As I expected the exploration was top-notch. Definitely some of the best environments Nintendo has crafted. It can't be overstated just how easy it is to drown yourself in this game's eerie yet alluring atmosphere. I also enjoyed the various upgrades to your arsenal as they felt extremely satisfying to get ahold of and experiment with. There was a very smooth progression from being almost defenseless to becoming a merciless, screw-attacking juggernaut that ravages every room in your path.
My only real qualms with the game were in the controls. Compared to other games in the genre that I've played, there seems to be a lot of floatiness behind Samus's movement. Her jumps in particular felt very awkward at first, but I got used to it in time. The wall jump on the other hand took a lot of time to get down. The delay needed between the turn in your jump and the press of the jump button never felt right, leading to me dreading rooms where it was required to progress. Thankfully, I can count the rooms requiring it on only one hand so it isn't that big a problem.
Those minor control issues aside, this game is definitely a must-play in the Metroidvania genre. I'm glad I've finally gotten it under my belt and look forward to traversing more of the series in the future.