![[REVIEW] Metroid Prime 4: Beyond](https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg54sERh90xt-eeEz4R2cF8TAkACFO4OG6jtvcqp-Kbpq4hF2dIt03Fgo0bkg9bvC_sI9Nl7gh-9tTFg9Mbu1pyeVwbWlq_NLx54DIZaEZygI5nJdxzPHTSTbq6Jrl5u4zu3KVwXcKc5KiAf53bZAJHljVa5ENOVaVzksAWmi3NJF3db3JyNQaIdoGlCt4=w640-h360-rw "[REVIEW] Metroid Prime 4: Beyond")
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond - When Samus is Alone, It Reaches Incredible Heights
Can you believe how long we've been sitting around waiting for a new Metroid Prime game? Seriously, it felt like forever, right? But hey, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally out! I jumped into Samus’s new adventure right away and, whoa, I've got a ton to talk about.
This game is kind of a wild mix. Sometimes I was like, 'Yes! This might be the best Prime ever!' And other times? It felt... well, pretty weak. Retro Studios went all-out trying new things. It’s definitely impressive, but it’s super uneven. Let’s get into the awesome stuff, the not-so-awesome stuff, and that really boring desert.
The Tale of Two Games
Look, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a total mixed bag, no doubt. You’ve got this open-world hub that feels kinda old school and clunky, but it connects you to some absolutely gorgeous zones! Those areas perfectly nail that classic Prime feeling: first-person exploring and awesome lock-on shooting.
Oh, and Samus has buddies now! They chat a bit too much and toss out constant one-liners, but they actually save the day with some great story bits and are genuinely pretty charming. Even I, a grumpy, old-school Metroid fan, started to like 'em. The best part? Retro Studios still gets the core appeal: letting Samus be alone! You spend a comforting amount of time exploring in total quiet, soaking up that classic vibe.
Psychic Powers and Fluid Combat
So, the story starts with Samus just poofing onto the planet Urus. She needs to find a way back home while digging into the super old history of the Lorn people. The biggest addition? Samus’s psychic powers!
These abilities let you move specific things with your mind, which is a super cool twist on her usual gear. It leads to tons of fun stuff—like guiding Charge Shots to hit multiple enemies, tossing bombs like actual projectiles, and some awesome, flowy Morph Ball platforming.
The puzzles and upgrades are great, honestly, but they feel kinda familiar. They’re mostly just fresh takes on old moves. I can only think of a few puzzles that felt totally new, but there’s one killer cutscene moment I won’t spoil! It's fine that they stuck to the core recipe, especially for the continuation of such a legendary trilogy.
Fighting also feels exactly how a modern Prime should, but they made some sweet life upgrades:
- You can dodge quickly forward and backward.
- Getting out of the Morph Ball is way smoother.
- You can access your visor instantly.
Elemental weapons are back and super useful for fighting and exploring. Prime combat works best when fighting supports the exploring, and Prime 4 does this most of the time, giving you new enemies that need different tools. The only bummer is when the game tries too hard to be an early 2000s shooter, with way too many boring waves of repetitive baddies. Still, those parts always finish with something cool, because the boss fights are fantastic—a great mix of massive beasts and intense duels.
The Desert Fumble and the Motorbike
The other huge new thing is Samus’s motorbike, the Vi-O-La! It handles great, and they actually worked it into the story pretty smoothly. But here's the issue: what you actually do with it is a major blunder.
You spend most of your time zipping across Soul Valley, a big desert hub that sits between all the cool zones—like Hyrule Field from Ocarina of Time, maybe? The only trouble is, it’s just empty and boring.
This desert clearly saw the Great Plateau from Breath of the Wild and thought, 'I can be huge and open, too!' But it missed the whole point. It feels like they just wanted to make sure you spent hours riding across this boring landscape just to beat the game, almost like Retro Studios had to justify even having a motorbike.
This wouldn't be awful, but the main story makes you collect green energy all over the desert to 'save the Leourne people's history.' What that really means is you mindlessly drive around smashing green crystals. That is totally the kind of filler content that was old news the last time a Prime game dropped. Honestly, the game would be so much better and snappier without this one quest, or even without the whole desert entirely!
The Return to Dungeons (Hello, Zelda DNA!)
Okay, here's the silver lining: the spots you’re driving to are absolutely packed with the vibe and gameplay we all love! We’re talking lonely, spooky exploration through stunning, detailed worlds with deep backstories.
The maps here feel more like Prime 2 and 3—they're pretty self-contained, not the crazy web of connections you got in Prime 1. Each spot has one entrance from the desert, and you pretty much wrap up the main goal the first time you visit. This style totally scratches that 3D Zelda itch for me, since every zone is basically a giant dungeon: explore it, grab a critical upgrade, take down the boss, and head out.
Now, it still feels like Metroid—you still backtrack and hunt for hidden goodies. It’s just that these two Nintendo franchises have always shared some DNA, and this time, Prime 4 leans a bit more into that Zelda dungeon feel.
Vault Forge: A Highlight
An early favorite of mine is Vault Forge. It’s this gothic, futuristic factory that plays this intense rock soundtrack! The level design is totally tied up with its deep history. You can scan every single machine to learn what it was used for and its past, giving you awesome context that just makes everything click when you see it running. That kind of world-building is still what makes Metroid Prime so unique and special.
Technical Marvel and the Companion Conundrum
In these cool zones, Prime 4 is seriously one of the best-looking games Nintendo has ever put out. The art style is unbelievable, with lighting that’s just stunning, beautiful backdrops, and Samus’s awesome visor effects making a comeback.
On the Switch 2, you get two choices: a Quality Mode at 4K/60fps (hello, beautiful!) and a Performance Mode that gives you buttery-smooth 120 fps! Even on the first Switch, it manages a solid 60fps.
Okay, so let’s talk companions again. Since they're in the game, it means you're alone for more than half the time, which is perfect if you love that isolated feeling. When they are around, they're mostly fun and have solid voice acting, but the dialogue can feel like standard action movie stuff sometimes. I appreciate that they usually don’t spoil the puzzles entirely, but they definitely pop up more than I’d want to tell me where I should go or what I should do. The game already has an option for on-screen tips, so I really wish I could mute the companions' hints too!
Final Thoughts: Worth the Wait?
You don't need psychic abilities to see what Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was going for: blending that awesome Prime gameplay with a bigger story and a massive hub world. It doesn't totally hit that huge target, mostly because of that outdated desert that feels like filler, and those companions who are fun sometimes but talk too much.
That said, none of its problems are game-breaking. Prime 4 is still a fantastic return because its high points are so incredible and completely stand apart from its issues. It absolutely nails the stuff that makes Metroid special, even decades later: intense exploration in spooky spots, brilliant world-building, stunning visuals, cool new abilities, and perfect technical performance.
It’s a huge game, easily a 15-hour adventure that totally lives up to the Metroid legacy. Go play it!
What did you think?
Have you guys tried Metroid Prime 4: Beyond yet? Did that desert part drive you nuts like it did me, or were you actually loving the Vi-O-La ride? Seriously, tell me what you think about the companions and which dungeon was your absolute favorite in the comments!
About the Writer
Jenny, the tech wiz behind Jenny's Online Blog, loves diving deep into the latest technology trends, uncovering hidden gems in the gaming world, and analyzing the newest movies. When she's not glued to her screen, you might find her tinkering with gadgets or obsessing over the latest sci-fi release.What do you think of this blog? Write down at the COMMENT section below.
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