Metroid Prime Hunters Multiplayer Walkthrough: Game Modes & Strategies
While Battle is the default game mode, Metroid Prime: Hunters offers a plethora of fun alternate game modes for players to enjoy. While maps and lists will change a bit depending on the mode, each Hunter pushes their own distinct strengths to adapt to the new objective and terrain at hand. Here, we’ll list each individual game mode, and what you can expect from each Hunter when playing.
Team Play | Survival | Prime Hunter | Capture | Bounty | Defender | Nodes
Team Play
In every mode but Capture (which is on by default), you have the option to play in team games. The dynamic of team games opens up many strategies between Hunter combinations and the players using them. Each Hunter covered here will be highlighting tips if your teammate is this character, not you playing as them. With this information, try out different characters to help push the strengths of your teammates while covering each other’s weaknesses.
– Samus: Samus is independently lethal right when she spawns into a map. As her teammate, listen for the iconic Homing Missile sound and finish off opposing targets with the Power Beam or another weapon you already have equipped, it’s all about speed and locking in kills for the team here. Even when going into her Morph Ball, Samus appreciates you securing kills from her Boost Ball + Morph Ball bomb rushdown plays.
– Kanden: The Volt Driver’s fast damage dealing capabilities can’t be understated, but Kanden’s ability to scramble the opponent’s vision is an underrated attribute that you can take advantage of as a team member. After a target is hit by a charge shot, you can usually finish them off as they scramble to see and take aim again. If Kanden goes into the Stinglarva to get health, he’s pretty independent in covering for himself thanks to trailing Stinglarva Bombs. You can retreat with him for the security and/or continue holding your ground for when he returns with more HP and most likely Volt Driver shots heading past you.
– Spire: Spire is a mid to close range menace. By using long distant weapons and positioning, you can help Spire approach and easily grab two kills. After that, pursue those respawn points, the Spire player will either already know them, or your long distance shots will serve as a guide. If you get ambushed by an opponent, lead them to Spire for an easy 180 in fight winning momentum. If you see an enemy on fire, shooting at them with even the Power Beam serves as a great kill opportunity as that opponent is most likely panicking to retreat and heal, or “die fighting.”
– Trace: Trace was already a lethal loner on the battlefield, but with you by his side, you can be rest assured that your approaches to battles are covered with the constant threat of instant kill headshots. Even up close, your harassment of the opposition is a distraction of its own for Trace to look for Imperialist kills, headshot or not. The Jump Strike lunges far, so while Trace will often be fine in retreating, keep your escape routes for health in mind, because Trace might already have a sniping trap ready for pursuing opponents.
– Noxus: Freezing was already a near death sentence in non-Team games. Now with your assistance, Noxus will have the opportunity to charge the Judicator for another one as you finish targets off. If you need to accumulate Power-Ups, Noxus is strong independently. Maintain “Freeze and Kill” as your primary plan while adjusting to your opponent’s spacing accordingly. Even from far away, Noxus’s ability to Shadow Freeze drastically increases his threat range, creating a dynamic where you can distract the opposition as Noxus charges his Judicator.
– Sylux: Sylux is pretty self-sufficient with his mobility and self-healing prowess. As his teammate, understand that if he zips away with the Lockjaw, he’ll most likely be back shortly. When he’s approaching the opposition for a Shock Coil lockdown, help his approach by firing from a long to mid range. This also works well when Sylux uses his Lockjaw to use Electric Bomb Traps up-close.
– Weavel: Weavel is all about Map Control with resource gathering and denial thanks to the Halfturret and Battlehammer. If Weavel places his turret in a high traffic area, keep stationed around it, as opponent’s will be likely distracted by it to not see your ambush. The Battlehammer is great for hitting multiple opponents, take advantage of this spread damage with your guaranteed Power Beam, Missiles, and Alt-Form if you see the situation right as you spawn or enter the arena.
Survival
Survival turns four player free for all deathmatches into a longevity race to outlast the opposition. The “1v1” sections of each map in this guide translate well for common gameplans to do per map. Pair that with these character-specific tips to push the advantage of knowledge on the opposition. If a Hunter stays far away from fights for a bit, the game will highlight their location, creating a fun dynamic for naturally more aggressive fights.
– Samus: Samus starting with her Affinity Weapon is a strong asset for the Hunter. While fast Homing Missile kills might put a big target on your back, you can both assert your strengths to make players hide and have their positions revealed to others. Thanks to the Boost Ball, Samus can reposition herself away from danger while staying proactive to not have her location revealed by the game.
– Kanden: Kanden is amazing in Survival mode; not only is the homing Volt Driver good for detecting opponents, but its rapid fire capabilities allow for Kanden to ambush and win duels quickly. Pair that with trailing Stinglarva Bombs as you pick up Power-Ups, and you have a game winning recipe for proactive play.
– Spire: Wall climbing is perfect for Spire to take plenty of exclusive alternate routes for every map. While you risk the game giving your location, you can take advantage of Spire hiding in high up corners of maps that no other Hunter can get to, then ambush with an Alt-Form Drop tactic with your Fire Blades. When it comes to the fights, Spire loves spreading chaos with the Magmaul, including its ability to arch through hiding spots and retreating routes.
– Trace: The posterboy for Survival’s not-fighting highlight mechanic, Trace’s cloaking abilities would grant him a huge advantage without this system in play. That being said, the Imperialist and Triskelion are amazing options for Trace to win games with. By getting quick headshot kills and traversing maps for Power-Ups, these respective Trace-associated attributes are amazing in strength and placing constant pressure on the opposition looking to live.
– Noxus: The horrors of hearing a charged Judicator around the corner are one thing, but when Noxus is behind the armcannon, it becomes a near death sentence. Noxus is excellent at picking off lives one by one in this mode with the Judicator and Shadow Freezing in his arsenal. Speaking of survival, the Vhoscythe’s Spin Attack basically has no downsides when deployed (be careful to not Alt-Form Drop in low gravity areas on accident), allowing for both agility and offense to be used while you get Power-Ups.
– Sylux: The ability to drain health with the Shock Coil is incredible in Survival. Pair that with the Lockjaw’s amazing mobility and Tripwire traps, and you have a character that can control the pace of entire matches if opponents don’t keep up. Bomb Jumping is pretty proactive by itself, so you can usually bypass the not-fighting highlighting mechanic while evading enemy fire. Once it becomes a 1v1 scenario, you can press the advantage of your lives and accumulated resources vs. the last opponent.
– Weavel: With both fighting and resource accumulation happening at the same time, Weavel brings amazing strengths to Survival mode with his Halfturret alone. Because of how proactive this Alt-Form is on average, you often avoid the not-fighting highlight mechanic as you continue to proactively outlive the competition. This format has Hunters flocking to health orbs more on average compared to battle mode, allowing for Weavel’s Battlehammer to knock opponents away as he gets to the health orbs first.
Prime Hunter
Become the most wanted Hunter and stay on top of the board with this fun on-the-run game mode. Whoever gets the first kill will become the Prime Hunter, who now dials down the win condition clock while having access to all of the other Prime Hunters’ Affinity Weapon abilities (minus the Shock Coil due to no healing), making you a one-Hunter army. But this one Hunter army comes with the price of draining HP. Keep up your momentum with kills that will grant you 50HP as the timer goes down in your favor.
Refer to our Hunter character guides to creatively add their Affinity Weapon bonus strengths to the character of your choice.
– Samus: Samus already starts with her Affinity Weapon ready to go, granting her a lead advantage for getting the Prime Hunter status before the competition. Once you become the Prime Hunter, the Morph Ball becomes a blazing comet that the opposition will have to take down to win. Take advantage of trailing Morph Ball Bombs while using the Boost Ball as a hitbox and momentum bolstering tactic to dish out damage and avoid fire.
– Kanden: Kanden is good for both drawing first blood thanks to the Volt Driver’s fire rate and snagging the Prime Hunter status with his homing Charge Shot and trailing Stinglarva Bombs amidst the chaos. When he becomes the Prime Hunter, the Stinglarva becomes a hard target to catch and kill thanks to its low hurtbox and trailing Stinglarva Bombs. Because you can’t get health orbs, keep the Volt Driver pressure going when one of your bombs catches a target.
– Spire: Spire’s wall climbing prowess not only works tremendously well for dialing down time as the Prime Hunter, but it lets you shortcut to the Prime Hunter before others. The Magmaul’s afterburn is incredible against the Prime Hunter, not just because it doubles up the residual damage ticker, but because if no one else shoots as they are on low HP, your afterburn will grant you the kill. In maps with lava, Spire is usually expected to anchor around it while being the Prime Hunter, but make sure that you stay on the offensive to replenish your health. Luring your opponents to those or enclosed areas as the Prime Hunter is great for Spire.
– Trace: When he’s not the Prime Hunter, Trace appreciates being unseen and less targeted while he scopes in for a headshot with the Imperialist or a cloaked ambush from the Triskelion. When he is the Prime Hunter, the Triskelion’s Jump Strike provides an amazing use for mobility and damage to rack up kills and HP. Now with the Affinity Weapon bonuses from other Hunters, Trace has the capabilities to be a constant long- and short-range death machine.
– Noxus: With Shadow Freezing, Noxus will halt the Prime Hunter in their tracks from a long, capable range. This also includes the bouncing properties of the Judicator serving as a way to snag a Prime Hunter kill from a wide range as well. As the Prime Hunter, knowing opponents will hesitate to fight Noxus 1v1 if he has the Judicator charged and ready. Not only does the freeze grant Noxus more time on the clock, but a kill will replenish his health. He also can keep the Spin Attack constantly active while on the move to avoid damage while fishing for kills.
– Sylux: Sylux can still siphon HP from the opposition when he’s not the Prime Hunter, allowing for high pressure situations against the already HP-draining Prime Hunter. When he does become the Prime Hunter, he gains every Affinity Weapon bonus. Pairing this with his amazing mobility and trap-laying tactics makes Sylux a swift titan to challenge across any map. You have the target on your back; use your Electric Bomb trapping laying advantage.
– Weavel: Weavel has a good secret agenda up his sleeve; station the bottom part of the Halfturret in a high traffic area for the Prime Hunter to run into while he collects Power-Ups in preparation for becoming the Prime Hunter from a snagged kill. While being the Prime Hunter, the risk and reward of the Halfturret splitting your HP heightens, so transform when you’re confident in snagging a kill and repositioning. Because each kill does grant you HP and an ammo drop, push the dial on consistently aggressive play with Weavel as you maneuver around with the jump tricks his Alt-Form provides.
Capture
A game that’s all about map and game tempo control. Capture pits two teams against each other with a split demand for offense and defense. Whether it’s 1v1 or 2v2, there’s a constant pace for making and halting progress to capture and secure at least one Octolith over the opposition to win the game. Because you only have to win with a + one in points by the end of time, you can dial up your defense after capturing one Octolith. Increasing your advantage in Map Control.
– Samus: Samus is all about asserting damage and mobility for proactive play right after spawning. This translates to Capture by pushing as far to the opposing Octolith as possible with Homing Missiles and Boost Ball plays while you accumulate more resources to cover your escape after getting the Octolith. If your teammate gets the Octolith, rush the pursuing enemies down with Boost Ball plays.
– Kanden: With the light speed blitz of Kanden’s Volt Driver, the entire capture route is prone to be covered in a barrage of damage onto the opposing team. Kanden’s charge shot is great for following your route and ambushing the opposing team, most likely taking that same route from the other side. While your teammate has the Octolith, the opposing team is going to be bottlenecked in having to pursue them if they don’t want to give you game-winning progress. Hold your ground and take advantage of an overall easier aim-tracking path for your Volt Driver.
– Spire: With the ability to B-line to the Octolith with wall-climbing routes, choosing Spire for Octolith retrieval is great. He also appreciates the opponents having to approach him or his teammate when their Octolith is taken, often placing them in close range for close to mid range Magmaul kills. Speaking of range, Spire is an amazing Hunter for defending your Octolith, making the opposition have to approach and deal with your constant threat range.
– Trace: Coverage is the name of Trace’s game; whether it’s for your teammate getting the Octolith or clearing up sightlines entering your base, the ability to cloak and instantly kill with the Imperialist is amazing. On the flipside, the Triskelion is both fast and lethal for damage, allowing for strong offensive pursuits and quick switching the dial from defense to offense with helping your teammate capture the opposing Octolith.
– Noxus: Because Noxus can freeze multiple targets, the opposing team will have to keep Noxus at bay to not lose an entire Octolith capture interaction. Shadow Freezing allows Noxus to halt pursuing opponents from a long distance, providing stationary targets for his teammate and a capturing opportunity for him. For defense, the Judicator is hard to escape when you’re locked out of your Alt-Form with an Octolith, making Noxus the perfect defensive security Hunter.
– Sylux: Sylux and defense go hand in hand, with Tripwire traps and the threat of quick Shock Coil kills up close while healing Sylux to sustain more defense. On the offensive, Sylux’s amazing mobility with the Lockjaw grants him fast access to the opposing team’s Octolith. By coordinating with your teammate in play offense or defense, you can swiftly lock down Map Control with Sylux’s skills in game-winning persistence.
– Weavel: Weavel is the perfect Hunter for security. Laying down the Halfturret next to your Octolith and aiding your teammate outside of the base. The Battlehammer sounds and/or you taking damage will alarm you of an enemy player in your base. In addition, the knockback from the Battlehammer allows for enemies to be hit off of ledges and cliffs, including vital Octolith snags.
Bounty
It’s a Bounty Hunter Octolith race, with the objective being about captures and not kills, finding the window of opportunity to snag the bounty and take it to the capture point. A dead opponent is more time for you; however, stay on top of the game by dealing damage as you reposition yourself for a capture.
– Samus: Samus rushes down the opposition well with even just the arsenal she starts with. Boost Ball combos are amazing for targeting the Octolith holder as you overwhelm them while they cannot go into Alt-Form themselves. With the Octolith, Samus threatens pursuing Hunters with Homing Missiles as she secures the Bounty.
– Kanden: Kanden does a great job playing a bit ahead of the Octolith holder’s route. Using the Stinglarva Bombs to trail ahead of them with a prepared play of Volt Driver shots when they get close. Stack up on Volt Driver ammo so that when you get the Octolith, you will be able to melt the opposition from short to long range.
– Spire: Spire’s Magmaul is great for causing havoc against the Octolith holder and any opposition close by. Just one Magmaul charge shot will provide enough pressure and damage against the Octolith holder to usually have them panic while another Hunter finishes them while you prepare to get the Octolith yourself by accumulating Power-Ups. The alternate routes of the Dialanche are great for ambushing the Octolith holder. With the Octolith, Spire can take advantage of opposing Hunters having to be decently close in fighting him to nab the Octolith if they kill him. Press this advantage with how strong the Magmaul is up close.
– Trace: Trace presses a constant balance of safety vs. Octolith assurance. On one hand, faraway Imperialist snipes are amazing for getting rid of Hunters with or without the Octolith, but you won’t get the bounty yourself if you’re too far. Risking with up-close Imperialist shots grants the reward of Trace threatening instant kills while making Octolith capture progress. The second your Imperialist starts zooming in allows for an instant kill one shot. Stay vigilant against your opponent’s approaching you while you have the Octolith.
– Noxus: Freezing a full fight around the Octolith is possible. Even just one freeze helps in game winning progress to get the Octolith yourself. The Judicator being effective from short to long range is great for chipping away at the opposition. Freezing the oncoming Hunters as you have the Octolith is tremendous for running to the Bounty station. If you’re in first place, there is a strategy to keep freezing your opponent’s and stalling out the timer to win as well.
– Sylux: Hunters not being able to go into Alt-Form while having the Octolith is huge for Sylux, as he can continue Shock Coil pressure while the opponent can’t alter their hurtbox. Before you get the Octolith, lay down a Tripwire on the path to secure the Bounty (or cover a health orb).
– Weavel: The Battlehammer is great for dishing out damage against opponents in group fights. The Halfturret is great for big fights that allow Weavel to snag the Octolith quickly once dropped. Use the splash damage knockback on the Battlehammer to throw your opponents off of crucial jumps and landings on the Bounty route.
Defender
It’s king of the hill, with each Hunter pushing their own strengths to lay claim to a marked ring. Getting the ring is one thing, but securing it until time is over is another skill that will be tested to win the game. Evasive play with properly timed jumps in the ring while dishing out damage is a great go-to strategy. Because you can’t get ammo in the ring (aside from kills), gathering some before heading to the hill is ideal, but you can hold your own with a strong enough Power Beam aim.
– Samus: Samus having the ability to barrage the current ring holder with Missles can’t be understated. From any angle around the ring, Samus has high damaging threats from far away and up close thanks to the Morph Ball. Speaking of which, Samus’s Boost Ball is tremendous for claiming and holding the center ring. Using this along with Bomb Jumps make you hard to hit while keeping an offensive claim to the center ring.
– Kanden: A Volt Driver charge shot from Kanden is hilarious for the looming pressure it causes, its medium to slow traveling speed makes the current center ring holder have to anticipate a lot of damage heading their way by either tanking or evading it. This kind of pressure is great for pressing the opponent into the corner with uncharged Volt Driver shots to then claim the center ring for yourself.
– Spire: Spire is already a menace at medium to close range, now pair that with a mode that’s all about winning from within a central ring and you have a lethal combination for burning the opposition that wants to contest you. Not only are charged and uncharged Magmaul shots amazing for spreading havoc amongst the central ring, but they are great for fending off approaching opponents as you take the hill. Spire’s Fire Blades are also amazing for grinding in close range damage within a small amount of space, all while dodging oncoming fire thanks to a smaller hurtbox.
– Trace: Trace is pretty blunt with asserting his strengths in this mode. Snipe the current king of the hill, and Triskelion rush to claim it for yourself. The high demand for Trace’s dynamic play comes from holding your ground with your Imperialist and other Power-Ups you accumulated. If you miss too many close up headshots and see the opponents caving in, retreat with your Lunge Strike, reposition, and snipe them out for a repeat of your effective initial strategy.
– Noxus: Whether it’s a regular or Shadow Freeze, Noxus’s charged Judicator is amazing for covering the entire center ring and clearing it out. While being king of the hill, the Voscythe is a great way to stall with a smaller hurtbox with great mobility. If your opponents stream into challenging you one by one, Noxus has the ability to maintain the hill with individual freezes into quick kills from Judicator headshots.
– Sylux: The center ring is perfect for Sylux’s Tripwire traps while evading chaotic fire. Not only is Sylux quick getting to the hill, but he is the only Hunter that can heal from it. Try to load up your Shock Coil before arriving to claim the hill, the close quarter combat that happens here will greatly favor Sylux and his ability to heal off of enemies and get ammo with his kills while dialing time on the hill.
– Weavel: Battlehammer away with splash damage and pushback to disrupt fights on the hill. The pushback allows for Weavel to control space and halt time logged for opponents’. You can lay the Halfturret just outside of close range of the hill while Weavel maneuvers around it to snag time. If you need health, laying the Halfturret by the center ring as you get a nearby health orb is ideal.
– 1v1: Defender duels heavily form into Battle mode, but the center ring will be a highly vulnerable area as the other opponent either prepares with Power-Ups, or dives head in for a skirmish. You do get an ammo drop when you get a kill, so keep tabs on the nearest health orb around the center ring for added survivability.
Nodes
Use the Defender guide above for each character as the base while adding the dynamic of added control rings for this game mode. The go-to strategy is to cap the point and keep moving around the map while keeping tabs on it. Even getting one Node is big, but two will get you snowballing to win the game.
– Samus: It’s map dependent, but Samus can easily fire Homing Missiles from the area around one Node to another. If you need to close the gap, the Boost Ball is amazing for managing multiple Node points.
– Kanden: Kanden can travel well with his charged Volt Driver from one Node point to another. You can also trail Stinglarva Bombs if you’re running a race with nearby opponents to the next Node.
– Spire: Spire’s ability to wall climb and shortcut his routes to Nodes is a great advantage to push for maintaining your Nodes. Pestering enemy Nodes with Magmaul shots from midrange is great, often getting opponents to budge away if they don’t want to die.
– Trace: Trace loves a divide and conquer playstyle for Nodes. Take advantage of the Imperialist’s long range to instantly kill opposing Node owners, then use the Triskelion to claim it as your own.
– Noxus: It really can be as simple as a Vhoscythe ambush to the next Node with the context of chip damage your opponents have probably taken defending their Node from others. Get your Judicator freeze plays ready and keep the momentum going to get and defend around two Nodes for favorable game winning progress.
– Sylux: Stay vigilant with your Lockjaw mobility and gather ammo to have the Shock Coil kill opposing Node owners while you heal on the go. Don’t forget to leave a Tripwire before leaving your Node.
– Weavel: Leaving your Halfturret on your Node is a great default strategy if you have the HP to split for it. Knowing Orb Control is big for Weavel already, but it also serves as a huge asset for having advantages in skirmishes for other Nodes. It’s perfectly fine to hold onto one Node and gather Power-Ups while you dial up cap time as your opponents skirmish for securing just one.
-1v1: In a nutshell, duels have both players usually getting a node captured and fighting over the third one. If you feel like your Alt-Form rollout isn’t going to beat your opponent to the third ring, go pick up a health orb first for a natural advantage during the duel for the point. Three controlled Nodes is really hard to beat, especially as you go on the pursuit to negate any captures from your opponent afterward.