I’ve been reporting on Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – once known simply as Metroid Prime 4 – for nearly my entire career as a games journalist. Announced way back at E3 2017, it existed as a boogeyman on the periphery. It was a game that always threatened to arrive, but never did. Like an illusion on the near horizon. But after all these years, finally, surreally, I was able to play it at the
In a brief demo – which will be available to anyone who managed to nab tickets to the touring Nintendo Switch 2 showcase – I took my first steps into this elusive game, and immediately found myself falling down the rabbit hole.
I missed the first generation of Metroid Prime games (I know, I know), so my nearest touchpoint was to first-person arcade shooters. In its heady blend of neon sci-fi visuals and its constant alien assaults, I found myself delightfully thrown back to the era of the retro light gun. It evokes that same sense of caution and panic as you explore a spaceship at the mercy of alien forces. You stamp through corridors watching your sight lines, looking left, right, up down, watching for any impending threats.
Inevitably, the threats approach from your back, so you’re constantly twisting around to cover your blind spots, and turning in the nick of time, to see alien jaws about to snap down on you. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond captures a real sense of dread well, particularly as you round a corner and see squadrons of beasties swarming.
It’s in the cinematic lens that the game is so impactful. Through Samus’ visor, you get a tight and focussed view of the action. While your sight is limited, this creates a real sense of place and atmosphere, putting you directly in her armoured boots. You’re not just in first-person mode, you are Samus. It means every blow lands with heft, and that the stakes feel high, as they should.
The gunplay here is meaty and satisfying, with multiple modes available, depending on how you wield the Joy-Cons. I mostly played the demo in traditional format – one Joy-Con in each hand, firing using the buttons – but I did also experiment with gyro-based aim controls, which proved to be a wholly different experience. In this set-up, you can use one Joy-Con for live aiming, and the other one for firing, dancing around enemies and blasting away with aplomb. (Mouse controls are also available on
Read: Nintendo Switch 2 – Hands-on first impressions
This mode was particularly handy while facing off against the boss of the demo – a towering, oozing monster with multiple weak points around its fleshy torso. It’s not enough to fire away at this creature. You need to perform a ballet of movement, dashing around it to get at its weak spots as they appear, and then retreating as it takes a swing in your direction.
In motion, using the Joy-Cons was like conducting an orchestra, with a dose of strategy. Fire away, duck backwards, twist around the creature, and then find a new spot to dive in.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond – Gameplay Trailer
The game’s combat shined in this encounter, promising a sharp game of tense skirmishes, and a need for rapid fire attacks, and constant alertness. While only brief, and taking place in a cloistered corridor, this demo was wildly intriguing. If Metroid Prime 4: Beyond can impress with such a limited scope, and in such a limited time span, it’s possible those who’ve waited so long for the game will be entirely satisfied by the experience.
Playing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond has given me a solid hankering for more. It’s also given me a clear understanding of what I’ve been missing out on, all these years. At the very least, I know there are three very good Metroid Prime games already waiting for me to play. There’s only a little bit longer to go before this sequel joins the roster.
As announced, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is set to launch for
GamesHub attended the Nintendo Switch 2 hands-on event in New York as a guest of Nintendo, with flights and accomodation covered. Nintendo did not have editorial oversight of this article.
