by Surprisely announced during the February 2023 Nintendo Direct, Retro Studios’ Metroid Prime Remastered brings a new spin to one of the best action-adventure games of all time. When Metroid Prime was first released in 2002, it was a breath of fresh air for the Metroid series, helping to lead the shift in the 3D FPS genre. With Metroid Prime Remastered, I felt the same revolutionary feeling right after the opening cinematic sequence.
Metroid Prime Remastered pits Samus against the Space Pirates on the planet Tallon IV. The story immediately begins with Samus responding to a distress signal, discovering that the crew has been brutally killed by their own scientific monsters. It’s the perfect motto to prepare players for a mind-blowing adventure. The way he introduces the mechanics of the game during the intro sequence is equally fantastic. It doesn’t really feel like a tutorial, which is a hard balance to strike.
The story isn’t necessarily revolutionary, but that doesn’t stop it from being interesting. The hero losing his powers and slowly regaining them is present here, but the story written around Samus helps keep it from feeling dated. The introduction of Ridley as a villain is great as he is the perfect foil for Samus to fight.
Combat uses Samus’ abilities just like before, using updated technology to combine nostalgia with modern quality. In the case of remastered classic games, it is very common to simply update the graphics without modernizing the gameplay, but that was not the case here. The introduction of some customization options, especially when it comes to controls, gives players the freedom to approach the game however they want. The presence of these improvements is fundamental to making the game accessible to newcomers. players while maintaining the feel of fans wanting to relive the original game.
While these improvements are noticeable, what really impresses is the visual aspect. It’s a testament to how good the original Metroid Prime was, so a full remaster doesn’t seem drastically different from the original. The art direction of the original release was already a masterpiece and Retro Studios just made a few changes to make it look like a 2023 re-release.
The improved graphics make the world of Metroid Prime even more impressive, which alone justifies the investment in this new version, but being able to play with a modern control system rather than the original GameCube also makes a huge difference. Memories of playing the original Metroid Prime came back precisely because of the updated controls, and it’s no surprise to anyone to claim that the old controls haven’t aged well at all. This new format should be enough to convince most fans to pick up the game again, but those still doubters should know that the updated controls work flawlessly and improve a game that otherwise stays true to the original formula. almost perfect.
The best thing I can say about Metroid Prime Remastered is that it’s very similar to the original. By that I don’t mean that it doesn’t have differences, as the gameplay is significantly more fluid, considering that two decades have passed and the technology has evolved a lot. Instead, Retro Studios has recaptured the magic of the original release.
Metroid Prime Remastered is the new standard to consider when remastering an old game. Retro Studios has earned a reputation as one of the best publishers in the business, striking a perfect balance between nostalgia and modern game development. Both fans of the original Metroid Prime and newcomers to the series can rest assured that a true masterpiece awaits them here, perfectly adapted to the modern era and sure to please any Nintendo Switch owner.
Rating: 9.5/10
Metroid Prime Remastered is available exclusively on Nintendo Switch
Programmer: Retro Studios
Publisher: nintendo
Always in love with the Seventh Art and with an enthusiasm for gaming, which became a profession.
