Metroid Prime 4: Beyond hits Nintendo Switch and Switch 2 on December 4, 2025, ending an 18-year wait since Metroid Prime 3: Corruption. Media outlets just got their hands on the first two hours, and the verdict is complicated. Retro Studios nailed the classic Metroid Prime formula so perfectly it feels like 2002 again. But there’s one controversial addition that has some worried the game might lose what made the series special.
The opening chapter doesn’t reinvent anything. You explore narrow linear corridors connected by shootable doors, scan everything in sight, solve environmental puzzles, and feel the isolation of being alone on an alien world. It’s Metroid Prime through and through. Except you’re not alone anymore, and that’s where things get divisive.
What’s Old Really Is New Again
It’s been so long since the last Metroid Prime that playing one in 2025 feels genuinely fresh despite using a 23-year-old design template. There are essentially no other first-person shooters designed to feel this way anymore. The methodical pace, the emphasis on exploration over combat, the scanning of literally everything, the environmental puzzle solving – this style of game vanished from the AAA space over a decade ago.
Skill Up’s hands-on preview noted that what’s old is new again rang true throughout the experience. The game feels almost exactly like Metroid Prime 1 did back in 2002, and that’s not a criticism. In an industry obsessed with evolution and innovation, sometimes staying true to a proven formula when nobody else is making games like that anymore counts as revolutionary.
The core pillars remain intact. Exploration emphasizes narrow linear spaces connected by doors requiring specific weapons or abilities to unlock. Scanning is still used constantly with the regular scanner, plus a new psychic scanner for special objects. Puzzle solving feels more sophisticated than the original game, moving past simple “do you have the right colored key” mechanics much earlier.
Psychic Powers Add Fresh Mechanics
The biggest gameplay addition comes from psychic abilities granted by an alien race called the Lamorn, who believe Samus is some sort of chosen one. These telekinetic powers let her pick up and move objects with her mind, creating new puzzle-solving opportunities that feel like a natural evolution of Metroid Prime’s environmental manipulation.
The psychic scanner identifies objects Samus can interact with using these new abilities. Early on, you’re moving simple objects to clear paths or create platforms. Later you unlock the Control Beam, which lets you guide your charge beam shot in mid-air and trigger multiple switches or hit multiple enemies simultaneously.
GameSpot’s preview highlighted how natural these psychic powers feel within Samus’s existing suite of abilities. The Control Beam powers an entertaining boss fight against a giant sentient plant where you must shoot off all attacking tentacles simultaneously to prevent them from growing back. It’s classic Metroid Prime puzzle-boss design enhanced by new mechanics.
These additions represent the kind of evolution fans wanted – expanding what Samus can do without fundamentally changing how Metroid Prime games play. The psychic powers slot into exploration and combat naturally rather than feeling tacked on or gimmicky.
The Companion Problem
Here’s where opinions diverge sharply. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond introduces a companion character who provides dialogue, exposition, and guidance throughout the adventure. For a series built on isolation, quiet contemplation, and figuring things out for yourself, this represents a significant tonal shift.
Multiple previews specifically called out concerns about this companion system. Video Games Chronicle went as far as saying the opening hour felt “drenched” in this character’s presence in a way that felt disappointing inside a Metroid game. Skill Up noted it’s objectively antithetical to Metroid’s whole vibe – the isolation of Samus in alien worlds, narrative delivered through scanning objects rather than exposition-heavy cutscenes and radio chatter.
The companion’s prominent role in the opening section worried journalists who felt it clashed with what makes Metroid special. Strip away that character, and what remains is described as competent if unimaginative Metroid Prime gameplay. Add them back in, and suddenly you’re questioning whether this still feels like a Metroid game at all.
The counterargument is that this might be what sets Metroid Prime 4 apart from previous entries. Maybe the companion system, coupled with the desert hub and motorcycle riding sections, represents evolution rather than corruption of the formula. Prime 3: Corruption faced similar criticism for introducing more characters and dialogue in its opening, yet delivered a superb Metroid experience once past that initial section.
The Metroid Prime 3 Comparison
This isn’t the first time Metroid Prime dealt with companion characters and increased dialogue. Prime 3 opened with extensive character interactions and a more linear tutorial section before opening up into classic Metroid exploration. Some fans called it “too Halo” or worried it had strayed too far from the formula.
Yet Prime 3 is generally regarded as an excellent entry in the series despite those initial concerns. The opening 45-60 minutes set up the story and introduced new mechanics, then the game delivered the isolated exploration and atmospheric tension fans expected. Maybe Prime 4 follows the same structure, front-loading the companion interactions before letting Samus venture alone into the unknown.
Several Reddit discussions noted this pattern, suggesting fans should wait for the full experience before judging whether the companion ruins the game. Preview builds always emphasize early sections that aren’t necessarily representative of the entire adventure.
Desert Hub and Motorcycle Exploration
Beyond the traditional corridor exploration, Prime 4 introduces a desert hub area featuring a motorcycle-type vehicle for traversal. This represents another departure from classic Metroid structure, though potentially an exciting one that opens up new exploration possibilities.
The September 2025 trailer showcased Samus riding this vehicle across vast desert landscapes, hinting at a more open approach to world navigation between traditional Metroid Prime environments. An Amiibo figure was even announced specifically for Samus with the Vi-0-La motorcycle, suggesting this vehicle plays a significant role.
How this hub structure integrates with classic Metroid exploration remains unclear from preview coverage. Does it connect traditional enclosed environments while providing breathing room between intense sections? Or does it fundamentally change the pacing and feel of a Metroid Prime game? We’ll know December 4.
Switch 2 Enhancements
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches simultaneously on Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, with the latter version offering significant upgrades. Switch 2 players can choose between 4K resolution at 60 frames per second or 1080p at 120 frames per second. Optional mouse controls using Joy-Con 2 controllers provide more precise aiming for players who prefer that input method.
These enhancements position Prime 4 as a showcase title for Nintendo’s new hardware. A first-person shooter running at 120fps on a Nintendo console would have seemed impossible a generation ago. The visual and performance improvements should make the Switch 2 version the definitive way to experience the game for players with access to both platforms.
18 Years of Anticipation
The wait for Metroid Prime 4 has been extraordinary even by industry standards. Nintendo announced the game at E3 2017 with no details beyond the title. Bandai Namco Studios initially handled development under producer Kensuke Tanabe, who worked on previous Prime games.
In January 2019, Nintendo made the rare move of publicly announcing development had completely restarted. They weren’t happy with progress and decided to bring back Retro Studios, the original Metroid Prime developer, to start over from scratch. This reset the clock on a game already two years into development.
The first real look came in June 2024 when Nintendo revealed the full title Beyond and released a trailer showcasing Samus exploring a forest world, using her morph ball, scanning Space Pirates, and encountering bounty hunter Sylux. That trailer confirmed Retro Studios understood the visual language and atmosphere of Metroid Prime.
Now, with the December 4, 2025 release date locked in and hands-on impressions arriving, the 18-year wait between Metroid Prime games is finally ending. Whether it was worth the wait depends on how well Retro balanced honoring the classic formula with introducing enough new ideas to justify the decades-long gap.
FAQs
When does Metroid Prime 4: Beyond release?
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on December 4, 2025, for both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2. It releases simultaneously on both platforms with the Switch 2 version offering enhanced visuals and performance.
Who is developing Metroid Prime 4?
Retro Studios is developing Metroid Prime 4: Beyond under producer Kensuke Tanabe. Nintendo restarted development with Retro in 2019 after being unhappy with progress from the original developer, Bandai Namco Studios.
How long has it been since the last Metroid Prime game?
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond releases 18 years after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption, which came out in 2007. This doesn’t count the 2023 remaster of the original Metroid Prime for Nintendo Switch.
What are the new psychic abilities in Prime 4?
Samus gains telekinetic powers from an alien race called the Lamorn. She can pick up and move objects with her mind using a psychic scanner. The Control Beam ability lets her guide charge beam shots in mid-air to hit multiple targets simultaneously.
Is there a companion character in Metroid Prime 4?
Yes, Prime 4 introduces a companion who provides dialogue and exposition throughout the adventure. This has proven controversial among preview journalists who feel it clashes with Metroid’s tradition of isolation and environmental storytelling.
What’s different on Nintendo Switch 2?
The Switch 2 version offers enhanced visuals with options for 4K at 60fps or 1080p at 120fps. It also supports optional mouse controls using Joy-Con 2 controllers for more precise aiming.
Does Metroid Prime 4 feel like the original trilogy?
According to hands-on previews, the core gameplay feels almost exactly like Metroid Prime 1 from 2002. Exploration, scanning, puzzle solving, and combat all follow the established formula, though psychic abilities and the companion character add new elements.
Can you ride a motorcycle in Metroid Prime 4?
Yes, trailers have shown Samus riding a motorcycle-type vehicle called the Vi-0-La across desert environments. This appears to be part of a hub area that connects more traditional Metroid Prime corridor exploration sections.
Who is the villain in Metroid Prime 4?
The bounty hunter Sylux, who first appeared in Metroid Prime Hunters, appears in trailers as a major antagonist. An Amiibo figure was announced specifically for Sylux, suggesting a significant role in the story.
The Final Countdown
With less than three weeks until launch, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond represents one of gaming’s longest-awaited sequels finally becoming reality. The hands-on impressions paint a picture of a game that respects its heritage perhaps too much, delivering exactly what fans remember from 2002 with only modest evolution.
Whether that’s enough depends entirely on what you want from a new Metroid Prime. If you’ve been craving that specific style of first-person exploration and environmental puzzle solving that nobody else makes anymore, Prime 4 appears ready to deliver. The psychic abilities add mechanical depth without fundamentally changing the formula, and Retro Studios clearly understands what made the original trilogy special.
The companion character remains the big question mark. Does increased dialogue and guidance ruin the isolated atmosphere that defines Metroid? Or does it provide necessary context and character development for a story 18 years in the making? Preview coverage can’t answer that – only the full game will reveal whether this addition enhances or undermines the experience.
For now, anticipation remains high despite the concerns. The core of what makes Metroid Prime special appears intact. The visuals look stunning, especially on Switch 2. The psychic powers seem well-integrated. And after nearly two decades, just getting to play a new entry in this beloved series at all feels like a minor miracle given the troubled development history. December 4 can’t come soon enough for fans ready to step back into Samus’s visor and explore alien worlds once again.