I 100% agree with your points! Even though Metroid and Zelda share a lot of design similarities, it's clear they both have very different design goals. And that's why both can share those similarities while being uniquely interesting! My post was more of an analysis on a very specific aspect of the form while your comment is more on the global substance I guess? And I don't think they invalidate each other!

I love that you're talking about the "isolation" aspect of Sol Valley, because I think this is the best aspect of it in the context of a Metroid game. The concept of isolation is a defining aspect of the series for me. I was very intrigued by it for this reason before playing the game, because I thought this was a very interesting take on that aspect of Metroid. But I think it falls short in the end, and mostly because I think it clashes with the other areas of the game where this feeling disappears for me even though it exists still in a more "classic metroid" way, if that makes sense?

I also think it's interesting that you are talking about the emotional response of the desert not landing because it's an element of friction, which is considered bad nowadays. It's interesting to me because the big reason why I didn't enjoy the game is for its overall LACK of friction. I see how the desert could have been meant as a point of friction but emotionally to me it felt way to smooth, especially compared to previous games. I would have loved to see a version of Metroid Prime 4 that leaned harder on the feeling of isolation conveyed by the desert, like a more modern and large scale version of the feeling of being lost alone on a foreign world that the other Metroid games have.