Metroid Prime 4 Struggles to Evolve Beyond Its Roots While Still Offering a Satisfying Metroidvania Experience (Review)

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It’s been a very long wait for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Nintendo first announced the fourth game in the popular Metroid Prime series for the Switch back in 2017. Development hit some snags, and the game was completely restarted in 2019 with the original developer, Retro Studios, back in charge. For almost seven years after that, updates were scarce until recently. Now, Metroid Prime 4 is finally here, marking the end of one of Nintendo’s most prolonged development projects.

Honestly, after waiting so long, Metroid Prime 4 is even better than I expected! Retro Studios really nailed the feeling of the older Metroid Prime games in Beyond, but they also tried to update things with some modern gameplay ideas. It doesn’t always work perfectly – sometimes the game feels a little split between old and new – but those issues don’t ruin the overall experience. It’s still a fantastic game!

Rating: 4/5

Pros Cons
Exploration and puzzle-solving are as satisfying as ever Larger emphasis on story and side characters doesn’t end up landing
Great boss battles with memorable designs Open-world areas feel too empty
One of Switch 2’s best-looking games yet

Metroid Prime 4 Puts a Greater Focus on Story, For Better and Worse

A major change in Metroid Prime 4 is a greater focus on storytelling. Previous Metroid Prime games relied on environmental storytelling and subtle clues, but Beyond includes more cutscenes and characters Samus Aran interacts with. While this isn’t necessarily a negative change – and many players would have welcomed it in earlier games – the quality of the writing itself ultimately holds Metroid Prime 4 back.

Several of the supporting characters aren’t very well developed and end up being irritating. Even the more interesting personalities don’t quite fit with Samus, who doesn’t speak, which makes some scenes awkward. Characters will often deliver lengthy, enthusiastic speeches with Samus simply standing there, and I found myself wishing the game had stuck with the subtler, more immersive storytelling style of the original Metroid Prime games.

Metroid Prime 4 will continue the long-running conflict between Samus Aran and Sylux, a mysterious bounty hunter who first appeared in Metroid Prime: Hunters. Nintendo has been building up Sylux as a key villain for Metroid Prime 4 for years, even hinting at it in the less popular game, Metroid Prime: Federation Force. This rivalry has been developing for decades.

It’s disappointing that Sylux doesn’t play a bigger role in Metroid Prime 4. Although he influences some key events, he’s rarely seen. Whenever he is on screen, he’s fantastic, and it makes you wish he’d been involved more. I was really excited for the showdown between Samus and Sylux, and the final result of their conflict didn’t quite live up to my expectations.

Gameplay Is Great, But Too Similar to Its Predecessors

Generally, Metroid Prime 4 feels like a classic Metroid game. Samus starts with her familiar Arm Cannon and Morph Ball, and gradually unlocks new abilities throughout the adventure. Longtime favorites like the Super Missile, Grapple Beam, and Spider Ball are back, but now have a psychic twist that complements Samus’s new powers. These returning abilities blend with entirely new ones, such as the Control Beam, which allows Samus to slow down time and precisely aim her shots.

At the heart of Metroid Prime 4 is a rewarding cycle: discovering new tools and abilities, using them to unlock previously unavailable upgrades, and becoming more powerful. The game is most fun when you solve puzzles or venture off the main path to find improvements for your weapons. Ultimately, Retro Studios has successfully captured the essence of classic Metroid gameplay with Metroid Prime 4.

The biggest new feature in Metroid Prime 4 is the Vi-O-La, a motorcycle-like vehicle Samus uses to travel. Introduced early in the game, the Vi-O-La helps players explore the open world. While it has a weapon and can be upgraded, riding it wasn’t the most enjoyable part of MP4 for me, mainly because the gameplay felt repetitive.

The Vi-O-La vehicle isn’t very impressive, and the decision to make Metroid Prime 4 partially open-world doesn’t quite work. Instead of feeling like a unified world, MP4 feels fragmented. The main areas Samus explores in Beyond are spread far apart on the planet Viewros, and the only way to travel between them is by taking lengthy trips on the Vi-O-La. While Metroid games often require revisiting areas, this method of backtracking is particularly tedious.

Metroid Prime 4 Is an Excellent Showpiece for Switch 2

If you’re playing Metroid Prime 4 on the new Nintendo Switch 2, you’re in for a visual and performance treat. The game looks fantastic, with Samus rendered in stunning HD, and it consistently runs smoothly. I tested it and the game maintained a solid 60 or 120 frames per second without any dips. This consistent performance really enhanced the exciting moments, especially during challenging boss fights. While I can’t comment on how it runs on the original Switch, upgrading to the Switch 2 definitely makes Metroid Prime 4 even more enjoyable.

Despite some weaknesses, Metroid Prime 4 still offers plenty to enjoy. While many of the new features don’t quite enhance the series, the core elements that made the original Metroid Prime games so beloved are still strong in this long-awaited sequel. Metroid Prime 4 might not live up to all the excitement surrounding it after so many years, but it’s ultimately great to see Samus return in a new adventure.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond comes out this week on December 4th. We received a preview copy of the game on the Nintendo Switch 2 from the publisher to use for our review.

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2025-12-04 01:14