Over eight years ago, back when the first Nintendo Switch was only three months old, Nintendo shocked the world with the announcement of Metroid Prime 4. At that point, the Metroid franchise was in a state of purgatory, with the last major entry in the series being the infamous Metroid: Other M in 2010. Sure, there were spin-offs like Metroid Prime: Federation Force, but fans were excited to finally get a new major Metroid game after years of waiting.
However, fans would have to keep waiting, because the game restarted development in 2020. In the meantime, the series stayed active with Metroid: Samus Returns and Metroid Dread, which kept fans of the 2D side of the series occupied. Yet even still, it was hard not to lose confidence and wonder if the game would even release at all. Thankfully, as of December 4, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally in the hands of fans.
Since its launch, though, there has already been quite a lot of controversy surrounding the release. Many have questioned the game’s emphasis on NPCs, a pseudo-open world, and whether or not it maintains the atmosphere of previous entries in the series. As someone who has appreciated the series from afar and who finally got a chance to play titles like Dread, Prime Remastered, and Fusion, I adored Metroid Prime 4: Beyond from beginning to end.
Samus Returns, And She’s Not Alone
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, as the name implies, takes place a few years after Prime 3: Corruption. Samus is sent on a mission to a Galactic Federation Research Station, which is under attack by Sylux, the new leader of the Space Pirates. What starts as a seemingly routine mission ends with several Galactic Federation soldiers, plus Sylux himself, all being transported across universes to another world: Viewros.
Viewros is a rich world, teeming with a vast array of unique ecosystems. It was once inhabited by the Lamorn, a now-extinct species that tasks Samus with carrying their legacy to a new world. To help her with her task, they award her with psychic abilities, which will allow her to navigate Viewros with ease. Along the way, she must find the surviving Galactic Federation soldiers, defeat Sylux, and find a way back home.
The premise of Metroid Prime 4 is absolutely fantastic. It immediately draws you in, regardless of your interest in the series. If Prime 4 is your first entry in the franchise, you’ll be hooked by the rich worldbuilding of Viewros and the compelling nature of Samus’ character. If you’re a well-seasoned vet when it comes to Metroid, though, you’ll be just as enthralled, if not more so, in how the game continues to build upon the franchise’s story.
Speaking of Samus, Prime 4 cements her as one of the coolest characters in gaming history. In every cutscene, she manages to convey such an intimidating presence, all without saying a single word. A lot of that comes from just how good the visuals are. Prime 4 is genuinely one of the prettiest games I’ve ever played, let alone the best-looking game from Nintendo. Each area of Viewros is beautifully realized, and Samus in general has gotten a great makeover with an absolutely stunning new suit.
Then, of course, there’s Sylux. Sylux has been built up ever since the release of Metroid Prime Hunters in 2006, and has since made appearances in Prime 3 and Federation Force. Here, he finally makes his proper debut, and at first, I was actually worried that he wouldn’t be as well-realized as other villains in the series, especially after Raven Beak in Dread. Thankfully, the developers went out of their way to make him a memorable antagonist to great success.
Unlike Raven Beak, Sylux will constantly show up to challenge Samus, whether it’s through mini-bosses in the many zones of Viewros or through small appearances where he hinders her progress. As the game continues, you learn more about why he despises both her and the Galactic Federation. Plus, especially in the final act, his personality comes across very well as a truly prideful foe with genuine rage towards Samus.
In general, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has a greater emphasis on cutscenes. I was personally reminded a lot of Doom: The Dark Ages with how the cutscenes go for a smaller aspect ratio, as if you’re watching an actual film. I really liked this choice, as it allowed the gravitas of the overall to come across more. Metroid has always done a great job with storytelling, whether it’s through more subtle worldbuilding, like with Super Metroid, or with more overt dialogue, like with Dread. This brings me to the most controversial aspect of Prime 4: the NPCs.
In the lead-up to the game’s launch, many were criticizing the Galactic Federation soldiers you encounter throughout the story, namely because of the perception that their dialogue felt more like a Marvel movie with very predictable and cliched dialogue. As someone who has watched a lot of those movies and played games with truly awful dialogue, Prime 4: Beyond isn’t even close to the worst example I’ve seen of this archetype.
I really liked all of the NPCs you encounter throughout the game. None of them outstay their welcome, with each zone featuring one or more of the characters prominently, before giving Samus time to explore by herself. Each character is extremely charming, with Private Armstrong in particular being a favorite of mine. Her obsession and adoration of Samus is cute, but there are just as many moments where she is forced to be serious in order to save the day.
I won’t lie and say there aren’t a few moments where the dialogue is a bit heavy-handed. There’s one moment where a character says that beating enemies was a “piece of cake. Red velvet cake!” which slightly took me out of the experience. Further, there are a few moments where characters will repeat dialogue if the game notices you’re spending too much time exploring, because it thinks you’re lost. However, once you realize the purpose that the NPCs are meant to serve in the story, it’s hard not to become attached.
As Metroid has evolved over the last few decades, so has its method for telling stories. We haven’t had an entry in the franchise with subtle storytelling in quite a while, and as someone who loved Dread‘s approach to the narrative, I can’t say I was disappointed with Prime 4‘s approach. The new characters, the visuals, the antagonist, cutscene style, worldbuilding, and dialogue all enhance the atmosphere rather than detracting from it.
That raises the question, then: if the narrative for Prime 4 is handled so well, then how does it handle the gameplay? The exploration, combat, and puzzles of the Prime series are the most instrumental part of its iconography, so how does Prime 4 maintain that? Personally, I think it handles it quite well, despite a few small issues here and there.
The New With The Old
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond follows the age-old adage of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” A lot of the power-ups you will find along your journey are the same as what you’d expect from previous games. After losing all your abilities at the beginning in traditional Metroid fashion, you will soon regain super missiles, bombs, and various elemental projectiles. From a distance, it may not seem like Prime 4 doesn’t do enough new to justify the long development time. That notion will quickly disappear as you play more, however.
For starters, there’s the inclusion of psychic abilities. Throughout the game, you’ll get various abilities with added utility from the Lamorn people. Some of these you’d expect, like the spider ball ability, which, save for some new types of rails, functions the same as previous games. There are just as many new things that Samus can do, such as being able to guide projectiles with the Control Beam or manipulate energy with the Psychic Glove.
Then, there’s the biggest new addition: the Vi-O-La, a bike created by the Lamorn that Samus can use to traverse Viewros. You’ll primarily use this to explore the central area of the planet, titled Sol Valley. Sol Valley is a massive desert that serves as a way to get you to the next zone and retrieve items that are either necessary for completion or those that will enhance your statistics, such as missile expansions and energy tanks.
At first, Sol Valley can feel a bit barren. You aren’t really going to encounter extra characters exclusive to the area, and calling it an open world is a bit disingenuous. In reality, it functions similarly to Hyrule Field in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time, as it connects the game’s many locations via one central hub. While the lack of any music in the background of Sol Valley exploration is a bit of a bummer, I personally had a great time exploring the area.
The Vi-O-La feels great to control, and being able to use it in combat against airborne enemies and even entire boss fights is a huge treat. Plus, I really liked getting to explore the smaller areas you can find on the map. If anything, the lack of music only added to the atmosphere and made the sensation of traversing the area feel remarkably relaxing. If you’re so inclined, you can always play some music in the background while exploring (or you could buy the Samus amiibo or 100% the files, which adds a soundtrack to the area).
In general, I think the exploration elements of Metroid Prime 4 haven’t missed a beat. The emphasis on scanning still stands, and a lot of the lore is told via descriptions and journals of the Lamorn you can find throughout your journey. There are a lot of secrets that you will only find out if you choose to engage with the scanning mechanic, and getting 100% of all the scans and items is mandatory to get a secret ending.
Then there’s the game’s puzzles, which also feel very well realized. Most require you to observe your surroundings and use your many abilities. The new abilities as a whole make puzzle-solving in particular feel a lot more satisfying, and I especially liked working out how best to use the Psychic Glove and Control Beam abilities. There weren’t many moments where I felt lost or confused, whether it was with exploration or puzzle-solving. As someone whose struggled with other Metroid games in the past, I feel like Prime 4 struck the right amount of balance, and even the moments where I did struggle never felt unfair.
That just leaves the final piece of the puzzle that is Metroid Prime 4‘s gameplay: combat. Compared to how many new elements the developers introduced with the exploration and puzzle-solving, combat hasn’t really gotten the same level of attention. Unlike Dread, which featured a greater emphasis on parrying, a lot of Beyond focuses on dodging projectiles and firing back in equal measure, which is par for the course when you think about other entries in the Prime series.
This isn’t to say that combat is bad. A lot of the bosses are really fun and, like the puzzles, frequently ask you to take advantage of the abilities in your repertoire. For instance, certain battles will ask you to control your projectile to hit an enemy’s multiple weaknesses in quick succession. In particular, I really enjoyed the many boss fights that have Samus going toe-to-toe against Sylux himself.
While perhaps Metroid Prime 4 didn’t innovate as much as people wanted, I don’t think it ever needed a substantial reinvention. The new additions are a great way to hook both new and returning players, while not deviating from what made the original games so special in the first place. That approach of tasteful changes that evolve the series purveys the entirety of Prime 4 and signals the beginning of a new era for the franchise.
The Start of a New Era
I’ve been fascinated by the Metroid franchise ever since I was a kid. I thought Samus, the overall aesthetic, and some of the many villains were so cool, and I always wanted to play through the entire series and understand what makes it so special. However, every time I’ve tried, I’ve found myself struggling to get used to the mechanics, exploration, and puzzles. It’s only recently that I’ve finally been able to enjoy the series as it was intended. Yet, despite all that, it was Metroid Prime 4: Beyond that finally tipped the scales and finally made me a true fan of the series.
After all these years of waiting, Prime 4 was never going to fulfill everyone’s expectations. Disappointment was always going to be inevitable, and there are certainly some key issues worth noting. Sol Valley isn’t always that fun to explore, especially with the lack of music, and the emphasis on cutscenes and NPCs may detract from the atmosphere that the franchise has done so well at maintaining. Personally, though, I believe that the game still manages to stay true to what made Metroid so special in the first place.
The game often strikes a balance between innovating with new concepts while continuing the series’ legacy. The introduction of new psychic abilities and a vehicle to use for traversal is so much fun to experiment with in traversal, combat, and exploration. Additionally, I loved the story and its characters, and I found myself deeply enamored by Samus, the Galactic Federation soldiers, and Sylux.
When the credits finally rolled, I found myself wanting not just to play the game again, but with the desire to play through more entries in the franchise. I’ve officially fallen in love with the Metroid franchise, and regardless of what the future brings, whether it’s a new 2D game or a new entry in the Prime series, I will be there no matter what. Regardless of whether you’re a fan or on the fence about the new additions to the Prime formula, or if you’ve never played a Metroid game before, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an absolute must-play.
Disclaimer: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was reviewed on the Nintendo Switch 2.
