You’ve just beaten the Omega Pirate. You’re feeling like an absolute powerhouse, decked out in the Phazon Suit, ready to finally take the fight to the heart of the Impact Crater. Then you hit the wall. Literally. The Artifact Temple stands in your way, a silent, stony middle finger to your progress until you go on a planet-wide scavenger hunt.
Honestly, the quest for the chozo artifacts metroid prime throws at you is one of the most polarizing moments in gaming history. Some players love the victory lap across Tallon IV. Others? They find it a tedious chore that kills the pacing right before the finale. But if you look at the lore—I mean really look at it—these twelve relics aren't just keys. They are the final, desperate testament of a dying race trying to keep a cosmic horror in a box.
Why the Chozo Artifacts Metroid Prime Hunt Still Matters
If you’re playing the Remaster on Switch, you might notice that the hints are a bit clearer, but the challenge is identical to the 2002 original. The Chozo didn't just drop these things in random caves because they were messy. They were hiding them from the Space Pirates.
The Pirates were obsessed with the "Great Poison" (Phazon). They knew the Artifact Temple was a lock, a "Cipher" as the lore calls it, keeping them away from the source of power in the crater. But they couldn't crack it. Why? Because the Pirates lacked the spiritual connection to the Chozo—and, more practically, they didn't have a Morph Ball.
The Lore You Probably Scanned and Forgot
The Chozo of Tallon IV were unique. They chose to abandon high technology to live in harmony with the planet. When the Phazon meteor hit, it wasn't just an ecological disaster; it was a spiritual corruption. They built the Temple to contain the "Worm" (Metroid Prime), and they scattered the artifacts to ensure only the "Entrusted One"—Samus Aran—could ever open it.
The Space Pirates tried to brute-force the temple. They failed. They tried to study the artifacts they did find, like the Artifact of Warrior, which they literally shoved inside a Phazon Elite's containment tank. They were playing with fire and didn't even have the matches.
Tracking Down the Twelve: No, It’s Not Just "Go To the Waypoint"
Unlike modern games that hold your hand with a shimmering gold line on the floor, Metroid Prime expects you to read. If you haven't been scanning the totems at the Artifact Temple, you're making life way harder than it needs to be. Each totem gives a riddle.
Let's talk about the Artifact of Wild. It’s located in the Sunchamber, the same place you fought Flaahgra. You’ve probably walked through there a dozen times since the boss fight and seen nothing. But once you have the X-Ray Visor and return, you’re jumped by three Chozo Ghosts. It’s a haunt. You clear them out, and the artifact appears. Simple, but easy to miss if you aren't paying attention to the clues about "spirits drawn to a tainted place."
Then there’s the Artifact of Newborn. This one is brutal if you aren't prepared. It’s tucked away in the Phazon Mining Tunnel. You need the Phazon Suit to even survive the trip through the tunnel, and then you have to lay bombs like a madman while navigating a narrow Morph Ball maze. It’s the game’s way of saying, "You aren't getting in here until you've proven you can handle the radiation."
A Quick Breakdown of the Trickiest Spots
- Artifact of Spirit: High up in Phendrana’s Edge. You need the X-Ray Visor to find a hidden door behind a rock wall. Most people just walk right past it.
- Artifact of Elder: This involves a literal architectural collapse. In the Control Tower (Phendrana Drifts), you have to blow up fuel cells to send a tower crashing down, revealing the relic underneath.
- Artifact of World: Tucked under the feet of a statue in the Hall of the Elders. You need the Plasma Beam to hit the correct slot. Red for fire, obviously.
- Artifact of Lifegiver: Hidden in the Tower Chamber, behind the Tower of Light. You need the Gravity Suit to jump through the water at the base.
The Space Pirate Failure
It’s hilarious to read the Pirate Data logs. They are so frustrated. They found a few relics, but they couldn't do anything with them. They even tried to "unmake" the artifacts because they couldn't use them as keys.
The logs in the Phazon Mines reveal that the Pirates eventually realized they needed "items spiritually linked to the Chozo." They were looking for the suit upgrades Samus has. They were looking for the very things you’ve been collecting all game. The hunt for the chozo artifacts metroid prime forces is essentially a check to see if you’ve actually explored the world. It’s a gatekeeper for the final boss.
Dealing With the "Backtracking" Frustration
Look, I get it. Walking back through Magmoor Caverns for the 50th time feels like a slog. But the artifact hunt is the only time the game truly lets you feel like a God.
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Remember those Beetles that used to give you trouble? Now you delete them with a single Power Beam shot. Those Magmoors in the lava? One Ice Beam and a Missile, and they’re gone. The artifact hunt is a victory lap. It’s the game forcing you to look at how much you’ve grown before you face the final horror.
If you’re stuck, stop wandering aimlessly. Go back to the Artifact Temple. Scan every single pillar. The hints are actually quite literal once you know the names of the rooms on your map. "A molten lake" refers to Lava Lake. "A grove of life" refers to Life Grove.
Final Steps for the Completionist
Once you have all twelve, the real fight begins. Don’t just rush to the temple though. Make sure you’ve grabbed the remaining Power Bomb expansions and Missile tanks.
The battle with Meta Ridley at the temple is one of the toughest in the game, especially in the Remaster where his aggression feels tuned up. If you show up with 5 Energy Tanks, you're going to have a bad time.
Actionable Insight for Your Hunt:
- Prioritize the X-Ray Visor: You cannot find the Artifact of Spirit or the Artifact of Chozo without it. Get it from the Life Grove in Tallon Overworld as soon as you have the Power Bombs.
- The Plasma Beam is the Key: Several artifacts, like the Artifact of World and Sun, are locked behind Plasma Beam puzzles or ice sheets only the Plasma Beam can melt.
- Check the Sunchamber early: Don't wait until the very end to go back to the Sunchamber in the Chozo Ruins. It’s a long trek, and you’ll want to get it out of the way before you head into the Phazon Mines for the final stretch.
The Artifact Temple is the heart of Tallon IV's tragedy. Collecting those twelve pieces isn't just a checklist; it’s the final act of a hero fulfilling a prophecy that was written in stone long before Samus even landed her ship.