I've played Metroid Prime 4 and I'm not afraid of Samus' 'Annoying' Sidekick

Now that the embargo date has passed, I can finally talk about a game that's been on my mind since I played it last week: Metroid Prime 4: For. I flew to New York to try out the game for myself, tried it out in both handheld and docked mode, and if you've read Game Rant's Metroid Prime 4 preview, you'll know I absolutely adored what I played.

So I was surprised to find that other reviewers' opinions of the game were somewhat mixed. Interestingly, much of the discourse surrounding the game currently revolves around a relatively minor ingredient, Myles Mackenzie's chatter. Take IGN's preview Metroid Prime 4which focuses heavily on Mackenzie's inclusion and portrays it as an unfortunate harbinger of things to come. The Video Games Chronicle shares this view, publishing an article claiming “Metroid Prime 4 doesn't feel like much Metroid at all,” Mackenzie cites as the primary reason for this scathing assessment. Such statements seem to have struck a chord with the gaming audience, who flocked to social media to comment on the apparent cardinal sin of including a voiced NPC in Metroid game. And while I respect the opinions of my fellow previewers and their audiences, I have to say that I'm quite surprised at how much hate Mackenzie has received, and I don't share the same sentiment.

Why I don't think Metroid Prime 4 companions are a big deal

Metroid Prime 4's Mackenzie isn't as game-breaking as some claim

Basically, I can understand why Myles Mackenzie is annoying to some players: he's seemingly just a Galactic Federation soldier with some handy hacking skills, and having him around legendary bounty hunter Samus Aran can feel like having a baby on the battlefield. Metroid Prime has historically been about the isolation and haunting fear that comes with traveling through a hostile rendition of a galactic neighborhood. Chatty, funny sidekicks don't exactly count into this equation.

Let me be clear: I absolutely do despise witty, fake-witty, tongue-in-cheek dialogue popularized by the likes of the MCU. I've always felt like I have a lower tolerance for the kind of overly casual, anachronistic writing that has put me off countless games in the past. Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Forspoken to less controversial releases like The rest 2. Even games that I like, such as God of War Ragnarokthey are tainted by this Whedon-inspired gibberish.

But the point is that Mackenzie is not on the level of the characters from the aforementioned titles. I certainly didn't feel like he was talking “constantly” as other previewers claimed: he only appears in part of the demo and Samus leaves him to explore and solve puzzles on her own for extended periods of time. While I'd be lying if I said Mackenzie's dialogue significantly improved my time with the game, I can't call it a death sentence either. Maybe not glowing praise for Mackenzie, but when I think back to my time with him Metroid Prime 4I really don't like it one way or the other. It's just not as impressive, and the rest of the game, from the combat to the atmosphere and soundtrack, feels as powerful as ever. One chatty supporting character doesn't cut it in my opinion.

It's worth noting that Mackenzie is introduced during the first actual chapter Metroid Prime 4which might explain some of his short stories: at this stage it is used for tutorialization.

Mechanically speaking, I'm not too stressed Metroid Prime 4companions too. The only extended escort-style passage with Mackenzie takes place about halfway through the demo, when he and Samus cross a bridge. Samus has to draw the fire out of him and revive him once he's injured, but it's not as tedious or backbreaking as some have claimed. If anything, I enjoyed the twist on the usual run-and-gun: having to juggle basic combat elements while keeping Mackenzie alive is a compelling, if pedestrian, spin that kept Metroid Prime 4Interesting fight in this early section.

Shooting the boss in Metroid Prime 4 Beyond

I guess what I'm trying to say is that Mackenzie feels like a surprisingly small thing to worry about. While I haven't left since Metroid Prime 4 preview completely satisfied (for example, the alternate Switch 2 controls in the game felt tacky and awkward), overall I was impressed. Perhaps my affection for everything else the game seems to do right overshadowed any annoyance I might have felt at Mackenzie's rant. And like I said, I definitely don't tolerate this specific MCU-like flavor of clunky dialogue. If I can look through it, then the players who look through it will God of War Ragnarok, Horizon Forbidden Westand Open shouldn't be a problem.

To be fair: How Mackenzie and company could negatively affect Metroid Prime 4

Mackenzie was easy to ignore during the preview, but he'll play a significantly bigger role if he's done Metroid Prime 4's story, I could see it causing some tonal issues. Additionally, a recent trailer for the game teases additional companions, which could detract from the essential lost space vibes. Primary. Depending on how these companions are used narratively and mechanically, they could be detrimental to the game on a larger scale.

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Samus Aran Galactic Federation Trooper Fire

As always, the devil is in the details. One could envision a scenario where Mackenzie and others become rewarding additions Metroid Prime 4The story and gameplay are the result of creative writing and design elements. And just because something is new to the series doesn't mean it's inherently bad –Metroid Prime must evolve and Metroid Prime 4 it was never just a shinier version of the GameCube or Wii Primary games. I'm not saying walking, talking supporting characters won't hurt Metroid Prime 4 when all is said and done, but reacting virulently to just one NPC at one early stage in the game feels like a slight overreaction.