The long-awaited fourth entry in the Metroid Prime series was ultimately a disappointment
I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed. That cliché statement truly sums up how I feel about Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition. After waiting over eight years for this game, playing the original’s remaster last year, and loving its pre-release trailers, I was very excited to give this game a shot. By the time I had cleared the Ice Belt, though, I knew the game wasn’t for me.
Take my time playing through Ice Belt, the best area in the entire game. It’s a frozen-over factory left behind by a once-powerful situation, and I loved slowly uncovering the disaster that had previously gone down here before Samus arrived. None of the puzzles or combat encounters in the area were all too engaging with it, though, and once I was done, I was kicked back out to a desolate open hub connecting the game’s major areas.
When I wasn’t gawking at the world design and art direction or intrigued by its lore, Metroid Prime 4 left me bored. Ironically, it was the more action-filled moments that bored me the most. The game certainly delivers more of what previous Metroid Prime games offered, which is a good thing, but it never feels like it does anything that creative beyond that. Although I don’t regret playing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond and can still recommend it for its high points, it ultimately disappointed me.
Price and availability
There are two different versions of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond available physically and digitally, and the price differs depending on the platform you’re playing on:
A Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Nintendo Switch 2 Edition Upgrade Pack can be purchased for $10. The Switch 2 version of the game has a better resolution and frame rate, features faster load times, and lets players use Joy-Con 2’s mouse controllers to aim.
Metroid Prime 4 is the best in its quietest moments
Although I wish Samus was a more active character
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond continues the franchise’s saga, whisking Samus away to a remote alien planet after an encounter with Sylux. The planet of Viewros was once inhabited by a race of aliens called the Lamorn, who went extinct due to the very energy that helped their civilization to advance. When Samus arises, she’s tasked with preserving the Lamorn’s legacy.
