After a lengthy process of development for Metroid Prime 4, we now have Beyond, which promises a new art style, a new cinematic experience, and a new immersive sci-fi adventure with Samus Aran. There is one reason this installment might alter the action-adventure genre for all time, as well as what we know thus far about this new adventure with Samus.
Delayed but About to Move Forward
Metroid Prime 4 began development in 2017 and was met with an enthusiastic reception from fans, but the development cycle has taken longer than anticipated, based on normal development times. In 2019, Nintendo officially postponed Metroid Prime 4, and ultimately handed it back to Retro Studios, the original developers of the Prime trilogy to recreate the vision they intended. Now fast-forward to mid-2024, and Beyond has reappeared before us, complete with a trailer with gameplay on the mysterious planet Viewros. Not only did we see this project is still moving forward and looking good, but it appears that these developers are a little more confident now, and fans are excited again.
Planet Viewros & Samus’s New Psychedelic Abilities
What do the trailers say? Samus crash-lands on, or explores, a planet called Viewros. Viewros is a fleshy, thick-skinned jungle-like planet with environmental puzzles, perhaps the dangerous cave-bio diversity-a verticality of a blockbuster. Samus is equipped with her regular ability kit (Morph Ball, scanning visor, beam attacks), and she now has psionic abilities to manipulate the trajectory of objects, trigger devices from a distance, even open doors from afar- new territory of exploration and combat activation.
Introductions to Sylux & The Galactic War
Based on previous lore, the infamous bounty hunter Sylux, plays an important role in Beyond’s total plot. He has long been suspected to be a threat, and based on that suspconsipon, stated to be the leader of Space Pirate attacks against the Galactic Federation facilities they raid using superior Metroid variants who have control of the minds of the raid subjects.
The opening cut-scene displays Samus defending the UTO Research Center on planet Tanamaar; then, an artifact makes Samus sense a madness, and that begins the chapter on Viewros.
Dual Release: Switch and Switch 2
Nintendo can continue its existing model of cross-generation products—Metroid Prime 4: Beyond will be released on both the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, with the same optional mouse based gyro aiming, HDR, and two graphical modes—Quality Mode (4K/60) [docked] or (1080p/60) [handheld] & Performance Mode (1080p/120 or 720p/120) [handheld].
So this allows the people with the existing hardware, as well as those with the next-gen hardware, to both have engagement with the gameplay, especially with the visual and controller features changed for the Switch 2.
Development Craft and Visual Fidelity
Retro Studios has taken their time capturing and refining everything. With some of the design talent from the Halo and Battlefield franchises, the previous two matters were probably a part of their scope. While the story includes some emotionally developed story elements, moral dilemmas that are presented are very anchored through motion-capture and cinematic. The visuals include a thick jungle landscape design, and many lighting features that include things like: vertical movement, atmospheric density, so many lighting features to name; the cinematic tools are much more directed to a narrative than prior iterations of the previous franchise space.
Community Buzz & Building Excitement
Fans can rest easy – and understandably so! A Redditor articulated what I think a lot, a lot of others are feeling when they said, “I am STOKED that it looked like Metroid Prime! This is the first time in 20 years that…. anybody… is making a game that looks visually similar to “Metroid Prime”!”
The first wave of trailers had quasi-record views from the “Metroid” audience, evidence that Beyond has successfully built the hype that has been building for so long.
Why Metroid Prime 4: Beyond Matters
| Feature | Significance |
| Return to Form | Retro Studios bringing Prime back to its roots—and raising the bar again. |
| New Psychic Powers | Fresh gameplay mechanics enhance combat and puzzle-solving depth. |
| Cross-Gen Access | Equal experience for both Switch and next-gen users—with visual ticks for both. |
| Cinematic and Visual Leap | Dense visuals, battle-scale environments, and polished storytelling. |
| Lore Expansion | Deepens the Metroid mythos through characters like Sylux and mysterious tech. |
Final Thoughts
Metroid Prime 4: Beyond brings the franchise back to isolation, atmosphere, and gameplay mechanics. Samus exploring a new biome full of psychic enigma, and hardware leaping into another dimension through the Switch 2, all point to exciting and bold possibilities.