After 9,000 years, the time has finally come. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond is now available for Nintendo Switch and Switch 2, and the reception has been mostly positive. While some people have faults with the companion characters Samus interacts with, or with some of the open-world design, most people are just overjoyed that Nintendo hasn’t forgotten about its premier sci-fi series. If you haven’t experienced a Metroid game before, Prime 4: Beyond could be a good jumping on point.
To hype everyone up, Nintendo has uploaded a new launch trailer for the game that quickly gets you up to speed on what Prime 4: Beyond is all about. Samus gets teleported to a mysterious new planet and has to escape. Roll credits. I kid, but there really isn’t much else beyond that setup you need to know. The Metroid games are a masterclass in minimalist storytelling and while certain entries go overboard (Other M), the series has mostly stuck to context clues and environmental storytelling over dishing out heaps of dialogue. Prime 4: Beyond mostly continues that trend.
The footage seen in this trailer is from the Switch 2 Edition of the game, but Metroid Prime 4: Beyond reportedly runs smoothly on Switch 1. It doesn’t output in 4K resolution or have HDR, but you’re still getting 60 fps playback and free-aim controls thanks to two joysticks. You don’t even need to worry about buying the game a second time as a $10 upgrade is available on the eShop for when you get a Switch 2. Still, the game is technologically accomplished on Nintendo’s older platform, so you won’t be missing out on much.
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Written by Peter Glagowski
Peter has been a freelance gaming and film critic for over seven years. His passion for Nintendo is only matched by the size of his collection.
