There aren’t a lot of games out there that we have been waiting for as long as we have for Metroid Prime 4: Beyond. It’s been close to two decades since Metroid Prime 3: Corruption came out, and Prime 4 itself was originally announced all the way back in 2017, before being indefinitely delayed and completely rebooted from scratch under Retro Studios just a couple of years later. Now, however, that long period of anticipation finally seems to be in its final stretch.
An entire console generation after its original announcement, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is close to releasing, while recent days and weeks have also brought new details and gameplay footage on the first person action adventure title. As we look to fan the flames of hype surrounding the game, here, we’re going to highlight the most significant details that have emerged on the upcoming Nintendo title. Without further ado, let’s dive in- starting with the basics.
STORY DETAILS
Set some time after the events of Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will see series protagonist and legendary bounty hunter Samus Aran embarking on a quest on yet another dangerous alien planet. As we saw in a recent Treehouse Live demo the game will begin with Samus responding to a distress call from Galactic Federation soldiers on the planet of Tenmaar, which we also saw glimpses of in Metroid Prime 4’s re-reveal last June. As Samus lands, she finds the planet under assault from heavy Space Pirate forces, who, curiously enough, have forged an alliance with the enigmatic bounty hunter Sylux. For those unaware, Sylux has appeared a handful of times in the past, but little is known about the villainous character. Retro Studios and Nintendo have confirmed, however, that the bounty hunter is going to have a major role to play in the upcoming sequel.
SETTING
The planet of Tenmaar will be where Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will kick off, but it’s not the aforementioned “dangerous alien planet” that serves as the game’s main setting. As revealed in a recent Nintendo Direct trailer, the game is set on a completely new planet in the form of Viewros. Little is known about this planet or what sights it will have on offer, other than the fact that a colossal, towering tree lies at its heart and is clearly an important structure as far as the planet’s lore is concerned. This being a Metroid game, presumably, we’ll get much more intimate with the planet, its environments, its history, and its many hostile denizens over the course o the game.
CLASSIC METROID PRIME GAMEPLAY RETURNS
All that we have seen of Metroid Prime 4’s gameplay so far has made it clear that for returning series fans, things will instantly feel familiar in more ways than one. The lock-on centric shooting, the shooting at doors to unlock them, the scanning of everything and anything that you can see, the energy tanks and missiles, the turning into a morph ball and using your bombs- all the familiar gameplay elements that you’d expect in a Metroid Prime game are present and accounted for here.
PSYCHIC ABILITIES
Metroid Prime 4 may be delivering a lot of more of the same, but that isn’t all that it’s doing. Retro Studios is also changing up the tried and true gameplay formula with some new ideas thrown in- like Samus’ new Psychic Powers. How they will fit into the story remains to be seen, but we do know that Samus is going to be equipped with new telekinetic abilities in Prime 4. This time, shell be able to manipulate and move objects with her mind, control the trajectory of her fired projectiles, open doors that are otherwise inaccessible, and more. Presumably, these abilities will also have a significant role to play where traversal and exploration are concerned.
ABERAX
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s recent Treehouse Live demo showed off the opening minutes of the game, which, in true Metroid Prime fashion, end with a bombastic set piece boss fights against a ginormous alien monstrosity. Named Aberax, this creature, as the first boss of the game, isn’t awfully difficult to take down, by the looks of it, but still seems like a solid introductory boss. In the demo, we saw it unleashing a variety of different attacks, such as sending out large circular waves for players to dodge over or under, using its jetpack for enhanced mobility, and swinging at Samus with vicious melee strikes. The boss fight tasks players with focusing on and damaging weak points on Aberax’s chest, which the creature does its best to try and prevent you from doing by blocking them with its shielded arms.
NEW SUIT
You can’t have a new Metroid game (with some exceptions) without a new suit for Samus to find and kit herself out with, and sure enough, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond won’t buck that trend either. A new red suit was glimpsed in its Switch 1 Direct trailer at the end of March, though as you’d expect Retro Studios and Nintendo have said little else about it, where it will fit in the story, or what (if any) new powers it will bestow on Samus.
LAUNCH DETAILS
At the recent Switch 2 unveiling, Nintendo announced, as many expected, that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is going to be a cross-gen game. In addition to releasing on the Switch, it will also be available on the Switch 2 day and date. When exactly it will release is still a mystery, with Nintendo having chosen to withhold that information thus far, but we do at least know that it will be out sometime this year.
NINTENDO SWITCH 2 EDITION
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Nintendo Switch 2 version – or its Nintendo Switch 2 Edition release, as Nintendo is calling it – will come with a number of enhancements. Players can expect improved load times, improved resolution and frame rate targets (more on this in a bit), HDR support (as long as you have a compatible screen) and more.
GRAPHICS MODES
Metroid Prime games have a knack for looking gorgeous for the hardware that they are on, and Beyond is looking no different. On the Switch 2, in fact, it will unsurprisingly boast some pretty impressive tech targets. In Quality Mode, the game will run at 4K and 60 FPS, while a Performance Mode will also be available for those who wish to play it at 1080p and 120 FPS.
GAMEPLAY MODES
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond’s Switch 2 version will have exclusive gameplay features as well, with the game being playable one of several ways, thanks to the console’s versatile hardware. You can play it the regular way with a controller, or you can use the Switch 2’s gyro controls to make aiming a little easier for yourself (not that the heavy lock on of Metroid Prime’s gameplay makes that part of the gameplay too difficult…). Best of all, you’ll also be able to turn a Joy-Con on its side to use it like a mouse and play the game that way, which is particularly exciting for a first-person shooter. As shown in the recent gameplay demo, switching between different gameplay styles will be instant and seamless.
