Review: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition

First revealed in 2017, Metroid Prime 4 has finally made its debut on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. Initially helmed by Bandai Namco, it was scrapped and turned over to Retro Studios in 2019. Metroid fans were disappointed by the delay, but relieved to see the project back in the hands of the developers behind the original trilogy. It now faces the seemingly impossible task of living up to eight years of hype, as well as following up on its near-perfect predecessors. When a fateful encounter with rogue hunter Sylux takes an unexpected turn, Samus finds herself on a wondrous and discovery-filled adventure across an alien planet with a storied past. Let’s suit up and see if Metroid Prime 4: Beyond buckles under the weight of the world’s expectations or if it meets the moment to become a modern masterpiece.

Following the events of Metroid Prime: Federation Force, Sylux and the Space Pirates have taken the fight to the Galactic Federation, launching assault after assault on their bases across the cosmos. When a research facility on Tanamaar is the latest to fall under siege, Samus is called in to push back the enemy. But just as she comes helmet-to-helmet with Sylux, a strange artifact teleports her to another world. Next thing she knows, she wakes up stunned and stranded on the planet of Viewros, the home of the Lamorn. Inventors and psychics undone by catastrophe, they leave behind great power for the one chosen to save them from their plight. Entrusted with psychic abilities and a quest to find five keys scattered across the planet, Samus sets off to chart this unknown world, fulfill her destiny as the Lamorn’s savior, and eventually find a way back home.

In what may come as a surprise, the narrative is largely self-contained, being more of a standalone story about the Lamorn than an interconnected, lore-heavy one about Sylux and the future of the galaxy. The man of the hour shows up a few times throughout the game, but his character is not explored in a satisfying way and his contributions to the story are less impressive than expected, which is rather disappointing considering he was teased as the main antagonist since 2007’s Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, only to end up as an afterthought. Though the tale of Viewros’ lost civilization fares much better, in trying to balance the Lamorn and Sylux, neither plot gets as much attention as it deserves. Logbook lore entries are also less meaty and flavorful than before, leaving something to be desired in terms of world building and immersion. The story has never been the main appeal of the series, but it’s nonetheless strange to see it stumble on this front when previous games have done much better.

What makes it even stranger is the inclusion of a quippy supporting cast, which feels out-of-place in a series known for isolation and a more mature brand of storytelling. These NPCs, Galactic Federation Troopers stuck on Viewros along with Samus, were immediately controversial upon their reveal, and their immersion-breaking dialogue, cheery personalities, and tendency to give hints when they aren’t needed is a net negative. Ironically, they cast a larger shadow over the story than Sylux, but calling them characters would still be a stretch, and Metroid fans in particular might find them and their habits especially annoying. They do, however, fit with the more adventurous tone of the game, which seems targeted at a broader audience than is standard for the series. Though still atmospheric and immersive more often than not, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond leans towards embracing the awe and freedom of exploring another world.

Samus’ brand new motorcycle, Vi-O-La, is likely there for that reason, to introduce an open element to the otherwise claustrophobic Metroid formula. Connecting all of Viewros’ regions is the Sol Valley, and players will ride through it in style as they seek out objectives throughout the adventure. The game is at its most pure in its opening hours, when the NPCs are few and all travel is done locally and on foot, but it develops its own identity as it progresses, and by the end, it’s a mix of the old and new that’ll please some and turn away others. There remains cause for celebration, however, as the core gameplay loop is decidedly Metroid and compelling every step of the way.

From the first step taken to the last shot fired, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond keeps players engaged through its countless obstacles, puzzles, and enemies. Entering a new region feels like stumbling upon a whole new world, and that sense of not knowing what surprises wait around the corner is bliss. In spite of there being a linear progression path and guidance from the Troopers, there are still moments where players will have to think about where to go and what to do next. But through exploring new areas and revisiting old ones, they will gain abilities, open up pathways previously blocked off, fell mighty bosses, and become increasingly familiar with the planet’s hostile environments, as well as the flora and fauna that call it home. The new psychic abilities and psychic variants of classic items are also used in varied and creative ways, and the gameplay feels fresh despite using a formula that the series once perfected and others have since adopted.

Some of the new psychic powers include being able to materialize platforms, manually guide beam shots to a target in bullet time, and make morph ball bombs levitate. Puzzles and bosses are primarily designed around these abilities, giving them enough time in the spotlight to feel useful and unique. In comparison, however, some other abilities feel phoned-in. Samus’ beam weapon remains the same throughout, with elemental ammo-based subweapons fulfilling the role of alternate beams, and Vi-O-La gets only one significant upgrade despite how often it’s used throughout the adventure. Another upgrade or two, and the inclusion of the bike would be more notable and justified than it ended up being.

Another issue is that, as entertaining as exploration is, most of the biomes are not particularly memorable. They retread familiar ground, to where each location feels like it might have been inspired by a specific area from previous games of the original trilogy. There’s also too many indoor, facility-like areas, and they all blend together after a certain point. Enemies have the same problem, as they tend to come in only two major types: the mysterious and primal Grievers, and various autonomous security robots left behind by the Lamorn. Bosses too lack variety, and invoke a sense of deja vu with elements of their designs and fight strategies harkening back to bosses in previous entries. In the moment-to-moment gameplay, this matters less, as the loop is refined to be satisfying at every turn, but as a whole, these shortcomings bring down the memorability and legacy of the game.

The difficulty is on the easier side for exploration due to the Troopers and their need to constantly give directions, but combat can be a little challenging. Encounters tend to be tense, with enemies dealing high damage and carelessness being punished with a Game Over and lost progress. An autosave feature has been added, but it only saves huge chunks of progress and is more of a reserve save file than a checkpoint system that can be relied on. It comes in handy as the game gets a little over three hours out of the Switch 2’s battery life in handheld mode, and it is good to have a backup for when the battery reaches zero or an emergency comes up. Completing the game the first time around will take players a solid ten to fifteen hours, which is about the same playtime as the previous games. There’s a decent amount of replayability, with there being secrets tied to full completion of the logbook and all items acquired, a hard mode unlocked upon finishing, and possibly some potential for speedrunning and sequence-breaking.

If there’s any area where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond fully lives up to its subtitle, it’s with the visuals, which make it possibly the best-looking game Nintendo has ever published and a sign of good times to come for the Switch 2. Breathtaking vistas and detailed environments are around every corner of Viewros, and what is especially noticeable is how vivid and strong the colors are, as they shine even in the darker areas of the game. The brighter and more inviting world lessens Metroid’s “soft horror” vibes, but in exchange, Viewros becomes a world that players want to explore, rather than feeling forced to. The dull Sol Valley is its only flaw in this regard, with the visuals and art otherwise being mesmerizing from start to finish.

Players can choose between Quality Mode and Performance Mode, with the former being 4K 60fps docked and 1080p 60fps handheld, and the latter being 1080p 120fps docked and 720p 120fps handheld. Either way, loading times are mostly brisk, if not instantaneous, resolution drops and frame stutters are nonexistent, and input is smooth as butter. It’s yet to be seen how it’ll perform on the original Switch, but its optimization for Switch 2 suggests that it’ll be one of the Switch’s best-looking games as well. The music is also excellent, with some catchy melodies, ambient backdrops, a killer boss theme for Sylux, and cinematic swells for climactic moments. Overall, the audiovisual quality and production values almost make the wait seem worthwhile.

Beyond the better graphics, another draw of the Switch 2 Edition has been support for mouse controls, which are adequate, but may require some tinkering in the settings depending on players’ preferences and set-ups. Some may instead favor the standard dual-stick configuration, pointer aiming, or maybe even the handheld mode’s gyroscope, but regardless, there are several control options available. Players also have access to button mapping where they can fine-tune the controls to one’s liking, and the motion controls for Samus’ various abilities can be enabled or disabled as well. Lastly, the Switch 2’s upgraded HD Rumble shows off its capabilities throughout, with it replicating the hum of Vi-O-La’s engine and the force of firing a missile being novel uses of the tech.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a technical marvel and a great game overall, but as a Metroid title, and a follow-up to some of the best games ever made, it struggles to distinguish itself. Admittedly, the scales were tipped against it from the start, but it sealed its fate through its own choices. It’s unclear what prompted Nintendo and Retro Studios to make some of the decisions they did, but the talkative NPCs, motorcycle, and lack of variety feel like they belong in the troubled era following Metroid Other M, not the renaissance era kickstarted by 2022’s phenomenal Metroid Dread and continued by 2023’s Metroid Prime Remastered. If one thing was to be singled out as the biggest problem, it’s without a doubt the NPCs, who go against series ethos on top of just being overbearing, but their removal would still leave other issues intact.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition is a stunning showcase for the Switch 2 and a consistently entertaining action-adventure game that delivers a polished experience, but dedicated fans may find it doesn’t live up to the wait and the series name attached to it. For steps taken forward in specs, production, and quality-of-life, there are others taken backward through strange quirks in story and gameplay. Despite its failure to meet the moment, however, it remains to be one of the most exciting games to grace the system so far, and a worthy addition to any Switch 2 library.

8/10

A copy of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition was provided by Nintendo UK for the purpose of this review.