Review: Metroid Prime 4 – Beyond
Coming to Metroid Prime 4: Beyond without deep series history can be oddly liberating. My past with the franchise was a scattershot mix of dabbling in Smash Bros. and bouncing off a few hours of Dread. Even so, the prospect of a new Prime entry felt exciting—especially one positioned as a fresh start for a lot of players.
Most of my time with Beyond unfolded in transit—airports, flights, hotel rooms. That rhythm shaped the experience in a good way. There’s a special charm to the games you take on the road: the ones that pair neatly with layovers and quiet evenings become memories as much as they are play sessions.
Gameplay and feel
Beyond is a first-person adventure that blends scanning, exploration, and combat with the series’ signature “unlock to reach” progression. New abilities constantly reframe old spaces, tempting you to backtrack and peel deeper layers off the world.
Combat lands nicely thanks to responsive movement and aiming. You get multiple targeting options, including gyro and a pointer-like scheme that mimics mouse precision. I liked the latter conceptually but ultimately settled back into traditional controls—they’re reliable, fast, and rarely fussy. If there’s a nitpick, it’s impact feedback: shots don’t always read as viscerally as they could. Enemy reactions can feel muted, and I wanted more physicality to sell the heft of Samus’s arsenal.
World and pacing
Beyond walks a line between freeform discovery and gentle guidance. Objective breadcrumbs nudge you without trampling that sense of curiosity-driven exploration. The environments interlock with clever, readable design—scan visor sleuthing remains a satisfying ritual.
Not every stretch sings. A wide, desert-like expanse drags, padded with traversal that feels more like busywork than discovery. But the highs are undeniable: boss encounters and curated combat arenas bring sharp clarity to the mechanics, and several late-game sequences showcase the best of Metroid’s puzzle-combat fusion.
Visuals and performance
On Nintendo Switch 2, Beyond offers two modes when docked: a Quality mode that pushes up to 4K at 60fps, and a Performance mode targeting up to 120fps at 1080p. Both are impressively stable, and handheld play is consistently smooth. It’s a clean, confident presentation that leans on atmosphere rather than bombast.
Art direction does the heavy lifting: overgrown jungles, solemn temples, and eerie biomechanical spaces each carry distinct silhouettes and color palettes. Lighting sells texture and depth without muddying the view, while the visor UI layers just enough sci-fi flair to feel diegetic and readable.
Audio and narrative
Sound design is classic Metroid: restrained, moody, and purposeful. The soundtrack hums with synth textures that burrow under your skin, even if it rarely chases big, hummable melodies. It’s a vibe-forward score that complements the quiet thrill of scanning a ruin or stepping into a new chamber.
The story is functional rather than riveting. It frames the journey, sets stakes, and then wisely gets out of the way. After a year packed with character-driven epics, Beyond’s narrative doesn’t try to wrestle the spotlight—and that’s fine. The silent determination of Samus remains a powerful anchor.
Difficulty and accessibility
Beyond is more flexible than past entries when it comes to challenge. You can tune for a breezier, exploration-first run or crank things up for tougher firefights and tighter resource management. I skewed easy during travel and never felt punished for it. Accessibility options are thoughtful, and aim assists pair well with gyro for players who want precision without strain.
There are a few collectible quirks—certain items remain tied to Amiibo bonuses—but nothing core is gated, and it doesn’t undercut the main loop.
Length and value
Rolling credits took around 16 hours with a fair amount of optional detours and a couple of genuine “where now?” pauses. Completionists will find plenty tucked into corners and ability-locked alcoves. As for price, it lands in the usual big-budget bracket (R1,599), and the content feels commensurate with that spend.
Verdict
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond threads the needle between reverence and refresh. It modernizes the formula without sanding off what makes Metroid distinct: deliberate exploration, layered spaces, and the quiet thrill of mastery. Combat is crisp, traversal is rewarding, and performance options on Switch 2 are excellent.
A few pacing valleys and undercooked hit feedback keep it from outright brilliance, but the overall package is easy to recommend—especially to newcomers curious about the Prime style. Playing it on the move elevated the experience for me; by the time I set the console down, I felt like I’d traveled with Samus and come back satisfied.
Available on Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2.
