Metroid Prime 4: Beyond review: it excels when it’s actually being Metroid | The VergeSkip to main contentThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.The VergeThe Verge logo.TechReviewsScienceEntertainmentAIHamburger Navigation ButtonThe homepageThe VergeThe Verge logo.Hamburger Navigation ButtonNavigation DrawerThe VergeThe Verge logo.Login / Sign UpcloseCloseSearchTechExpandAmazonAppleFacebookGoogleMicrosoftSamsungBusinessCreatorsMobilePolicySecurityTransportationReviewsExpandLaptopsPhonesHeadphonesTabletsSmart HomeSmartwatchesSpeakersDronesScienceExpandSpaceEnergyEnvironmentHealthEntertainmentExpandGamesTV ShowsMoviesAudioAIVerge ShoppingExpandBuying GuidesDealsGift GuidesSee All ShoppingCarsExpandElectric CarsAutonomous CarsRide-sharingScootersOther TransportationFeaturesVideosExpandYouTubeTikTokInstagramPodcastsExpandDecoderThe VergecastVersion HistoryNewslettersExpandThe Verge DailyInstallerVerge DealsNotepadOptimizerRegulatorThe StepbackArchivesStoreSubscribeFacebookThreadsInstagramYoutubeRSSThe VergeThe Verge logo.Metroid Prime 4 excels when it’s actually being MetroidComments DrawerCommentsLoading commentsGetting the conversation ready...GamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentGames ReviewCloseGames ReviewPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Games ReviewMetroid Prime 4 excels when it’s actually being MetroidThe latest Metroid nails the mood and action, but its new additions often feel out of place.by Andrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew WebsterDec 2, 2025, 3:00 PM UTCLinkShare Image: NintendoAndrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew Webster is an entertainment editor covering streaming, virtual worlds, and every single Pokémon video game. Andrew joined The Verge in 2012, writing over 4,000 stories.When Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is good, it’s good. The latest in Nintendo’s sci-fi exploration franchise, and the first since Metroid Dread in 2021, Beyond captures the moody sense of isolation and discovery that has been so core to Metroid since it debuted in 1986. Those quiet moments truly make you feel all alone on a harsh alien planet, punctuated by intense action set pieces and some incredible boss fights. At its peak, the game is among the best in the series. The problem is that Nintendo added a whole bunch of stuff on top of that — including chatty companion characters and a boring, empty hub world — which gets in the way.Despite the 4 in the title, Beyond is a largely standalone experience. The latest in bounty hunter Samus Aran’s many adventures starts in the midst of a war with some space pirates, before she finds herself mysteriously transported to a faraway world. The planet is typical Metroid stuff: Once home to an advanced civilization, it’s now covered with ancient technology lying in slumber, and all kinds of dangerous creatures. Early on Samus learns that the only way to get home is to find a series of “transporter keys” and take them to a giant tower. Oh, and the dead alien race, which look like talking axolotls, view her as a chosen one meant to fix the mistakes that led to their downfall, which expands her quest even further.Got any burning Metroid Prime 4 questions?Join me and Verge games reporter Ash Parrish for a subscriber-exclusive AMA on December 3rd at 1PM ET. We won’t get into story spoilers for the long-gestating game, but we can tell you if mouse controls are any good.Doing all of this involves the standard Metroid formula. You start out with only a few abilities — a gun and the ability to turn into a little ball — and steadily gain new ones, which let you further explore. The joy in a Metroid game comes from unraveling its intricately designed levels, spaces full of secrets and connections between them that usually only become apparent once you have the right ability or knowledge. You’ll regularly see doors that can only be opened with a weapon you don’t have yet, or ledges too high to reach with your current abilities.Image: NintendoRather than mess with what works, Beyond just does it really well. The levels both challenge your brain and are absolutely dripping with atmosphere. Sometimes that comes in the form of small details, like scurrying alien bugs or packs of wolves that watch your every movement. Other times, it’s more elaborate. In one abandoned factory level, you wander through eerie hallways filled with powered-down security bots. It’s very unsettling, and later, after you solve some complex technical challenges to get things up and running, the mood shifts completely as the bots come to life and attack you. Beyond has an excellent balance between solo exploration and action, with a handful of large-scale battles, including some white-knuckle boss fights. It also adds a few new tools to Samus’ arsenal with psychic powers that let her manipulate certain objects and slow down time to bend shots around obstacles.If that’s exactly what Beyond was, it would be a brilliant game, and a welcome addition to the Metroid canon, one that was worth the near decadelong wait from announcement to launch. Unfortunately, Nintendo also decided to add some new and very un-Metroid elements to the game that dampen the experience.First up are the new companion characters. It’s not like Samus has always worked solo — she previously had an AI guide in Metroid Fusion, for instance — but here the other characters are much more involved. Over the course of the game you’ll discover a handful of soldiers who were similarly transported to the planet, and you’ll spend much of the game working alongside them to get home.This has a big impact on the game: While the story is usually background material in Metroid, where you can dig in as much or as little as you like, here it’s much more present because Samus isn’t alone. She’s still a silent protagonist, but her new crew — each of whom is a generic sci-fi archetype, ranging from nerdy gearhead to gruff sergeant — can be pretty chatty. This is mostly relegated to cutscenes in which people are constantly risking their life for Samus, though they’ll regularly chime in over the radio to provide hints as well. The dialogue doesn’t overwhelm the experience, but it also doesn’t add much to it; the characters are so forgettable that I found myself tuning them out.Image: NintendoMore frustrating is the new hub area. While much of your time in Beyond is spent in those well-designed levels, connecting each of them is a vast expanse of desert, which you traverse on an Akira-style motorcycle. At first, it’s very cool; blazing across a highway while heavy metal blares and lightning strikes gothic alien towers in the distance is an excellent introduction to the bike. But eventually it becomes clear that the desert is a bare and boring place. There are some basic shrines where you can solve simple puzzles to unlock new power-ups, and some space junk and other points of interest to investigate. Mostly, though, you’re speeding across an empty place while getting stuck in tedious vehicular battles.This problem becomes even worse as you progress because of the game’s structure, which necessitates lots of backtracking. So every time you need to go back to an area to use one of your new power-ups or talk to a character, it means a long trek through nothing. The game eventually devolves into an unavoidable collect-a-thon near the end, which really kills Beyond’s momentum as you approach the conclusion.These parts of the game are especially frustrating because otherwise Beyond does so much well. While Metroidvania has become an inescapable genre, the Prime games are still unmatched when it comes to bringing that style of exploration-heavy gameplay into a 3D world. Beyond is a fitting follow-up, but you really have to push through some drab and unnecessary additions to see its best moments.Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on December 4th on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.Follow topics and authors from this story to see more like this in your personalized homepage feed and to receive email updates.Andrew WebsterCloseAndrew WebsterSenior entertainment editorPosts from this author will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All by Andrew WebsterEntertainmentCloseEntertainmentPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All EntertainmentGames ReviewCloseGames ReviewPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All Games ReviewGamingCloseGamingPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All GamingNintendoCloseNintendoPosts from this topic will be added to your daily email digest and your homepage feed.FollowFollowSee All NintendoMost PopularMost PopularNetflix kills casting from phonesThe Nintendo Switch 2 got its first-ever discount during Cyber MondayThese last-minute Cyber Monday deals will likely be gone tomorrowMKBHD is taking down his wallpaper appApple’s smallest iPad just got its biggest price cut for Cyber MondayThe Verge DailyA free daily digest of the news that matters most.Email (required)Sign UpBy submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice. 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Metroid Prime 4: Beyond—a cautious step forward that ultimately stumbles under the weight of its own ambitions. The latest installment in Nintendo’s iconic sci-fi exploration franchise, and the first since Metroid Dread in 2021, demonstrates a commendable return to form, but its supplementary additions—a chatty companion cast and a largely empty, motorcycle-centric hub world—often detract from the core Metroid experience. At its best, Beyond is among the series’ strongest entries, capturing the moody isolation and discovery that have defined the franchise since its debut in 1986. However, the game’s attempts to inject new elements frequently feel out of place, diminishing the carefully crafted atmosphere.

The core gameplay—a hallmark of the Metroid Prime series—remains largely intact. Players begin with a limited arsenal and the ability to transform into a small ball, steadily gaining new abilities that unlock previously inaccessible areas. The joy of Metroid stems from unraveling the intricately designed levels, characterized by secrets and connections that become apparent only after acquiring the right tools or knowledge. The level design consistently challenges the player's ingenuity, rewarding careful observation and experimentation. Successfully navigating these environments, with their doors that require specific weapons and ledges that are inaccessible without the appropriate upgrades, exemplifies the genre’s core appeal.

Beyond effectively demonstrates the series’ strength in 3D exploration. The levels are meticulously crafted, brimming with atmosphere and detail—from the unnerving rustling of alien bugs to the imposing presence of the “dead alien race,” depicted as talking axolotls who view Samus as a chosen one meant to correct past mistakes. These elements build a palpable sense of unease and isolation, a key component of the Metroid experience. Further enhancing the gameplay are new tools, such as psychic powers that allow Samus to manipulate objects and slow down time to more easily navigate challenging combat situations.

Despite its compelling core, Beyond is plagued by additions that ultimately disrupt the flow and immersion of the game. The introduction of several new companion characters—soldier archetypes transported to the planet—significantly alters the gameplay dynamic. While a dedicated AI guide was present in Metroid Fusion, the inclusion of these multiple characters and their constant dialogue detract from the solitary nature that has long been central to the Metroid experience. The characters’ frequently pointless chatter, regardless of the setting, rarely adds meaningful value to the exploration or story, and their presence is largely disruptive.

Adding to the problem is the vast, desolate hub area—a sprawling desert landscape traversed primarily on an Akira-style motorcycle. Initially, the motorcycle offers a cool introduction to this new world, with dramatic lightning strikes and gothic alien towers. However, the realization quickly sets in that the desert is largely empty, featuring only basic shrines and space junk. The repetitive nature of this motorcycle-based traversal, coupled with the game’s backtracking requirements, leads to a frustrating collect-a-thon experience near the end of the game, effectively killing its momentum.

The difficulty lies in the fact that Beyond largely succeeds in its core design—the game's strengths are precisely what makes the flaws so prominent. A more focused approach, stripping away the extraneous elements, would have resulted in a truly exceptional Metroid Prime 4. The game’s attempts to evolve the franchise, rather than simply refining its established formula, ultimately fall short, highlighting the importance of respecting the core elements that have made Metroid so enduring and beloved. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond launches on December 4th on the Nintendo Switch and Switch 2.