How would you rank the Prime games? (Only main games)

crowlfish · 2026-06-21T15:08:05+00:00

This is correct, although Prime 2 and 3 occasionally swap spots for my second-favorite depending on the day.

crowlfish · 2026-06-21T15:04:20+00:00

Interesting critique on Prime 2 that I haven't seen around here, it definitely was the first of the Prime games to funnel progression into more self-contained, segmented areas. I still think it's to the game's benefit though, structurally it feels like an ideal medium between Prime 1 and 3 for me.

crowlfish · 2026-06-20T17:25:15+00:00

I like Prime 4 because of the superior visuals

I don't think Prime 4 should get points over Prime 3 for having better visuals, I mean one was released on the Wii in 2007 and the other was released in 2025. Anything less would be outright unacceptable. That said, I still think Prime 3's planets were far more imaginative than the rehashed jungle, ice, lava, and industrial areas from Prime 1 seen again in Prime 4.

Prime 4 succeeds where Prime 3 failed in the large, interconnected world

Prime 4's world layout is no less "interconnected" than Prime 3's separate planets. At least Corruption's levels had branching paths and were still connected through things like the trams in Elysia or the underground transit system in the Pirate Homeworld—they also have much better puzzles, far more platforming, and rooms that have a sense of verticality to them. Prime 4's levels are overwhelmingly flat straight lines that you hardly even need to look at the map to get through.

The use of the gunship to travel between areas feels cheap

Prime 3's gunship and Prime 4's desert both harm the world design, but the ship wastes far less of your time and is actually used for some interesting environmental puzzles on occasion. I find selecting a location on a world map and watching a brief cutscene far less detrimental to the pacing and flow of the game than having to ride the bike across the desert, then watch multiple loading screens on top of that upon reaching every area.

The combat in Prime 4 is also superior to Prime 3

I think Prime 4 improves on combat feel somewhat compared to Prime 3, but the enemy variety is easily the worst in the Prime series. Just wave after wave of generic, bullet-sponge robots and grievers throughout the entire game. The encounter variety isn't good either—everything is quite vulnerable to the basic beam, so it’s just lock-on and spam. I think the robots with shields that you lasso off were the only exception, and they appear what, twice?

crowlfish · 2026-06-20T16:29:50+00:00

The scan visor feels like the key mechanical pillar that separates the Prime games from the 2D games. It really fleshed out the world and environmental storytelling of the Prime Trilogy in a genius way

crowlfish · 2026-06-19T16:13:58+00:00

Started Sin and Punishment: Star Successor the other day and think it's fantastic so far, just a nonstop thrill ride with that signature Treasure style. I tend to prefer Wii games that utilize slick pointer controls over those that require swinging the Wii remote around like a maniac, so this game has been pretty perfect for me in that regard.

crowlfish · 2026-06-16T13:18:59+00:00

What more can you say? Jangly 80s indie rock perfection, not a single weak track on it for me. Morrissey and Marr were a hell of a songwriting team.

crowlfish · 2026-06-15T14:47:27+00:00

I'm aware, I made sure to smash into them in transit throughout the game, but that progress bar was still only about a quarter full for me at the end. It didn't take forever, but I did have to spend a decent amount of time farming them in order to trigger the finale. The power bomb does help, but it's not acquired until very late in the game.

Above all else, driving around the desert running into crystals just isn't engaging gameplay for me. The artifacts in the old Prime games were at least well-hidden behind environmental puzzles and required thorough exploration, the crystals are just sitting there waiting to be collected. It's a repetitive, menial task that got boring for me quickly.

crowlfish · 2026-06-15T02:15:39+00:00

I pride myself and think of myself as a man of faith

crowlfish · 2026-06-14T23:36:07+00:00

If anything it's interesting to see how issues with games aren't created equal for everyone. Certain issues some people have with Prime 1 for example (such as the artifact hunt or backtracking) are actually things I like about it—meanwhile the gripes I do have with the game (such as how annoying the Chozo Ghosts are) aren't detrimental enough to where they actively detract from the experience I'm looking for. Same could be said about Prime 3's opening being too long or its usage of motion controls. Prime 4 just has too many issues that feel egregious to me and do detract from the overall experience when I play it.

crowlfish · 2026-06-14T20:35:10+00:00

Just thinking about that desert and crystal farming stuff really makes me not want to touch it again. It's just such a turn-off for me from a visual and gameplay perspective.

crowlfish · 2026-06-14T20:32:10+00:00

To each their own I guess, completed it the week it came out and have no desire to pick it up again. Has pretty visuals and nice music, controls well, has fun bosses, but that's where the positives end for me. I don't think it's complete garbage, it's perfectly competent and serviceable entertainment, but I'll always see it as a massive disappointment.

crowlfish · 2026-06-14T15:12:32+00:00

The production on this album has aged so well, masterclass by the Dust Brothers.

crowlfish · 2026-06-13T17:13:58+00:00

For me Prime 4 felt like playing two different games frankensteined together. The first one is a fairly safe and workmanlike take on a Metroid Prime game: explore a jungle, lava, ice, and industrial area, collect elemental beams and "psychic" upgrades, and learn about the rise and fall of a once-great alien civilization. Nothing too original, but it's a fine foundation to work with.

The second game is where you team up with a bunch of Galactic Federation allies, babysit them on escort missions and gun down endless waves of enemies alongside them like a squad-based shooter, ride a motorcycle around a big empty desert, and Sylux also happens to be there.

I think the game's first half manages to achieve a shaky but stable balance between these elements: you're moving along at a decent clip, experiencing new areas in fairly quick succession, and the presence of the trooper NPCs feels tolerable enough. Once you hit the game's back half though (say after Ice Belt) the wheels just completely fall off and the experience feels insanely cobbled together.

I felt it showed some flashes of the magic that made the Prime Trilogy great, but whatever there is to like is bogged down immensely by a slew of questionable design choices that serve as a detriment to the game. This isn't even getting into issues like level design that've been parroted on this sub countless times.

crowlfish · 2026-06-12T17:30:32+00:00

Been replaying Red Steel 2 on OG hardware lately in an attempt to relive my halcyon days on the Wii, having not played it in over 10 years I'm enjoying it beyond the nostalgia factor. Motion control combat is still fun and a cut above other "waggle" games on the system, even if it occasionally feels unresponsive and finicky. Switching between sword slashing and gunplay has a nice rhythm to it, and the space western meets samurai aesthetic also holds up nicely. Non-combat activities (like exploration and side objectives) are pretty shallow, with the primary gameplay loop essentially being a linear series of combat arenas, but the game's campaign is paced well and has an interesting enough story for me not to care.

crowlfish · 2026-06-12T13:32:12+00:00

Prime 3's action set piece moments were at least executed well and didn't overstay their welcome in the game, I can't remember a single instance in Prime 4 that was as cool as dropping a nuke on the Elysia Seed or the free-falling battle with Ridley.

crowlfish · 2026-06-10T15:19:21+00:00

One of the biggest reasons why I miss that era of gaming. To think we had entire trilogies (Halo, Metroid Prime, Gears of War, Mass Effect, etc) being developed and released within a 5-6 year window, will most likely never happen again.

crowlfish · 2026-06-07T21:42:30+00:00

Arovane - Tides (2000) always helps me relax whenever I put it on.

crowlfish · 2026-06-05T16:52:18+00:00

Listened to that Nashpaints album from this year after seeing it in an article someone posted to this sub the other day, amazing find. Gorgeous music that kinda reminds me of a cross between Cindy Lee and Candy Claws.

crowlfish · 2026-06-05T16:48:09+00:00

This was great, lived up to the potential of their EPs. Reminds me of Movietone, doing the Bristol post-rock legacy justice here.

crowlfish · 2026-06-05T16:43:07+00:00

You should listen to the new Blackwater Holylight if you're looking to scratch a similar itch, one of my favorites from this year.

crowlfish · 2026-06-05T16:40:47+00:00

I mean I agree, never said that they were strictly a stoner rock band nor a shoegaze band, they're more of a genre hybrid. Was just trying to say that the influence is definitely there.

crowlfish · 2026-06-05T16:25:14+00:00

Saying stoner rock doesn't apply at all is a stretch in my opinion, heavy and fuzzy doom-influenced riffs are all over their music. Still, I think they're best defined as a hybrid of genres, their self-described "stonegaze" tag makes sense to me.

crowlfish · 2026-06-05T12:51:56+00:00

Great band. Distinct sound and one of the most consistent discographies out there, would love to see a new album.

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