Metroid Prime 4’s Metacritic Debate Explained

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has finally launched after years of waiting, studio resets, and mounting expectations. The reviews are in, and on paper they look pretty good: the game currently sits in the low 80s on Metacritic, a range that the site labels as “generally favorable.”¹ Yet for a series whose earlier 3D entries regularly flirted with the 90s, that gap has ignited fierce debate among fans.

This article unpacks the Metacritic controversy around Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, comparing it to earlier Metroid releases, exploring why the score landed where it did, and looking at what that actually means for players who just want to know if the game is worth their time.

How Metroid Prime 4 Arrived With So Much Baggage

To understand the reaction to Metroid Prime 4’s scores, it helps to rewind to the long and winding road that brought the game to launch.

A stop-start development cycle

Nintendo initially revealed a new Metroid Prime for Nintendo Switch in 2017 with little more than a logo. After a long silence, Nintendo publicly confirmed in early 2019 that development had been restarted and handed back to Retro Studios, the creators of the original Metroid Prime trilogy.² That kind of restart is rare to see acknowledged so openly, and it instantly elevated expectations. If Nintendo was willing to scrap years of work, surely the final product needed to be something special.

Years later, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond finally launched as one of the last major tentpole releases for Nintendo Switch hardware, with a version for its successor platform also expected. The long wait, the prestige of Retro Studios, and the legacy of the original trilogy combined to create an almost impossible bar.

Following a high point for 2D Metroid

The lead-up to Metroid Prime 4 also coincided with Metroid Dread, a return to the series’ 2D roots that was released in 2021. Metroid Dread was both a critical and commercial success, becoming the best-selling Metroid game to date as of Nintendo’s 2022 financial reporting.³ Fans and critics widely praised its responsive controls, level design, and intense boss fights.

That success put extra pressure on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. It wasn’t just competing with the holy grail status of Metroid Prime (2002); it was also following hot on the heels of one of the most successful modern entries in the franchise.

Metacritic 101: What the Score Actually Represents

Before diving into why Metroid Prime 4’s score looks “low” to some fans, it’s important to clarify how Metacritic works.

How Metacritic aggregates reviews

Metacritic collects reviews from a wide variety of outlets and converts different rating scales (stars, letter grades, 10-point scales, etc.) into a unified 0–100 score. It then computes a weighted average to produce the familiar Metascore.¹ Some outlets are given more weight than others, though the exact weighting is not fully public.

A few key points:

• 90+ is considered “universal acclaim.”
• 75–89 is considered “generally favorable.”
• 50–74 is “mixed or average.”

Metroid Prime 4 currently sits in that “generally favorable” band. For most games, landing in the low 80s would be considered a strong success. For a series defined by extremely high critical averages, however, it feels different.

Critic scores vs. user scores

Metacritic also hosts user scores, which are simple averages of player-submitted ratings. These can be heavily influenced by launch-week sentiment, review-bombing, or fan campaigns and often diverge from critic scores.¹ Early user reviews for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond show the usual spread: some fans calling it the best entry since the original, others frustrated with design changes or performance compromises on aging hardware.

Metroid Prime 4 in Context: Comparing the Numbers

Metroid Prime 4’s biggest issue is not its score in isolation, but its score relative to earlier entries. Here’s how it stacks up against other major Metroid releases, using the main Metascores listed by Metacritic and historical reporting:

While exact numbers may shift slightly as more reviews are added over time, the pattern is clear: Metroid Prime 4 scores below the original Prime trilogy and below Metroid Dread, but above the more divisive Metroid: Other M and side projects like Metroid Prime: Pinball.

Why Metroid Prime 4’s Score Landed in the Low 80s

Looking across critic impressions summarized in early coverage, several themes repeatedly crop up in praise and criticism. These threads help explain why Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is loved in some respects but not quite elevated to “all-time classic” status.

Strengths critics tend to agree on

• Atmosphere and world-building: Reviewers widely praise the game’s environments, audio design, and sense of isolation—a core pillar of Metroid’s identity.
• Faithful first-person exploration: Metroid Prime 4 sticks closely to the exploratory, scan-heavy structure of the original trilogy, which many fans regard as a positive.
• Combat depth and boss encounters: Several write-ups highlight creative boss fights and an expanded toolkit that rewards mastery.

Common criticism: ambition vs. focus

The main dividing line is how successfully Metroid Prime 4 balances familiar Prime-style exploration with new systems intended to modernize the formula. Some reviewers feel that the game attempts to do too much at once—layering on new mechanics, optional systems, or narrative elements that occasionally dilute the razor-sharp focus fans associate with the original Prime.

Others appreciate the ambition but note that not every experimental feature lands equally well. In aggregate, those “good but imperfect” additions tend to drag a few scores down from “masterpiece” territory into the 8/10 range.

Hardware constraints and technical expectations

Another recurring theme is hardware. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is launching late in the Nintendo Switch’s life cycle. While Nintendo’s internal teams have consistently extracted impressive results from the system—see The Legend of Zelda: Tears of the Kingdom, which received widespread praise despite technical constraints⁴—reviewers are increasingly measuring major releases against newer consoles.

Minor performance hitches or visual concessions that might have been shrugged off in 2017 are more noticeable when players can directly compare them to contemporary PC, PlayStation 5, and Xbox Series X/S titles. Even if Metroid Prime 4 is technically accomplished for Switch, its visuals and frame rate are under a harsher spotlight.

Shifting review standards over two decades

It’s also crucial to remember that review culture has changed significantly since the early 2000s. Consistency, accessibility options, performance stability, and post-launch support now weigh more heavily in evaluation. Critics are also more comfortable reserving 9s and 10s for games that feel truly groundbreaking, whereas earlier eras often handed out high scores more liberally to strong sequels in beloved franchises.

Consequently, comparing a 2020s Metascore directly to one from the early 2000s can be misleading. A low 80s score today may represent a similar level of enthusiasm to a high 80s or low 90s score from an earlier era.

Is Metroid Prime 4 a Disappointment or a Success?

So, what does a Metascore in the low 80s actually mean in practical terms? That depends on your perspective.

From a critical perspective

On the critic side, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond clearly lands in the category of “very good, but not quite a generational landmark.” That’s still a positive outcome, especially given the scrutiny and pressure surrounding the project.

Many reviewers conclude that:

• The game is a strong entry in the franchise.
• It faithfully serves long-time fans of Metroid Prime-style gameplay.
• It stops short of redefining the genre or surpassing the original trilogy in impact.

From a fan expectation perspective

Among fans, reactions are split between two broad camps:

• The purists: For these players, anything short of mid-90s averages feels like a failure of potential. They expected Prime 4 to dethrone the original games and are disappointed when reviews suggest “merely great” rather than “legendary.”
• The pragmatists: This group sees an 80+ Metascore as a strong sign that the game is worth playing. For them, the combination of modern quality-of-life improvements and classic Prime-style exploration is enough, even if it doesn’t dominate Game of the Year discussions.

Commercial implications

From Nintendo’s standpoint, critical reception is only one part of the picture. Metroid has historically been a smaller seller compared to juggernauts like Mario and Zelda, but Metroid Dread’s sales momentum demonstrated that there is room for growth.³ A well-reviewed Prime 4, even if not at the absolute top of Metacritic charts, could help solidify Metroid as a more reliable franchise on future hardware.

Why Metacritic Isn’t the Whole Story

Metacritic can be a useful snapshot, but it has limitations—especially for series like Metroid that inspire strong, subjective reactions.

The nuance lost in a single number

A Metascore collapses dozens of deep, often fascinating reviews into a single number. It cannot tell you why reviewers liked or disliked certain elements, nor whether those particular elements matter to you personally.

For example:

• A critic might deduct points for narrative decisions that you end up loving.
• Another might criticize backtracking that you consider an essential part of Metroid’s identity.
• Technical complaints may be negligible to players less sensitive to frame-rate dips or resolution scaling.

Genre and legacy bias

Metroidvania-style games are now an entire subgenre, with countless indie and AA titles iterating on the formula. When the original Metroid Prime launched, its blend of atmospheric first-person exploration and scanning felt radically new. By contrast, Metroid Prime 4 enters a market where players have many alternatives. Some critics may subconsciously grade it more harshly for not innovating quite as sharply as its predecessors did in their time.

How to use Metacritic constructively

Rather than treating the Metascore as a verdict, it’s more constructive to:

• Scan several reviews across the score spectrum.
• Identify recurring strengths and weaknesses.
• Match those points to your own priorities as a player.

If you care most about atmosphere, exploration, and classic Metroid design, then the aspects critics praise suggest you’ll have a great time. If you were hoping for a transformative reinvention of the series, the more tempered scores are a sign to calibrate expectations.

Who Will Enjoy Metroid Prime 4 the Most?

Based on the themes emerging from critical coverage and early player feedback, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is particularly well-suited to certain types of players.

Ideal audience

• Fans of the original Prime trilogy: The game consciously evokes the structure, pacing, and feel of the previous Prime entries.
• Exploration-focused players: If you enjoy scanning, backtracking with new abilities, and piecing together environmental storytelling, Prime 4 leans heavily into that style.
• Switch owners wanting a substantial single-player adventure: For players still invested in the Switch ecosystem, Prime 4 offers a dense, campaign-driven experience in a market increasingly dominated by live service games.

Who might be more cautious

• Players expecting cutting-edge visuals: Those accustomed to high-end PC or current-gen console graphics may be more sensitive to Switch-level performance compromises.
• Action-first players: If you prefer constant combat over exploration and scanning, some portions of the game may feel methodical or slow.
• Those burned by earlier Metroid entries like Other M: While Prime 4 is structurally closer to the classic Prime games, anyone wary of narrative missteps may want to read spoiler-free impressions before jumping in.

Practical Tips: Deciding if Metroid Prime 4 is for You

If you’re still on the fence, here are a few practical steps to make a more informed decision than simply relying on the Metascore:

• Read at least one positive and one mixed review: This gives you a range of perspectives and helps you spot which criticisms recur and which are outliers.
• Watch spoiler-light gameplay footage: Seeing how movement, scanning, and combat actually feel in motion can tell you more than a number.
• Reflect on your experience with earlier Metroid games: If you loved Metroid Prime and Metroid Dread, there’s a high chance Prime 4 will work for you despite its lower comparative score.
• Consider your current hardware plans: If you’re planning to move on from Switch soon, you may want to wait for confirmation of any future versions or enhancements on new Nintendo hardware.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Metroid Prime 4 considered a bad game because of its Metacritic score?

No. A Metascore in the low 80s falls into Metacritic’s “generally favorable” category, which indicates that the majority of critics liked the game overall.¹ The controversy stems mainly from comparisons to earlier Metroid entries that scored even higher, not from Prime 4 being poorly received in absolute terms.

Why doesn’t Metroid Prime 4 score as high as the original Metroid Prime?

The original Metroid Prime was seen as revolutionary in how it translated Metroid’s atmosphere and exploration into first-person 3D at the time of its release. Metroid Prime 4, arriving two decades later, is judged against many more genre peers and a history of high expectations. Combined with some criticism of new mechanics and technical limitations on aging hardware, this pulls its scores down relative to the classic trilogy.

Should Metacritic scores influence whether I buy Metroid Prime 4?

Metacritic can be a helpful starting point, but it shouldn’t be the only factor. The score tells you the broad consensus but not whether the specific likes and dislikes of critics align with your own. Reading a few full reviews and watching gameplay will give you a clearer sense of fit.

How does Metroid Prime 4 compare to Metroid Dread?

Metroid Dread is a fast-paced 2D side-scroller with an emphasis on precise movement and challenging boss encounters, while Metroid Prime 4 is a slower, more exploratory first-person adventure. Dread tends to score slightly higher in aggregated reviews, but the two games offer different experiences. If you prefer 3D exploration and scanning, Prime 4 is more aligned with your interests; if you enjoy tight, reflex-heavy platforming, Dread may appeal more.

Could future patches or ports change Metroid Prime 4’s reputation?

It’s possible. While Metacritic scores rarely shift dramatically after launch, improved performance, quality-of-life updates, or enhanced versions on future hardware can affect long-term perception. Some games with modest launch receptions have become cult classics over time as players reassess them in new contexts.

Final Thoughts

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond finds itself in a tricky position. It is, by most critical accounts, a very good game that successfully revives the Prime formula for a modern audience. Yet it arrives carrying the weight of one of Nintendo’s most revered trilogies and a fandom conditioned to expect near-perfect scores.

In that light, its Metacritic performance is less a failure and more an adjustment of expectations. Prime 4 may not dethrone the original Metroid Prime in the critical canon, but it adds a substantial, well-crafted chapter to Samus Aran’s 3D adventures—one that many players will treasure regardless of whether the aggregate number begins with an 8 or a 9.