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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond
2025 video game From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a 2025 action-adventure game developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch and the Nintendo Switch 2. It is the tenth main game in the Metroid series. Players control the bounty hunter Samus Aran, who is transported to the undiscovered planet Viewros and tasked with a mission from its inhabitants, the Lamorn. She fights for survival while confronting her rival Sylux, who holds a grudge against her and the Galactic Federation.
Beyond retains the first-person adventure gameplay of previous Metroid Prime games. Players guide Samus through non-linear environments, fight enemies, upgrade her abilities and scan objects and life-forms for information. Beyond adds psychic abilities, used to control beam shots and manipulate objects, and a motorcycle, the Vi-0-La, used to cross the hub world. The Nintendo Switch 2 version includes support for the Joy-Con 2 mouse controls for more precise aiming.
Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4 for Switch at E3 2017. It was initially developed by Bandai Namco Studios overseen by Kensuke Tanabe, the producer of the previous Metroid Prime games. In 2019, unhappy with progress, Nintendo announced that development had restarted with Tanabe under Retro, who had developed the previous Prime games. Nintendo unveiled Beyond in June 2024, and confirmed the Switch 2 version in April 2025.
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was released on December 4, 2025, eighteen years after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption (2007). It received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its level design, gameplay additions and enhanced graphical fidelity on Switch 2, although the non-player characters and open-world elements received criticism.
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Gameplay
![[icon]](#/media/File:Wiki_letter_w_cropped.svg){kind=small} | This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (December 2025) |
Players control Samus Aran, who fights for survival on the planet Viewros and confronts foes including the rival bounty hunter Sylux.[2] Like previous Metroid Prime games, Samus can scan enemies and objects to learn about environments.[3] Beyond introduces psychic powers, which can be used to operate mechanisms and guide shots, and a motorcycle, the Vi-0-La.[4][5] Galactic Federation members provide assistance in combat.[6] The Nintendo Switch 2 version allows players to use the Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse, similarly to a PC first-person shooter.[7]
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Synopsis
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Setting and characters
The Metroid Prime games are set between the original Metroid (1986) and Metroid II: Return of Samus (1991). Metroid Prime 4: Beyond takes place following the Nintendo 3DS spin-off game Metroid Prime: Federation Force (2016).[10][11] The protagonist is Samus Aran (Erin Yvette),[12] a bounty hunter hired by the Galactic Federation to assist them with the apprehension of extraterrestrial threats and the preservation of order in the galaxy.[13] She previously neutralized the mutagen Phazon that the Space Pirates were procuring to augment their own ranks, and defeated the corrupted entity Dark Samus on the energy source's homeworld of Phaaze.[14]
In Beyond, Samus works alongside a platoon of troops from the Galactic Federation,[15] including Myles MacKenzie (David Goldstein), an engineer who specializes in maintenance and repair of vehicles, as well as weapons development; Reger Tobaki (Kalani Queypo), a hunter who carries a tiger-shaped talisman for good luck; Sergeant Ezra Duke (Jason E. Kelley), a veteran of the Federation who is stubborn in battle and often comes into conflict with his superiors, but sincere and compassionate towards his troops, and Private First Class Nora Armstrong (Jennifer Sun Bell), a skilled problem solver with a personal admiration for Samus, whose proficiency in structural knowledge and vehicular operation makes her an intuitive asset to the team.[16][17]
On her journey, Samus comes into contact with an ancient alien race known as the Lamorn, who have crystals embedded in their heads granting them psychic abilities, and bestow similar traits onto Samus in exchange for her cooperation in fulfilling a request they make of her.[18] In addition to uncovering the planet's secrets, Samus is also opposed by Sylux (Laith Wallschleger),[19] a rival bounty hunter who previously sought the Octolith artifacts to usurp the "Ultimate Power" alongside other bounty hunters in contention with the former during the events of Metroid Prime Hunters (2006),[20] and now harbors a strong hatred for both Samus and the Galactic Federation.[21] He has been monitoring her whereabouts since the destruction of Phaaze, and previously infiltrated a lab station to steal infant Metroids the organization were researching.[22][23]
Plot
Following the failure of their previous mission,[b] the Space Pirates attack a Galactic Federation facility on Tanamaar. Samus is dispatched to help and discovers Sylux has led the attack in the hope to retrieve a recently unearthed artifact. During the confrontation, the artifact is damaged by Sylux, which sends everyone to the unknown planet Viewros. Samus narrowly survives and discovers a recorded message from a Lamorn while inspecting the surroundings. The Lamorn instructs Samus to bring Viewros' legacy to a new world with the help of five keys collected across the now-abandoned planet to activate the Master Teleporter. Samus accepts and gains Psychic abilities.
On her way to the Lamorns' temple, Samus encounters Federation soldier Myles Mackenzie, who informs her the Master Teleporter may send them back to Tanamaar. While progressing through Viewros, Samus gains new abilities, including a motorcycle titled Vi-O-La, and rescues other Federation soldiers Reger Tokabi, Ezra Duke, and Nora Armstrong. Samus also discovers that the Lamorn inadvertently became extinct after abusing a source known as Green Energy to bring peace to a harsh Viewros; seeking technological and scientific advancements, the Lamorn attempted to grant its regenerative effects on themselves, to no avail; the remaining Lamorn sought security at Chrono Tower and chose Samus to bring an end to their suffering.
With the five keys collected, Samus also uses the crystallized Green Energy to gain the Memory Fruit, required to fulfill the Lamorn's request. As Samus and the Federation members use the reformed Master Teleporter -- the artifact unearthed on Tanamaar -- Sylux intervenes and attacks the group. He sends himself and Samus into an alternate dimension, where he is defeated. Although believed to be dead, Sylux attacks them once more as they leave, prompting the Federation soldiers to cover Samus while she leaves. Arriving in the new world, Samus plants the Master Fruit with her Psychic powers, sprouting a rapidly growing tree. There she hangs a Federation pendant as a respect for her comrades' seeming sacrifice. With her mission successful, Samus leaves to other pursuits.
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Development
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Metroid Prime 4 was produced by Kensuke Tanabe, who produced the previous Metroid Prime games. During a 2015 interview, when asked about the possibility for a new numbered entry in the Metroid Prime series, Tanabe remarked that such a project wouldn't be produced for Nintendo's then-current Wii U home console, but instead for Nintendo Switch (then known by the codename "NX"). He also shared several ideas for the potential next installment, including a narrative focused on Samus and Sylux, and increased use of Galactic Federation characters.[24]
Nintendo announced Prime 4 during the Nintendo Direct presentation at E3 2017, and confirmed it was not developed by Retro Studios, which had developed the previous Prime games.[25][26] Eurogamer reported that Prime 4 was being developed by Bandai Namco Studios in Japan and Singapore. The Bandai Singapore staff included former LucasArts staff who had worked on the canceled Star Wars 1313.[27]
In 2018, the Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aimé, said Metroid Prime 4 was "well into development" and "proceeding well".[28][29] Nintendo did not show it at E3 2018; the Nintendo of America marketing manager Bill Trinen said they would share more when they "had something that would wow people".[30]
In January 2019, the Nintendo EPD manager Shinya Takahashi announced that development had restarted under Retro Studios with Tanabe remaining as producer. Takahashi said the previous studio had not met Nintendo's standards and that the decision to restart was not taken lightly.[31] In October 2020, Retro posted a job advertisement seeking storyboard artists to work on "emotional" and "interesting and innovative scenes that elevate the narrative". Video Games Chronicle writer Andy Robinson took this as an indication of a more cinematic focus.[32] The Nintendo developer Next Level Games, the third-party studio Virtuos, and other teams provided support. Tanabe also contributed material to the scan logs, which are unlocked using Samus' scan visor on various creatures and objects.[33]
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Release and promotion
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Nintendo released the first trailer on June 18, 2024, which revealed the full title.[25][34] The trailer showcased similar gameplay to previous Metroid Prime games, with Samus exiting her gunship, navigating a research facility using her morph ball and scanning abilities, encountering the bounty hunter Sylux who first appeared in Metroid Prime Hunters, and ending with an establishing shot of a forest world.[2] Nintendo also announced that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was scheduled for release in 2025.[34]
Nintendo released a second trailer in a Direct presentation on March 27, 2025, introducing the forest planet Viewros setting, new enemies, the Lamorn race, and Samus's psychic powers.[4] In a Direct presentation on April 2, Nintendo announced a version for Nintendo Switch 2, with enhanced visual resolution, the option to use 4K at 60 frames per second or 1080p at 120 frames per second, and optional mouse controls when using the Joy-Con 2 controllers.[35] A 20-minute demo, covering the opening level first seen in the June 2024 trailer, was made playable at Nintendo Switch 2 Experience events held worldwide between April and June, and showcased during a Nintendo Treehouse livestream.[36][37] This same demo would later appear at Gamescom in August, and be distributed for Switch 2 kiosks in Walmart and Target stores in the US in November.[38]
On September 12, Nintendo released a new trailer showcasing a desert environment and Samus's motorcycle, along with the release date, December 4, 2025.[39] Amiibo figures were also announced for Samus, Samus with the Vi-0-La motorcycle, and Sylux.[5] A trailer focusing on the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition was released on November 4, subtitled Survive,[40] and a seven-minute long "overview trailer" was released on November 14.[41]
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Reception
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Pre-release
In November 2025, media outlets were allowed to play a 90-minute demo, including the opening sequence and a section in the Fury Green area of Viewros.[42][43] The presentation, puzzles and combat were praised.[3][44][6] Ethan Van Allen of Game Informer felt Samus's new psychic powers were "a standout" and praised the new mouse controls.[42] Nintendo Life's Alex Olney felt they blended well with the gameplay and were "refreshingly different".[44]
In Video Games Chronicle, Andy Robinson found the preview "solid, if not particularly surprising" and wrote that it featured an entertaining boss battle.[45] IGN writer Logan Plant wrote that while Beyond "likely won't redefine Metroid in any meaningful way – or live up to the unrealistic hype built by nearly a decade of waiting", it features "classic Metroid Prime exploration and combat, an intriguing setup, gorgeous art direction, and great technical performance".[6] Ari Notis of Polygon wrote that while Beyond was not a rehash of the original Metroid Prime games, with some tonal differences, it "plays the series' greatest hits".[43]
Journalists criticized the non-player character Myles MacKenzie, feeling he detracted from the series' sense of isolation. Plant described the period spent with Myles as ranging from "mildly annoying to downright infuriating".[6] Robinson said Myles made him worried that Beyond would not be the Metroid game he hoped for.[45] Olney characterized Myles's dialogue as "sub-Marvel humor" and hoped he suffered "a painful, embarrassing death offscreen".[44] Donaldson hoped the sequence was not indicative of the full game,[3] and Notis said it was "hard to fully convey just how out of place Myles feels".[43] Van Allen thought Myles provided enjoyable comic relief, but hoped that companions were used sparingly.[42]
Critical response
Reception
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond received "generally favorable" reviews according to the review aggregator website Metacritic.[46] According to OpenCritic, 84% of critics recommended it, with a top critic average score of 82.[47]
Writing for Nintendo Life, Ollie Reynolds felt Beyond was "absolutely nothing like [he] imagined - and that's a good thing."[58] He felt that, while the more linear level design and traditional environments did not modernize the series' formula as much as the critically acclaimed Metroid Dread, it was still a welcome addition to the series, and deserved to be regarded as among the best Metroid games.[58] Reynolds also felt that the storytelling and art design were among the best in the series, and while the Galactic Federation troopers were a controversial addition, "none of them are even remotely as irritating as previews suggested," and they contributed greatly to the overall story.[58] Regarding traversal with the Vi-0-La, he stated that initially, the open world environment of Sol Valley "felt completely empty," but wound up being surprisingly "meaty" and full of other interesting activities.[58]
Logan Plant of IGN stated that Beyond tended to feel more like classic 3D entries in The Legend of Zelda series, but noted how he did not see this as a bad thing, as the Zelda and Metroid series "have always shared a lot of the same DNA".[56] He also felt that the atmosphere frequently shifted between isolated exploration and sci-fi action setpieces, and said this helped to keep the game fresh.[56] Plant said that each environment felt fresh, and noted Volt Forge, a futuristic factory accompanied by heavy guitar music, as a standout.[56] He noted that Beyond was the most linear Metroid game, and that he "never felt truly lost", but felt this would help new players.[56] Contrary to Reynolds, Plant felt that Sol Valley was devoid of interesting locales and activities, and served only to pad out the runtime. He put emphasis on how it was the only place to acquire green crystals, which are necessary for progression.[56]
Rhys Wood of TechRadar stated that Beyond introduced a unique atmosphere, which he felt was "very much in line with the original Prime".[62] He echoed Plant's sentiment that the Sol Valley open world felt barren and lifeless, and felt the bosses and enemies lacked in variety.[62] However, he praised the aesthetic of other areas. He additionally felt that the linear design did not detract from the overall quality, but noted several segments that suffered from excess linearity.[62] Similarly to Reynolds, Wood noted that the Galactic Federation troopers were not as overbearing as he had feared, and that they appeared infrequently, allowing for long sequences of isolated exploration.[62]
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External links
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