Samus must find her keys
If the first demo of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond had already left an excellent impression with players and the press, it should be remembered that it essentially represented a long introductory sequence, designed to ensure the transition between the old and new Samus. Faithful to the tradition of the series (undoubtedly one of the most emblematic of this video game tropism) our bounty hunter once again loses her equipment and several abilities, notably missiles and bombs in morphing mode.
As a reminder, the adventure begins with an attack by the Space Pirates, led by Sylux, an antagonist already seen in Metroid Prime Hunters. Guided by a fierce hatred towards Samus, he now controls the Metroids and seeks to seize a mysterious artifact emitting negative energy. After a first confrontation against a colossal boss, the artifact explodes, throwing Samus into an unknown and hostile place.
We can’t reveal too much about the outlines of the scenario, but we can at least tell you that his new mission consists of finding five keys scattered across the new planet of Viewros. During her new journey, Samus gains new powers, including psychic skills that allow her to interact with certain ancient structures. Even though we only explored a small sample of the title, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond seems to want to combine archaeological exploration, wild nature and vestiges of forgotten civilizations, to offer an atmosphere more mystical and organic than ever.
In the jungle, terrible jungle
We were thus able to explore the first major area of this new adventure: the Furious Jungle. An effective introduction, which allows you to grasp the full visual potential of this new Metroid. Certainly, certain textures remind us that this is a cross-gen title, designed for both the Switch and the Switch 2, but it must be recognized that the visual atmosphere is particularly neat. The depth of field offers sublime panoramas, the play of light and the abundant details bring to life this lush jungle, populated by almost organic fauna and flora.
Despite this long wait, and the new features that we have taken in hand, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond does not seem to disrupt the formula too much, at least in these first hours. The biggest new gameplay features will undoubtedly come later. For the moment we find the methodical and immersive exploration experience specific to the series, where each area of the interconnected world is revealed through the skills regained. The first-person view, a trademark of Prime episodes, places us directly in Samus Aran’s helmet and reinforces the feeling of incarnation. The DNA of the series is still based on the exploration/combat/backtracking loop, inseparable from its charm.
Even if this more demanding approach will not please everyone, the fact of having to experiment with the new tools (sometimes tentatively) provides a real feeling of discovery and learning. Metroid Prime 4: Beyond exploits this intelligently, even if we would have liked the game to take us a little less by the hand to leave more room for reflection. A good example is psychic vision, a new ability allowing Samus to analyze vegetation, structures or artifacts to obtain clues or enrich lore.
While Samus obviously retains her legendary silence, she quickly crosses paths with a particularly talkative engineer: Myles Mackenzie. A traveling companion who speaks for two and who will somewhat animate Samus’s adventures, although we do not know if he will be present throughout. Thanks to him, Samus recovers the missile launcher, an essential tool for blowing up certain walls and opening new passages in the jungle.
Samus takes the Psychic guy
A little later in the adventure, Samus acquires the ability to propel psychic rays which she can freely control in the setting, like a remote-controlled batarang in the series. Batman Arkham. An ability as ingenious as it is effective, useful both for solving environmental puzzles and for surprising enemies from a distance. With each new power, the level design gains in complexity, multiplying the nooks and crannies to explore and hidden paths. Looking for the slightest opening or shortcut remains a constant pleasure, especially since exploration is regularly rewarded with energy bonuses or ammunition expansions for the missile launcher.
Our session ended with a boss fight that used everything we’d learned so far: cannon fire, jumping, dodging, and psychic powers. For the moment, we are on Metroid Prime pure juice with a small layer of psychological novelties which should expand later. That’s all we hope for.
The mouse smiles on the bold
Despite an episode that is still very mysterious in broad terms, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond seems set to satisfy fans of the original trilogy while imposing surprising technical mastery. The title impresses with its playing comfort and its level of optimization, with several options designed to adapt to all player profiles. We replayed the introduction in portable mode, and although it holds up perfectly, it is undoubtedly one of the rare games that we would advise you to discover absolutely in docked mode.
On Switch 2, Metroid Prime 4: Beyond offers two technical configurations: 4K / 60 FPS for a stable and detailed experience, or 1080p / 120 FPS for exemplary fluidity. Certainly, the title does not display the same ambitions as certain AAA behemoths, but it fully achieves its own. Personally, our preference is for the 120 FPS mode where we feel a real gain in fluidity without significantly degrading the visual quality. Two solid options, capable of satisfying everyone.
Another good surprise is the use of the mouse which allows handling adapted to this legendary FPS. Of course, analog sticks always offer a perfectly viable option, however, mouse mode provides a real plus in handling, especially since you can switch between the two on the fly without going through any menu. The basic sensitivity is quite low if you move the mouse on the wrist, however, there is nothing to complain about since it is possible to increase or decrease the sensitivity in the options.
After so many years of waiting, this new handling of Metroid Prime 4: Beyond fully reassures. Retro Studios seems to have found the ideal balance between respecting the original material and subtle modernization of the formula. Exploration retains all its richness and sense of mystery, while the new psychic mechanics open up new perspectives in level design and storytelling. Technically solid, artistically inspired and faithful to the spirit of the trilogy Primethe game promises to be a return to favor for Samus Aran.