Judging by this particular job listing, Metroid Prime 4 may well end up being a far cry from the franchise’s previous flagship title, Metroid Dread. Namely, Retro Studios needs an Environment Artist that would produce “various organic props” for the game, including (but not limited to) rocks, cliffs, trees, and various assorted foliage, which paints a stark comparison with Dread specifically, by the looks of it.
RELATED: 1-2 Switch Sequel Reportedly Finished Development, But Nintendo is Unsure What To Do With It
Specifically, it seems that Retro Studios is hoping to nab an established and experienced Environment Artist, as the team needs someone that’s already worked on prop generation for other projects, preferably an artist that has shipped “one high quality game,” according to the listing. Retro Studios wants to see a strong portfolio that demonstrates terrain composition expertise, as the artist would seemingly work on forested areas or, perhaps, even jungles. Though Nintendo is quiet about Metroid Prime 4, this listing may be taken to interpret that the game takes place in a rougher, less artificial environment than was the case with Dread.
The listing may also suggest that Metroid Prime 4 isn’t coming out anytime soon, as asset creation takes a good long while to spin up. Doubly so in the case of hiring a new artist who would, presumably, also need to go through the studio’s onboard process to ensure asset consistency and the like. Either way, Retro Studios is clearly on the lookout for high-end talent for the job, and it seems that the studio has high expectations of any potential candidates.
Earlier this year, Retro Studios posted Metroid Prime 4 job listings on ArtStation, and the studio was already looking for environmental artists at that point in time. Even though the new Prime title was announced years back, then, all these job listings and (presumably) subsequent hirings suggest that the development didn’t truly ramp up until relatively recently, which in turn may mean that the game is even further out than most would’ve thought.
It’s curious, too, that Retro Studios may be looking to make Metroid Prime 4 very visually distinct from Metroid Prime, with a need for artists that specialize in organic materials and natural environments. After all, Metroid Prime is the bestselling Metroid game, so it was to be expected that Retro Studios would follow in its footsteps. This may still end up being the case, of course, but the featured job listing has interesting implications, to say the least.
Metroid Prime 4 is in development for Nintendo Switch.
MORE: Every Nintendo Game Currently in Development
