After eight long years, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is nearing a real launch. I got the opportunity to both stand and sit down to play some of it on the Switch 2, and it feels like it hasn’t missed a step in the interim.
My first playable section was a run back through the opening of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, shown off in last year’s Nintendo Direct; intergalactic bounty hunter Samus Aran arrives at a research station under attack from space pirates, and leaps off the top of her ship to assist.
After working my way through tutorials and several dozen space pirates, I eventually hit the cutscene introducing Sylux, the Metroid Prime Hunters baddie who’s taking a more central role. He’s important, it seems, but this is the only portion of the demo where I see much mention of him, the space pirates, or the Metroids that strangely follow his commands.
I’m guessing Sylux plays a more significant role later, but after being taken to the next demo room, I’m dropped into the thick of it: Samus, sans powers, in the new world of Viewros. Well, not all powers. The bounty hunter will have to regain abilities like Missiles and Morph Ball bombs again, but the upside is a new suite of psychic abilities, enabled by a glowing purple gem in the center of her helmet.
For puzzle-solving, this means Samus can move specific orbs and other objects with her mind to open doors and access new areas. Her bounty hunting arsenal also gets a boost from the newfound powers, too; Samus’ Psychic Morph Ball bombs can be picked up and moved around before they detonate, and her Control Beam can be piloted through the air to its target.
The Control Beam is applied to both puzzles and combat as I dive deeper into the jungle zone. Shooting a Charge Shot through an opening and around to the backside of a door to open it is rewarding to pull off. A later boss fight, against a plant monster with whip-like limbs, requires me to break the shields guarding its appendages and then curve a Control Beam around the arena (like in the 2008 film, Wanted) taking out every weak spot in one go. The suite of psychic powers already seems like a standout for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond.
I tried out all the control schemes I could to get a sense of the best way to play: attached Joy-cons, a Pro controller, and the controller-plus-mouse mode. The mouse controls genuinely surprised me. There are many situations where Samus might want to lock onto an enemy but then pinpoint specific parts around its body, or even doors that had me lock on, then hit several corner areas while staying locked on the center. Mouse controls felt perfect in those moments, allowing for quick and precise targeting while on the move. I still prefer the Pro controller for general ergonomic reasons, but with a good mat, the Joy-Con mouse felt less like a novelty and more like a genuinely viable alternative control scheme.
About halfway through my venture through the Fury Green area, Samus stumbles upon a Federation fighter who’s also stranded on this strange new planet. After rescuing him, he reveals he’s an engineer, and starts following Samus. This companion character dynamic is interesting; for gameplay reasons, it means you have a helping hand in some combat sections, though you’ll also need to keep an eye on your new friend and protect him when things get dicey.
Narratively, the engineer helps push the area progression forward by interfacing with the strange tech left behind by the Lamorn, a long-lost alien race that seems tied to everything happening on Viewros. He also provides a bit of comedic relief counter to Samus’ silent, stoic stature. The dynamic is enjoyable, but I do hope it’s used sparingly.
The lush foliage surrounding my starting area is spectacular. Playing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in either handheld and docked modes look great, but the colors popped just a little more when lit up on a big screen. I looked for fault, and only saw a few stutters here and there, but never near enough to drag the experience down. The strange, dangerous flora and fauna build an incredible atmosphere. The soundtrack is excellent too, with all the musical stings and eerie ambiance you’d want from this sci-fi adventure.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has been an entire console generation in the making, which makes for a tough bar to clear. After spending time exploring the world of Viewros, though, Metroid Prime 4 is poised to be an exciting adventure for Nintendo’s intergalactic bounty hunter. Samus’ mind is expanding, but it’s still the shot-charging, ball-rolling, back-tracking adventure you’d hope for in a new Metroid Prime.
