Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like the kind of sequel that understands the legacy it inherits—and isn’t afraid to push it forward. After years of silence, speculation, and rebooted development, Retro Studios has returned with a game that feels both unmistakably Prime and unmistakably modern. It’s a first-person adventure that prioritizes environmental storytelling, tactile exploration, and slow-burn tension over the bombastic, breakneck pacing that dominates many contemporary shooters. And honestly? It’s all the better for it. This is a must-read for fans of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond .
A Return to Atmospheric Excellence
From the opening minutes, Beyond makes one thing clear: isolation is still the heart of Metroid. Retro has crafted worlds that don’t just look beautiful—they feel alive, ancient, and intimidating. The lighting is moody without being oppressive, and the dynamic weather systems make each environment feel like it has its own personality. One moment you’re scanning moss-covered ruins in eerie silence; the next, the sky opens up and a chaotic alien thunderstorm sends shadows dancing across your visor.
The environments are also dense with detail. Chozo murals hide hints of forgotten lore; scattered logs tell stories of civilizations long wiped out; fauna and flora react to your presence in subtle, believable ways. It’s all designed to pull you deeper into the mystery without ever holding your hand.
Combat That Demands Your Attention
Combat in Metroid Prime 4: Beyond strikes a satisfying balance between methodical and adrenaline-fueled. Samus moves with more weight than in past entries, but Retro offsets this with snappier strafing, improved lock-on fluidity, and more verticality during engagements. Enemies have smarter behavior, too—some flank, some retreat, and some adapt as you scan them and exploit their weaknesses.
Each major boss is a standout moment. These battles are multi-phase gauntlets that combine pattern recognition with tight movement and clever use of newly acquired abilities. They feel intimidating but fair, and almost always reward players with a new toy that instantly reshapes how they think about traversal.
Exploration That Never Treats You Like a Tourist
If there’s one area where Beyond truly excels, it’s exploration. The map design hits the impossible sweet spot: complex enough to encourage backtracking and mastery, but intuitive enough that it rarely becomes frustrating. Retro Studios has clearly studied what made the original Prime trilogy special—labyrinthian spaces that loop back on themselves in surprising, elegant ways—and then expanded on that philosophy with more dynamic, interconnected zones.
The rhythm of unlocking a new suit upgrade or movement tool remains one of the genre’s purest joys, and Beyond leans into it hard. The moment you grab a new ability, your brain instantly begins replaying old areas and mentally circling places you couldn’t reach before. That sense of empowerment, of discovery, of “I can’t believe the world just opened this much”—it’s here in full force.
Storytelling Through Silence
While Metroid Prime 4: Beyond contains more direct narrative beats than its predecessors, it largely sticks to the franchise’s philosophy of “show, don’t tell.” The game trusts players to piece together its lore and major reveals, and the writing is subtle enough that the tension never breaks. Instead of relying on constant cutscenes, Beyond paces its story through environmental shifts, unexpected encounters, and the always-reliable scan system—now faster and more intuitive than ever.
Samus herself remains a stoic, powerful presence. The small glimpses of vulnerability and reflection are handled with restraint, making the rare character-driven moment feel genuinely impactful.
Performance and Presentation
On the technical side, Beyond is one of the Switch’s most impressive games to date. Environments are richly detailed without sacrificing readability, and effects like particle lighting and fog are used with artistic precision. Frame rates remain stable even during the most chaotic boss fights, and the soundtrack—equal parts haunting ambience and retro-inspired sci-fi—perfectly complements the game’s tone.
Verdict
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a rare kind of sequel: one that respects its roots while confidently evolving them. It’s atmospheric, challenging, and meticulously crafted—an example of how to modernize a classic formula without losing sight of what made it special in the first place.
If you’ve been hungry for a game that rewards curiosity, values mood over noise, and delivers some of the finest environmental storytelling in gaming, this is the return you’ve been waiting for.
For an in-depth analysis, check out our Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Review to see how it stacks up against its predecessors.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond: A stunning revival of the Metroid Prime legacy that pushes the series—appropriately—beyond. – Rana