Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Review

I’m a huge believer that change is good, its necessary. You see my mindset is based on the fact that growth begins when established ways of thinking and being are challenged, allowing yourself to slowly reshape yourself into a new image. It’s a hard process, its awkward, sometimes it isn’t much fun either but usually what happens at the end of the metamorphosis, you come out a different self. A new identity that will shape your new journey. Stronger and better than when you began.

I don’t mean to begin this review philosophically, but after waiting 18 years for Metroid Prime 4 Beyond, it really made me think deeply into what makes this Metroid game a ‘Metroid title’. After spending 16 hours to complete the game, the question of identity and the theme of change demanded me to confront it. Because for all its ambition, this is a game that feels fundamentally stuck in time, slightly changing facets of itself but not in a good way. Its identity trapped in the mindset of the Xbox 360 and GameCube era.

Our iconic heroine Samus Aran, is drawn to a distant planet Viewros after a mysterious signal echoes across the galaxy. What begins as a routine mission quickly becomes something far more unsettling, as abandoned facilities, unfamiliar lifeforms, and ancient forces the Lamorn hint at a threat far greater than anyone anticipated. As Samus pushes deeper into the unknown, the line between exploration and survival begins to blur hunted by a faceless enemy Sylux at every turn.

Old technology, forgotten civilizations coupled with new psychic abilities and some ‘controversial’ allies shape the journey ahead. Story moments are told through some awesome cutscenes as well as the Prime series staple, scanning objects and the environment. As you slowly unravel the mysteries of the world surrounding you. To circle back to a point of controversy, lets quickly visit the NPCs. In Beyond, they have become a core pillar of the narrative, with all characters playing vital roles in the plot and assisting Samus directly throughout her story.

This has been a point of contention within the Metroid community, and honestly, the issue is not that the characters are badly written. As I see it, they are beyond generic. Pun intended. Which then takes me back to the heart of my review in identity, what is a Metroid game. The level in which you interact with these characters and their importance in the story do not feel aligned with the ethos of Metroid Prime. The sense of isolation, atmospheric exploration mixed with silence contemplation as you traverse alien rich worlds, engaging aliens and getting stronger as you progress.

Replaced with a diluted attempt at characterisation. At times, the game felt oddly reminiscent of Halo, with how they behaved and looked. The ‘witty’ Marvel-ish dialogue in heavy action sequences. These combat scenarios felt generic rather than atmospheric. There are cool moments, there absolutely are, but the overall presentation of these characters feels dated and strangely unfocused considering their main role of importance in the story.

Mechanically, the moment to moment gameplay is very Metroid Prime in nature, and the individual levels are excellent. Fire pits, frozen ravaged labs, electric storm environments, lush forests, these areas are beautifully crafted and genuinely fun to explore. This is the highlight of the game for me. This is the Metroid Prime we have been waiting for.

The problem is how all these levels are connected.

The game introduces a large open overworld, a vast desert Sol Valley, which acts as the connective tissue between levels. Conceptually, it makes sense within the lore. Practically, it does not work. This is where Beyond begins to resemble The Legend of Zelda, specifically the GameCube era, but without the density or discovery that makes those worlds engaging. The desert is largely empty. Traversal becomes tedious rather than intriguing, creating a constant push and pull between curiosity and frustration.

Metroid has traditionally thrived on tightly woven, interconnected maps, a single evolving space where backtracking is meaningful. By adopting a more open world inspired structure, Beyond loses much of its identity. As I mentioned the isolated levels themselves are fantastic. I loved them. But the constant loop of entering a level, beating a boss, earning an upgrade, leaving the level, crossing the desert, returning to the hub to upgrade, and leaving again turns exploration into a chore.

Upgrades rarely feel essential beyond their immediate use. Backtracking exists, but it is often unnecessary or artificially gated. Compare this to Metroid Dread or even Hollow Knight, where every ability meaningfully reshapes how you interact with the world. That blueprint feels strangely absent here.

One of the biggest offenders is the desert crystal collection. You do not collect a few. You collect a lot. An absurd amount. It is repetitive, uneventful, and actively undermines the pacing. Instead of rewarding exploration, it feels like filler, designed to justify the open world rather than enhance it. Worst still, its compulsory to engage with it.

I have played almost every Metroid game. I grew up with the franchise. Super Metroid is one of my favourite games of all time, and Metroid Prime remains one of the best transitions from 2D to 3D in gaming history, up there with Ocarina of time. My criticism does not come from a place of hostility. It comes from a genuine love and appreciation of the franchise.

When Metroid Prime 4 Beyond remembers what it is, it is excellent. Performance is outstanding, running at 60 frames per second or even 120 depending on settings. Control options are extensive, including mouse controls, all of which feel responsive and polished. I had zero issues here. It plays like a prime game which is a first person adventure game. The usual prime staples are here, collectibles, missile upgrades and decking out Samus’s suit with more unique abilities. The psychic abilities you learn are a nice addition but they don’t really add to much weight in the gameplay. Its fine and relevant to the story but nothing pushing the boundaries in terms of gameplay. The bike is a cool addition, but again it goes back to the main point, apart from traversing the boring open world, why do we need it? How does it relate to what a Metroid game is.

Visually, the game is stunning. Each level is beautifully crafted, with exceptional art direction and atmosphere. Outside of the desert overworld, the environments are among the best in the series. This is perhaps the best looking Switch 2 game out there at the moment. Sound design and music are top tier. The score feels authentically Prime, atmospheric, dramatic and nostalgic. The audio work stays true to Metroid’s core identity, and it is one of the game’s strongest achievements.

Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is fun when it remembers what it is. This feels like a game released because it had to be released. After a long and troubled development cycle, including a full restart, it feels like compromises were made just to get it out the door. It is not the worst Metroid game I have played, but it is uncomfortably close.

Change is good. Evolution is necessary. But when change pulls too far away from a franchise’s core identity, it risks losing what made it special in the first place. Beyond strays too far, too often. I hope it sells well enough to warrant another shot at the prime series. I truly do. But more importantly, I hope Nintendo and Retro learn from this. Metroid can evolve, but it needs to do so with intention, not imitation.

After eight years of waiting, I am not convinced this was worth it. Here is hoping the next evolution gets it right.