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Let's build a dream game: Metroid Prime 4


Zapp Branniglenn
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Thought we could have a fun format of thread where we map out how we would build a theoretical game, or in this case a game we know is coming eventually but few concrete details. We only one thing for sure about Metroid Prime 4: It won't be developed by Retro Studios. And the non-rumor speculation that Sylux will appear as a minor or major antagonist as he was teased at the end of both Prime 3 and Prime Federation Force

Controls/power ups: Gyro controls feel like a must for shooters on the Switch, so having that as an optional setting is a must. Like Prime 3, enemy lock on in which Samus aims directly at center of mass can also be an optional setting. Super Missiles should make a return, and alternative beam types wouldn't be wasted so long as level and enemy design can justify it. I'm continually surprised that Prime 3, with its deliberate shooter focus, omitted both of these. Samus' morph ball should feel really good. Getting in and out ought to be fluid and responsive like in Other M. And I recommend not having Spring Ball in the game. Bomb jumping is its own type of challenge. Design the game so that the player never has to perform consecutive bomb jumps to progress - only to nab collectibles. Speaking of collectibles, take some more cues from Other M. Energy Parts: collect four for a full energy tank. Because discovering a 100 Health expansion is just too much help compared to the generic missile expansion. Accel charge, collect these to speed up charge shots and by extension super missiles. And the reserve energy tank from Super Metroid can be neat as well.

Finally, scanning needs a rework. Scans on enemies should be performed automatically as you target them. Once the scan is complete, you can tap a button while locked on to read the entry. As for scanning the environment, the scan visor can absolutely stay, in its old format, perhaps allowing you to scan enemies faster as a bonus for having your cannon put away. The Scan visor's ultimate goal is to point out what things in the environment you can interact with. But if the player wants to go through the game without those sorts of hints, then they'll never need to turn on that visor. Finally, have an optional X-Ray Scope style upgrade to the scan visor that points out collectible related secrets like breakable walls and vents. It bothers me that such things have been freely pointed out to the player in previous Prime games.

Presentation: One thing I wish the Prime trilogy experimented with was first person cutscenes. These are comparatively easy to animate and can help keep the player immersed in the world and role of Samus. The Prime series like to have small horror sections, and watching the Metroid break the glass directly at you rather than in a standard cutscene would add plenty to those moments. Many first person shooters go the entire game without breaking the first person perspective, and they're better off. Prime 4 doesn't need to be so deliberate, since you'd already have to break first person perspective for morph ball sequences. Standard cutscenes can still be allowed if you want to show something that Samus herself cannot see. For example, a scene where Samus exits an area and a pair of eyes appear in the darkness belonging to a monster tracking her.

I also want voice acted characters to return. Samus herself need not speak, I'm totally okay with an intercom link with some other minor character. It's heavily implied that Samus' suit in the Prime series has some kind of onboard computer, so an AI can serve a role of telling Samus objectives, and warning her that she needs an ability not found in the current area - just like the AIs you encounter in Prime 3.

Level/Enemy Design: Try to have less box-like rooms. The ground of an area should have uneven architecture and slopes, making it dynamic to roll around in a morph ball against the game's physics engine. Furthermore, consider having enemies not hurt you when you touch them. For some, like a lava monster or plasma ball, it makes sense, but it's annoying to suffer knockback when you run into the common space pirate. And creates scenarios where aggressive enemies can get you stuck against a wall until you've shot at them. The absolute worst is any enemy type require morph ball bombs, but since bombs have such a small blast radius, you get smacked around just for trying to get close enough.

For enemies, try to have more dynamic reactions to the specific areas you shoot them. Vulnerable weak points that can initiate a stun effect, or using your ice beam on an enemy's legs to immobilize them. If you fire enough plasma beam shots on a space pirate's jetpack, it'll overload and he goes careening into a nearby wall. Or have enemies with multiplate armor that you must destroy piece by piece. There's a lot of cool ideas you could make that would vastly justify the existence of multiple beam types should those make a return. 

Final concerns/ideas: Please make it so that there are no permanently missable scans in this one. 100% completion should always be possible in a single playthrough. A Boss Rush mode can also solve the issue of never encountering boss scans again. An in-game achievements system tied to completion tasks wouldn't go to waste either. Previous games had you spending tokens on concept art, but I propose allowing the player to spend them on re-skins for Samus' suit as well. Perfect opportunity to shout out other Metroid games by having previous suits be equippable. Finally and I know it's controversial, but a fast travel system would be appreciated if we're exploring one large, interconnected world. Samus Returns was the first game in the series to have it (technically Prime 3, but that world was a set of entire planets you couldn't walk between, so ship travel was necessary in-universe). I would maybe save the fast travel feature until the player has progressed just 25 or 50 percent through the main game, because by then the world will be large enough to really warrant the need for players to zip around and not have to memorize where everything is.

What sorts of things would you want in your ideal Metroid Prime 4?

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15 hours ago, Glennstavos said:

And I recommend not having Spring Ball in the game. Bomb jumping is its own type of challenge. Design the game so that the player never has to perform consecutive bomb jumps to progress - only to nab collectibles.

I disagree about removing the Spring Ball. It didn't break any challenges, but it made the Prime Trilogy easier to play. Maybe have it as an upgrade.

Speaking of collectibles, take some more cues from Other M. Energy Parts: collect four for a full energy tank. Because discovering a 100 Health expansion is just too much help compared to the generic missile expansion.

I prefer getting a full tank in one pickup. There are less of them, but getting one is all the more satisfying.

Accel charge, collect these to speed up charge shots and by extension super missiles. And the reserve energy tank from Super Metroid can be neat as well.

I didn't like the Accel Charges; all they really did was make Other M even more about spamming charge shots than it already was.

Finally, have an optional X-Ray Scope style upgrade to the scan visor that points out collectible related secrets like breakable walls and vents. It bothers me that such things have been freely pointed out to the player in previous Prime games.

For the record, the X-ray Scope's functionality was already copied by the Prime series - the Scan Visor revealed secrets, and the X-Ray visor did the same.

Level/Enemy Design: Try to have less box-like rooms.

That's a big no no, for two reasons. First, box-like rooms were a development pipeline optimization. In Prime, each room was built to fit in a box, obstacles were added, and the artists would come in and art it up. Second, discrete rooms separated by hallways and shafts have always been the structure of Metroid games, and easy to navigate with maps. So, box-like rooms aren't going anytime soon.

Previous games had you spending tokens on concept art, but I propose allowing the player to spend them on re-skins for Samus' suit as well.

You won't even see your skin while playing 95% of the time, so why bother?

I agree with everything else you said.

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On ‎28‎/‎02‎/‎2018 at 8:55 AM, Glennstavos said:

Speaking of collectibles, take some more cues from Other M. Energy Parts: collect four for a full energy tank. 

Yes, let's take ideas from the game that killed the Metroid franchise for just under a decade, I'm sure that will go over well with the fanbase. [/sarcasm]

Quote

Finally, have an optional X-Ray Scope style upgrade to the scan visor that points out collectible related secrets like breakable walls and vents. It bothers me that such things have been freely pointed out to the player in previous Prime games.

So you're complaining that the Prime games freely pointed out secrets, and yet you want an item in the game that does the exact same thing? Oh, and by the way, the Prime games don't point out every the location of every upgrade, so I don't know what game you've actually been playing, but it wasn't the same one as I've played.

Edited by NinjaMonkey
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1 hour ago, NinjaMonkey said:

Yes, let's take ideas from the game that killed the Metroid franchise for just under a decade, I'm sure that will go over well with the fanbase. [/sarcasm]

So you're complaining that the Prime games freely pointed out secrets, and yet you want an item in the game that does the exact same thing? Oh, and by the way, the Prime games don't point out every the location of every upgrade, so I don't know what game you've actually been playing, but it wasn't the same one as I've played.

Bro, chill, you can disagree with his idea without being rude. Also, from what I heard Other M played just fine, it was the absolute abomination of a 'story' they gave it that killed the game.

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59 minutes ago, SoulWeaver said:

Also, from what I heard Other M played just fine, it was the absolute abomination of a 'story' they gave it that killed the game.

There are many things wrong with Metroid: Other M besides the story. I'd draw up a list, but I don't want to derail the thread.

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Sure we can talk about "those" games. The truth is, great ideas don't always make it into great games. That's why contestable games are so worthy of study. Wouldn't want a good idea to go to waste just because of where it came from. I sort of wish I had played Federation Force since that's more explicitly a game in this style that might have cool ideas as well. I definitely expect people to flinch when I name drop Other M, so all I have to do is explain why something works. In this case, it's just powerup ideas. Something to spice up what would normally be another missile expansion. By adding more avenues of character progression, you can make the act of picking up collectibles and observing your environment seem more worthwhile.

1 hour ago, NinjaMonkey said:

There are many things wrong with Metroid: Other M besides the story. I'd draw up a list, but I don't want to derail the thread.

Well if you don't want to derail a thread, how about proposing some ideas of your own? Extending this invitation to anybody else who has posted.

I'm not willing to believe that such an anticipated game as Prime 4 is something nobody has fantasized about. I don't want people to feel antagonized for their ideas either in this Dream thread. We should be getting crazy. Proposing Multiplayer modes, a switch to third person over the shoulder gameplay, Ship combat, bounty hunting sidequests, collecting Metroid Prime Pinball boards to play in Samus' ship, the works. 

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I hope Prime 4 is cleverly designed to minimize backtracking for the player who knows where they're going... with lots of shortcuts connecting the world. Prime 1 did some of this, but there could be more. I also hope the save points act as a fast travel system, and refill ammo as well. Put all the pit stops in one room, yeah? Most importantly, doors should open instantly and cutscenes should be minimal and skippable. I want a seamless flow of gameplay with no down time.

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Cant really say anything about Prime 4s single player that hasnt already been said.  Hoping for a good well presented story and loads of things to scan epic bosses pretty much what youd expect from a Prime game.  

I would like a online multiplayer option even if its something simple like Metroid Prime 2 Echoes.  Though if they do it right it could be something special.

 

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5 hours ago, LordOTaco said:

I would like a online multiplayer option even if its something simple like Metroid Prime 2 Echoes.  Though if they do it right it could be something special.

Yeah, after playing Prime Hunters I must agree, though I don't know if it belongs in Prime 4 or if we should gun for a Hunters 2 - I mean, we never find out what happened to Weavel, Noxus, Kanden, Trace, and Spire, it's only Sylux that got teased in other games, so they could make a second Hunters game with beefed-up multiplayer.

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