Nintendo announced Metroid Prime 4 at E3 2017. It was reportedly initially developed by Bandai Namco Studios with Kensuke Tanabe, the producer of the previous Metroid Prime games. In 2019, unhappy with progress, Nintendo announced that development had restarted with Tanabe under Retro Studios, the developer of the previous Metroid Prime games. In June 2024, they announced the title Beyond and released the first trailer. Beyond is scheduled for release on December 4, 2025, 18 years after Metroid Prime 3: Corruption.
Players control Samus Aran, who fights for survival on the planet Viewros and confronts foes including the rival bounty hunter Sylux.[2] Like previous Metroid Prime games, Samus can scan enemies and objects to learn about environments.[3]Beyond introduces psychic powers, which can be used to operate mechanisms and guide shots, and a motorcycle, the Vi-0-La.[4][5]Galactic Federation members provide assistance in combat.[6] The Nintendo Switch 2 version allows players to use the Joy-Con 2 controller as a mouse, similarly to a PC first-person shooter.[7]
Development
Metroid Prime 4 is produced by Kensuke Tanabe, who produced the previous Metroid Prime games. Nintendo announced Prime 4 during the Nintendo Direct presentation at E3 2017, and confirmed it was not developed by Retro Studios, which had developed the previous Prime games.[8][9]Eurogamer reported that Prime 4 was being developed by Bandai Namco Studios in Japan and Singapore.[10] The Bandai Singapore staff included former LucasArts staff who had worked on the canceled Star Wars 1313.[10]
In 2018, the Nintendo of America president, Reggie Fils-Aimé, said Metroid Prime 4 was "well into development" and "proceeding well".[11][12] Nintendo did not show it at E3 2018; the Nintendo of America marketing manager Bill Trinen said they would share more when they "had something that would wow people".[13]
In January 2019, the Nintendo EPD manager Shinya Takahashi announced that development had restarted under Retro Studios with Tanabe remaining as producer. Takahashi said the previous studio had not met Nintendo's standards and that the decision to restart was not taken lightly.[14] In October 2020, Retro posted a job advertisement seeking storyboard artists to work on "emotional" and "interesting and innovative scenes that elevate the narrative".[15]Video Games Chronicle took this as an indication of a more cinematic focus.[16]
Release and promotion
Nintendo released the first trailer on June 18, 2024, which revealed the full title.[8][17] The trailer showcased similar gameplay to previous Metroid Prime games, with Samus exiting her gunship, exploring a forest world, using her morph ball ability, scanning a Space Pirate, and encountering the bounty hunter Sylux, who first appeared in Metroid Prime Hunters.[2] Nintendo also announced that Metroid Prime 4: Beyond was scheduled for release in 2025.[17]
Nintendo released a second trailer in a Direct presentation on March 27, 2025, introducing the forest planet Viewros setting, new enemies, the Lamorn race, and Samus's psychic powers.[4] In a Direct presentation on April 2, Nintendo announced a version for Nintendo Switch 2, with enhanced visual resolution, the option to use 4K at 60 frames per second or 1080p at 120 frames per second, and optional mouse controls when using the Joy-Con 2 controllers.[18] On September 12, Nintendo released a new trailer showcasing a desert environment and Samus's motorcycle, along with the release date, December 4, 2025.[19]Amiibo figures were also announced for Samus, Samus with the Vi-0-La motorcycle, and Sylux.[5] A trailer focusing on the Nintendo Switch 2 Edition—subtitled "Survive"—was released on November 4,[20] and a seven-minute long "overview trailer" was released on November 14.[21]
Reception
Pre-release
In November 2025, media outlets were allowed to play a 90-minute demo, including the opening sequence and a section in the Fury Green area of Viewros.[22][23] The presentation, puzzles and combat were praised.[3][24][6] Ethan Van Allen of Game Informer felt Samus's new psychic powers were "a standout" and praised the new mouse controls.[22]Nintendo Life's Alex Olney felt they blended well with the gameplay and were "refreshingly different".[24]
In Video Games Chronicle, Andy Robinson found the preview "solid, if not particularly surprising" and wrote that it featured an entertaining boss battle.[25]IGN writer Logan Plant wrote that while Beyond "likely won't redefine Metroid in any meaningful way – or live up to the unrealistic hype built by nearly a decade of waiting", it features "classic Metroid Prime exploration and combat, an intriguing setup, gorgeous art direction, and great technical performance".[6] Ari Notis of Polygon wrote that while Beyond was not a rehash of the original Metroid Prime games, with some tonal differences, it "plays the series' greatest hits".[23]
Journalists criticized the non-player characterMyles MacKenzie, feeling he detracted from the series' sense of isolation. Plant described the period spent with Myles as ranging from "mildly annoying to downright infuriating".[6] Robinson said Myles made him worried that Beyond would not be the Metroid game he hoped for.[25] Olney characterized Myles's dialogue as "sub-Marvel humor" and hoped he suffered "a painful, embarrassing death offscreen".[24] Donaldson hoped the sequence was not indicative of the full game,[3] and Notis said it was "hard to fully convey just how out of place Myles feels".[23] Van Allen thought Myles provided enjoyable comedic relief, but hoped that companions were used sparingly.[22]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
