Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Review

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review

I really love the Metroid games. These are huge, intricate puzzle boxes full of interlocking pieces that move in perfect synchronization. By the time you reach the end of one of them, you will have the map memorized. Every nook and cranny has been explored and squeezed out. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond trying something a little different. It turns out that adding an open world element to these games threatens this delicate balance. I loved the game, but I hated driving through this desert with a slow-burning passion. You're just killing time between levels, and for what? But the scenes themselves were amazing.

In essence, this is, for the most part, a triumphant return for the Metroid Prime series. The visuals are great, the music is great, and the controls are tight. You have new powers to play with and a whole new world to explore. And it's such a wonderful world. Your first stop is a giant tower in the middle of the desert. Every part of it feels incredibly alien, advanced and elegant. The focus is on psychic powers, which seem to be a natural evolution. Where else can you go when traditional technology reaches its peak? In particular, there is a floating structure on the roof, a teleporter that silenced me with its sheer scale. It's so huge, but at the same time so isolated and harsh, that I just… stared at it for a while. The design of this entire world is excellent, that's what I'm saying.

Huge alien world

This makes the open world sections seem even more confusing. In a Metroid game, you spend a lot of time going back and forth, and Beyond is no exception. The problem is that now the route back involves a vast, mostly empty desert. Yes, there are points of interest scattered around the map, but the main quest is tied to the stages located along the borders of the desert. At some point, I was methodically checking each step I had completed, looking for what I had missed. This is already a lot of work, but constantly driving through the sand made it painful. You get a bike (eventually) which makes it a little faster, but still! The open world aspect of the game doesn't feel earned. Instead, the level structure requires a lot of additions that can't afford it.

While the visuals in Beyond are stunning, it's more of a gradual evolution than I expected. But it makes sense. As with the Mario series, Nintendo came up with the idea of ​​what the Prime games should look like decades ago. Since the formula has been perfected for a long time, each new game contains only iterative updates. So I wasn't blown away by the new visuals. Instead, the familiar Metroid look and feel has been enhanced and polished to perfection. Beyond looks like you'd expect it to, but there's plenty of room for fine detail in the structure. For example, Samus' armor looks amazing. And her new ride is no less magnificent. But the environment and enemies somehow seem familiar.

Open world for some reason

Music developed in a similar way. I recognize all the sound effects and some of the music cues are taken directly from the first Prime game. But there are many new tracks. Like the graphics, the soundtrack has gradually improved over the years. Now, on the fourth recording, the fruits of that patient labor can be heard in every song. Fury Green, the first major location, has some great background music. It evokes exploration, mystery and splendor. Plus, you can hear this evolution of sound all the way back to the first entry in the Prime series.

I'm not a big fan of mouse controls. They work great, but it's hard to find a comfortable position for long periods of practice. You really want a flat surface at office desk height. But if you look at the ergonomics, it's a brilliant system. The mouse hand controls the camera until you aim at a target, and then it only moves the weapon hand. And indeed, you need to use mouse controls. Each boss fight is clearly designed with them in mind. You can win most fights without using them, but you can tell they will make a difference.

Excellent mouse control

Boss battles rely less on pure skill and more on solving puzzles thanks to the same mouse controls. You have to keep turning your head, but the challenge is more about how to damage them in the first place. Once you solve this mystery, it all comes down to patience and persistence. Fights in general depend on how smart and prepared you are. Samus won't be able to take a ton of damage at first, so you'll need to learn the ins and outs of each enemy. Alternatively, if things get too difficult, you can adjust the difficulty. I am not at all above this kind of behavior, although it took a particularly intense struggle to wear me down.

Once you strip away the unnecessary open-world padding, there's a great game underneath. The world is immersive and beautiful, the boss fights are well thought out, and the new controls are seamlessly integrated into the rest of the game. There are some breathtaking sights to be seen and Samus is decked out in amazing new armor. However, all the excellent designs make the confusing options stand out even more. I can't understand why this game was made open world. The retreat you will have to make is completely insulting. Otherwise, this is a fantastic entry into the Metroid Prime series.

***Nintendo Switch 2 code provided by the publisher***