Few franchises have had fans waiting with as much anticipation as Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. After years of silence, development restarts, and swirling expectations, Samus Aran finally blasts her way back into our hands. And the result? A game that dares to expand the boundaries of the Prime formula while holding onto the essence that made its predecessors iconic.
Yet Beyond is also a contradiction—bold and inventive in its strongest moments, but weighed down by a handful of design choices that don’t fully land. It’s a comeback filled with exhilarating highs, some frustrating lows, and a lot of gutsy experimentation. Even if not everything works, there’s no denying that Metroid Prime 4 is one of Nintendo’s most ambitious releases to date, and an overall triumphant return for the bounty hunter we’ve missed for so long.
In this in-depth review, we dig into the world design, psychic abilities, exploration, companions, combat, visuals, and more to see exactly how well Metroid Prime 4: Beyond lives up to the legend.
A Mysterious New World: The Planet Viewros
Metroid Prime 4 begins with Samus being unexpectedly teleported to a mysterious planet known as Viewros. Here, she’s not just stranded—she’s thrown into a complex web of ancient mysteries created by the Lamorn, a long-lost race whose history becomes the central backbone of the story.
Samus’ main objective—finding a way home—quickly evolves into unraveling the secrets of the Lamorn civilization, its psychic technology, and the threat that still lingers beneath the surface. Although some narrative elements feel thinner than expected, especially concerning the long-teased antagonist Sylux, the core mystery is compelling enough to keep you invested.
The story is at its best when it veers into the atmospheric isolation that the Prime franchise is known for. Retro Studios delivers plenty of quiet, haunting, slow-burn narrative beats that reward patient exploration, scanning environments, and piecing together lore at your own pace.
New Psychic Powers Bring Fresh Ideas to the Classic Formula
One of the biggest additions to Metroid Prime 4 is Samus’ new psychic abilities—lavender-colored powers gifted to her through Lamorn technology. While they don’t entirely reinvent the wheel, they add meaningful flavor to the classic Metroid toolkit.
These powers allow you to:
Although many puzzles built around these abilities feel like imaginative remixes of classic Prime upgrades rather than truly revolutionary mechanics, they do succeed in giving Metroid Prime 4 its own identity. Some puzzle sequences are surprisingly cinematic, standing out as memorable set pieces that blend physics, timing, and environmental interaction.
For seasoned Prime players, the familiarity is comforting rather than disappointing. This feels like a spiritual successor that respects its roots more than a complete reinvention—and given the troubled development cycle, that is likely a very deliberate choice.
Classic Prime Combat—Enhanced and Modernized
The lock-on, circle-strafing combat system that defined the Prime series returns in full force, but Retro Studios has finely tuned it for modern expectations. Samus controls more smoothly than ever, with:
This isn’t twitch-based FPS gunplay; it’s the more deliberate, rhythmic combat Metroid Prime fans adore. Each encounter is designed less for intensity and more for tactical spatial management—dodging, timing, and exploiting weaknesses.
Enemies often require specific strategies to defeat, especially some late-game encounters that feel like elaborate puzzles themselves. However, the game occasionally dips too heavily into mid-2000s-style corridor shooting, with repetitive enemy waves that don’t quite mesh with Prime’s atmospheric pacing.
The boss battles, on the other hand, are spectacular, blending cinematic flair with clever mechanics. A plant-based monstrosity protected by massive petals is a standout early example. These fights maintain Prime’s tradition of memorable, larger-than-life encounters that perfectly punctuate each major zone.
Multiple Control Schemes for Every Preference
Metroid Prime 4 is one of Nintendo’s most customizable shooters ever, offering:
Most players will gravitate toward the dual-stick layout with optional gyro assist, as it offers the most intuitive blend of precision and comfort. The classic Wii-style scheme is surprisingly functional and nostalgic, but mouse mode—while creative—feels too awkward for long sessions.
Samus’ Motorcycle: A Great Idea Held Back by a Bland Desert Hub
One of Prime 4’s most surprising additions is the introduction of Samus’ motorcycle—an agile, futuristic vehicle that controls beautifully and integrates smoothly into the story.
The problem isn’t the bike.
It’s where you use it.
The central hub of the game is Sol Valley, a desert region acting as a massive connective tissue between major areas—akin to an open-world interpretation of Hyrule Field from Ocarina of Time. This could have been exciting, but Sol Valley is disappointingly sparse:
It feels like a relic of old-school open-world design trying to mimic Breath of the Wild’s magic without the density or creativity needed to pull it off.
The Green Energy Collecting Quest – The Weakest Link
One mainline objective forces you to comb the desert gathering green energy shards to preserve Lamorn history. While the story concept is strong, the gameplay loop is repetitive, shallow, and transparently padding.
Fortunately, this quest doesn’t overshadow the entire experience, but it represents the most outdated aspect of Metroid Prime 4’s design philosophy.
Peak Metroid Prime Atmosphere in the Core Regions
Beyond the desert lies the heart and soul of Metroid Prime 4: its major regions. Each one feels like a massive, intricately crafted sci-fi dungeon rich in lore, environmental storytelling, puzzles, and atmosphere.
Unlike the intricate world web of Metroid Prime 1, these areas are more self-contained—similar to Prime 2 and Prime 3. Each zone usually follows this satisfying structure:
- Explore
- Acquire major upgrade
- Unlock new paths
- Battle a thematic boss
- Exit with a sense of mastery
It’s extremely reminiscent of classic 3D Zelda design, and it works beautifully.
Volt Forge – A Visual and Atmospheric Masterpiece
One of the early standout regions is Volt Forge, a gothic industrial labyrinth blending rock-metal soundtrack energy with meticulous worldbuilding. Every machine, corridor, and forge pipe tells a story, especially if you frequently use the scanning visor.
Here, the game reaches moments of pure brilliance—areas that could easily stand beside the best zones from Prime 1 and Echoes.
A Perfect Blend of Horror and Action
Retro Studios continually shifts the tone:
This genre-mixing keeps the game feeling fresh from start to finish.
Companions: Better Than Expected, Worse Than Perfect
A controversial addition: Galactic Federation companions who occasionally adventure alongside Samus.
The good news?
They’re not nearly as intrusive as feared.
These characters:
A standout moment is when a Samus superfan sees her morph into the Morph Ball and nearly screams with delight.
However:
Once again, Beyond lives in duality—the companions can be delightful, but they sometimes pull you away from Metroid’s cherished isolation.
The Oddly Underused Villain: Sylux
Despite heavy marketing, Sylux barely appears. His character feels underdeveloped, and his presence lacks the depth fans expected after nearly two decades of buildup. The Lamorn story arc is strong, but it unintentionally highlights how little Sylux contributes.
Stunning Visuals and Technical Perfection on Switch 2
Metroid Prime 4 may not surpass the graphical fidelity of high-end PC titles, but for a Nintendo platform, it’s a monumental leap.
Key visual achievements include:
The game showcases spectacular artistic vision rather than pure realism—something Retro Studios has always excelled at.
Music also delivers in full force, blending electronic ambiance with haunting choirs and industrial beats. Metroid Prime 4s soundtrack feels like a natural evolution of the series’ iconic soundscape.
The Balance of Isolation and Cinematic Moments
Despite its experiments, Metroid Prime 4 remains true to one core philosophy:
Samus must, ultimately, spend most of her journey alone.
And Retro Studios respects that beautifully. Over half the game is spent in total solitude—no chatter, no guidance, just eerie exploration, environmental danger, and classic Metroid immersion.
Yet when cinematic scenes hit—especially those involving companions—they create memorable moments that wouldn’t have been possible in previous games. Metroid Prime 4 strikes a careful balance between classic design and modern narrative pacing.
👉 Also Read: Nintendo Switch 2 Gets Its First-Ever Cyber Monday Discount.
Verdict: A Bold, Uneven, But Ultimately Exceptional Return
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is not a flawless masterpiece—but it is a boldly ambitious, deeply atmospheric, and mechanically rich entry that proudly carries the Prime legacy into a new era.
What Works Extremely Well
What Holds It Back
Despite these flaws, Metroid Prime 4 reaches unforgettable heights worthy of the franchise name. When you’re deep in a quiet alien ruin, visor fogging as a storm rages outside, scanning ancient scripts, and uncovering lost secrets—you’ll remember exactly why the Prime series is legendary.
Score: 9/10 — An ambitious and atmospheric revival that shines brightest when it embraces its roots.
