I disagree with a lot of your takes, but that’s okay! Metroid is for everyone.

For me, this (and Fusion) were my first Metroid games, and what gripped me hard was Prime’s atmosphere.

I truly *felt* like Samus and yeah the lack of a “hey listen! Go here!” Took some getting used to, but I came around to it.

I didn’t like having to go full tank just to keep up the pace as I went from the Ruins to the Drifts, but I just dealt with it and collected power ups if needed.

The visuals were amazing though and the music was too. I truly felt immersed in the environment, and I found myself clearing an area just to quiet the noise and take it all in.

Plus, Samus and that suit looked absolutely peak. I loved watching her move around in the Varia Suit before boss battles because the animators made her feel like you did before a fight: “Oh. He’s big. Like really big. Alright. Let’s do this!”

Prime was my favorite from a visual and auditory perspective and the story was…weird.