned. Most encounters boil down to holding the lock on button and shooting, and regular enemies all start to blur together. New abilities do not hit as hard or feel as impactful as in the 2D Metroid games. The bosses are fun and have some great moments, but everything outside of them feels mechanically stale.
On the positive side, Metroid Prime 4 runs incredibly well. On Switch 2, you get 60 FPS at 4K in the graphical mode and 120 FPS at 1080p on the performance option. This is genuinely one of the best-looking and best-performing Nintendo games ever released, and it really shows off what the new hardware can do. The visuals and fluidity make a huge difference and breathe life into every environment, even if the desert itself is not the most exciting location.
In the end, there is fun to be had here, and longtime Metroid Prime fans will find plenty to enjoy inside the main dungeons. But the open desert hub drags the adventure down, the combat has not evolved, and the shift in tone will not work for everyone. It is a good game in several way,s but not the grand comeback you would expect after eighteen years of waiting.
