Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – the best disappointment of the year
2.12.2025
Translation: Patrik Stainbrook
Pictures: Domagoj Belancic
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond dares to try a lot of new things, but stumbles over its own ambitions. Old Metroid fans will be annoyed, but for everyone else, the game will be one of the biggest reasons to buy a Switch 2.
18 years. That’s how long it’s been since the last Metroid Prime game was released for the Wii. Now with Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, developed by Retro Studios, Nintendo is finally putting fans of intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran out of their misery.
Is it worth the wait? Yes. But I’m still disappointed.
Welcome to beautiful planet Viewros
The start of this space adventure is a tough one. A Galactic Federation research station is attacked by space pirates, led by the bounty hunter Sylux. Fans will recognise the villain from DS spin-off Metroid Prime Hunters (2006).
As Samus Aran, I fight my way through the chaotic battlefield and help out the Federation soldiers. The intro is unusually epic and cinematic by Metroid Prime standards. Huge mechs fire on enemy spaceships, space pirates blast around like mad, fire, smoke, explosions everywhere.
And then, catastrophe.
In the heat of battle, a mysterious artefact the Federation has been researching on the station is damaged. The resulting explosion teleports Samus and some of the soldiers to a remote planet: Viewros.
My objective in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond? To somehow escape from this godforsaken planet. In typical series fashion, it quickly becomes clear that an advanced civilisation once lived on Viewros – the Lamorn. As the game progresses, I learn more about the downfall of this axolotl-like alien race. Among other things, I explore the ruins of a jungle world, an abandoned research facility in snowy mountains and a scorching hot desert full of secrets.
A lot of effort and passion went into the world design. Each biome features a striking colour palette, unique visual accents and atmospheric lighting. The omnipresent, futuristic alien architecture of the Lamorn runs through all areas, ensuring a coherent overall picture despite visual contrasts.
Even my girlfriend, not a gamer, walked past and noted: «Wow, that looks super cool.» She never usually comments on what’s happening on-screen when I’m playing. I couldn’t imagine a bigger compliment.
The soundtrack is just as amazing. All its tracks round off the atmosphere in each area with appropriate sounds. Melancholy alien choirs accompany me in the jungle ruins. The desert area is dominated by an ominous, muffled carpet of sound that makes it clear I’m unwelcome on this alien planet. And during boss fights, the soundtrack escalates into an explosive thunderstorm of guitar riffs, synthesiser noise and aggressive sound effects.
In short, the art design and audiovisual presentation of Metroid Prime 4 are absolutely amazing.
Metroid Prime as I know and love it
Before I get to the changes, first, the good news. At its core, the gameplay core of the Metroid Prime series remains unchanged. Its labyrinthine levels are full of locked doors and inaccessible sections, only gradually unlocked by receiving upgrades.
Many skills and upgrades return from previous games. For example, there’s Morph Ball mode, the grappling hook and, of course, Samus’ weapon arm. With it, she can fire rockets and beam shots – now also in ice, electric and fire variations. Every time I find an upgrade, the familiar Metroid jingle plays and the nostalgia part of my brain rewards me with a dose of dopamine. Glorious.
The scan function is back too. When I scan Lamorn objects, I learn more about the downfall of their civilisation. By scanning flora and fauna, I get detailed information about the planet’s ecosystem. Scanning enemies is also advisable, since that’s how you identify weak points.
Viewros feels like a real, living planet thanks to the additional scan data – more than just a randomly thrown together backdrop from a sci-fi game.
New to Metroid Prime 4, there are Samus’ Psy abilities, which she inherits from the Lamorn.
Using her telekinetic superpowers, the bounty hunter can manipulate certain items from a distance and fire a Psy Control Beam. Time slows down, and I can steer a fired projectile to hit up to three targets in succession. This is useful for lightning-fast opponents who dodge normal shots, for example.
From time to time, this controllable shot is also used for puzzles. For example, I have to activate hidden switches behind obstacles I’d never reach with conventional Metroid approaches.
I think the mechanics behind the telekinetic abilities are ingenious. Overall, however, I’m disappointed at how little Retro Studios does with this great idea. In my 20 or so hours of playtime, I can count the truly cool moments using my Psy powers in puzzles and boss battles on one hand. What a shame.
And while I’m complaining: old Metroid fans should prepare themselves for Metroid Prime 4 being an unusually easy game. I only died a couple of times, and only because I was extremely stupid at that. Unfortunately, the higher difficulty level is only unlocked after a second run.
Metroid with a motorcycle – yes, really
One new feature that made many fans sceptical in advance is Samus’ motorcycle Vi-O-La. She again receives this as a gift from the Lamorn. I use it to explore a relatively large hub desert world connecting all game areas.
A motorcycle? A large, open game world? In a Metroid Prime? That can’t go well.
Yet, it does. And how!
First things first: the futuristic bike handles superbly. The game doesn’t care about realistic physics, instead focusing on coolness. I dash through the huge sand sea, use dunes as take-off ramps and perform stylish Akira slides to change direction. I shoot down annoying flying robot opponents with homing bullets and watch as the tin cans fall to the ground and explode.
Like I said: cool.
Of course, there’s also plenty to discover in the desert. Collectors will be busy destroying green crystals that sprout from the ground everywhere. If I harvest enough green stuff, I get special upgrades for Samus’ Psy abilities (believe me, it’s worth it!). There are also numerous crash sites full of Galactic Federation equipment and ancient Lamorn temples waiting to be explored on foot. The latter function as mini-dungeons with puzzles I can only solve using the appropriate equipment.
Game sequences in the open desert world are a perfect change from the winding and sometimes exhausting labyrinth levels that wind me through claustrophobic corridors. In the desert, I can let my hair down and turn my brain off. I’m hoping that hub worlds like this become an integral part of the series in the future.
Shut the hell up, Myles MacKenzie!
The Metroid Prime series thrives on that feeling of isolation and exposure on a dangerous, unknown planet. Sadly, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond takes a different approach. On her adventure, Samus meets numerous Galactic Federation soldiers also stranded on Viewros.
This change caused controversy in the run-up to release. Unfortunately, unlike with Vi-O-La, the worries are warranted. The new characters destroy the otherwise dense atmosphere of the game in some moments.
Introducing side characters always goes the same way. While exploring a new area, I meet a soldier and rescue them from an awkward encounter. The character then accompanies me for part of the level and fights alongside me. What bothers me the most: these NPCs talk too much.
Some of them are misused as tutorial bots and give me unnecessary hints. Technician Myles MacKenzie is already infamous from previews. He shines with quips like: «Samus, there’s something exciting over there. Wanna collect it?» or «A door just opened, let’s go and have a look.» In-your-face tips are the antithesis of Metroid Prime game design, which usually lets me discover things and think for myself.
Even when characters don’t fulfil a tutorial function, they’re annoying. I don’t like the way they’re written. The dialogue reminds me of Marvel films, where heroes always have a casual zinger up their sleeves. Serious situations are handled with a wink, and irony blankets every scene – both in gameplay and cutscenes.
Still, at least game passages where Samus travels with other soldiers only account for an estimated quarter of the playing time. However, this doesn’t mean the remaining 75 per cent are perfect. Turns out Samus is connected to the soldiers’ improvised base camp by radio, especially in the desert and some other level sections. Myles chirps in with sayings like «You can always call me if you don’t know what to do.» Sometimes he also tells me exactly where I should go next and what I have to do.
I don’t want to freaking know man! I want to find out for myself, to take my time, soak up the atmosphere, scan, marvel, reflect. Shut the hell up, Myles MacKenzie.
Nevertheless, I understand Nintendo to a certain extent. Metroid Prime games have never been mass-market hits. They’re narratively basic, hard-hitting games where you often get lost and don’t know what to do next. Metroid Prime 4 is intended as more beginner-friendly with its cinematic staging, new Marvel-esque characters and low difficulty.
The aim of getting more people interested in the game series is laudable. However, this could’ve been achieved without shaking the foundations of the Metroid Prime formula and torpedoing the unique atmosphere of the games.
Metroid Prime 4 impressively shows off what the Switch 2 is capable of
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be released simultaneously for the Switch 1 and Switch 2. The game was essentially developed for the old Switch, but benefits from numerous technical upgrades in the Switch 2 edition. It’s the best showcase yet for the capabilities of Nintendo’s next-gen console.
The game offers two modes – a quality mode in 4K with 60 fps and a performance mode in 1080p with 120 fps. Both options are still rare on the Switch 2. Few other games run at such a high resolution or with so many frames per second. I test both and opt for the 4K version. With that many pixels on-screen, the harmonious art design comes into its own. I don’t notice any frame rate drops, even in hectic situations the game runs smoothly.
The handheld modes are also impressive. There, the game reaches either 1080p at 60 fps or 720p at 120 fps. This is rare too – hardly any game has made full use of the Switch 2’s VRR-capable 120 hertz screen. It feels surreal to see such a good-looking Nintendo game running so smoothly in handheld mode. I didn’t notice any stutters, and the slightly lower 720p resolution doesn’t bother me on the smaller screen. Great presentation, Retro Studios!
However, by far the best feature of the Switch 2 edition is the excellent mouse control. I control the game like a shooter on PC with the mouse (right Joy-Con) and keyboard (left Joy-Con). Of course, the small controller doesn’t fit in my hand as nicely as a conventional mouse. Nevertheless, I can still play for several hours at a time without cramping or feeling any discomfort.
I aim at enemies with the ZL button then use the mouse to target specific body parts and weak points. This works surprisingly quickly and precisely. In some boss fights – all of which are brilliant, by the way – I even get the feeling they were specially developed for mouse control. Exploring new areas is also more fun with the mouse. I generally feel more mobile and faster.
In addition to mouse control, the game also offers traditional stick control and motion control reminiscent of the Wii era. But once I’ve got into my groove and found the right settings, I don’t want to go back. Metroid Prime 4 impressively proves that the Switch 2’s mouse function is more than just a gimmick – it fundamentally changes the flow and feel of the game.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be available for the Switch and Switch 2 from 4 December. The Switch 2 edition was provided to me by Nintendo for testing purposes. I haven’t been able to test what the Switch 1 edition looks like yet.
In a nutshell
The best disappointment of the year
At its core, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is impressive. Exploring the labyrinthine levels, unlocking upgrades and slowly opening up new areas of the world feels damn good. It’s all accompanied by awesome art design and a great soundtrack. The open desert area, which I explore on a motorcycle, also wins me over – a perfect contrast to traditional Metroid gameplay. Too bad the game doesn’t make better use of Samus’ telekinetic abilities, which she can use to steer shots, among other things.
The new characters are disappointing too. When they’re by my side, they annoy me with unnecessary tutorial information and embarrassing Marvel quips. I’d also have liked a bit more of a challenge. These points of criticism will likely bother older Metroid fans in particular.
But despite its weaknesses, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond provides one of the best reasons to buy a Switch 2. The game makes use of practically all the console’s technical features and delivers an extremely sharp (4K) or extremely smooth (120 fps) gaming experience. The mouse controls impressed me most, fundamentally changing the way I experience the game.
Pro
- Impressive graphics, harmonious art design, awesome atmosphere
- Outstanding performance, even in handheld mode
- The best showcase yet for the Switch 2’s mouse controls
- Hub world perfectly complements the classic Metroid gameplay
Contra
- Annoying hint system destroys the atmosphere
- poorly written Marvel dialogue, annoying characters
- New psychic skills aren’t used enough
- Too easy by Metroid standards
Domagoj Belancic
Senior Editor
Domagoj.Belancic@digitecgalaxus.chMy love of video games was unleashed at the tender age of five by the original Gameboy. Over the years, it's grown in leaps and bounds.
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