Metroid Prime 4 Review: When Classic Prime Meets Modern Missteps

Some games return after a long absence with quiet confidence.

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond doesn’t do quiet. It arrives like a long‑sealed vault cracking open — atmospheric, moody, and drenched in that unmistakable Prime tension. It’s a revival that feels both overdue and strangely experimental, as if the series is trying to rediscover itself while also reinventing the wheel.

And that’s the core contradiction: when Beyond leans into what made Prime iconic, it’s brilliant. When it tries to “modernize,” it stumbles.

This is a game that shines brightest in the shadows — literally and figuratively — but struggles whenever it steps into the open.

So, in a sense, we can call this a breathtaking, atmospheric revival weighed down by clunky psychic powers and an overworld that never earns its space.

Classic Prime Magic Meets Awkward New Systems

At its core, Beyond still understands the Prime formula. The moment you step into one of its handcrafted, dungeon‑like zones, everything clicks. The scanning, the environmental puzzles, the slow unraveling of alien mysteries — it’s all here, polished and confident. These interior spaces feel like they were carved with intention, each room feeding into the next with that classic Metroid rhythm of discovery.

But the new psychic powers?

They’re the game’s biggest gamble, and not one that pays off.

They’re awkward to use, slow to swap between, and rarely feel like they meaningfully expand Samus’ arsenal. Instead of elevating combat or exploration, they interrupt it. They feel like a system designed for a different game entirely — one that doesn’t rely on the tight, tactile flow that defines Prime.

Combat is still satisfying, especially in enclosed spaces where the level design funnels encounters into tense, claustrophobic skirmishes. But the psychic abilities often feel like a speed bump in the middle of a highway.

The Series at Its Best

Now, this is where Beyond absolutely eats!

The atmosphere is richer than ever — moody, lonely, and soaked in that signature Prime melancholy (just like your emo phase). The environments are stunning, the lighting is cinematic, and the sense of isolation is dialed in with surgical precision. When you’re deep inside the game’s labyrinthine interiors, it feels like the series never left.

But the overworld breaks the spell.

It’s wide, empty, and strangely lifeless. The motorbike traversal feels like a solution to a problem the game created for itself. Instead of opening the world, it stretches it thin. The tonal whiplash between the haunting interiors and the barren overworld is jarring — like stepping out of a sci‑fi cathedral and into a parking lot.

The game wants the overworld to feel expansive. Instead, it feels like padding.

Performance and Presentation on Switch 2

On Switch 2 hardware, the game looks incredible. The visual clarity, the environmental detail, the mood — everything feels elevated. The presentation is polished, confident, and unmistakably Prime.

The issue isn’t performance.

It’s direction.

The best moments feel handcrafted and intimate.

The worst feel like a committee meeting about “modern expectations.”

Brilliant Micro, Messy Macro

Inside the core zones, progression feels tight and rewarding. The puzzles are clever, the upgrades feel meaningful, and the pacing is deliberate without being sluggish.

Outside those zones, the pacing unravels.

The overworld is too big for its own good, and the backtracking — a staple of the series — becomes more tedious than satisfying. The game wants to be semi‑open, but the structure doesn’t support it. Instead of feeling expansive, it feels padded.

The result is a game that’s brilliant in the micro and messy in the macro.

The core loop is strong enough that fans will want to revisit the best areas, but the overworld and psychic systems drag down the desire to replay the full package. The highs are extremely high — but the lows are hard to ignore.

Strengths

• Gorgeous, atmospheric environments
• Dungeon‑like zones are peak Metroid Prime
• Strong visual presentation on Switch 2
• Immersive, moody worldbuilding

Weaknesses

• Psychic powers feel clunky and intrusive
• Overworld is empty and bloated
• Backtracking is more frustrating than rewarding

Final Verdict

Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is a beautiful contradiction — a game that delivers some of the strongest atmosphere and level design the series has ever seen, wrapped in an overworld and ability system that constantly undercuts its own brilliance. When it works, it’s unforgettable. When it doesn’t, it’s baffling.

It’s a return worth celebrating, but also one that leaves you imagining the masterpiece it could’ve been.