Metroid Prime 4was first announced in June 2017, but there is still very little known about the title. Originally intended to be produced with Bandai Namco, Nintendo restarted the game’s production under Retro Studios in 2019. This decision has delayed the game’s release indefinitely, but does mean that Nintendo is taking its development seriously. The fourth entry into any series can be touch-and-go, soMetroid Prime 4could learn a lot from another series preparing for a post-trilogy sequel: CD Projekt Red’sWitcher 4.
Confirmation ofThe Witcher 4took the gaming world by surprise when CDPR posted a teaser for the game on Twitter last month. The hype that ensued speaks to the love players have for that franchise, especially considering how few details were provided. From what is known though, it seems the series is moving in the right direction;Witcher 4will be made in Unreal Engine 5, itwon’t be an Epic Games Store exclusive, and it will mark the beginning of a new saga.Metroid Prime 4would do well to take notes.
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Leaving Numbered Entries Behind
The first and perhaps simplest change of significance to theWitcheris its team’s decision to drop the “4” from the title. Despite references to it being “The Witcher 4” until a proper title is revealed, CDPR has only referred to it as “the next installment inThe Witcherseries.” The studio’s co-founder Marcin Iwinski has stated that the team designedtheWitchergames as a trilogy, so this new title will likely favor a subtitle instead. The nextMetroid Primegame should also do this, considering theMetroid Primetrilogy provided a decisive conclusion. A great way to escape the confines of previous games is by doing away with numbered entries and thinking of each game as a standalone title.
Moreover, a fourthMetroid Primegame should utilize new characters to tell its story and establish a new identity.Dark Samus, the Ing, and the Luminoth were all compelling characters within the universe, but a new title creates opportunities for new characters, similar to how the nextWitcherwill start moving away from Geralt. Considering the rich lore both of these game series have to offer, it shouldn’t be difficult to bring new characters into the picture.
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Incorporating New Alliances
One of the biggest developments regarding the nextWitchergame is the inclusion of a new school. The teaser image posted on CD Projekt Red’s Twitter showed a medallion in the shape of a lynx’s head. This signifies a departure from Geralt’s familiarSchool of the Wolf, andMetroidcould do something similar. Retro Studios has done great work expanding on Samus' bounty hunter background by including other hunters: Rundas, Trace, Weavel, and Gandrayda, to name a few. The fourth game would be a great opportunity to continue developing this aspect of the universe. It makes even more sense given the 100 percent ending ofMetroid Prime 3: Corruptionthat shows Sylux, another bounty hunter, in pursuit of Samus.
When a trilogy does well, its developers are faced with the question of where to take their characters next. ThePrimetrilogy was a landmark series that redefined what gamers knew aboutMetroidand brought the IP into a new genre. Similarly, theWitcherseries transformed the rich written works of Andrzej Sapkowski into a series of games, moving across mediums. There’s always opportunities toremaster thePrimegames, but as these series both approach their fourth entries, developers at their respective studios will have to work diligently to ensure success. There’s a lot to lose for both Retro Studios and CD Projekt Red, but there’s also a lot to gain through reinvention and innovation.
Metroid Prime 4is currently in development for the Nintendo Switch.
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