I've played every single Metroid game besides federation force and something is lacking in Prime 4. Remember when we were young and first played Metroid? To me, it felt like a horror series. I think the next Metroid game series should lean fully into that. I don't mean survival horror, since Samus should still feel like a powerful force, but a horror-adventure with genuinely terrifying creatures.

We’ve grown up, and Metroid’s horror should grow with us. I still want exploration and discovery, but with less goofy characters. I want good sparse voice acting and a stronger, darker atmosphere.

As a young teen, the isolation, eerie sound design, and claustrophobic environments made those games terrifying in the best way.

That’s the energy I want behind a new metroid game. Samus moving through collapsing ruins overtaken by creatures. Metroids stalk the ceilings. Space Pirates are fused into the walls. An evil entity waits at the end of a dead, endless corridor.

I enjoyed Prime 4 for what it is, but Metroid Dread showed exactly where the series shines: more horror. Not survival horror just pure, oppressive cosmic dread.

A return to the feeling that you’re alone… and something is watching.

I've heard alot of people saying the new game feels lacking, and plays "not like a Metroid" game.
That is basically what your saying as well. Ei. the series doesn't "feel" like it used to.

The game is now sitting at a 79 on metacritic, and that's mostly just because alot of reviewers are scared to give nintendo games bad scores.
"Its a metroid game, I have to give it a 10...!"

It doesn't review score as well as past games, and players don't seem as fond of it either (online talk).

The game has an 8.3 for user-reviews. It's not an Other M situation where the game got a 79 from reviewers and a 6.6 from users. I think it is appropriately reviewed. 

77% of professional critics gave it a positive score versus 78% of users. 

On the thread topic. I am agnostic on whether Metroid games should be horrors or have horror elements. I think Prime 4 could've pulled it off by not showing 

But really I don't want it to be the focus. Have some horror elements here and there, but Metroid never was about that for me and I am fine with it not being that. 

It is a good game and I don't regret getting it but it's still the worse Prime game. 

I'd say a Metroid Prime game where you drive around on a motorcycle in a vast, empty desert for hours, farming magical green crystals is pretty dead-gum scary.