Metroid Prime 4 Review: Return and Refining the Legend

A Comeback Decades in the Making

The release of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond in December 2025 marks a monumental return for the iconic interstellar bounty hunter Samus Aran — nearly two decades after the last game in the Prime trilogy. Developed by Retro Studios and published by Nintendo for Nintendo Switch and Nintendo Switch 2, the game reintroduces players to the eerie, atmospheric world of the Prime series while injecting new, ambitious ideas.

The pressure leading up to the release was enormous. Expectations were sky-high: could this sequel live up to the legacy of the originals, while still feeling fresh in this exploration-focused FPS? In many ways, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond succeeds — delivering what longtime fans have been longing for, and even more, especially in terms of boss fights. However, as we'll see, it doesn’t do so without facing a few stumbles, including some repetitive waves of enemies.

What Works — Classic DNA, Modern Ambitions

Atmospheric Exploration & Iconic Feel

From its opening moments, Prime 4 leans heavily into the series’ hallmarks: moody halls, frozen labs, cryptic puzzles, hidden switches, and tense, solitary traversal. As one critic described it: a “frozen laboratory full of cryogenically suspended experimental life-forms” gives way to “metal boots disturbing the frost” — a scene dripping with spooky, slow-burn tension.

That sense of isolation and dread — fundamental to the Metroid identity — returns in force. From scanning eerie corridors for clues to discovering secret chambers and solving environmental puzzles: the game wants you to slow down, pay attention, and immerse yourself in the unfamiliar alien world.

Moreover, the slow reveal of new powers and gadgets — a core structural pillar of classic Prime games — remains intact here, reinforcing that sense of discovery and growth.

Psychic Powers, Refined Controls — Subtle But Impactful Updates

Prime 4 doesn’t rely solely on nostalgia. Samus now arrives with new psychic abilities: telekinetic manipulation, environmental interactions, and other powers that reimagine how she tackles exploration and combat.

In tandem, the controls have been modernized: on Switch 2, you can use motion controls, dual-stick aiming, or even mouse-like pointer aiming. Many find these new control schemes intuitive — in particular, aiming with a pointer-style remote is described as “much better, much more intuitive” than traditional controls.

These upgrades don't just repaint old systems — they subtly shift the feel of traversal and combat, allowing the game to balance familiarity with freshness. Many reviewers believe this refined toolkit both honors the past and reflects modern design sensibilities.

Spectacular Art Direction & Technical Flourish

Visually and technically, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond stands among the best entries in the series. Critics highlight its “Giger-esque” environmental design, alien architecture, and haunting beauty.

Combined with strong performance on Switch 2 — smooth framerates, sharp visuals, and stylish effects — the game proves to be a showcase for what the new hardware can do.

Many of the big set-piece moments — enormous boss creatures, dramatic environmental shifts, freezing labs thawing to chaos — demonstrate that Retro Studios didn’t hold back on scale and ambition.

Where It Falters — Modern Missteps and Legacy Trade-Offs

A Desert Hub That Feels Hollow

One of the most controversial design choices in Prime 4 is the semi-open “desert hub” world that connects different areas via vast wastelands and sparse landscapes. On paper, the promise of an open-world traversal sounds exciting; in practice, many players and reviewers found the expanses repetitive, empty, and ultimately antithetical to what makes Metroid satisfying.

Later in the journey, traversing this hub repeatedly becomes tedious — characterized by “a lot of tedious zipping to and fro across this expanse,” which simply doesn’t match the tight, structured atmosphere of classic Prime levels.

This disconnect between the immersive, claustrophobic vibes of ship-graveyards or alien labs and the barren openness of the desert hub often undermines the pacing and atmosphere that define Metroid.

A Companion That Loses the Solitude

Part of the original Metroid charm lies in the loneliness: Samus, alone on a hostile planet, slowly uncovering ancient secrets. Prime 4 tries to modernize that with a companion: Myles MacKenzie — a rescued engineer who tags along initially, offering guidance and commentary.

However, many find Myles’s quips and presence intrusive — disrupting the silence and dread that make Metroid exploration so powerful. The Guardian’s review doesn’t mince words: “spectacularly irritating” and “Joss Whedon-esque quips,” undermining the solemn tone of the world.

Though his influence wanes after the first area, the game doesn’t entirely avoid narrative chatter: other NPCs and soldiers appear later, continuing to break immersion with unnecessary dialogue.

For fans who treasure solitude and atmosphere over narrative crutches, this design choice may feel like a betrayal of what made Metroid unique.

Old-School Mechanics That Feel Archaic

While many of Prime 4’s classic mechanics are strengths, some feel dated — especially by today’s standards. There is no fast travel, and autosaving is inconsistent. If you die in a lava-laced facility without a save point, you may end up replaying large swathes of exploration.

In an era where convenience and user-friendly loops dominate, this old-school rigidity may frustrate modern players, especially newcomers or those less patient for retro-style challenge. One critic even concedes that if this game had released in 2010, they might have been disappointed — but in 2025, that same “archaic” design feels comfortingly nostalgic.

Balancing Legacy and Innovation — Does Prime 4 Hit the Mark?

If I had to sum it up: Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like a reunion tour — not a full-scale revival. It doesn’t revolutionize the series, but where it sticks to what worked, it absolutely shines.

The game’s core — exploration, atmosphere, isolation, and progressive weapon upgrades, including the arm cannon — remains intact. The sound design, featuring psychic powers, improved controls, and modern visuals, enriches that core without breaking the spirit of the series. For longtime fans of the Prime trilogy, returning to this dark and alien world feels deeply satisfying.

At the same time, modifications — the desert hub, companion NPCs, dated mechanics — reveal a tension between preserving what made Metroid great and trying to evolve it for a new generation of Nintendo games, similar to what was seen in Metroid Prime Hunters and the Galactic Federation. In some places that tension leads to brilliance; in others, to clear missteps.

Ultimately, whether Prime 4 “works” depends largely on what you want from it. If you came for the stark isolation, cryptic exploration, and haunting sci-fi ambiance — you’ll likely find your expectations met and often exceeded, much like the experience of using a controller and control beam after a long wait. If you wanted a streamlined, modern shooter or open-world extravaganza, you may find parts of it frustrating or underwhelming.

Metroid Prime 4 Review: A Return Worth It — Slightly Tarnished, But Triumphant

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is not a flawless triumph. It is not without its irritations — the vast majority of the Metroid Prime game takes place in the desert hub, which can feel empty, the companion can feel out of place, and old design choices can feel unforgiving in the game's open world.

But in the same breath: it recaptures the soul of what made the Prime games legendary for the gaming community, much like the Mario series. It delivers on atmosphere, discovery, challenge, and visual storytelling. Its new mechanics feel deliberate yet respectful, adding to Samus' standard arsenal. And most importantly: it brings Samus back to where she belongs — deep in alien corridors, uncovering secrets in solitude, facing horrors, and ultimately emerging stronger.

For fans, the wait was absolutely worth it. For new players, this could be the perfect entry point — as long as they’re ready for something that feels both timeless and nearly forgotten in handheld mode, empowering them with a sense of precision in their gameplay, especially for those meeting this classic for the first time.

Score (out of 10): 8.5 — A worthy successor that embraces nostalgia while cautiously evolving the series.