# *Metroid Prime 4* is Really Here Today is one of those game launch days I can't believe is here. *Metroid Prime 4: Beyond* is out and about in the world. Usually, these "is it really out?" launches are coupled with long development times and unexpected sequels. *Prime 4* is a premiere example of these requirements.[^1] It has been 18 years since the last new Retro Studios *Prime* game and nearly 12 years since their last new game at all—*Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze*. *Prime 4* itself was [announced eight years ago](https://youtu.be/nFbDmTjS_MI?si=35zkyQIw4QA05f6k) at Nintendo's first E3 with the Switch console out. Going back through my Twitter feed, it was a [beautiful](https://x.com/MaxRoberts143/status/874664628764192768?s=20) day with [two *Metroid* titles announced](https://x.com/MaxRoberts143/status/874679120130695168?s=20). > I cannot believe TWO Metroid games were announced. It's like Prime/Fusion all over again. So amped. I was far more [[Millennial Gaming Speak – E3 2017 - Nintendo Breakdown|reactionary]] and [hype](https://www.youtube.com/live/fiLffhsYVc0?si=iwJJWFSGYUf0uiFJ) back in those days. Actually, doing the math, *Prime 4*'s public facing announcement to release is nearly as old as my marriage, off by just a few months. *shivers* It's funny, in a way, to look back at that original teaser (JPG reveal, really). The "4" is completely different. The blue flame styling is more evocative of *Prime 3: Corruption* than the purple that *Beyond* would end up adopting. We really were just given an atmosphere to create hype, amplified by the new and clearly destined to be successful Switch console. Almost two years later, Nintendo would [[Metroid Prime 4 is Rebooting Development, Retro Studios in Charge|announce]] the complete [reboot of the game](https://youtu.be/zLIv_UXI_So?si=Ki6u0k7lr9O8rDcn) and that Retro Studios was back in charge after their run with *DKC*. I remember I was at my in-laws' house when the news broke. I rushed to my laptop to write the article for DualShockers. That was about two months before PAX East 2019, I believe. Nintendo would be mum on the game until last summer when it [reintroduced](https://youtu.be/mMAgmdR8jwU?si=OaGnY8Fbf0qUw8ae) the game to the world, seven years after the title's teaser. During the intervening years, we got *Metroid Dread* and *Metroid Prime Remastered*, but *Prime 4* has loomed over the Switch, Retro Studios, and Metroid fans for ages. During the last two years, I've been playing the *Prime* series for [[S7 - Metroid Prime|Chapter Select]] in anticipation of this very game. It's been a slow burn to play them, mostly due to my own meandering, but *Metroid Prime 4* still felt like it might not actually be real. I heard it in our recordings as I went back and edited the episodes this year. Unsure of dates, scope, and ambition. *Prime 4* has always been the hope of an idea, not a sure thing. I don't know if it will even feel real when I pick it up from Best Buy in a couple hours. I suspect it will hit me when I see whatever sick menu design Retro has cooked up. The review embargo broke two days ago and if you look at [Metacritic](https://www.metacritic.com/game/metroid-prime-4-beyond/), you might be inclined to think this is "fall from grace" with the other three core *Prime* titles being well above a score of 81. But the Metacritic score for [*Tropical Freeze* is 83](https://www.metacritic.com/game/donkey-kong-country-tropical-freeze/) and that is one of the greatest 2D platformers ever made. I was talking with some younger friends about this and how I have become opposed to review scores all together. The encourage a race to the bottom, both of the page and the critique process. A [review from John Linneman at Digital Foundry](https://youtu.be/uhVJ_P6dzFg?si=yCZZwV_Hn3xY1YK2) is worth more to me than a 100 from Dan Ryckert at [Giant Bomb](https://www.giantbomb.com/reviews/metroid-prime-4-beyond-review/1900-805/) or a 6/10 from Robin Bea at [Inverse](https://www.inverse.com/gaming/metroid-prime-4-beyond-review). It's because I know John's tastes, thoughts, and standards. I trust him more than any score. It's crucial to find voices you respect, not just one's whose tastes align with your own.[^2] It has been a long time coming. I was a paltry 13-years-old when *Corruption* launched on the Wii. I was engaged when the *Prime 4* was announced. Now, I have a house, a three-year-old daughter, etc. etc. etc. Time is a funny thing. I wonder what game will make me feel like this next. Perhaps it will be when my own kid plays *[[Metroid Prime]]* for the first time. At least she won't have to wait for the sequels. [^1]: Other titles I think of would be *The Last Guardian*, *Kingdom Hearts 3*, and maybe *Alan Wake II*. [^2]: I haven't read my friend and co-host Logan Moore's review yet since we will save our discussion for [[S7 - Metroid Prime|Chapter Select]], but you can go [read](https://comicbook.com/gaming/review/metroid-prime-4-nintendo-review/) it if you want!