Plays the smoothest of any Metroid game. Mercurysteam should get more credit for how polished the gameplay is.
As a result it's the most fun doing tech and skips. Also best bosses in any 2D Metroid and I'm not sorry for saying it.

Mixed bag level aesthetics; the militaristic Chozo empire that Raven Beak built looked hard but about half of the map was still relegated to done-to-death caves. Linearity doesn't bother me but the teleporters were patchwork for bad map design. The EMMIs should have been more integrated into the main floors instead of being segregated to their designated spaces. Could have done more with powers up; like in Samus Returns the most interesting mechanic change is the Aeion abilities.

The story was solid conclusion to the Metroid storyline. It uses Samus in all the right ways; she has the swagger and precision of an elite huntress but it doesn't make her feel any less vulnerable to the high stakes situation. Also solved the issue with giving her voice lines by just making her speak Chozo once and giving out an absolute roar at the end. Raven Beak standing on the carcass of the Chozo with a militaristic threat capable of going one-to-one with Samus made for the best final boss in the series. Samus rounding it off by becoming the last Metroid herself to end the threat is a perfect way to encapsulate her journey and everything she's had to do. Wherever Metroid 6 wants to go, it has a pretty open slate to do whatever.