Metroid Prime 4: Beyond

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is an excellent, if relatively uneven, revival that reaches heights worthy of the Metroid name in its best moments.

High highs and middling lows make Metroid Prime 4's return uneven.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is enjoyable enough, and has glimpses of vintage Metroid shining through, but this game could and should have been so much more.

Within its actual levels, Metroid Prime 4 is triumphant.

The wait for a new Metroid Prime has been long, but it only takes a few minutes in Beyond to remember why we have been so eager to re-enter this universe for the past 18 years.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond feels like a game stuck between two worlds. When it’s emulating the series’ past, Beyond is an entertaining, if overly conservative, sequel. However, as the shadowy corridors make way for open-world fetch quests, and Halo-style expeditions with AI companions, it’s left feeling like a diluted experience that doesn’t fully deliver on the spirit of earlier entries.

Solid and definitely has an audience. There could be some hard-to-ignore faults, but the experience is fun.

After 18 years of waiting, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond manages to replicate that magical sense of discovery from the GameCube original while pushing the series in some incredible new directions. Separating the main biomes with a vast open world sounds ridiculous on paper, but the slick traversal provided by Vi-O-La makes exploration more satisfying than ever.Combine this with the stunning art direction, ferocious new boss characters, and a surprisingly endearing squad of Federation troopers, and Beyond is quite possibly the boldest, most well-realised Metroid game to date. Make no mistake, the long wait has been more than worth it. Welcome back, Samus.

Despite the fact that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is also launching on the original Switch, it truly feels like the proper showpiece for the Switch 2. The supreme gameplay design is beautifully complemented by the different input options, all of which are suitable ways to play through this adventure. The experience is bolstered by gorgeous visuals and spectacular performance regardless of how you choose to play. Outside of some boring downtime during forced traversal segments, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a premium experience.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond delivers an excellent 3D Metroid experience that's even better on Switch 2. The game's graphics are a sight to behold throughout, but really shine in its dungeons, where the attention to detail and intricate level design keep you hooked. While the new overworld that connects them feels somewhat barren at times, traversing it via motorcycle helps break up the more slow-paced exploration of its dungeons. However, having to traverse an entire desert to install an upgrade can often feel tedious. Still, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a sight to behold that nails the core gameplay and combat of a 3D Metroid game. Check Amazon Check Walmart