As recent history has highlighted time and time again, it’s not just about trying to make a great video game or even having a popular IP to work with; it’s about having the right team with the right skills to make a particular title amazing. We could cite multiple games within the last several years that didn’t have one of those things or all of those things, and it led to bad or mediocre titles being released. When Nintendo realized that the original team behind Metroid Prime 4 wasn’t delivering what they had hoped for, they straight-up rebooted the title and brought back Retro Studios to helm it.
At the most recent Nintendo Direct, we finally got a true first look at the game, and we got a decent chunk of gameplay footage, too! The game looked exactly how it should in terms of the FPS perspective, crisp graphics, fun action that’s happening all around Samus Aran, and so on.
So, what’s the true difference here? As noted, it’s Retro Studios. VGC did a piece on who is apparently working on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, and someone took screenshots of the LONG list of devs they highlighted and put it on Twitter, and it showcases just how experienced the team is. Not to mention, they have many people who worked on the original trilogy. Thus, they know how to make Samus shine:
As you’re likely noticing as you go through the list, it’s not simply people who have been with Retro Studios in the past, but people who have worked on all sorts of gaming franchises or with famous companies in the past! Activision, Bioware, Bethesda, Guerrilla Games, and other big-name teams are all present on this list, and now they’re all working on this title for Nintendo Switch! Sure, just having these names doesn’t guarantee success, but when you think about what we have seen and how much it feels like the original trilogy from the GameCube and Wii, you do get hope.
And that’s what fans want more than anything else. They want to know that the game that they’ve been waiting for will be worth it, especially since they’ll be waiting even MORE until the 2025 release date arrives. However, with the team presented and the confidence that fans now have because of the trailer, the wait might not be so bad.
The real trick will be seeing how well the game does, and whether Nintendo hesitates on making another sequel, or an entirely new entry in the series.
