Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Review – Samus Returns and It Was Worth the Wait

After years of silence, development restarts, and endless fan theories, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is finally here, and thankfully, it feels like a game that was worth waiting for. Retro Studios returns to continue the Metroid Prime series, this time fully embracing the power of the Nintendo Switch 2 to give our beloved badass, Samus, a larger and more modern adventure.

Rather than completely reinventing the franchise, the game sticks to what fans love most: exploring alien worlds, environmental storytelling, and that unmistakable feeling of being completely alone on a hostile planet. At the same time, it introduces a few new ideas, like more open areas and fresh abilities, that aim to push the series forward without abandoning its identity. Not every experiment works perfectly, but enough of them do to make the experience feel like a natural evolution.

TL;DR

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an atmospheric, well-crafted return for Samus Aran that focuses on exploration, solitude, and sci-fi mystery. It plays with new ideas without forgetting its roots, offering beautiful environments, satisfying combat, and plenty of lore. However, not everything lands. The more open design and extra backtracking may wear some players down, but overall, it stands as one of the strongest titles on the Nintendo Switch 2 for fans of exploration-driven experiences.

Gameplay – Familiar Foundations, Smarter Execution

At its core, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond plays exactly how fans would hope. Exploration drives everything. You move through interconnected regions, uncover upgrades, solve environmental puzzles, and slowly gain access to new areas as Samus grows stronger. It’s a good ol’ formula that has stood the test of time, and here it feels as polished as ever. And of course, we fans have grown to love it.

The biggest gameplay shift comes from the more open structure of the world. Instead of tightly segmented areas, the game offers broader zones that connect more organically. This gives exploration a greater sense of freedom and scale, but it also introduces occasional pacing problems. Traversing long stretches of terrain without meaningful encounters can feel slow, especially during mandatory backtracking.

Combat, however, remains consistently satisfying. Samus’s weapons feel powerful and responsive, with clear audio and visual feedback that makes every shot land with impact. Lock-on aiming is smooth, enemy behavior encourages movement and positioning, and encounters rarely feel mindless. Boss fights are a particular highlight, demanding patience, observation, and smart use of abilities rather than brute force.

Abilities, Progression, and Player Freedom

Progression in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels rewarding without overwhelming the player. New abilities are introduced at a steady pace, each one clearly designed to open new paths or change how you approach combat and traversal. There’s a strong sense of empowerment as you realize how much more capable Samus becomes over time. Especially when acquiring interesting new types of weaponry we’ve never seen before (aka psychic beam). I must also say I really appreciated how you didn’t have to constantly beat bosses to get new upgrades. Sometimes you’d simply come across them.

Some new mechanics, including advanced mobility options (yes, you ride a badass, ultra-futuristic motorcycle) and experimental abilities, add welcome variety without overcomplicating the controls. Importantly, the game trusts players to experiment. Tutorials are minimal, allowing discovery to feel organic. That sense of personal discovery is one of the franchise’s greatest strengths, and Beyond understands that perfectly.

Exploration & Atmosphere – Where the Game Truly Shines

Atmosphere has always been the heart of Metroid Prime, and Beyond excels here. Every planet feels alien and slightly hostile, filled with strange architecture, unsettling sounds, and environmental details that tell stories without words. Lighting and sound design do a tremendous amount of work, creating tension even when nothing is actively happening.

The game relies heavily on environmental storytelling. Scanning ruins, observing abandoned facilities, and piecing together clues from the world itself creates a slow-burning narrative that rewards curiosity. There are very few moments where the game stops to explain itself. Instead, it invites you to pay attention.

For longtime fans, this approach feels like a return to familiar times. I must say that some environments did remind me a bit of Metroid Prime (2002), as its environments and weapons revolved around fire and ice (and the Nova Beam, which is quite similar to the Electric Beam). But hey, I’m not complaining!

Story – Subtle, Mysterious, and Perhaps Intentionally Restrained

The narrative in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond doesn’t dominate the experience, and that’s by design. The story unfolds gradually through exploration, scans, and occasional scripted moments. It remains focused on mystery rather than exposition, leaving plenty of room for interpretation.

While some players may wish for more direct storytelling or character interaction, the restrained approach fits the tone perfectly. Samus is a lone hunter, and Metroid Prime 4: Beyond never forgets that. The sense of isolation enhances the emotional weight of the journey, making discoveries feel personal rather than cinematic.

That said, there are moments where the narrative momentum slows too much, especially during longer stretches of exploration without meaningful story progression. The mystery remains compelling, but its delivery may test the patience of players looking for clearer narrative beats.

Level Design – A Strong Core With a Few Rough Edges

The best parts of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are its more focused, dungeon-like areas. These sections feature tight design, clever puzzles, and satisfying progression loops. Finding an upgrade and immediately understanding how it reshapes your options is classic Metroid, and it’s executed extremely well here.

The larger open zones of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond are more hit-or-miss. While visually impressive, some areas lack density, making them feel more like connective tissue than meaningful spaces. Backtracking through these zones can become repetitive, especially late in the game. It’s not enough to derail the experience, but I believe it does prevent the game from reaching its full potential.

Technical Performance – A Bright Star for the Switch 2

Okay, let’s talk technical stuff. On a technical level, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is one of the most impressive titles on the Nintendo Switch 2. Performance is smooth, frame rates are stable, and load times are minimal. The game looks sharp and detailed without sacrificing responsiveness. I was literally left in awe for the first few minutes of the game (maybe a few happy tears were shed, too).

Visual effects, lighting, and animation all contribute to a strong sense of immersion in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. Minor issues like distant texture pop-in or occasional environmental flatness appear in large open areas, but they’re rare and never distracting. Overall, this is a polished, confident production that truly shows what Nintendo’s new hardware can do.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Conclusion

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond doesn’t reinvent itself, and it doesn’t really have to be a reinvention. Instead, it’s a thoughtful, atmospheric evolution of a beloved series that understands exactly why fans fell in love with it in the first place. Its strengths lie in exploration, its atmosphere, and its careful design, delivering moments that feel Metroid-like uniquely. The story, the environments, and the upgrades all add to the franchise’s legacy and bring back memories of older titles that couldn’t be more pleasant.

While pacing issues, open-area repetition, and backtracking hold it back from achieving absolute greatness, they don’t overshadow the experience as a whole. For fans of the franchise and players who value immersion and discovery over constant action, Metroid Prime 4 is a deeply rewarding journey and one of the standout releases on the Nintendo Switch 2.

Thanks to CD Media for providing us with a key and a new Samus adventure!