Metroid Prime 4 Beyond Review

 

 

 

 

 

 

OK, guys, so figured it was time for another post just before Christmas is upon us and this one will be on a video game I recently played, which is Metroid Prime 4: Beyond, which is a much anticipated title that sees the return of legendary Nintendo character, Samus Aran, a stoic female bounty hunter. 

So, this game was basically 8 years in the making and goes back to the Nintendo Switch 1 era, so now that it is finally out, how does it fair?? Well, let's take a look...

So, I will say a bit about the story below, so the warning is coming...

PLOT SPOILERS ARE AHEAD!!!

STORY

So, I will quote a bit of the plot directly from Wikipedia below:

"Following the failure of their previous mission, the Space Pirates use Metroids to become stronger, a process that involves infusing Metroids into their subjects at a cost of their free will. Samus (Erin Yvette) is dispatched to Tanamaar by the Galatic Federation to prevent the Pirates stealing a recently unearthed artifact, following their attack on Federation facilities. The Pirates are being led by Sylux (Laith Wallschleger), a rogue hunter whom Samus had previous dealings with. In the confrontation with him, Sylux accidentally damages the artifact, causing it to activate and teleport everything in its surroundings to the unknown planet of Viewros." 

"On Viewros, Samus exploring the Chronos Tower. She acquires a crystal with psychic capabilities and uncovers a holographic recording from Chatoyant Vooloon, the last priest of the extinct Lamorn race. Facing extinction, the Lamorn made plans for their legacy to be preserved and teleported to a new world by a Master Teleporter at the pinnacle of the Chronos Tower. It can only be activated by five keys scattered across Viewros".

So, its Samus's mission to try and locate these keys on Viewros by entering five different and dangerous realms while also being aided by some Federation soldiers, who have also been teleported to the planet. 

THOUGHTS

Well it has to be said that this game was well received by critics on its release for the most part but the fan base, as fan bases usually are these days, were split down the middle on this game. This is mainly because for this game, Nintendo tried to include more interaction with NPC's in the game and take away from Samus's isolation, which if you have played previous Metroid games, was always the case that Samus was and still is a silent lone figure, who embarks on dangerous missions without help. However, the NPC's were obviously added to make the game feel more accessible to newer audiences but this didn't sit too well with many fans, who wish they kept the spirit of the earlier Metroid games with Samus being fully alone. However, I personally don't think this ruined the game for me in anyway (unlike a lot of fans it has to be said!) and if anything adds a welcome dimension to the game.

It also has to be said despite the inclusion of the chatty new NPCs and yes one, which many fans hate, Myles MacKenzie, a nerdy technician, who basically acts a tutorial character for the game, this still feels a lot like a Metroid game and Samus for long parts of it is still indeed on her own. So, overall, I felt despite the changes, Samus still does a lot of the things she did in the previous games in terms of puzzle solving, platforming and action. 

GAMEPLAY

As for the gameplay, I will split this as usual into the sub sections below on the different aspects of the gameplay itself.

MOVESET

Starting with the moveset, Samus is controlled via a first person perspective and her moveset is somewhat simplified by that mode and she can basically walk or run and jump, however she can also turn into a 3rd person perspective when she activates her morph ball mode, allowing her to traverse tight confined areas. I will say more about the special features below but these are her basic moves from the start of the game.

PSYCHIC POWERS 

As for a new inclusion to the game, Samus will gain psychic powers that allow her to move objects with ther power of her mind, this comes in handy especially when she has to sove certain puzzles found throughout the game or access doors leading to secret areas.  She can also gain a visor that allows her to scan various items, lifeforms and enemies on the planet. Another power Samus has is a control beam, which works much like the remote batarang in the Batman games, which Samus uses to solve puzzles or hit certain items or even enemies. 

SUIT POWERS & ABILITIES

Moving onto Samus's suit, she will gain a number of powers and abilities as she progresses in the game, starting with the morph ball, which as already mentioned, allows Samus's suit to convert into a rolling ball to allow her to move in confined areas. Samus can also use a lasso to open locks or access mech components but it can come in handy with certain boss fights as well. Then there is the pyschic bomb, which is a component of the morph ball, which Samus can use to trigger a powerful explosion to e.g. destroy rubble blocking a passageway. 

Another aspect of Samus's suit is the energy tanks, which she can collect throughout the game and there are 14 in total and they are scattered in the different regions of Viewros. It is quite difficult to get them all in a single playthrough and I myself only got 11 of the 14 but that in itself is enough to finish the game but ideally getting all 14 is a good idea.  

ARM CANNON MODES

Next are Samus's modes for her arm cannon, her primary weapon, which she will gain as she progresses during the game. Samus starts with a regular rapid fire beam but she will also later be able use missiles and super missiles that deal greater damage. Samus will also gain an ice shot, fire shot and thunder shot, all of which deal their respective types of damage but these beams can also be used to open certain doors. There is separate types of ammo that can be collected for the shots and the missiles and these can also be upgraded in quantity throughout the game.

VI-O-LA 

Then we have the Vi-o-la, which is a motorcycle, which Samus use to traverse the open world area of the game, which is known as Sol Valley. Vi-o-la itself can use a speed boost to travel faster out in open areas but this is restricted in interior areas and this can be upgraded as well. Vi-ol-a can also be used for attack as it is equipped with a laser that can target single or multiple enemies out in the Valley or within the different realms Samus travels around. The Vi-o-la can lastly also be used to access ramp areas that take you further into a realm and there is also another upgrade that allows the Vi-o-la to travel on lava but this can be found later in the game. 

VALLEY CRYSTALS 

Another key item of the game are the crystals, which can be found out in Sol Valley and Samus needs to collect these crystals (and a large number of them!) in order to complete the game and I will say more about that later! ;-) 

But getting onto the crystals a bit more, there are two different types of crystals, green and white and the green ones are what you need to complete the game and are basically a plot point used to grow a key item called memory fruit. The white crystals on the other hand actually restore Samus's health and both these crystals can only be collected out in the valley by using Vi-o-la. There are also some crystal clusters that Samus can break on the Vi-o-la that give it a speed boost but that's their only function. 

NPCs

Another new aspect of the game are the NPCs as in most of the previous Metroid games, Samus worked alone but here, she will engage with other NPCs and even travel with some of them. The main one in the game is of course already mentioned, Myles MacKenzie, who is a nerdy tech guy, who can help upgrade Samus's arm canon as well as provide her with some useful hints throughout the game. Myles however certainly has gained alot of negative press attention as most fans found him very annoying and chatty and would rather he was removed from the game altogether! However, I personally didn't find him too annoying and the bad hype surrounding him was overblown and there were times where he was actually quite helpful in reminding what I could do next when I was a bit stuck. So, yeah his personality admittedly become a bit grating but at the same time, he does add a lighter tone to the game, which is something that was missing from previous Metroid games. 

As for the other NPCs, there are mostly military soldiers that include the gruff Sgt Duke, who accompanies Samus in one or two areas of the game, as well as Private Armstrong, a female soldier, who geeks out over meeting Samus as she is a big fan of her! In fact Armstrong provides a funny moment of dialogue where she asks Duke "do you think I could get her autograph??". Another NPC also worth mentioning is VUE-995, a large robot that helps Samus during sections of the game and I actually thought he was best of the NPC's personally, especially when you first meet him and he keeps kicking enemies assess! ;-)

SOL VALLEY & OTHER REALMS

Moving onto Sol valley itself, this is the central hub of the game as mentioned already and connects the other areas of the game. However it is mostly open and barren but there are still some areas where you can stop off and access certain items, some of which you will need for completing the game such as mech parts and of course the green crystals. There are also some passages that Samus can access that take her to underground areas where she can collect certain items. There are also some enemy droids that can attack Samus in the valley, which you are best taking out using the Vi-o-la itself. 

As for the other realms that is Fury Green, which is a beautiful, lush forest that is of course decidedly green and this will also act as a meeting place for the NPCs as the game progresses. The Volt Forge is another area, which is a large industrial complex where the Vi-o-la bike is manufactured. The Ice Belt is a remote area that is largely frozen and contains a big laboratory complex and feature some dangerous ice storms. And last of all is the Flare Pool, which is the firey region of the planet, which is filled with lava pools.

ENEMIES AND BOSSES

As for the enemies, MP4 has quite a few to speak that include the regular enemies of the series, the space pirates, who are mostly just seen at the star of the game. As for the other enemies there are grievers, which are feral creatures that attack in groups, the shren, which are small fly like creatures that also attack in numbers. Then there are the snow wolves that will attack Samus in the Ice Belt area of the game and in great numbers in one sequence. There are also some mechanical enemies such as the Psy-bot soldiers that can fly around and attack in numbers as well but they come in different forms and can be quite challenging. 

Moving onto the bosses, there are quite a few to be found in the game starting with the Aberax, which is a large creature with weak spots that can be hit on its body. Xelios, an armored machine found in the Volt Forge that uses shockwave attacks. Phenoros, which is a large snake like creature that can be found in the Flare Pool and can be very challenging. And last of all is Sylux, who is primary antagonist of the game, who Samus will fight at different times during the game, who can be quite tough as well. 

GRAPHICS 

As for the game's visuals, this is definitely an area of the game where it really shines, as Metroid Prime 4 easily must be the most stunning game Nintendo has ever produced. The visuals of this game are absolutely superb and especially so on the Switch 2 version, which runs up to 4K at 60fps and this is pretty much a locked 60fps and its just a real treat to look at. The game's enviroiniments are also really impressive and varied in their design as each area has a very unique feel such as the beautiful forest of Fury Green, the industrial area of the Volt Forge, the frozen wastelands of the Ice Belt and of course the beautiful expanse of desert in Sol Valley. The character models are also very good for the game too, as Samus's outfit looks great and the NPC's all look quite impressive too for a Nintendo game. 

So, overall this game is a real visual feast and its graphics are amazing and it also shows just what the Switch 2 is capable of given its modest hardware specs compared to the other current gen consoles. 

MUSIC

As for the music, the game's score was composed by Kenji Yamaoto and Minako Hamano and its pretty good score overall and even features variants of previous Metroid themes. Again each area of the game has its unique score and for the most part they are all pretty good with the Fury Green track probably being the standout one for the individual areas. The main theme for the game is probably however one of the more weak aspects of the score, which I didn't care for too much. Other than this, its a pretty decent score overall. 

VOICE ACTING

Moving onto the voice acting, the cast for the most part do a pretty good job.

Starting with David Goldstein, who plays the infamous Myles MacKenzie, the overly talkative technician that helps out Samus on her journey. Goldstein does well with his role even though the character has gotten a ton of flak for Myles being excessively chatty and to be fair, he is somewhat annoying at times but overall I think he's OK despite it all. Goldstein does deliver some fun lines here and there and it is good to see Nintendo try and add a bit of comic relief into the Metroid series given how stoic and silent Samus is as a character herself. 

Ezra Duke does a good job too in his role as Sgt Duke, who is a Federation soldiers, who helps out Samus on Viewros and is a somewhat hardened soldier, who is a bit wary of Samus at first but quickly admires her and appreciates her help. 

Jennifer Sun Bell is also pretty good in her role as Private Armstrong, who is an enthusiastic soldier, who geeks out on first meeting Samus and is even keen to get her autograph! Armstrong however does also show her determination in fighting alongside Samus and proves to be a good supporting character as the game progresses.

Laith Wallschleger does well enough in his role as the main villain, Sylux, although his dialogue is somewhat limited (not as limited as Samus's of course!) he does convey Sylux's menace pretty well and I guess he doesn't really need too much dialogue in that respect.

Last of all is Erin Yvette, who does the voice of Samus although it has to be said that she has no dialogue whatsoever as Samus, given she never speaks throughough the game. So, Erin, basically recorded a series of grunts and screams for whenever Samus is attacked or killed, so for that she does well enough and that's all I can say about that really.

FLAWS

As for the flaws...well yeah Metroid Prime 4 isn't quite perfect.

For starters however, I have to start by saying none of my main gripes with the game are to do with the addition of the NPCs and the chatty Myles interrupting Samus while she is out, so he can give you advice on where to go next, or taking away from the original sense of isolation that was key to the Metroid games. No, none of these changes really bothered me it has to be said and to be fair to Nintendo, I think they made these changes to make the game more accessible to a new audience, as just having Samus silently wander around the world on her own with no interaction might have turned off new audiences, so the inclusion of NPCs does actually help add a new dimension to the game, even if many fans didn't like it.

So, for me instead the flaws of the game are more to do with to an extent its setting, especially Sol Valley which was also a common crticism to be fair, as its a bit too empty and boring to navigate as a connecting hub. There are some things of course you need to do in the valley such as collect crystals as well as travel to the other zones on the planet in addition to collecting mech parts or discovering underground areas, however that aside, the area itself just isn't that interesting and it takes a long time to go from A to B between zones as well. So, yeah I do admit that Sol Valley could have been better than it was in the game.

Another issue I had was to with the control beam, which is one of Samus's new psychic powers, which for me was a real pain in the ass to control easily. The whole idea of this is like the remote batarang in the Batman Arkham games, as you need to shoot it at certain enemies, locks or puzzles and it slows down time while you do it. However, its too easy to overshoot the controls and to miss the target as I quite often did, so I really did find to be one of the more infuriating aspects of the game.

One other issue I had with the game was the insistance on using the old save station method as the primary was to save the game and i just wish it adapted to autosave more given we are now in 2025. Now to be fair, there are some moments which are checkpointed and if you fight a boss, it can tend to checkpoint it if you resume the fight after an attempt. However, if you choose to quit out and reload, it will not save that checkpoint and it willl revert you to your previous save station file, which could be ages before the boss fight itself! So, I did find this to be pretty annoying and one of the more backward aspects of the game given so many games have adapted to the autosave feature.

Another problem I had was to do with the completion percentage of the game, which I found to be a bit misleading as its spit between items and scans collected. So, in order to get 100% or a high percentage rate, Samus needs to scan everything item in sight as well as collect as many missiles and shots as possible as well as other items to ensure that. However, the problem is that it shows a percentage for both rather than show an overall percentage completion for the game, which left me confused as I was hoping to get the ending where Samus's face is revealed (at 75% or above) but instead I missed out as i had 62% scans and 76% items.  So, I just wish there was a flat percentage for the completion given rather than splitting it between two different percentages. 

And last of all is an issue to do with the collection of the green crystals, which becomes quite a lengthy tedious task and sadly it is one you MUST complete in order to finish the game, which frankly sucks, as this quickly becomes a real chore. This can be especially frustrating if you didn't collect any crystals before the final stage of the game can be initiated and it will take you a couple of hours or so to collect the crystals that are necessary and as I said, this quickly becomes a major bore and a nuisance. So why they decided to block the game's ending behind this stupid task is beyond me and is definitely one of the flaws of the game.     

So, that's it for the flaws.

SUM UP

So, to sum up, Metroid Prime 4 Beyond is very solid and enjoyable entry in the Metroid series and despite toxic bandwagon hate the game has gotten so far from fans for its NPCs and inclusion of Sol Valley and a motorcycle (how dare they lol!) its a really good game imho. The game also has some of the most impressive visuals I've not just seen in an Nintendo game but in ANY game, as its just an absolute treat to look at. The gameplay is also a lot of fun for the most with the usual satisfying mix of exploration and puzzle solving as well as shooter action. 

It is of course not perfect and does have some issues especially with the rather boring open world of Sol Valley, the green crystal hunt, which fast becomes a chore and one or two other issues but despite all that, this is stil a really entertaining Metroid game, which I found way less frustrating than Metroid Dread. I mean come one, would you really rather be stabbed in the neck by an EMMI 200 times in a row in Metroid Dread than to have to chat to Myles MacKenzie for a bit (wait on second thoughts...!).

So, this again is another example of a piece of entertainment getting way too much overblown hate thrown at it by a fanbase that is too hung up on the game living it to its expectations when they should just try and enjoy it for what it is, well that's my two cents on it anyway!

So, I will rate Metroid Prime 4 Beyond...

8.5 out of 10

So, that's it for now and I will be back again if not before Christmas then just after it, so if I am not back with another post before then, I hope you have a Merry Christmas.

Till the next one, its bye for now!