Metroid Prime 4 Should Copy Metroid Dread’s Horror
Metroid Dread introduced a new dimension to the franchise with a distinctive light horror atmosphere, constantly creating a tense unease highlighted by the title itself. The E.M.M.I. Samus encounters are terrifying enemies, and strong enough to force her to prioritize stealth over combat for large portions of the game. When this is combined with the more visual body horror that can be invoked by the X Parasites, it is undeniable that Metroid Dread has strong horror influences in its design. Moreover, given its success, the horror angle would presumably suit Metroid Prime 4 just as well.
With the possible exception of Luigi’s Mansion, Nintendo has not experimented much with horror as a genre. However, as Dread so perfectly demonstrates, the world of Metroid is well suited to invoking horror, and it would be a shame for this evolution of the franchise to end with the same game that introduced it. With Sylux now in control of Metroids (or at least Mochtroids) as well as working with Space Pirates, Metroid Prime 4 has plenty of avenues for continuing the theme of putting Samus on the back foot as she traverses a new forest world.
A Horror Element Would Elevate the Impact Of Metroid Prime 4
Although the forest planet glimpsed in Metroid Prime 4’s trailer is beautiful and looks to be quite peaceful, appearances can be deceptive. It seems inevitable that many deadly threats will be lurking out of sight between the trees, and so it would be easy for the game to create a constant threat of ambush from the shadows. Naturally, this alone would create a pervasive feeling of tension, particularly if alien creatures are first glimpsed as shadows that could be either hostile or benign. However, following Metroid Dread’s example could make the forest an even more threatening location to traverse.
If Samus once again finds herself hunted, this time through the trees of this unidentified planet, Metroid Prime 4 could easily replicate the atmosphere created by the E.M.M.I. through similar use of Sylux and the Metroids. In fact, given that much of the game evidently plays from a first-person perspective, like the previous Metroid Prime games, such an atmosphere could even be stronger than Dread’s. As such, in addition to being a first-person shooter, Metroid Prime 4 could even incorporate elements of survival horror into its gameplay.
Metroid Prime 4 Could Benefit from Horror
Horror was a central element of Metroid Dread, and it is clear that its inclusion would also serve Metroid Prime 4 extremely well. There are countless ways in which Samus’ next adventure could create a darker and more threatening atmosphere, especially when building off of what has already been introduced to the franchise. Given the positive impact that the shift in genre has already had on the franchise, it would arguably be a waste for it to now simply be set aside by Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
Of course, it is worth noting that the E.M.M.I. are not the first Metroid enemies to invoke aspects of horror in their design. In fact, the robots were inspired by the similarly powerful SA-X of Metroid Fusion, designed to be an unsettling mimic of Samus herself. From that perspective, the idea of a Metroid horror game is not as new as it may first seem. But in any case, there are many ways in which Metroid Prime 4 could benefit from incorporating horror into its narrative and gameplay.
