Wasn't trying to bag on Skyward Sword. Love that game and the motion controls, dungeon design, and story. Hope the next Zelda is a synthesis of it and BOTW-style (given that they are sort of polar opposites on the Zelda spectrum.) But it does make sense for it to be in the mid-80's (maybe not as low as 81) when considering where other Zelda's are placed and the relative controversial-ness of some of its additions. Weird that it scored as high as it did when it originally released. Prime was broadly acclaimed, and still very much is given the remaster's reception with new players. 

Seems like Nintendo and Retro wanted to take the Prime series in a new direction. They tried a few new things for better or for worse, but even if Prime 4 cut out the bike and the desert area, I doubt it would have scored much higher because its essentially, Prime 1-3 with some changes, while this is good, gaming has changed a lot over the 20 years. Maybe what Nintendo should do is make 1 2D Metroid game and 1 3D Metroid game per generation and give the prime series a rest. The next 3D Metroid they can try something new.

84

Just finished fury green section, and in the desert now.
First impressions are that I agree with the feeling that it is a cross between pre-BOTW 3D Zelda and Prime 3.

Definitely not a hardcore metroidvania, but the Series hasn't been that since Prime 1, and Prime 1 was barely that.

The game is gorgeous by the way.

I think the only Metroids that would fit in the "Metroidvania" genre would be the original in the NES, Super Metroid and MAYBE Prime 1.

Interesting that people compare it to pre BotW Zelda games. That makes me more interested in the title even If I have yet to play a Metroid that I stuck around with long enough to finish.

Dread and Zero Mission too.

Debatable. Those games have a very linear and clear sequence of events from beginning to end. Of course, you can BREAK that if you know what you are doing (ZM more than Dread)... But you won't likely do that on a first playthrough. You'll follow the very much linear path that the game constantly points you too.

As another user said this once: the fact that you can sequence break a game means that there IS a sequence to break in the first place. To me a Metroidvania needs to have a truly interconnected and open map to explore where you are almost never expected to follow a certain sequence of events. You will have multiple paths accessible to you at almost anytime and you don't have to commit to a certain sequence in order to make progress.

Zero Mission and Metroid Dread are linear games that can be broken, either with glitches or by exploiting the game's mechanics after a lot of practice and multiple playthroughs. That doesn't make them open (to me at least). 

That kind of thing it's required for me to be a Metroidvania. Metroid games (to me) are... That. Metroid games. They are not Hollow Knight. They are not Blasphemous. They are not Metroidvanias.