Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is, without a doubt, the return that fans of the saga have been waiting for almost a decade. Retro Studios has perfectly balanced the classic essence of Metroid Prime with innovations that revitalize the experience, delivering an adventure that, while accessible to new players, maintains the challenge and depth that defines the franchise. The game's unique atmosphere, the richness of its world, and its gameplay, deeply integrated with exploration and combat mechanics, make this installment something truly special.
Gorgeous, highly entertaining, and a thrill to unravel, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond on Switch 2 is the best single-player shooter in years and a triumph for gaming's coolest heroine.
Despite a few tweaks and new features – motion controls, psychic powers, a nonlinear hub world, and the occasional side character – this is Metroid Prime through and through. It’s without a doubt the closest the series has ever felt to the original Metroid Prime, in terms of tone, gameplay, and quality. Time will tell where I place Metroid Prime 4 in the ranking of the overall series, but fresh off my first playthrough I feel comfortable putting it among the likes of Super Metroid and the original Metroid Prime. It’s the best Switch 2 title yet, and I have to imagine that fans of the series will find themselves captivated by Metroid Prime 4.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond delivers the kind of return the series deserved. Retro Studios stays true to the original formula while adding fresh ideas, stronger storytelling, and a smarter world design. It’s not a revolution and some technical limits show through, but in all essentials it excels — it’s tense, clever, atmospheric, and consistently fun. A confident proof that Metroid Prime still has plenty to say.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond marks a triumphant return for Retro Studios delivering a masterfully crafted Metroidvania that captures the atmospheric tension and immersive world design that defined the original trilogy. With intelligent level design, fluid controls, striking art direction, and a strong sense of discovery, the game blends elements from past entries to produce a dynamic emotional experience. Although its slow opening and certain open-area sections slightly hold it back, Beyond ultimately proves that the long wait was worth it.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a worthy successor to the original trilogy, fully optimized on Nintendo Switch 2 to take full advantage of its control capabilities. There aren’t many 3D action-adventure experiences like this, and Retro Studios has managed to balance the Metroid Prime formula which, despite innovations you may like more or less, ultimately becomes a memorable space epic.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an impressive experience that will stay with you for a very long time. As you gradually unwrap its intricate game world that's packed with some of the best stage designs ever, the sense of accomplishment is simply unmatched.
After 18 years of waiting, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond manages to replicate that magical sense of discovery from the GameCube original while pushing the series in some incredible new directions. Separating the main biomes with a vast open world sounds ridiculous on paper, but the slick traversal provided by Vi-O-La makes exploration more satisfying than ever…Combine this with the stunning art direction, ferocious new boss characters, and a surprisingly endearing squad of Federation troopers, and Beyond is quite possibly the boldest, most well-realised Metroid game to date. Make no mistake, the long wait has been more than worth it. Welcome back, Samus.
Despite the fact that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is also launching on the original Switch, it truly feels like the proper showpiece for the Switch 2. The supreme gameplay design is beautifully complemented by the different input options, all of which are suitable ways to play through this adventure. The experience is bolstered by gorgeous visuals and spectacular performance regardless of how you choose to play.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is worth the wait. The new story characters are not in any way overly chatty, and this is still the mysterious and moody alien treasure hunt Metroid fans have come to love, but now with a funky alien bike. I still rate the original Prime trilogy over this, but those games were pretty much faultless, whereas this is just thoroughly excellent.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is the best Switch 2 game to date and seems perfectly designed to take advantage of the console's features. It returns to its roots but takes things in a new direction. It's a visual spectacle with incredibly detailed and sharp graphics.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond isn't a reinvention, but instead a pleasant reminder of all the things that made Metroid Prime back over the last few decades. It's a satisfying return to the formula that made Prime so strong many years ago - including some great boss encounters, rewarding and satisfying exploration and presentation that is quite frankly Nintendo's best. While the story doesn't quite land, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a stellar sc-fi adventure for Samus and more than worthy of the Prime name.
While it might only be an iterative sequel there really isn’t much like it, and when it forgets this and tries to ape other shooters is when it loses some of its luster, but is otherwise an experience like no other.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond proves that Nintendo did a good job returning the series to Retro Studios. And they, in turn, claim to know exactly what they're doing. Capture a bit of the magic of the past, borrow lessons from previous installments here and there, and—unfortunately—never add anything new worth mentioning. But just as Metroid is a relatively small series for Nintendo alone, a relatively "regular" Metroid Prime game is still a fantastic title.
My annoyances with Beyond are vastly overshadowed by a pristine, rock-solid science-fiction exploration experience. Discovering all Viewros has to offer is incredibly rewarding and delivers an unmatched sense of alien ambiance. The wait for a new Metroid Prime has been long, but it only takes a few minutes in Beyond to remember why we have been so eager to re-enter this universe for the past 18 years.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond marks a strong return for Samus, delivering atmospheric exploration, tight combat and polished visuals that honor the classic trilogy. The new psychic abilities and refresh the formula, even if some additions - like talkative NPCs and the open-hub area - dilute the pure Metroid feel. A confident, modern comeback that largely sticks the landing.
Retro Studios opts for a game that looks back to the classics, understanding that the saga’s greatest virtue lies within its own legacy. This fourth installment of the franchise will be remembered for years as the one that survived nearly a decade of uncertainty and ultimately became the best thing Nintendo could give us: a good old-fashioned Metroid Prime.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, as its name suggests, aims to go beyond everything we knew in this beloved series and offer an evolution after 18 years without a new numbered installment. It's a great adventure, and despite some questionable design decisions, we recommend playing it whether you're a veteran or a newcomer.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond may not reinvent the formula or challenge the legacy of the original and Echoes, but it delivers an excellent adventure that every Switch and Switch 2 owner should experience. Retro Studios proves the series still has plenty to offer in 2025, with refined gameplay, strong atmosphere, and smart evolution of the classic Prime structure. Some narrative shortcomings and a few rough edges hold it back from absolute greatness, but they never undermine a first-rate journey that’s engaging from start to finish. Here’s hoping we won’t have to wait another era for the next chapter.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a worthy successor to the classic first-person adventures of Samus Aran. The blend of shooter, puzzles, platforming, and exploration works well, although the core gameplay is somewhat linear. What most of the regular combat lacks in style, the superbly designed bosses more than make up for.
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